There has been a recent trend in the projector world for supposedly “compact” ultra-short-throw projectors, but they’re still fairly chunky things when we compare them to truly portable offerings like the Samsung Freestyle or XGIMI MoGo 4.
However, LG Electronics is changing that perception with the launch of its new LG CineBeam S UST projector, which packs powerful projection capabilities into a package that’s about the same size as a box of tea leaves.
The company first unveiled the LG CineBeam S at CES 2025 in Las Vegas in January, so it has been a while coming. But it has finally appeared for pre-order in the U.K., Europe and Canada – but not yet the U.S.
The listings reveal exact specifications, with the CineBeam S measuring just 110mm wide and 160 mm tall, making it laugh in the face of other supposedly compact UST models. It weighs around 1.9 kg, and the promotional video posted by LG on YouTube shows that it can be positioned just 8 cm from a wall, throwing up an enormous picture in stunning 4K resolution.
Despite being extremely portable at that size, the CineBeam S doesn’t appear to come with an integrated battery, so it’ll need to be plugged into a wall outlet, or at least a beefy power bank, as there’s a 65-watt USB-C adapter provided.
LG Canada’s product page shows the device is capable of throwing up a maximum image size of 100-inches, though the 0.25:1 throw ratio suggests it would need to be positioned around 55 cm away to achieve that size.
The video also shows that the viewing rectangle can be moved around and scaled to fit whatever vertical surface you’re aiming to project onto, without needing to move the actual device. There are autofocus and auto-keystone correction tools on board to aid with this, and users can choose from eight colour presets, with parameters that optimise viewing for non-white surfaces.
Disappointingly, perhaps, is that the CineBeam S only puts out 500 ANSI lumens, despite having a triple-laser light that puts out individual red, green and blue colours. This will likely hamper its use in brighter environments and at least necessitate drawing the curtains, though daytime use should otherwise still be possible.
LG said the CineBeam S offers 154% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and has a 450,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, which should ensure it lives up to its promise of “accurate and vibrant colours” with “deep blacks” and “clear details” for any type of content.
The webOS operating system is present, so that means it has apps like Netflix, YouTube and Disney+ preinstalled, so there’s plenty of content available. It also comes with an integrated web browser, and AirPlay 2 and Screen Share are supported.
The HDR10 and HLG high dynamic range formats are supported, but no Dolby Vision, disappointingly. On the other hand, the popular Filmmaker Mode is available as a present, enabling content to be viewed as the director intended, and there’s an integrated upscaling engine for non-4K content. Dolby Atmos is there, paired with a pair of 4-watt speakers.
The LG CineBeam S is listed on at least one U.K. retailer at £1,099. It’s also available for pre-order in Canada, Europe (priced at €1,299) and Australia (AU$2,499), but no U.S. listing has appeared so far.
