Summary of Customer Reviews
The LG HU810PW 4K UHD Laser Smart Home Theater CineBeam Projector has received generally positive reviews across different platforms, with users praising its picture quality, brightness, and features. The projector’s high-quality laser technology, ease of setup, and strong contrast are commonly highlighted as significant advantages. However, some users have experienced issues related to dead pixels, customer service, and specific performance features like HDR handling.
Overall, this projector is often described as offering a great balance between price and performance for home theater setups, especially in well-lit environments.
PROS
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Excellent Picture Quality: Many users appreciate the sharp and vibrant picture produced by this projector. As one reviewer mentioned, “The picture is bright and vibrant, even in a well-lit room, making it a great choice for everyday viewing.” The 4K resolution enhances the viewing experience, providing a cinema-like atmosphere at home.
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High Brightness: With 2700 ANSI lumens, the LG HU810PW is suitable for rooms with ambient light, making it versatile for different environments. A reviewer noted, “I can clearly see images during the day when the sun fills the room.” The brightness also allows users to enjoy content without requiring complete darkness.
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Laser Technology: Users love the fact that this is a laser projector, which reduces maintenance since there’s no need to replace bulbs. One user expressed relief, stating, “No more slowly dimming movies or replacing bulbs every year!” The longevity of the laser light source makes it a highly appealing feature for long-term use.
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Easy Setup and Adjustment: The projector offers flexible setup options, including vertical and horizontal lens shift, which makes it easier to fit into various room configurations. According to one user, “The horizontal and vertical lens shifters are very handy, and with some patience, the image can be perfectly dialed in.”
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Built-in WebOS: The integrated WebOS system is a convenience that many appreciate. It eliminates the need for external streaming devices, as one reviewer shared, “I love connecting to Netflix/Prime to view Dolby Vision in 4K right from the projector.”
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Quiet Operation: Several users mention how quiet the projector runs compared to traditional lamp-based models. One review noted, “There is minimal to no fan sound during movies, even in quiet scenes, which makes the experience much better.”
CONS
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Dead Pixels and Reliability Issues: Some users report experiencing dead pixels after extended use, which can be frustrating, especially when it occurs shortly after the warranty expires. One reviewer stated, “After just a year, I had two dead pixels, and LG’s customer service wasn’t helpful as it was out of warranty.” This issue has been a recurring complaint among several users.
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Customer Service Complaints: Multiple reviews mentioned dissatisfaction with LG’s customer support. One frustrated user explained, “Customer service was difficult to reach, and they were unhelpful when I tried to address my dead pixel issue.” Slow responses and poor resolution of issues seem to be common criticisms.
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HDR and Dark Scene Performance: While the projector excels in bright rooms, some users felt its performance in dark scenes or with HDR content was lacking. One user remarked, “HDR content often appears washed out, and the black levels aren’t as deep as I had hoped.” Others noted that calibration might be required to get the best results, particularly in home theater setups with controlled lighting.
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Manual Focus and Adjustments: Some users found the manual focus and adjustments challenging to use. A user mentioned, “The manual focus lever is stiff, and adjusting the image is not as smooth as I would have liked.” This can make the setup process more time-consuming, especially for less experienced users.
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WebOS Limitations: While the built-in WebOS is a plus for some, others find it limited in app selection. As one reviewer pointed out, “I was disappointed that Netflix wasn’t available on the WebOS system, despite being a standard app on LG’s smart TVs.”
Who Should Buy?
This projector is an excellent choice for home theater enthusiasts looking for a bright and sharp image in rooms with ambient lighting. If you’re setting up a media room that isn’t completely dark or want a large screen experience without dealing with frequent bulb changes, this laser projector is a good option. It’s particularly well-suited for casual movie watchers, sports fans, and those who prefer a hassle-free, smart streaming experience. However, if you are highly focused on perfect black levels or gaming performance, you may want to consider alternatives.
Do Users Recommend It?
Yes, most users recommend the LG HU810PW projector, particularly praising its picture quality, brightness, and ease of use. Many find it to be an excellent value for the price, especially for casual home theater setups. As one reviewer put it, “The picture is crystal clear and massive, and the convenience of built-in apps makes it a complete package.”
However, some users caution potential buyers about long-term reliability, especially with dead pixels and customer service frustrations. For those concerned with product longevity, it’s important to note these issues before purchasing. Despite these drawbacks, the overall sentiment is that this projector is a solid choice for most home entertainment needs.
Customer Reviews
Updated on March 14, 2024
The BEST bang for your buck. Performs like a $10,000 dollar projector.
Come for the the only projector with an EARC hdmi port. Stay for the low input lag gaming and amazing picture quality. Super bright and great colors with a bulb that will never have to be changed. I love this thing!
- 81
- 0
Very good Projector. Don't pair with an ALR Screen!
About 6 months ago, I replaced my old DaLite high contrast cinema vision screen with a new Screen Innovations Slate 1.2 ALR unit. ALR stands for Ambient Light Rejection. It was working wonderfully with my old JVC bulb projector. I decided to replace the 2009 era JVC with a new one since it was starting to have a picture defect (pink stripe on edge). After researching a lot of projectors I settled on the LG HU810pw.
After setting it up I noticed that there was excessive laser speckle. (Google laser speckle if you need to learn about the phenomenon.) I tried a lot of different calibrations and settings but nothing made it better. It was especially bad on red objects. The Ferrari (in Ford vs. Ferrari) was basically half red and half black dots. As the car moved you could see what appeared to be a vibrating static haze over the car. After doing more research I found some people advising to use a matte screen for this projector and to avoid ALR. I can now attest to the accuracy of that report.
For kicks, I taped a plain 8.5 x 11 piece of white paper to the screen and sure enough, it fixed it. The portion of the red car that was displayed on the plain paper looked wonderfully red while next to it on the ALR screen, it was nothing but speckle. Please see the attached photo and notice the outline of the paper taped to the screen. Matte is the only way to go with this projector.
I ended up returning the projector because I didn’t want to replace the screen that I just spent $5K on. The bottom line is, I really liked the projector and I would have kept and enjoyed it if I had a matte white or gray/silver screen. But the ALR screen made it un-watchable. I hope this review will help others in making the decision and to be aware of how important the screen pairing is.
- 48
- 0
Very good projector with some drawbacks
UPDATE: 2/19/24
It has been over a year now and it has been in use without issue. I don’t see any pixel issue or anything else. It starts up, projects and is fine. Everything I said originally stands. If I had to do it all over again, for now under $2k, I would still buy it again and is even a better value now.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I waited a couple of months using this LG 810 projector before posting so I had more experience with it. I have had an BenQ HD bulb based projector before this one which has given good service over the last seven years but age was showing so I sought an upgrade. I have had professional experience in the past with Sony 4K projectors (like used in movie theatres) and searched for a long time before settling on this LG laser unit. Of course the religious debates will continue as to pixel shifting tricks (as in this LG) produce a good 4K image but for most viewers, the difference is really not much but IS there. The fact that I was only planning on spending under $2.5K made choices slim for a laser based projector. You get what you pay for after all.
After two months of use and comparing it to the old BenQ I was running, it is very clear that this LG 810 produces a fine image. Is it the sharpest, brightest I have seen? No. Are the black levels, so-so? Yes. The brightness is good, but I really expected more. I have a room with lighting controls and I can not run all the lights and comfortably watch the image. I have to dim the lights to get an image that I like. Yes, it is better than the old BenQ by a factor of 2x or 3x but still lacking a bit. I am using a decent 12′ projection screen with it and not a blank wall. Some people are blown away by the brightness but I was simply not.
I read reviews saying that it was silent and that is simply false. It produces fan noise which is about 1/3 of my old BenQ but not silent as I hoped for. Not a big deal but I notice it in quiet scenes and such.
The big complaint is the black level (or lack there of). I have tried to adjust it every way and the bottom line is that if you are expecting an OLED black level, you will be disappointed. I knew this going in, and in the end I can live with it but it would be nice to have better blacks (no doubt). It’s maybe better than my old BenQ but lacking nonetheless. If you want to pay much more you can get it but I was not willing to spend that much so there are constraints and shortcomings with everything.
Sharpness is fine, features are good but I am only using it as a simple display and letting the Yamaha/Roku do the rest. The built in audio is OK if you have nothing else but not useful for much more than testing perhaps. I guess it has network features but I have no use for those and is not networked.
I used the Qualgear Pro mount and it is really nice and would recommend it for mounting, BTW.
All in all, I use it, it’s nice, and it works well, but it has some drawbacks. For now it is fine but I can see myself upgrading sooner or later. Everything I read about going into this was reasonably correct, and in the end it is a good unit and a good value.
That being said, I did buy the extended warranty since I also read about the dead pixels after a year or so of use. That appears to be a real issue but it is too soon in my case but I am preparing for that day — assuming it does not come the one day AFTER my extended warranty ends that is.
- 35
- 0
Huge screen beats 65 inch oled + dolby vision
This is my first projector.
I was using a 65″ LG C8 oled TV before in my home theater. Having perfect blacks and dolby vision on the TV kept me from changing my set up to use a projector.
After making the switch to a 100″ screen, I can never go back. No matter how wonderful the blacks and dolby vision hdr on a TV are, a huge screen beats it every time.
My theater setup has white popcorn ceilings and light gray walls. I thought that my room was not dark enough and made the mistake of choosing a Gray matte screen from Silver ticket since it had some ambient light rejecting properties. That Gray screen gave me red speckling with dim colors.
I switched to the White matte screen from Silver Ticket, no speckling and brighter colors. The blacks from the white screen were fine in my untreated room. I have no ambient light when watching except for the light reflecting from projector to the walls.
I saw a few rainbow artifact instances with the Gray screen. Like 3 seconds total out of a 2 hour long movie. I have yet to see a rainbow on the White screen.
Cons:
Coming from a totally silent tv, this projector has low noise. You will hear it in parts where the movie is silent. It takes some getting used to.
Pros:
Huge screen. Great image. It looks like a 4k LCD tv.
Laser light with no dimming. With bulbs the light incrementally gets dimmer each time you watch.
Generous setup options. I have this projector sitting on a shelf 5.6 feet off the ground, 9.5 feet away.
Overall, this projector is well worth the money.
Review Update: My hdmi EARC sound issue was solved by setting the hdmi input to PCM and the sound output also to PCM instead of Auto. I also see that the Netflix is now available. Upgrading my review to 5 stars.
- 31
- 0
Absolutely great
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I am a casual movie watcher and just really enjoy picture quality of this projector. Night and day difference coming from optoma hd26. As other reviews pointed out blacks could be better but not in this price range. Still highly watchable just tweak the iris for darker room.
- 23
- 0
DOES NOT perform like a $5,000 projector - Defective cheap lens was deal breaker
TLDR: Good (not best for me) value for $2,800 … four stars
LG CineBeam HU810PW (2021) – vertical only keystone
Features of my 15 year old 1080p projector that are missing in this new 2021 projector (felt more like my $100 projector than anything costing thousands of dollars):
Non-manual Vertical and Horizontal Keystone to produce a square picture.
Digital zoom (setting up while sitting a dozen feet in the air requires a telescope to truly see the screen … amazon.com/gp/product/B08PL3MC5B – but fine adjustments are still difficult, doing them by hand).
Finally, the horizontal & vertical lens shift (for off center projector placement) was harder to control (the middle of my ceiling has a large lamp/fan, as I would expect is normal, so it must go to the right).
Moreover, it’s twice as heavy as my current 1080p projector.
While the above made setup an unbelievable pain, the result was OK (4-star).
I don’t completely understand the popularity of a “smart” projector (or one with built in audio) – who would spend $3,000 on a projector and not spend as much on the audio? Why would anyone buy an expensive 4k projector without getting a 4k Blu-ray player, which has the streaming apps, for the better picture and sound? No Atmos on Netflix. Amazon neither. Not for Blade Runner 2049, Unbroken, Baby Driver, or Nobody. I’d have kept this projector except the cheap optics was just too poor (I believe it was at least partly due to a manufacturing error and not fully normal). It is bright — however, I realized I needed a bit brighter to be truly impressed. Color is often great. Sadly, the green/blue problem common for dual lasers is accentuated by the DTM, which can’t be turned off. I came to realize I needed to spend more to feel like it is a significant improvement over my 1080p projector (to be happy for the next decade while I wait for Samsung’s Wall (made from nine individual 40-inch bezel-less interconnected TVs) to drop from >$100,000 to this price range). I get why there’s few 1080p TVs but it’s still quite normal for projectors.
BTW, my problem with UST projectors is not just that the heavy keystoning means quite a large drop in effective resolution and brightness but that I would need a shorter cabinet to allow the two foot space lost below the screen – making the usable screen area MUCH smaller … unacceptable. I could live with one that automatically adjusted when switching between normal 16:9 and widescreen for movies, but none do it (or that had one button presets to make switching easy to do). I’m not giving up my cherry cabinet.
Best alternative (5000 to 6000 lumens) seems to be a LG ProBeam BU50NST (2020), LG BF60PST (2021), or LG BU60PST (2021). The last one seems to be the only one with Dynamic Tone Mapping (the DTM introduced in this model sadly causing an unmistakable greenish tint) of HDR10 content (but seems to be working in the BU60PST – it can even be turned off). The increased detail is noticeable. Alas, the BU60PST is currently only available at a premium ($500 to $700 over list of $4,500) at Amazon (and other retailers) – but there was a $600 coupon until the end of last month. So, I ended up going with a $3,500 BU60PST shipped from Korea (lacking a US warranty) from eBay. Easier to set up and much brighter. Very happy.
BenQ LK952 (2019) – $4.5k – vertical only keystone
BenQ LK953ST (2019) – $6k – vertical only keystone
NEC P506QL (2020) – $4.3k – vertical only keystone
Optoma ZK507-W (2019) – $6.6k – No keystone at all
Optoma UHZ65LV (2020) – $6k – No keystone at all
LG ProBeam GRU510N (2020) – $4k – 12-point warp adjustment keystone
LG ProBeam BU50NST (2020) – $4k+ – 12-point warp adjustment keystone
LG ProBeam BF60PST (2021) – N/A – Manual corner keystone and 1080p
LG ProBeam BU60PST (2021) – $5k – 12-point DIGITAL warp adjustment keystone (YEA!)
Optoma UHD38 (2021) – $1,400 – BEST GAMING PROJECTOR (IMHO and many pro reviewers) – Horizontal and Vertical DIGITAL keystone (YEA!) See: amazon.com/gp/B08WTSV4JY/
- 21
- 0
Failing after 8 months/ POS
I want to love this projector. The picture is solid, the features are great, Super bright,, etc.
BUT!!!!
Projector has an issue at 1200-1500 hours where the chip overheats and fails. I sent to LG repair- they repaired it under warranty. 3 days later, already starting to show pixels. This is common when searching online. Super disappointed as the warranty is only 1 year.
Update-at 15 months. What a POS! Failed again after two repairs. LG will not fix because out of warranty. DO NOT BUY. I regret this purchase
- 19
- 0
Great projector but could’ve been awesome if supported by LG
I purchased this projector a year ago. Image quality is great but dark scenes can be hard to make out. I have heard people calibrating it to get even better image but I am not that kind of consumer. Even though this a smart projector you will need a secondary device to get all the streaming services. For sound you’ll definitely need a sound bar. Built-in speakers are underwhelming. The good thing is it can pass through Dolby Atmos and other high resolution audio from connected HDMI devices. Image project can be quite tricky to just get right because of manual focus and positioning. I often have to adjust the position or the focus because of temperature changes in the projector cause the Len shifts Just enough to lose focus or misalign with the projector screen. Despite some of these issues this projector has been a great experience. The main problem with this projector is LG refuses/neglected to update the firmware. Even after year it’s running on the web OS 5 while newer less expensive projectors are running on webOS 6. Also there are few other issues that keep people have complained about that could be fixed with firmware upgrade just take a look at AVForum. If anybody from LG is reading this please support this product.
- 18
- 0
Dead pixel under 1 year warranty, They wont help or return!!!
I have contacted LG and amazon for around 7 phone calls, no one wants to help. And the device is still under warranty. But both LG and Amazon is just telling to contact either Lg and Amazon… what a Bad service….
NEVER BY anyting from here, you are just let alone for your self…
- 17
- 0
(Update) One star until LG fixes their customer support issues.
After just one month since receiving the projector the remote stopped working. That by itself wouldn’t led me to post a 1 start review but LG’s customer service is. I was able to register the product on their website but when I attempt to submit a service request the site’s form does not allow you to select a topic which is required in order to submit the form. I tried on several browsers and the form is not working.
I then tried to call and after being redirected twice quality of the call was so bad I couldn’t understand the “customer service” rep. and had to hang up after several attempt to understand what she was saying. This wasn’t a language barrier issue it was a phone signal problem and not on my end.
I will obviously keep trying to get this resolved but I am giving it a single star as I feel that there are several major issues here. A quality control issue for a product that is on the higher end for a general consumer product and more importantly the complete lack of quality customer support.
Although I am happy with the picture, just beware that if something does go wrong it might be very difficult to get help.
If LG is able to resolve this quickly when I try again I may update this review but for now I can not recommend any LG products based on the customer support.
(update) I was able to get a new remote using the live chat function on their website. I’ve updated the review to 3 stars as the customer service doesn’t warrant many more.
I’ve also noticed an issues getting the entire image in focus. I’m using an outdoor screen for the time being while I build the room out. I will provide another update after the permanent screen is installed and set up.
- 16
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