LG has specified a contrast ratio of 3,000,000:1, which is quite remarkable, however it is important to recognize the reality of results vs specs. In reality, a projector such as this has the ability to display a high contrast image in a wide range of lighting conditions with a variety of screen surfaces. Any comparison of this design, which is intended for commercial applications, to a design intended for dark theater usage would be in like comparing the torque of a Semi-truck to a sports car. Two different tools for two different purposes and while they can both do a lot of the same stuff such as cruise on the highway, each has its place and purpose. That the BU50NST has such high output capabilities combined with a wide range of output modes allows for the result of a high contrast system in a very wide range of applications.
For evaluation, we looked at some footage from the Apple TV+ program Tiny World. The pictures below show the various picture modes and reveal that despite the mode chosen, the image maintained contrast in the dark hairs of the zebra as well as the whites in the adjacent stripes. This is a result that I would not expect on a bright color wheel lamp based projector of similar output capabilities. This is partially due to the inherent capabilities of DLP coupled with Laser Phosphor illumination, however LG has done a fine job of leveraging the core technology to a great result.
While I did not expect to find this LG Business Solutions model to be comparable to models designed for theater usage, I was quite surprised at the result when sitting in full darkness and viewing film content. By using the appropriate dark room mode and setting the Energy Conservation (laser power) to the lowest output choice, I was surprised by the viewing experience. It was quite good with color accuracy out of the box that is admirable. Combined with the ability to store video modes and settings by input, the BU50NST could easily slip into “movie mode” when installed in a conference room after the sun goes down or with the shades drawn for those rare occasions when that might be needed. Alternatively, if this were installed in a home where it would most often be viewed in a media room, with some to significant ambient lighting, the results would be remarkable when paired with an ambient light rejecting screen. There was no question amongst those who viewed this in our bright room set up, as to the attraction of the large bright image the BU50NST delivered. LG recognized this capability and as such is offering consumer version of this design intended for residential installations.
