The HU710PW's color reproduction is excellent, and to my eye, better than previous models we have reviewed, such as the LG AU810PB. The LG HU710PW has a total of sixteen preset picture modes for standard or dynamic range content.
VIVID: This is one of the brightest modes, but it is inaccurate. It would be most appropriate for content in a room with a large amount of ambient light.
STANDARD: This mode balances brightness and accuracy with nominal video settings.
CINEMA: This mode is designed for displaying cinema content accurately in a darkened room.
SPORTS: This mode optimizes the projector settings to enhance fast action.
GAME: This mode optimizes the settings to minimize lag for gameplay.
FILMMAKER: This mode is certified by the UHD Alliance to reproduce cinema content accurately. If a "flag" is detected in a piece of compatible content in this mode, the projector will automatically turn off frame interpolation and video enhancements to accurately display cinema content.
BRIGHTEST: This mode is the brightest Picture mode and the least accurate.
EXPERT (BRIGHT SPACE, DAYTIME): This preset mode disables all video enhancements. It is designed for viewing content in a brighter room.
EXPERT (DARK SPACE, NIGHT): This preset mode disables all video enhancements. It is designed for viewing content in a darker environment. This is the most accurate picture mode, but brightness is limited.
The images below should give you an idea of the color accuracy for each of the Picture modes. Although I did my best to capture accurate examples of the projector's image quality, I have to point out that, when viewed in person, the colors are much better than my screen photos appear below.
The Cinema, FILMMAKER, and two Expert modes deliver the most accurate color reproduction and contrast.
The STANDARD mode, which is the default picture preset, is cooler with slightly boosted contrast. The Brightness and VIVID modes are the brightest, and they are designed for use in areas with high ambient light. The EXPERT (BRIGHT SPACE, DAYTIME) mode delivers the best balance of brightness and color reproduction.
See content the way the creator intended
The most accurate, out-of-the-box picture modes are Expert (Bright space, daytime), Cinema, and FILMMAKER with both SDR and HDR content. These modes are the closest to the D65 Rec.709 standard. Before calibration, I chose FILMMAKER mode with the color temperature set to Warm to achieve the best SDR picture. While this mode delivers the most accurate colors, it is also the least bright of all the modes. The overall color balance out of the box is very good.
Philip took the time to calibrate the EXPERT (DARK SPACE, NIGHT) Mode for SDR viewing. Since your room and screen material can have a major impact on the overall picture, we don’t recommend using someone else’s calibration adjustments. If your room is brighter/darker or your walls are a different color, copying someone else’s results can cause more harm than good. However below are the before and after results in Philip's room.
To test the projector’s color accuracy we use Portrait Displays Calman color calibration software.
Pre-Calibration Color Tracking and Grayscale
Out-of-the-box, the grayscale (RGB Balance) was good The projector’s CINEMA and FILMMAKER modes were closest to my color temperature of 6500K. The Rec.709 color tracking of the LSP9T was also better than average.
We choose to calibrate the EXPERT (DARK SPACE, NIGHT) mode for SDR viewing in a room with low ambient light.
The default GAMMA setting of BT1886 was very close to my gamma target of 2.2 so there was no need to adjust the setting during calibration.
Picture Mode: EXPERT (DARK SPACE, NIGHT)
Color Temperature: 8000K
Average Grayscale dE: 5.9
Gamma: 2.26
Post-Calibration Color Tracking and Grayscale
We left the COLOR TEMP at its default setting of Warm. The HU710P offers both 2pt, 10pt, and 22 pt adjustment in grayscale. To produce good grayscale (RGB Balance) at higher IREs, I had to dramatically reduce the BLUE GAIN while increasing the RED GAIN. To achieve the proper grayscale in the darker areas, i also reduced the RED OFFSET slightly.
While the HU710P offers CMS adjustments, they weren't very responsive. However, after adjusting the projector grayscale, the average color tracking dE was just 1.65 which is very good.
Picture Mode: EXPERT (DARK SPACE, NIGHT)
Color Temperature: 6468K
Average Grayscale dE: 0.93
Gamma: 2.21
Delta E, as a measure of grayscale/color accuracy, of 3 and under is considered ‘Excellent’ and imperceptible by the human eye. After calibration, the average grayscale dE for the EXPERT (DARK SPACE, NIGHT) mode was less than 1 which is outstanding.
For HDR viewing, the most accurate picture modes were HDR CINEMA and HDR FILMMAKER. We watched the majority of HDR content in FILMMAKER mode. Just like with SDR we have to increase the RED GAIN and reduce the BlUE GAIN to achieve good HDR grayscale tracking.
BRIGHTNESS
The LG HU710PW Laser TV has a rated brightness of 2,000 ANSI lumens. So, how close did the HU710PW come to hitting that target? I set the projector to Brightest SDR Mode, the brightest picture mode available, and then I set the Energy Saving functions to Minimum (brightest lamp setting). I then took three to four readings about 15-20% out from the center of the screen.
LG HU710PW Brightness (Brightest SDR Mode, Maximum Light Level): 2,181 lumens
The HU710PW exceeded its manufacturer's brightness rating by almost 200 lumens. The projector's more accurate picture modes did reduce the projector light output, but there was still more than enough brightness for viewing both SDR and HDR content on a 100″ screen in a room with some ambient light. I was surprised by how bright this projector looked with a 2,000 lumens specified rating.
LG Preset Modes
ANSI Lumens
Vivid
1,223
Standard
1,161
Cinema
489
Sports
1,212
Game
1,119
Filmmaker Mode
740
Brightest
2,181
Expert (Bright Space)
1,069
Expert (Dark Space)
738
Vivid HDR
1,019
Cinema Home HDR
850
Cinema HDR
568
Game HDR
1,158
Filmmaker HDR
861
Brightest HDR
1,926
I'm sure it's no surprise that the Brightest and Vivid modes are the least accurate and should only be used as a last resort to overcome a significant amount of ambient light. Expert (Bright space, daytime) is the most balanced between brightness and color accuracy. The FILMMAKER and Expert (Dark space, night) modes are the most accurate picture modes out of the box. These two modes are dimmer, but they still produce enough brightness to deliver a quality SDR or HDR image in a dark room.
One of the things I like best about the LG HU710PW is the out-of-the-box color tuning. LG has put together a talented team of color scientists that have this projector tuned to look really good without adjustment. However, the HU710PW still benefits from calibration like any other projector.
CONTRAST AND BLACK LEVEL
While the HU710PW still cannot match the black level and native contrast of an LCoS projector, the LG HU710PW is one of the best performing DLP projectors I’ve reviewed over this past year including more expensive DLP machines.
The dynamic contrast ratio of the HU710PW is listed at 2,000,000:1. The projector can modulate its light source from scene to scene, which is why it's rated dynamic contrast ratio is so high.
As you can see from the captures below the projector can display excellent contrast with bright and dark details clearly more visible with far less blacks being crushed. Details improve dramatically with HDR content.
The HU710PW is also equipped with an adjustable iris with three different levels (Bright Room, Medium, Dark Room) along with a customizable user setting so you can optimize the unit's black level performance based on the viewing environment. I set the level to Medium in my test space because it delivered the best black level and brightness balance.
VIDEO QUALITY
Below are images of various videos and photos in 4K and HD resolution. Like all our photos, they remain unadjusted for color, so they do not look as good as the projector produced.
Since most TV shows and live broadcast content will continue being produced in HD for years to come, good 4K upscaling will continue to be necessary. This projector's upscaling was excellent. It all looked good whether I watched 720P sports or 1080p Blu-ray content.
While most Blu-ray UHD content is available in HDR10, much of the 4K streaming material is still only 4K SDR. The HU710PW had no problems delivering sharp, detailed 4K imagery.
Since a 4K DLP chip does not actually have 8.3 million mirrors, the HU710PW utilizes pixel (mirror) shifting to deliver the perceived sharpness of 4K resolution. This approach works very well. It is challenging to see a sharp difference when comparing a 4K DLP projector such as the HU710PW to a native 4K LCD/LCoS model from a normal viewing distance.
Out-of-the-box, the 4K picture was good, and the picture would be even better after calibration.
4K HDR
The HU710PW can dynamically tone map HDR10 content, and this feature did a good job of maintaining highlight detail. However, tone mapping (whether dynamic or not) requires a compromise in areas such as highlights, brightness, contrast, color, and black level. Some brightness was sacrificed when Dynamic Tone Mapping was engaged on the HU710PW. Overall, I still preferred viewing HDR with the setting switched On.
The LG HU710PW also supports HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma), the HDR standard developed for live broadcasts. Lastly, for the hardcore gamers out there, since LG is a member of the HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), the HU710PW works with other compatible gaming systems and software to optimize the gaming experience.
SOUND QUALITY
The HU710PW has dual, 5-watt, built-in speakers located on the back of the unit. Its speakers are surprisingly loud and more dynamic than the typical 5-watt stereo speakers found on this class of video projectors. I am confident that the speakers are powerful enough for use in an average-sized room.
Should they be used as your only audio solution? No. If you are buying a home entertainment projector at this price, I think you should invest in an external audio system connected to the projector. The HU710PW provides the right amount of audio connections, including the option for eARC over HDMI.
AUDIBLE NOISE
We do not measure audible noise, but the fan noise produced by the LG HU710PW was extremely quiet to not noticeable, depending on the Energy Saving mode being used. The HU710PW is a very quiet projector. Even with the projector set to its highest Light level, I could barely hear the unit's fan from my sitting position during quiet scenes.
