LG ProBeam BU60PST Laser Business Projector Review – Notable Features: Laser Light Engine, UHD, Smart Wireless Connections, DICOM Simulation
LG ProBeam BU60PST 4K displayed resolution
Utilizing DLP (.47" DMD) with XPR technology, the ProBeam BU60PST can display 4K UHD resolution. While the DLP chip only has 2.2 million mirrors, each can be tilted in 4 directions to reproduce four individual pixels. It operates fast enough that our eyes sees all the 8.8 million pixels at the same time. DLP DMD Chips are incredibly durable, with a rated life of up to 100,000 hours. Like all other DLP projectors, the ProBeam BU60PST has a sealed light path which prevents dust particles from settling inside the light path and obstructing the projected image.
The ProBeam BU60PST utilizes a laser/phosphor light source. The laser light source has a rated brightness of 6000 ANSI, so the projector would be an excellent option for a room with lots of ambient light. Furthermore, with a rated life of up to 20,000 hours, the laser light source is designed to last the product's life. There are three modes to adjust the brightness output of the laser light source. These modes are labeled in reference to their energy savings:
Minimum – Full laser light source brightness
Medium – Lowers laser brightness to extend the light source life and decrease the fan noise
Maximum – Lowers laser brightness to the lowest level for darkest environments and least energy consumption
LG ProBeam BU60PST-Laser-Life
The combination of Laser Phosphor illumination and DLP imaging ensures excellent performance and durability. In addition, there is no need for routine lamp replacements and maintenance, so the ProBeam BU60PST can be placed in difficult-to-reach locations like creative museum displays or high ceiling installations in auditoriums.
LG ProBeam BU60PST Lens Shift
The ProBeam BU60PST offers optical horizontal and vertical lens shift adjustment. The ability to shift the image position optically rather than using digital keystone or other digital geometry correction ensures the best possible image quality.
The lens shift adjustments are made using two concentric dials on the side of the projector—one for vertical and the other dial for horizontal.
LG ProBeam BU60PST 12 Point Warping
If you have to position the projector outside of the unit's optical shift range, the ProBeam BU60PST also includes a 12 point warping feature. This feature will provide additional adjustment capability but at the loss of some onscreen resolution.
While LG ProBeam projectors like the ProBeam BU60PST were initially designed for business/education applications, they are equipped with video processors similar to those utilized in LG's 4K HDR TVs. One benefit of using such a powerful processor is the ProBeam BU60PST can dynamically tone map HDR content. While this feature is not listed in the manual on the product spec sheet, it is available in the projector's menu.
The LG ProBeam BU60PST is equipped with Dynamic Tone Mapping which improves HDR picture quality
The HDR provides a significant improvement in dynamic range as well as color. It lets you see more detail in the shadows and the bright areas and delivers more saturated lifelike colors.
Higher-end LCD and OLED TVs have been able to measure the HDR content frame-by-frame to generate accurate metadata dynamically for years. Like LG's Flat panels, the ProBeam BU60PST can dynamically measure HDR metadata, which improves the projector's HDR performance. The goal is to better utilize the ProBeam BU60PST's brightness capabilities based on the content being shown.
LG ProBeam BU60PST Wireless Connection (webOS, Mirroring and Bluetooth)
While UHD, laser, and DLP are hallmarks of this design, the feature set for this and many other LG projectors is born out of LG's extensive experience with smart flat-panel TVs. Their smart flat panel TV's include several "wireless" capabilities for audio, video, networking, and so do their projectors.
The ProBeam BU60PST includes Bluetooth so you can play audio from something like a smartphone through the projector's internal speaker or a connected audio system. You also can connect Bluetooth headphones or speakers for the playback sound from the projector.
While ProBeam BU60PST has built-in speakers, many consumers will want to connect to a soundbar or AV receiver to take full advantage of the high-quality immersive sound available from many of the projector's streaming apps. The BU60PST is one of the few business projectors on the market equipped with HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel).
Built-in Wi-Fi adds additional flexibility, especially in a business or enterprise environment. When connected to a wireless network, you can wirelessly cast photo and video content to the projector using MiraCast.
While AirPlay is not supported, Android and iOS users can download the LG TV Plus app to access photos, videos, and music from Apple or Android mobile devices.
The well-laid-out WebOS user interface makes it easy to search and playback media and files located on a USB. When connected to a network (via wire or Wi-Fi), you can use the WebOS browser to access web pages and playback media stored on the network. The WebOS supports PDFs and Microsoft Offices files, including PowerPort, Excel, and Word documents.
LG BU60PST DICOM
In addition to the usual Picture modes, LG has included a DICOM Simulation mode intended to display images approximating the DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) used with B/W medical imaging (such as x-rays). This mode optimizes black/gray/white detail with a custom gamma curve. The DICOM Simulation mode is intended for education/classroom teaching purposes only.
