The LG CineBeam PF50KA is a portable projector with a 1080p native resolution. It comes with a cut-down version of LG's webOS called Smart TV, alongside Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support. It also comes with Miracast for casting and screen mirroring. It has two HDMI ports, a USB-A 2.0 data port, a USB-C port with power delivery, and a headphone jack, so you can play media from a USB flash drive or SD card or plug in various devices via HDMI. The projector supports ARC, so you can passthrough advanced audio formats if you have a soundbar connected through HDMI. It can project an 80-inch image from a distance of about 75 inches up to a 100-inch image from a distance of 125 inches. The projector comes with built-in 2W stereo speakers.
Our Verdict
The LG PF50KA projector is a poor choice for watching movies in a dark room. It has very bad color accuracy that you can't fully fix with calibration. Its peak brightness is very low, and the projector is too dim to be used in rooms with any lights. Unfortunately, it doesn't fare much better in dark rooms as its contrast is disappointing; all scenes are dim, no matter how bright they are. It has a wide color gamut, although the projector isn't bright enough to make its colors pop. Thankfully, it's a small and light portable projector with an integrated battery, making it easy to take with you on the go.
- Great portability due to its size, weight, auto vertical keystone, and integrated battery.
- Wide color gamut.
- Not useable in a room with lights due to its awful peak brightness.
- Doesn't impress in dark rooms due to its disappointing contrast.
- Very inaccurate, and can't be fully fixed through calibration.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the LG PF50KA. LG has a wide selection of CineBeam projectors, from cheap portable models all the way to expensive higher-end home cinema products. This is one of the highest-tier models in LG's portable lineup, which includes models like the LG PH150G, LG PH510P, and LG PF510Q. There are slight differences between them: the cheaper PH150G and PH510P are 720p projectors without an integrated smart operating system. The PF510Q is a 1080p projector with more smart features than the PF50KA due to its inclusion of the full webOS alongside HDCP support, letting it play content from streaming apps seamlessly. However, it doesn't have the PF50KA's USB-C port, making it a bit less versatile when it comes to charging or streaming content from connected media devices.
Our unit was manufactured in October 2022; you can see the label here.
Popular Projector Comparisons
The LG PF50KA is a poor projector; we don't recommend buying it. It's very dim, making it hard to use in any room with lights, and its contrast just doesn't impress in darker rooms. It's also very inaccurate out of the box, and you can't fully fix it through calibration. While it's very portable due to its size and integrated battery, the KODAK LUMA 350 has all that, is even smaller, and comes in at a lower price point. If you don't need the integrated battery, the XGIMI MoGo 2 is a cheaper and far superior option.
Check out our recommendations for the best portable projectors and the best outdoor projectors. If you'd prefer to shop for another product in the same price range, look up the best projectors under $500 instead.
The KODAK LUMA 350 and LG CineBeam PF50KA are about equally good, although the KODAK is significantly smaller; it's so small you can put it in your pocket. The LG is otherwise extremely portable, but not to the point of being pocketable. Regarding image quality, the two projectors are quite bad, so ultimately, the KODAK has a slight edge due to its size.
The XGIMI Halo+ is far better than the LG CineBeam PF50KA. The XGIMI is even more portable due to its full suite of image correction features while being noticeably brighter. The XGIMI projector also has better contrast than the LG, making it the better choice for any room condition.
The Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser is better than the LG CineBeam PF50KA. The Anker is even more portable due to its smaller size and full suite of image correction features. It has slightly better brightness and contrast than the LG, so it looks better in all rooms regardless of lighting. The Anker is also much more accurate out of the box and can be made even more accurate through calibration.
The XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro is better than the LG CineBeam PF50KA. The XGIMI is even easier to move around due to its full suite of image correction features. Unfortunately, unlike the LG, it doesn't have an integrated battery, so you need to plug it into an outlet or external battery pack. Otherwise, the XGIMI is brighter and has better contrast, making it easier to use in a variety of rooms.
We've independently bought and tested over 75 projectors and published detailed results for each, so you can decide which one to buy. These have all been tested under the same standardized methodology, allowing you to compare them side by side. We still have all these projects in our lab, so we can continually go back and compare them to ensure our reviews are still accurate. All our test methodologies are also public on our website, so you can validate the results yourself.
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