The LG CineBeam S is an ultra-short-throw (UST) 4k pixel-shifting DLP projector with an RGB LED light source that's rated for 20,000 hours. This projector has a 0.25 throw ratio that can project a 40-inch image from about 9 inches (about 23cm) away, and a 100-inch image from about 22 inches (about 56cm) away. It comes with auto-focus and auto-keystone for easy setup, and if you're not projecting onto a screen, it also includes a feature that adjusts the image based on a wall's hue. The projector runs LG's proprietary webOS with built-in apps like Disney+, Netflix, and Prime Video, and it also supports casting using AirPlay 2 and Miracast Screen Share. It includes 2x4W built-in speakers, while it can also connect to Bluetooth speakers and soundbars for an extra punch. It includes one HDMI 2.0 port (eARC), as well as two USB-C ports that can be used to power the projector via its 65W power adapter, or to display content via an external device.
Our Verdict
The LG CineBeam S is an okay projector for watching movies. One of its biggest strengths is its strong contrast; blacks stay deep across the vast majority of scenes, and it also has a very wide color gamut that helps deliver a vibrant experience. However, its brightness is disappointing, which limits the impact of these strengths, so it's strongly recommended to use this projector in a dark room with the curtains drawn to keep out ambient light. Out of the box, the projector's white balance and color mapping are poor, so it requires calibration for the best movie-watching experience.
Blacks stay deep, even in very bright scenes.
Amazing color gamut.
Too dim to combat ambient light.
Not accurate out-of-the-box.
No Dolby Vision support.
The LG CineBeam S is a bad projector for gaming. Its input lag, even in Game Optimizer mode, is too high for slow-paced games, and it only supports up to 60Hz. Its RGB LED light source helps colors pop, though the projector's dim brightness limits this, so moving it to a dark room is recommended if using it for gaming.
Blacks stay deep, even in very bright scenes.
Amazing color gamut.
Terrible input lag on 4k and 1080p.
Too dim to combat ambient light.
Not accurate out-of-the-box.
No Dolby Vision support.
Only supports up to 60Hz.
The LG CineBeam S has disappointing brightness. While it projects very uniform brightness across the screen, images are dim for an ultra-short-throw projector, so it should be used in a dark room with curtains drawn for the best experience.
Great brightness uniformity.
Too dim to combat ambient light.
Banding on the left and right sides of image.
The LG CineBeam S has impressive contrast. While it underperforms a bit in near-black scenes, blacks stay deep across all other scenes, even very bright ones. Overall, contrast is one of this projector's main strengths.
Blacks stay deep, even in very bright scenes.
Underperforms slightly in near-black scenes.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
LG sells the CineBeam S (also known as the LG PU615U) as a single hardware model. It has different suffixes in some regions (including PU615U.AAU in Australia), but the core specs remain the same, and we expect all of them to perform similarly, if not identically. While not technically a variant, this projector has many of the same features as the LG CineBeam Q, with the main differences being that the CineBeam S is an ultra-short-throw projector with eARC support, while the LG CineBeam Q is a short-throw projector with only ARC support.
Our unit was manufactured in Korea in December 2025 and was tested using firmware version 03.11.12.
Popular Projector Comparisons
The LG CineBeam S is an adequate projector for watching movies, but it's ideal for those looking for an entry-level or portable ultra-short-throw (UST) projector without spending typical UST prices. It outputs pixel-shifted 4k, has amazing contrast across most scenes, and its RGB LED light source helps make colors pop. Compared to most USTs, it's very compact and lightweight, making it easy to move from room to room; it just needs to stay plugged in when in use since it doesn't have an integrated battery. On the other hand, its dim brightness makes it better suited for use in dark environments with the curtains drawn. As for gaming, it caps out at 60Hz and has awful input lag, resulting in a frustrating experience even when playing slow-paced games. If you're looking for a portable short-throw projector that performs similarly to the LG CineBeam S, and aren't locked in to buying a UST projector, consider the LG CineBeam Q. Otherwise, if you're looking for a UST that's brighter and has more gamer-friendly features, and portability is much less of a priority, check out the NexiGo Aurora Pro or the Hisense PT1.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best home theater projectors or the best 4k projectors. If you're looking for a short-throw projector, but aren't limited to only UST projectors, consider the best short-throw projectors as well.
The LG CineBeam Q and the LG CineBeam S perform very similarly. The main difference between the two is that the CineBeam Q is a short-throw projector with ARC support, while the CineBeam S is an ultra-short-throw projector that supports eARC. Otherwise, both projectors have impressive contrast, wide color gamuts, and are very accurate after calibration. On the other hand, both have disappointing brightness and high input lag for gamers.
The NexiGo Aurora Pro is an upgrade over the LG CineBeam S. The NexiGo is much brighter, quieter, supports Dolby Vision, and has more gamer-friendly features like better input lag and a 240Hz max refresh rate. On the other hand, the LG is much more accurate after calibration, has autofocus and auto-keystone correction for easier setup, and is much smaller and lighter for better portability.
The Hisense PT1 is an upgrade over the CineBeam Q. Both ultra-short-throw projectors have impressive contrast, wide color gamuts, and are very accurate after calibration. The PT1 takes the edge by being significantly brighter, having three HDMI ports (including two HDMI 2.1), on top of having more gamer-friendly features like 240Hz support and better input lag. On the other hand, the CineBeam Q is much more portable than the PT1.
We've independently bought and tested over 60 projectors, and we've published all the 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 methodology is also public on our website, so you can validate the results yourself.
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Test Results
The LG CineBeam S has poor brightness. It's best suited for use in rooms with the lights off and the curtains drawn, as the image washes out in ambient light. That said, its RGB LED light source helps colors pop, and its brightness uniformity is very good, though there is banding on the left and right sides of the image.
This experience is consistent across all Picture Modes, except 'Brightest,' which projects an image with a noticeable green tint. As such, it's not recommended to use this Picture Mode for movie-watching or gaming.
| Picture Mode | WLO | CLO |
|---|---|---|
| Vivid | 420 lm | 494 lm |
| Standard | 418 lm | 485 lm |
| Sports | 419 lm | 494 lm |
| Basic | 417 lm | 491 lm |
| Cinema | 351 lm | 403 lm |
| Wall Color Adaption | 388 lm | 450 lm |
| FMM | 351 lm | 401 lm |
| Brightest | 444 lm | 293 lm |
| Expert Bright | 426 lm | 486 lm |
| Game Optimizer | 388 lm | 440 lm |
If you're looking for a brighter ultra-short-throw projector, consider the Hisense PT1.
The LG CineBeam S has impressive contrast. While it underperforms a bit in near-black scenes, blacks stay deep across the large majority of scenes, even very bright ones.
The LG CineBeam S has an excellent color gamut. For SDR content, the projector covers virtually the entire Rec. 709 space. However, it only covers a limited portion of the wider Rec. 2020 color space for HDR content, with cyans and greens being off the mark.
The LG CineBeam S has disappointing accuracy out-of-the-box. Reds and blues become increasingly overrepresented as we move towards lighter shades of gray, leading to an image that's slightly too cool. There are also a number of color mapping issues in most light colors, especially in whites and light yellows.
The projector's default Gamma setting is 'BT 1886', which results in low gamma across all scenes, resulting in images that are brighter than they should be. The same is seen when changing the setting to the target '2.2' setting. However, changing the Gamma setting to '2.4' actually results in the unit's gamma being nearly perfect to the target 2.2, as seen in the image above.
The projector's accuracy is outstanding after an easy 22-point white balance and full color calibration. Most of the projector's issues with white balance and color mapping are addressed, with only reds remaining slightly off the mark.
The LG CineBeam S 4k projector uses a 3-channel RGB laser light source rated for 20,000. The projector isn't native 4k, using pixel-shifting to create a higher-resolution image. This results in an image that's not as crisp as a native 4k projector, but still looks better than a 1080p projector.
The SPD exhibits narrow RGB peaks, typical of triple-laser projector light sources. This results in very vivid and saturated primary colors that help images pop. Although the projector's poor brightness hinders the impact of these colors a bit.
This projector is equipped with auto-focus and auto-keystone for easy setup. To ensure the best image, place the projector where the keystone won't be needed. It's an ultra-short-throw projector with a 0.25 throw ratio that can project an image anywhere from 40 to 100 inches from a very short distance, so be sure to check out our Throw Calculator to find the best placement for the projector based on your ideal screen size.
The LG CineBeam S has good portability. For an ultra-short-throw projector, it's fairly compact and lightweight. It doesn't have an adjustable stand, but it does have autofocus and auto-keystone features to simplify setup. Note that with our particular unit, the image stayed fuzzy when using auto-focus, and we had to adjust it manually to address this. If you also experience this issue with this projector, please let us know in the comments below.
The projector doesn't have a built-in battery, so it needs to stay plugged in via one of its USB-C ports when in use. It comes equipped with two 4W speakers, but it's recommended that you connect it with a Bluetooth speaker or soundbar for the best experience.
The LG CineBeam S is louder than a typical ultra-short-throw projector at its maximum brightness setting. At this setting, its sound level is equivalent to a normal conversation, so the fan noise will be audible during quiet scenes. As such, it's recommended to connect the projector to a Bluetooth speaker or soundbar to help drown out the fan noise and ensure a more immersive experience.
The LG CineBeam S has one HDMI 2.0 port with eARC and two USB-C ports on the back of the unit. As the projector doesn't have a built-in battery, one of the USB-C ports must be used for powering the projector using the power adapter provided with the unit (20V/3.25A in). The other USB-C port can be used to either display content on the projector, though the USB-C port can't be used to project HDR content. External devices can also be charged via the USB-C ports, if needed. For wireless, it supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections.
The LG CineBeam S accepts 4k @ 60Hz and 1080p @ 60Hz (including 4:4:4 for PC use) via HDMI, but only 4k @ 30Hz via its USB-C ports. The projector doesn't support 120Hz.
Input lag on the LG CineBeam S is awful. It's consistently high across the board, even when setting the projector to Game Mode, and is too slow even for gamers only looking to play slower-paced titles.
The projector only supports HDR10 and HLG over HDMI, and not USB-C.
The projector has one HDMI port with eARC support, allowing audio from its built-in webOS apps to be sent to a soundbar/AVR. However, without a second HDMI input, you can't connect an additional external HDMI source, like a Blu-ray player, to the projector and have its audio forwarded to the soundbar. In our tests, eARC from the internal apps could passthrough Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby MAT, and 2-channel LPCM.
The projector comes equipped with webOS 24, which provides access to the most popular streaming apps like Disney+, Netflix, and Prime Video. For wireless casting, the projector includes Apple AirPlay 2 and Miracast Screen Share. Audio options include two built-in 4W speakers, Bluetooth, and Dolby Atmos compatibility.
Note that with our unit, updating webOS to the 2025 version took more than two hours to complete, so it's recommended to only do this at a time when you don't plan to use it for a few hours.