Hardware

Review: LG ProBeam BU60PST Projects Top-Quality Images in the Biggest Classrooms

This projector can produce accurate images for nearly any size screen and in almost any lighting.

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John Breeden II is an award-winning reviewer with more than 20 years of experience covering technology. Follow him on Twitter @TheLabGuys.

Higher education has had a love-hate relationship with projectors. They might seem like the perfect learning tool, enabling presentations, video displays and even guest lecturing from a remote location. But the limitations of the technology have held back their use.

Most projectors are too dim to be used in large lecture halls, especially if windows can’t be shuttered or lights can’t be dimmed. Many also have too low a resolution for large spaces; the bigger the size of the projections, the worse those problems get.

The 6000-lumen LG ProBeam BU60PST 4K laser projector is designed to overcome all of those obstacles. With plenty of raw power in terms of brightness, it offers more than double the lumens most units do, even professional setups.

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LG ProBeam Projects Clear Images in Any Lighting

Practically speaking, in my testing, the LG ProBeam was able to project a bright image in broad daylight, in a bright room, without even dimming the lights.

One of the secrets of the ProBeam’s success is that it does not rely on a lightbulb to power its projections. Instead, it uses a mercury-free laser with a projected life of 20,000 hours. You can use the ProBeam continuously for over two years without worrying about its light source.

LEARN: How colleges use audiovisual experiences to attract tomorrow's students.

The ProBeam is not just about power. This projector has brains and brawn. For one, it has a native resolution of 3840 by 2160. Even when a projection is increased to its maximum 300-inch size, images and video are still displayed in 4K resolution. That puts it well above the WUXGA (1920 by 1200) maximum resolution of most other projectors in its class, making it suitable for displaying the accurate details needed for an educational setting.

An Audiovisual Solution for Large Classrooms or Lecture Halls

The ProBeam features two surprisingly powerful 5-watt speakers that work together for stereo sound. It also can send audio out from the unit via Bluetooth to a compatible device. Connecting a powerful Bluetooth sound bar or speaker system takes just a few seconds.

Weighing in at more than 21 pounds, the ProBeam is best suited for static mounting in large lecture halls or classrooms. That said, the 12-point warping and adjustment feature gives a lot of options for placement. It’s easy to adjust the image to fit within an exact location, even if the projector is mounted off from the center point, or above or below the desired display window.

All of that makes the LG ProBeam BU60PST laser projector one of the best choices for helping illuminate the inquiring minds of nearly any higher education classroom or lecture hall.

Specifications

Native Resolution: 4K
Contrast Ratio: 3 million to 1
Audio Output: Dual 5-watt internal speakers, Bluetooth audio
Dimensions: 14.6x2.8x6.1 inches
Weight: 21.4 pounds

Mirroring with Miracast in Higher Education

The LG ProBeam BU60PST laser projector is designed for even the largest classroom settings. Smart technology like Miracast makes it even more flexible.

The LG ProBeam has all the standard inputs, like HDMI and RJ45, that you would expect from a projector designed to display data, movies, pictures and just about everything else. But it also has some nice extras to improve its connectivity options in the classroom.

For one, it can connect to the internet using wireless connectivity. You can literally browse the web and use its projected image as your screen. You can also use wireless to connect it with any number of web-based services, like internet television.

That is a nice feature to have, but within education, probably the most useful extra connectivity option is the inclusion of Miracast. The wireless Miracast technology has been increasingly embraced by many computer and device manufacturers. It’s sometimes described as “HDMI over Wi-Fi” because it offers high-resolution syncing and connections between devices without cables.

To test this out, I synced the LG ProBeam up to a laptop, a tablet and an Android-based smartphone. In all cases, the connection was stable and I was able to seamlessly stream data, images and video to the projector without interruptions. This included any accompanying soundtracks. In terms of video, if the source material was in HD or even 4K, it remained that way when displayed through the projector.

When used in a classroom setting, its advantages are obvious. Professors can prepare lectures and supporting materials on their devices and then sync and share with the class through the ProBeam. Students can also be given access to make their own presentations, especially since the setup process is quick and easy.

Having access to both wireless connectivity and Miracast further enhances the usefulness of the already excellently designed LG ProBeam BU60PST laser projector in education.