Review: LG’s HX300G LED projector

There are times when displaying images or a video on a screen simply will not suffice, or lugging a monitor around is just too cumbersome. In these situations, a compact projector is the best piece of equipment for the job – and long gone are the days of heavy projectors with bulky parts and inferior image quality.

LG has released a projector – the HX300G LED – which is probably one of the easiest and lightest projectors in its class. Inside the packaging sits the projector, but it is neatly housed inside a very nifty shoulder bag for effective transport. 

Stored inside the bag are all the cables that a user could possibly need to get the projector running in a flash. When we say it is easy to set up, we really mean it. After connecting the power cable, there is often not much more that needs to be done, other than inserting or connecting some sort of storage device where the desired media resides.

It is really that simple – the projector has connections for a USB, HDMI and RGB, so it can be connected to virtually any device that is able to push out a signal. It is just as easy to project other media – the device has a built-in file system that is easy to navigate. 

When the device is powered on and a USB is connected, the file system will automatically detect its presence and present users with a menu to view photos, videos or play audio. This it is as simple as clicking on the chosen format and sitting back. In addition to standard media files, the projector can also display PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, Word documents and PDF files.

The device comes with a remote control so users do not have to stand by the device in order to move things along. The menus and on-screen navigation is very simple in the sense that users just need to use the remote to navigate to the chosen function and press the action button. Should the remote’s batteries die, users can navigate the menus with buttons on the device.

Being a LED projector, the quality of the images/videos is excellent. Naturally the further away the projector is from the wall, the more the quality will deteriorate – and we found the ideal distance from the wall to be around 3-meters. The keystand for the HX300G also helps a little bit in projecting an image, as it is slightly raised compared to other projectors, at a maximum angle of 40°. The LED technology also increases the colour range by 14%, creating deeper colour saturation.

The only problem (although understandable to a point), is that the speaker quality is virtually non-existent. The projector has a very small built-in speaker, and while it might be sufficient to quickly display a short video, it certainly will not cut the mustard for professional screenings.

But luckily it does have an Audio-Out connection with all the right cables, so users will be able to port the sound to a bigger and better sound system. It is not a major issue and certainly not a deal-breaker, but it is understandable that a larger speaker could not have been built into the projector’s body without compromising the already-compact design.

Overall, the HX300G is a sturdy-built projector with a light frame and great picture quality. It is very compact and since everything neatly packs into the shoulder bag provided, it is really a get up-and-go device.

With its easily navigated menus and the simple remote, even novices will find set up a breeze. It is really just a question of plugging in the power cord and connecting a storage device. While the built-in sound quality is not that grreat, the screen quality more than makes up for it.

Our score: 8.5/10

Charlie Fripp – Consumer Tech editor