LG StanbyMe Go portable briefcase TV review: impractical fun

Maybe it’s because I’m a child of the 1980s, but LG’s StanbyMe Go portable briefcase TV seriously gives me cloak and dagger vibes (we’re talking the Dabney Coleman classic, not the new Marvel series). It looks like a kind of briefcase that will contain secret files or some kind of special hacking system. Good elements are coming out of it.

But the important question here is: what will you be left with when the cool factor is gone? After all, once you’ve already made all your friends wonder what it is, all that’s left is what it can actually do. What could happen – and perhaps more importantly, what can’t — LG StanbyMe Go?

video review

case in point

The LG StanbyMi Go — yes, that’s StanbyMi, not StandbyMi — weighs 28 pounds. It doesn’t matter what you want to do. You’ll have no trouble carrying it from your car to the picnic table, or from the parking lot to your friend’s tailgate. But unless you’re a really hardcore traveler, you won’t want to take this thing backpacking.

I suspect most of the StanbyMe Go’s weight can be attributed to its lithium-ion battery pack, but I think some of it may be due to the case. The metal doesn’t feel overly heavy, but feels durable. This is not just for show; It’s designed to protect the TV and the batteries inside, and I think it will. As much as I wish I had a spare StanbyMe Go that I could abuse by swinging hammers at it and dropping it from increasing heights, I don’t. That job is open to anyone with a spare $1,200 and no emotional attachment to cool technology.

Speaking of lithium-ion batteries and altitude, the StanbyMe Go seems like exactly the kind of device that might cause you trouble if you took it on a plane. It’s probably okay to forget that you packed some small camera battery cells in your checked luggage (Editor’s Note: Not so!), but imagine the answer to this thing after going through the checked luggage scanner. I believe you can treat it as carry-on luggage. But do you really want more TSA attention in your life? Because this is going to get you that. I guarantee it. Plus, unless you’re flying first class, it won’t fit in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you.

So, where can you take it? We’ll get to that in a moment. Let us first look at the rest of the important specifications.

And what’s in the briefcase?

The StanbyMe Go charges with a standard two-pronged power cable. These are easy and cheap to replace if you lose it.

Flip the two latches, open the case, and you’ll be greeted by the display lying flat at the bottom. Behind that is the speaker system – and a little reminder that Dolby Atmos is now a brand, not the name of a specific audio experience. But we will talk about that audio soon.

Lift the TV panel and you’ll find it has a remarkable range of motion. You can place it up, down, and if you want to watch vertical videos, you can rotate it easily.

The screen itself is a 1080p LCD touchscreen. So, yes, you can control it like a giant tablet. But, LG has also included a Magic-Motion remote with the kit so you can use it like a television.

because this Is A TV right? I’ve been calling it this for some time. I’ve seen others call it this. But, is it so? In fact?

Technically, no, it doesn’t. It does not have a built-in TV tuner. So if you want to post up and put up an antenna in a parking lot for the purpose of tuning in to your local broadcast stations, that’s not happening.

That’s the only thing that keeps it from being considered a TV – and that’s according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) definition, not mine. Apart from the lack of a tuner, it behaves like an LG TV. And that includes LG’s webOS system and all the apps and functionality that comes with it, just like LG’s TVs that you can’t take with you. You can stream Netflix, use Apple AirPlay, play stored media, and even connect devices via HDMI. And yes, this includes game consoles.

battery life

LG claims the StanbyMe Go, like the original StanbyMe, will run on battery power till 3 hours. By now this should be a red flag to you. Whenever something with a battery claims to last a certain amount of time, you should probably immediately cut it down by about 30%. On its best day, in Eco mode and low-power mode, you’ll actually get about 3 hours. However, you probably don’t want to use it that way. To get the best brightness from this TV, you’ll want to run it in high-power mode, which will reduce battery life. So you may want to have some backup power available for longer viewing sessions. May I recommend one of our favorite portable power stations?

Display

Now, we come to what I think might be the most valuable part of this review: How bright does it get?

Before I tell you how dangerous this thing can be and then explain what it actually means for you, let me introduce you to the so-called “outdoor TV market” and what’s going on with that whole thing. Is.

My experience of enjoying TV outside, especially on outdoor TV, goes back a long way. It started with my first Sunbrite TV 11 years ago – I really enjoyed that thing. About a year later, I tried another SunBriteTV. Just recently, I experienced the beast that is the Samsung Terrace. Along the way, I’ve done a lot of RV-ing, during which I’ve tested a lot of non-outdoor TVs, as well as outdoor-specific models made for RVers like the Furion.

I have seen them all. And even those TVs that claim to be good for full sun? Well, they are visible, it’s true. But they are also extremely expensive. There are indoor TVs that can be as bright as some outdoor TVs, but those insanely expensive things spend all the money in processing and nothing in weatherproofing and dustproofing.

True outdoor TVs themselves are of a very specialized, usually very expensive level. I’m pointing this out because the StanbyMe Go is so No An outdoor TV. This is a portable TV that can go outside, and I really like that. It’s much more flexible and useful for me than having a static TV that’s always on.

But it also means you’ll have to take StanbyMe Go’s security into consideration – and temper your expectations a bit. Take it to the beach? Sure, but be prepared to shovel sand. Taking it camping? Great, just don’t put it near a cooler and expect it to handle spilled soda. Taking it back? Awesome Sauce – Unless that sauce is BBQ sauce, in which case, not so great for this TV.

Generally, you will want shade for this TV, either created by nature or provided by you. Without the shade, you’ll have to juice this TV, and all that brightness will take a toll on the battery.

This portable TV – in Vivid mode, with all power savings disabled – can display about 500 nits full-screen. In fact, it’s equally bright for HDR highlights. However, to get that kind of glow, you need to know how to turn it off All Energy savings, which I missed while shooting the tailgating scene in our video. The TV isn’t as bright as it can really get in that segment.

At the end of our video, we get a better shot, albeit on a slightly darker day, and it’s a better representation of what the Stanbeam G0 looks like outside at its brightest, as long as it’s overcast with full sun. There should not be a day without. So while 500 nits is great inside – it doesn’t pack enough punch for an outdoor battle against our solar system’s brightest object.

With a canopy — whether it’s a 10-by-10 pop-up type or a stand-of-Douglas-fir type — you’ll see this TV just fine. For about 2 hours. Which leads me to my next point.

If you’re going to tailgate with this thing or want to watch it for extended periods of time in the car or while camping, etc., I suggest carrying some backup power so you can power it straight or charge it back up . , Or maybe you can charge it from your EV or your car if you’re driving.

The onboard battery will help you watch most movies or a few episodes of your favorite shows. And if you’re in a dim or dark environment, go ahead and turn on low-power mode and you can watch most movies that aren’t made by Peter Jackson. But for extended entertainment, you’ll need some power.

I should also mention that the StanbyMe Go’s onboard sound system is perfectly respectable. It’s loud enough for listening in the car, watching in a hotel, camping in a quiet place, or even while driving comfortably. For noisier environments, I would suggest using a larger external speaker via Bluetooth or using the aux-out port.

ground level

See, this is funny. I love it. I had a lot of fun playing with StanbyMe Go. I think the most important thing for you to know is that even on a cloudy day, there is still enough light outside to challenge this and most LCD TVs for visibility. Plan to find this and some shade for yourself for the best outdoor enjoyment. Otherwise, there’s no reason you can’t take the StanbyMe Go anywhere for fun.

The next important thing for you to know is that it is priced at $1,200. It may return after several months but, well, I’m not sure LG will make (or sell) a ton of these things, so this might be one of those times if you’re better off getting one soon. Are really a must.

And if you find one? Can we start an Instagram hashtag and show off our StanBimi in the craziest places around the world? This is the only thing I can imagine that would make Standby Me Go more fun than ever.