As my colleague Chris Welch pointed out in his review of the LG StanbyME Go, there’s something refreshing about a TV that takes a chance on a less familiar concept, especially at a time when beastly OLED panels and art-inspired TVs seem to dominate the landscape. And now, thanks to a $200 discount, you can pick up LG’s suitcase TV at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo starting at $996.99.
In terms of design, the StanbyME Go is basically a 27-inch touchscreen TV that’s built directly into a 28-pound, military-grade briefcase you can tote around with you. The panel itself is nothing to write home about — it’s a basic 1080 LCD with an HDMI/eARC port and a peak brightness of 500 nits — but it’s the concept itself that makes it a fun alternative to a portable monitor or tablet. The screen is fixed to an articulating arm that lets you use it in either portrait or landscape orientation or flat if you want to play a small selection of preloaded games (chess included). It offers up to three hours of battery life and runs the same webOS software as regular LG TVs, meaning it supports all your favorite streaming apps, stored media, and casting from Apple devices via AirPlay.
Personally, I’m not super gung ho about the idea of taking it camping, given I venture into the woods to escape tech (it also lacks water resistance). That being said, I can fully get behind using it in place of my outdoor projector — provided I find a spot shady enough to view it, that is.