back to article LG's $1,000 TV-in-a-briefcase is unlikely to travel much further than the garden

We've all been there – the camping holiday where the Sun shines for about three hours and the rest of the trip is spent sitting in a tent in soggy misery. What are you supposed to do then? LG thinks it may have the solution, though more careful consideration suggests the designers of its latest portable monitor have never …

  1. heyrick Silver badge
    WTF?

    WTaF?

    Mobile phone working as a WiFi access point (and a contract with a decent amount of data) and a tablet with a reasonable sized screen.

    Job done, probably costs a quarter (or less) of what this does, and, well, it's a tablet so could be used for serious stuff (runs a well known OS with lots of third party apps) as well as watching videos of kittens frolicking...

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      Re: WTaF?

      Running a phone as hotspot kills the battery and is pretty impractical in this theoretical situation, 4G/5G routers make more sense.

      But I'm trying to think what this offers over a simple monitor perhaps with one of the myriad HDMI sticks and power from a good old 12v car battery. I guess the only challenge is the voltage regulator so you give the monitor what it wants. Worked for us in the 1980s (well, without the internet).

      1. Roland6 Silver badge

        Re: WTaF?

        >But I'm trying to think what this offers over a simple monitor perhaps with one of the myriad HDMI sticks and power from a good old 12v car battery.

        Full 24" 1080p screen access to the streaming services embedded in the platform.

        It is really irritating how many streaming services iOS (and I presume Android) detect and bar the use of HDMI connected screens or (in the case of Prime) decide they don't like your external HD screen so will only stream SD...

        1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

          Re: WTaF?

          I was thinking of the Amazon Prime stick or similar, for which HDMI is their only screen. Don't use one myself but can still often connect the phone for a few services, though the "second screen" detection bug seems to be spreading. For a while I could run stuff from Samsung's DeX which mirroring was banned. Doesn't really cause me too many problems for time- or geoshifting but annoying all the same.

      2. My other car WAS an IAV Stryker

        Re: WTaF?

        If I was going to tap off car power, I have headrest-mounted DVD players (built-in screens) for the kids.

        Without AC power [1], if I wanted to do that -- or any significant task, maybe using an inverter -- outside the car, I'd bring along a second full-size car battery [2]. I might build a cable from the 12V power port to recharge the "spare" battery.

        1. We always camp in state parks with nearby outlets, primarily for those with trailers/RVs (BIG campers), but useful for a fan, hair dryer, inflator, radio, or whatever, given an extension cord and suitable power strip (I have an 80-foot reel with 4 outlets that I keep in the garage but always bring for camping). And "whatever" could possibly include my $200 32" monitor -- or a projector borrowed from the library -- and our normal HDMI DVD player ($100). Plenty of good times right in the tent if we wished.

        2. Had quite the adventure with one of our cars this spring, already damaged from a collision (their fault; ran a red light). Started with a flat tire, and the experience (hazard lights) also killed the battery. Both replaced, but about a month later there was a "final" incident that left it further damaged and barely operational. Sold it to a nearby scrapyard, but I stipulated that I wanted that battery. (They could keep the tire since I didn't know if I'd get another vehicle with the same rims.) I took that battery home and they didn't even reduce my payout; it sits on my workbench on the float charger, ready to jump our other (older) car or the riding lawnmower... or provide off-site power for a while. (I should build that recharge cable...)

      3. chris street

        Re: WTaF?

        Have you ever used the phone as a hotspot? I can shift enourmous quantites of data about with no issue at all - think of downloading Baldurs Gate 3 in about three hours whilst out and about. Still plenty of battery left. As long as there is a somewhat sensible connection ro mobile data they work very well as a hotspot.

        1. Charlie Clark Silver badge
          Angel

          Re: WTaF?

          Yes, I have used phones as a hotspot, which is why I don't think they're that suitable for this situation which is suggesting multiple devices, just watch your throughput go down when a couple of juniors start watching their TikTok shit. But in addition to data, you've also got the problem that the device has to be around all the time. Again, if this is for a family on holiday, you can't take your phone with you.

        2. DS999 Silver badge

          Re: WTaF?

          I agree. While using a phone as a hotspot USED to be a battery hog and frustrating experience that's no longer the case since LTE become widespread (let alone 5G today)

          I've found it works great these days. If I have my laptop somewhere and only need to use it for a few minutes I won't even bother to figure out how to connect to the location's wifi network I'll just tether to my phone since I already have a network profile set up for that I can select.

          If this is for a family on holiday you presumably have a family plan sharing data (at least in the US I don't know how things work overseas) so if you're not going to be there then one of your kids would use their phone for this.

          That's not to say this TV in a briefcase isn't the dumbest idea I've seen this month.

    2. jmch Silver badge

      Re: WTaF?

      I don't see why battery power would be much of an issue. Most campsites you can get a power outlet, so you can run an extension straight to your tent if wanted...but...

      People who ave an RV or caravan seem to have basically their whole house in there, so it's more like they have a summer house than 'go camping'... and if I'm camping I'm spending my time outdoors enjoying nature... yes, that's possible even if it's raining. As per the expression - there's no bad weather, only bad clothing / equipment. So I can't see the point is of having a TV in your tent, but well - to each their own!

  2. Francis Boyle

    What next?

    An exercise bike in a briefcase?

    1. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

      Re: What next?

      Water in powdered form?

      1. jmch Silver badge
        Facepalm

        Re: What next?

        So you just add water?

        hold on...

      2. MachDiamond Silver badge

        Re: What next?

        "Water in powdered form?"

        No, beer. Remember the Palcohol scam?

    2. doublelayer Silver badge

      Re: What next?

      If you can manage it, I'll consider it. At least with that, it would enable someone to take something that's quite large and ungainly and make it smaller. With a television, you take a screen and make it about the same size, so nothing gained. A screen and a battery are not that many things, so it wouldn't be that hard to get those things and put them into a box yourself.

    3. Mike 137 Silver badge

      Re: What next?

      "An exercise bike in a briefcase?"

      Actually, any darned thing they can persuade enough folks to fork out for - it's the revenue stream that matters first, then the brand. The user is somewhere at the bottom of the list (if at all) once they've coughed up the dosh. Keeping us wanting more (like Johnny Rocco in the movie Key Largo), regardless more of what, is what keeps the wheels of commerce turning.

  3. Steevee

    Checked the specs on the LG website, and while it's actually 27" not 24", it's still only 1080p60. Digging deeper it turns out you cannot remove the batteries, which might be a problem both for air travel and adding more battery life than 3 hours. There's no aerial connection, so using Freeview is out of the question without an external STB, only one HDMI, no onboard media storage, SD card slot or USB port. Meanwhile for less than half the price, you can get a 32" smart TV designed for caravans and boats that runs off 12V DC. Comes with built in DVD, Freeview, satellite tuner and all the usual apps, assuming you can get internet where you are.

    On that point, I've also been camping with friends where one chap had the same idea as me and took a small projector and portable screen to keep the kiddies amused at night, but was still relying on a mobile data connection to get any content. Didn't work as he expected, so next time I offered to bring a small DVD player and box of discs. There's the key thing to be said for physical media, they work offline.

    1. GruntyMcPugh

      and with that spare change you could get a portable power station like a Jackery, £200 gets 240WH capacity, so we still have some change for a cooler and some beer.

    2. MachDiamond Silver badge

      "On that point, I've also been camping with friends where one chap had the same idea as me and took a small projector and portable screen to keep the kiddies amused at night"

      The rocket club I'm with has two weekends a year where we set up and launch for three days rather than the usual monthly Saturday meets. The club bought a projector and shows movies on a couple of nights. Usually something rocket related with the opening film something for the kiddies. The classics like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder) are still enjoyable every once in a while. The side of the white club equipment trailer makes a good screen. After the second or third helping of a good single malt, the rivets aren't noticeable at all.

  4. Martin an gof Silver badge

    Students?

    Given that the get-out clause for needing to buy a TV licence as a student living away from home is to view on a device with internal batteries, that could potentially be a niche.

    Except that $1,000 buys a lot of TV licences!

    (or a decent laptop)

    M.

    1. Yankee Doodle Doofus Bronze badge

      Re: Students?

      Dumb American here... What's a TV licence? I'm assuming it's what we call a "subscription" to a cable/satellite provider or streaming service?

      1. upsidedowncreature

        Re: Students?

        We have the BBC which has no ads, it's instead funded by a licence (license? Never sure) that you have to buy if you have a TV. It's £159 a year so worth it I think, although there are those who think it should be abolished.

        1. Ideasource

          Re: Students?

          I wish they would use that model here in the US.

          Directors and writers can't do as good of a job when they have to compromise show quality for market optics.

          When the money is preallocated without concern for profit later, everybody can focus purely on making a good show without fear.

          When done as a financial investment, the content takes a back seat to gimmicks and reboots.

          We have the same problem with AAA video games.

          No stats exist on anything fundamentally new, and so most ideas worth producing are scrapped.

          Once you've seen a few shows based on the the common template, rebrands and reboots have no savour as everything is so familiar as to be boring.

          The UK TV license model that's content be made for the sake of content rather than as a bait and switch to encourage bad consumer habits.

          1. that one in the corner Silver badge

            Re: Students?

            We have two state-owned[1] broadcast companies: the BBC and Channel 4. Channel 4 is commercially funded (it shows ads as well as running commercial activities - sales of programming etc). The wikipedia page does a reasonable job of explaining its offshoots.

            C4 has a remit of "being different" (to put it crudely) and in particular to support minorities - and for the first decade it did that brilliantly. As well as "the obvious" social minorities it catered to the cultural minorities as well, e.g. funding a lot of animation (you may possibly have heard of Aardman and Nick Park? Wallace and Gromit?). It started with a quiz show for people familiar with the dictionary and showed Andrei Tarkovsky's "Stalker" as the evening film, without any weird music added to it. Lots of politically controversial material was shown (although I am shallow and stuck with the "New voices of comedy" like "The Comic Strip Presents" - and they picked up "Brass Eye"!). Film 4 has made some classics that would otherwise have floundered ("Four Weddings and a Funeral" - it raised eyebrows at the time).

            So, if there is a political will, you can have good TV that doesn't pander.

            Sadly, C4 changed direction around 2000[2] and is not as good - still a lot better than most of the others on FreeView, even if E4 at 17:00 is now permanent "Big Bang Theory"!

            [1] i.e. running lap dogs of The Establishment, according to some - despite never showing the Queen's Speech!

            [2] it brought across "Big Brother" - still very different from everything else we had at the time, but not quite the same quality of "different". Sigh.

            1. MachDiamond Silver badge

              Re: Students?

              "even if E4 at 17:00 is now permanent "Big Bang Theory"!"

              I would be much happier with "Bang Goes the Theory" instead.

              Cheers Dallas, Jem and Bonnie!

              Maybe I'm biased as I was on a segment of BGtT and only got to be in the studio audience for BBT.

            2. Martin an gof Silver badge

              Re: Students?

              We have two state-owned[1] broadcast companies: the BBC and Channel 4

              Channel 4 is not really state-owned, but is partly state-funded. Not forgetting S4C which is (now) largely funded by the licence fee too, and for which the BBC produces a lot of programming. It does seem a little odd that a (very small) part of the licence fee paid by every TV owner in the UK goes to fund S4C, which is a station aimed mainly at Wales (interesting parallel with BBC Alba), but the previous situation where S4C was funded from general taxation was essentially the same I suppose.

              M.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Students?

            Ideasource,

            I hope the BBC read your comment !!! :)

            The general view here in the UK is against the BBC continuing with the license.

            (Historical background, the UK *had* licenses for Radio, TV and Dogs :) .... the TV license still exists because the BBC has always been non-commercial and needs to be funded from somewhere)

            Personally, I am for it BUT politics has got in the way and pressure to 'support the Govt' is applied because the funding comes through the Govt of the day !!!

            :)

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Students?

              > The general view here in the UK is against the BBC continuing with the license.

              The *shouty* view is against...

            2. Bebu
              Windows

              TV licences.

              We used to have TV licences in AU (until the 1970s at least) with a public (and still) non commercial broadcaster (ABC) later joined by a second, SBS which does now screen commercials. The AU federal govt funds both.

              There were commercial non govt broadcasters from the outset which now struggle to survive in the digital economy and against streaming services.

              So a publicly funded broadcaster without licence fees is feasible at least for nations with better than third world economies which might preclude contemporary UK and possibly the US. :)

              Haven't watched anything on the small screen for years - the last being a dvd of "Good Omens" the book was still better.

              Instead of this pointless LG screen why not take some books and an electric lantern and read aloud (narrate) something like "Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang" to little tikes or Roald Dahl's (unexpurgated) stories to older kids, the "Henry Sugar" stories for older again but "Switch Bitch" might embarass teenagers. ;)

              1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

                Re: TV licences.

                why not take some books and an electric lantern...

                And also some (non-electronic) games

          3. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Students?

            Another advantage - as the major broadcaster here doesn't have adverts, it limits the amount of advertising the other channel can get away with before pissing off the viewers too much. (mind you, i think there are also rules regarding advertising length and frequency - at least on "terrestrial" channels.)

            The amount of ads on American TV is crazy - People here aren't conditioned for that, and just wouldn't watch.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Students?

              "(mind you, i think there are also rules regarding advertising length and frequency - at least on "terrestrial" channels.)"

              In the UK, OFCOM dictates how much advertising minutes (per hour) can be broadcast on both radio and TV...and in recent years, this has been increased, almost to the same level as the USA.

              In fact, changing TV channels these days to a commercial channel will normally result in you seeing an advert the moment the channel is active.

              quote:

              On the commercial (terrestrial) channels, the amount of airtime allowed by the British broadcasting regulator OFCOM for advertising is an overall average of 7 minutes per hour, with limits of 12 minutes for any particular clock hour (8 minutes per hour between 6pm and 11pm).

              https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/16328/rules.pdf

              But for non-terrestrial (ie satellite) commercial channels:

              quote:

              (a) The total amount of spot advertising in any one day must not exceed an AVERAGE of nine minutes per hour (15 per cent) of broadcasting.

              (b) This may be increased by a further three minutes per hour (5 per cent) devoted to teleshopping spots, but this additional 5 per cent must not be used for other forms of spot advertising.

        2. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge
          Headmaster

          Re: Students?

          a licence (license? Never sure)

          In proper English, "a licence" is the noun, "to license" is the verb. Lazy left-pondian English uses license for both.

          1. MachDiamond Silver badge

            Re: Students?

            "In proper English, "a licence" is the noun, "to license" is the verb. Lazy left-pondian English uses license for both."

            Ok, look, my spelling and punctuation is bad enough without letter games like that making my writing experience even more miserable.

        3. MachDiamond Silver badge

          Re: Students?

          "so worth it I think, although there are those who think it should be abolished."

          Comparing the quality of BBC programmes vs what ad-driven crap there is on US TV, I'll queue up for an hour to pay the license fee.

        4. RAMChYLD

          Re: Students?

          I read that the license is going away by 2027 tho?

          1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

            Re: Students?

            It is up for review every ten years and factions within the present government are certainly against it, but the present government is unlikely to be around in 2027.

      2. wub

        Re: Students?

        Um, no. Vehicle registration is a better analogy than a subscription. In kind, it resembles the money you pay the government annually to operate your motor vehicle after you have purchased it.

        If only it was comparable to a subscription - I'd love to be able to get into the BBC archives, and apparently they are available to folks with licenses, but not to those of us without them. And I have asked about the possibility of obtaining a license only to be resoundingly ignored. After getting over the frustration of being geofenced out (yes, I know vpn, which is an ongoing arms race - I'd rather be legal if possible) I realize that no one in their right mind would try to register a car bought and used in the US for operation on UK roads.

        For one thing, the controls are all on the "wrong" side...

        1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

          Re: Students?

          "I'd love to be able to get into the BBC archives, and apparently they are available to folks with licenses"

          The BBC archive is VAST. but even we licence holders only get to see a tine, tiny percentage of it via iPlayer on demand. And much of the newer stuff is commissioned from outside sources, often the very people they "spun out" as independent production companies because there was a concerted effort to make the BBC more "commercially viable" rather than the vertically integrated behemoth it used to be. Those commissioned projecst, sometimes co-produced, have very different rights management and so what might look like a BBC production sometimes only survives a short time on iPlayer and then disappears so the actual rights holders can tout it around the world and/or to the streamers.

          1. MachDiamond Silver badge

            Re: Students?

            "The BBC archive is VAST. but even we licence holders only get to see a tine, tiny percentage of it via iPlayer on demand. "

            The BBC is missing an opportunity by not offering licences more broadly. There's a fair number of pale blue Scottish people stuck in the US with no good viewing options other than less than proper ways of accessing that same content.

            Um, commenting for a friend.

          2. Martin an gof Silver badge

            Re: Students?

            The BBC archive is VAST. but even we licence holders only get to see a tine, tiny percentage of it

            The BBC also has a mandate to make as much, commercially, from their archive as they can. If it were all available all the time that would be nigh-on impossible. Think of the fees they must rake in from all those "clip shows" which seem to infest the airwaves - often of non-BBC channels! The museum I work for has a general policy of not including BBC archive in temporary exhibitions unless there is a compelling reason, simply because obtaining the rights to do so is so convoluted and expensive.

            There are snippets of programmes I'd like to obtain for personal reasons too, though these days it's not always the BBC which holds the rights. Two tiny examples. Firstly, there is a very small news item from BBC Wales Today in the early 1980s where I feature for just a few seconds. It would be great to have that in my personal archive. More recently, my children were involved in an hour-long (might have been more) musical production for the Urdd Eisteddfod some years ago. I know that it was recorded because S4C showed a few minutes of clips of it on the day, and different clips later in a highlights package. We managed to record some on our personal cameras, but it's not quite the same.

            I'm sure many people have similar experiences.

            M.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Students?

          "I'd love to be able to get into the BBC archives,"

          Well, to some degree you can IF you subscribe to BritBox....which contained programming from both BBC and ITV and others. And in 2022, ITV bought out the BBC's 10% equity in the joint venture but the BBC still provide programming.

          https://watch.britbox.co.uk/

          And this is available to stream in various countries outside the UK as well (USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Nordic countries):

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BritBox#Ownership_and_areas_served

  5. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    There are solar-powed USB chargers

    Found that kind of stuff on Amazon. You'd need a nice bit of extra trunk space to store one (or two), but apparently, if you've got the sunlight, they can do a fair job of keeping your laptop charged.

    What they would do with this, I have no idea, but it's better than just leaving it to an external battery.

    1. xyz Silver badge

      Re: There are solar-powed USB chargers

      Or there's always the dirty version... 12v to 230v inverter (sine wave) for about a buck and a half off the amazon tateria, that plugs into your car's lighter/power socket and plug your 230v telly/dvd thing into that.

      Or being greener... hefty watted solar panels iare cheap as chips these days, so is an mppt controller, battery is a bit more expensive though and then connect your inverter noted above to that. Lob in starlink for streaming and you're golden.. and no nasty LG data slurping. And all for about half the price of the LG effort.

      Or being even greener, go old school camping and use a tent for what it's meant for when its raining.. Shagging.

      1. RAMChYLD

        Re: There are solar-powed USB chargers

        Yeah, but those have the tendency to blow the fuse for the socket, and may be insufficient for some devices anyway: my laptop draws 350w and has a literal power brick to match. The best 230v inverter I can find can hardly pump out enough power for a 135w device.

  6. Tom 38

    A lot of campsites have 240v hookups these days, and a lot of tents (especially big family tents) are starting to come with an access port for a hookup. You can buy a simple RCB protected board to plug the hookup into and then you've got three mains sockets in your tent.

    Although, if you're going camping and want to watch TV so much you buy this device, did you really want to go camping in the first place?

    1. MachDiamond Silver badge

      "Although, if you're going camping and want to watch TV so much you buy this device, did you really want to go camping in the first place?"

      This space being used to allow for more upvotes.

  7. Marty McFly Silver badge
    Thumb Down

    Just stay home

    >Put kids in car.

    >Activate in-car back-seat entertainment system

    >Drive to the wilderness

    >Set up briefcase TV

    >Watch the same stupid mass media garbage available at home

    No wonder the next generation is growing up clueless in the ways of the world.

  8. abend0c4 Silver badge

    Should I be calling social services?

    When hauling ungrateful children about especially, pre-charged USB battery packs are recommended, but they too only last so long, unless you fancy risking the car battery to pump them back up again.

    Are you having to resort to some sort of shock collar so frequently you need to recharge it? Or are your children actually inflatable for easy storage?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Should I be calling social services?

      "Are you having to resort to some sort of shock collar so frequently you need to recharge it? Or are your children actually inflatable for easy storage?"

      Both !!!

      It is so convenient !!!

      :)

      <jk>

      1. MachDiamond Silver badge

        Re: Should I be calling social services?

        "Or are your children actually inflatable for easy storage?"

        Given the girth of some children........

  9. spold Silver badge

    Not needed

    There is probably a perfectly good pub down the road, it might even have a telly.

  10. Nifty

    For the purposes of occasional digital nomading, I've been looking for a 24" type monitor that's made for travelling. Specs:

    1920 x 1080 pixels.

    Slim and light.

    Stable fold out stand to hold it vertically like a home monitor.

    A snug protective case so it can be stashed in a normal suitcase or just chucked in the car boot.

    Seems too much to ask - no one offers such a thing, you get directed to expensive travel monitors barely larger than a laptop's. This LG looks like a lurch in the right direction as a start but not at $1,000 of course.

    1. abend0c4 Silver badge

      I'll bite. What's the specific use case that makes a slim, light, 13" laptop with 1920x1080 pixels (or more) that fits in a small backpack so unsuitable that you need to take not just a suitcase but a car?

      1. Nifty

        Erm... the 24" screen on a stand that I mentioned. To go with my laptop.

    2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      LG invented the roll up TV

      Currently only seems to be available in 65" format. I guess the technology is still so expensive that anyone prepared to spend that much is goign to want something big to justify the cost. Paying 10x the price for something 24" to 27" would probably not work, but from the point of view of the target market for this "briefcase TV", the roll up TV tech sounds like the perfect use case for small and portable decent sized screen. Since they have released this silly briefcase idea, I guess that means they can't make an equivalent sized roll up screen at an attractive price. Maybe when they get the kinks out it. Or maybe the mechanics can't be shrunk down just yet, possibly limitations on the minimum diameter of the roll.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hilarious reading people reactions to this

    "I could build one myself for less than a grand":

    Yep, you probably could, and maybe even get it with a touch screen, and some kind of thumbstick device to drive it, and a pile of batteries in a pelican case. But really, for a clean setup in a road case, this isn't a bad deal, and would be a welcome addition to the tool kit for road warriors and trade shows.

    "3HRs isn't enough battery" and/or "How would we recharge it?"

    Yeah, while SOME of you that may not fit your own personal viewing needs or road trip/campout setup, this is actually a good fit for the coming age. As several people pointed out, the sorts of places you would likely take this probably have some power onsite, like the campgrounds that cater to the road trip crown, not the ultralight backpacker set. Cars are coming with inverters built in, and if you have a PHEV or EV you may be able to run this thin for weeks. Solar or a generator would also work if you are into that sort of thing. So the battery is backup if you don't want to run your generator after the kids go to sleep on a dirt biking weekend.

    "1080p60 is for proles, naught but 8K@240hz is QuadHDR over 3" thick monster cables can play my vintage VHS dubs in their full glory"

    Other than the one input port, the hardware choices seem to make reasonable sense. 1080p at 30 frames is reasonable for most media, and tolerable for most gaming. We survived on it in console land for years. The lag on your tethered cell connection will end your spree in counterstrike faster than the framerate, and are you really dragging a gaming rig along for the ride?

    So yeah, it's be cool to see a couple of USB power ports and a more video inputs if they ever make another version of this, but for a low production volume device, it seems like they hit most of the marks on the first try.

    Anybody want to bet how long it takes for these to show up in a TV or movie scene? Betting it's a spy thriller or hacker and they have like three of them set up under blue florescent lights in front of some kid wearing a hoodie.

  12. Andy Baird

    A possible use

    LG is pitching to the wrong audience.

    "Anonymous Coward" mentioned trade shows. My guess is that that's the most likely use case for this thing. Laptop screens are too small to be really good as booth displays, and projectors are too cumbersome to set up (screen, etc.) and not bright enough for a well-lit exhibit hall. This device would be much more eye-catching.

    The family camping scenario seems stupid for a number of reasons. If your kids are so brain-damaged that they absolutely MUST have entertainment on a screen (heaven forbid they should have to look at the trees!), then buy each kid a cheap tablet and load it with whatever dreck they fancy. That's going to be a fraction of the cost of this thing, and then there won't be any arguments about what to watch.

    Or do what people do with pets: put them in a kennel while you enjoy your vacation.

    1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

      Re: A possible use

      do what people do with pets: put them in a kennel while you enjoy your vacation.

      Judging by the number of kids+grandparents I see around here in the summer, that's exactly what parents are doing.

    2. MachDiamond Silver badge

      Re: A possible use

      "then buy each kid a cheap tablet and load it with whatever dreck they fancy. "

      yes, let's make suggestions that encourage the continued practice of poor parenting.

      I shudder at the caravan adverts that tout all of the indoor/outdoor TV's the damn things have as being a good thing. The whole concept of "getting away from it all" has been fitted with a raw sewage pipe.

    3. VicMortimer Silver badge

      Re: A possible use

      Trade shows? Seriously?

      Given that I work with people involved in the trade show business, no way would this be even remotely adequate.

      They don't want a pop-up monitor in a briefcase. They want video walls. They want giant touchscreen kiosks.

  13. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

    take on the go to your next tailgate, camping trip, or wherever

    "go to your next tailgate"

    This must be some sort of American social gathering that has not impinged on my awareness despite the huge amount of US TV shows we get over here.

    I know what a tailgate is on a lorry or pickup, but what is it in this context? Is it one of those quaint customs like a weenie roast or company picnic or "parking" (I've seen Happy Days :-))

    1. Andy Baird

      Re: take on the go to your next tailgate, camping trip, or wherever

      "I know what a tailgate is on a lorry or pickup, but what is it in this context?"

      Shorthand for "tailgate party," an American expression for the practice--common at sporting events--of friends who attended the event having a small get-together before or afterward, with food laid out on the tailgate of a pickup or station wagon (= estate car).

  14. the Jim bloke
    Unhappy

    13 kg - too heavy

    not interested in the stated use-case (car based camping), but am looking for a portable monitor that will be transportable in air plane baggage, and also regularly relocated and stored away. With a 10kg limit for ALL of my stuff for 2 weeks away from home, this is a non-starter.

    I would be willing to try the in-room TVs they provide at the accommodation village, except they are fixed just below the ceiling

    1. Nifty

      Re: 13 kg - too heavy

      The same 'unlikely' use-case that I posted above.

    2. Andy Baird

      Re: 13 kg - too heavy

      "looking for a portable monitor that will be transportable in air plane baggage"

      There's a number of 15"–16" portable monitors on the market that are basically laptop screens without the laptop. I have a Vinpok 16" display (no longer sold) that's about half an inch thick, weighs less than a kilogram, and connects to my MacBook with a single USB-C cable that both powers it and sends video and audio to it. It comes in handy occasionally when I want a second display.

      Search Amazon for "portable display" and you'll find a bunch of choices, most costing less than US $100. What you won't find is a 27" portable monitor of this description. That's what makes this LG device unique (at least as far as I know).

  15. Winkypop Silver badge
    WTF?

    But why?

    If I go away camping it’s to AVOID all access to TV, wifi and even phone reception.

    Your TV is not a pet, it can stay at home.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: But why?

      No, even simpler - just avoid camping :-)

  16. ske1fr
    Thumb Down

    You lost me at LG

    A relative has a big LG set that has recently and quite rapidly developed the ability to show everything in a blue way. And not by tuning into the pron channels. That's LG off the list of potential purchases for me.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: You lost me at LG

      ?

      Everything is now Tory (Or Democrat if you are a left-pondian)?

  17. DrXym

    Seems bulky

    If I wanted to take a TV on my travels I might as well take a normal one than this thing. I'd have to power it somehow, e.g. with a power bank or V2L but that's probably a more flexible option.

    I'm kind of surprised that no manufacturer has figured a way to produce an OLED TV that rolls up so that it's basically a stored in a tube and unrolled onto a frame when needed.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Seems bulky

      > I'm kind of surprised that no manufacturer has figured a way to produce an OLED TV that rolls up so that it's basically a stored in a tube and unrolled onto a frame when needed.

      LG themselves actually have https://www.lg.com/global/lg-signature/rollable-oled-tv-r

  18. martinusher Silver badge

    Starlink of other sattelite

    The signal source isn't a problem since we've had generations of RVers solve this problem. The latest addition for them is Starlink which works remarkably well.

    Missing from the specs is the nature of the screen. A sunlight readable reflective TFT ("outdoors") isn't cheap and there's no mention of it in the article. The three hour battery life is pathetic, its not worth carrying separate packs for it. It suggests that this is a generic backlit monitor, a repackaged over the counter TV.

  19. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge

    LG ads

    Never give LG an Internet connection unless you have a very high tolerance for advertisements.

    A lot of small monitors run off 20-something volts from a wall wart or brick. It's not rocket science to build them a battery pack.

  20. This post has been deleted by its author

  21. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
    Coat

    Money saving idea

    Save over $1,000 on your next camping trip!

    Cut out all the hassle and expense - stay at home, camp out in the garden, and when you want to watch TV, go back inside the house and watch TV from your favourite comfy chair/sofa

    1. MachDiamond Silver badge

      Re: Money saving idea

      "Cut out all the hassle and expense - stay at home, camp out in the garden, and when you want to watch TV, go back inside the house and watch TV from your favourite comfy chair/sofa"

      That would make my Nerve Attenuation Syndrome even worse.

      1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
        Pint

        Re: Money saving idea

        Nerve attenuation tonic - - >

        1. MachDiamond Silver badge

          Re: Money saving idea

          "Nerve attenuation tonic - - >"

          If I can see through it, I consider it watered down.

  22. bertkaye

    can't live without one

    This would be perfect to have with me the next time I fall down an abandoned, isolated, well and need to be entertained until someone comes to rescue me in 15 or 20 days or maybe never.

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Like fitting wheels to a tomato

    Is probably the kindest way I can describe the (alleged) R&D that went into this.

  24. tiggity Silver badge

    Not really seeing the selling point

    There's plenty of companies that cater to camping / caravanning market where cases / padded bags are available for TVs

    Generally (unless TV is attached to "wall" of caravan /motorhome, which is the easiest long term option but unless VESA mounts pre-existing on the caravan it can be a PITA DIY job depending on the van depending how its constructed) you are not going to travel with TV just balanced on top of something.

    Typically in a motorhome / caravan, where non wall mounted TV, people either keep original packaging for a TV or they get a TV with a carrying case for when they are on the move.

    The camping / caravanning market is long established and mature, so bar a few hours of running on battery, this brings nothing new to the party

    e.g. camping oriented TV brand where protective custom case available

    You can see with this TV the page shows the associated case for that model (in this example an expensive "camping" oriented TV brand that supports 12V)

    https://shop.caravanclub.co.uk/product/avtex-smart-tv?selected=1f4a568c-f1c7-440c-8fdd-c9833f409fa4#product-details

    And plenty of companies make / sell generic well padded bags for TVs

    e.g.

    https://www.bags2cover.co.uk/product-category/padded-tv-bags/

    * Not a caravanner / motorhome user, but did go camping a lot until I got to an age where decaying body needed a bit more comfort and most sites were tents, caravans & motorhomes so got to chat with / visit caravan / motorhomes of a lot of people with all sorts of travel kit (& I'm sure some of them enjoyed showing us "lowly tent users" how full of home comforts their option was, though one of the things I liked about camping was getting way from the TV - though TBF you could see the attraction on a grim weather day of continual rain when a hike is a pain not a pleasure)

  25. 43300 Silver badge

    "Cine/audiophiles are also well catered for as the StanbyME supports Dolby Vision and Atmos, and boasts four 20W speakers. "

    So you can piss off eveyone else campting in the vicinity, presumably?

  26. JulieM Silver badge

    TV solution

    Surely if you want to make money selling a new kind of TV, the future is a disposable set? Just watch one programme and then throw it away. Guaranteed income stream! You can bake the receiving licence right into the purchase price .....

    Once you have a disposable set out, then you can start working on "making it recyclable"; although it probably will never be anything like as environmentally-responsible as a set built to last forever and only stopped in its tracks by the broadcasting system changing (like it did from the 405-line era to 625 in the 1970s and 80s, and then from analogue to digital in the 2000s and 2010s).

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