**Portable TVs: A Modern Twist on Outdoor Entertainment**
While portable TVs may have lost their popularity with the prevalence of smartphones, they haven’t disappeared entirely. Last year, LG introduced the StanByME, a standard TV mounted on an innovative rolling stand with a built-in battery, allowing it to be easily moved around the house or taken outdoors. Now, with the StanByME Go, LG has cleverly designed a similar TV that fits inside a briefcase, making it perfect for picnics, camping trips, or backyard gatherings.
LG’s promotional images suggest a seamless experience of loading the unit into your car alongside beach gear and setting it up for instant outdoor fun. However, the reality is a bit more complex. This $2000 briefcase measures the size of a 27-inch TV, approximately 75 centimeters by 55 centimeters, and weighs around 13 kilograms due to its substantial battery. When used away from a power source, it offers about three hours of viewing time, which decreases on sunny days when the brightness is increased. These limitations may hinder its effectiveness as a truly portable display solution, especially at the beach, where sand and water pose significant risks.
Despite these challenges, there is a certain charm to the device. Imagine driving right onto the beach to enjoy surfing videos from your car’s trunk. During my testing of LG’s TV-on-a-stick model last year, my children were captivated, choosing to watch shows on it instead of the larger 65-inch OLED just a few meters away. They even requested that I store it in the under-stairs cupboard to create a cozy makeshift cinema for weekend movie nights.
The briefcase version of the TV offers a similar enchanting experience. While it may not replace an iPad or a traditional TV in most scenarios, it serves well as an entertainment screen for barbecues, a mobile cinema in the back of a station wagon, or a compact TV for kids’ bedrooms. When stored away, the StanByME Go can function as a secondary TV in the home.
Upon opening the case, the section you lift contains a 4.0 channel sound system, directing the speakers towards you when standing in front of the open case. This feature makes it a convenient music player, although it lacks significant power. While playing audio, the screen displays controls and a charming animation of a spinning record.
For solo viewing, you can tilt the screen slightly like a laptop, or extend the attached arm to raise it for group viewing. It even rotates to accommodate portrait video in a 9:16 format. The speakers perform adequately for movie content, making the StanByME Go a versatile option for various entertainment needs.
