StandbyME Go: LG's TV from the suitcase

Luca Fontana

31/8/2023

Translation: machine translated

Televisions don't always have to be bigger, more colourful and brighter. Sometimes the exact opposite is the case. Take LG's portable TV on the move, for example.

The Digitec and Galaxus editorial team will be reporting on site from IFA 2023 in Berlin. You can find all the news and background information published so far in our overview:

Do you know this? You're camping. In the wilderness. In the forest. The sun has just disappeared behind the horizon. It's slowly getting dark, it's getting chilly, but the campfire is keeping you nice and warm. Nevertheless, you grab a cosy blanket made of slightly scratchy wool from the tent behind you. Nothing could make this moment better. Except... except a television. Film: a horror flick. "Friday the 13th", for example. Perfect for falling asleep.

Or is it? Or...

The TV for everywhere - in a handy case

It's usually Samsung when a TV manufacturer comes up with innovative ideas for televisions. I'm thinking of the artistic Frame and the stylish Serif. Or the Terrace, Samsung's outdoor TV for the garden. At IFA 2023 in Berlin, however, it's South Korean rival LG that piques my curiosity: with the StanbyME Go. This is not just any TV, but one that is battery-powered and built directly into a handy case - a bit like Tony Stark's Iron Man suit from "Iron Man 2".

The display is not large. But big enough for outdoors and on the go. Namely 27 inches. The Full HD resolution is correspondingly small. More would not only be overkill for the size of the display, but also an unnecessary drain on the battery. It should last for three hours before the case, sorry, the TV needs to be connected to a power source.

The display itself is an IPS touch display. It not only has good viewing angles - in case the wide Jason Voorhees wants to join the horror film around the campfire - but is also more robust than conventional LCD screens with a VA panel. In fact, it is said to have successfully passed various tests of the strict MIL-STD-810G standard of the US military, I am told. Whatever that means. When asked, it means above all that it can withstand adverse external weather conditions. Low temperatures, dust and splash water, for example. But also vibrations, shocks and falls.

There is an HDMI connection in the case itself. However, external devices are still connected via Bluetooth 5 or Wi-Fi 5. You can even play your smartphone videos in portrait format; the display can be rotated 90 degrees. The StandbyME Go is powered by LG's own webOS Smart TV. This means that the usual apps from the major streaming services can be installed directly on the TV, including Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV and Paramount+. You don't even need your mobile to control the TV. There is also a remote control that can be stored in the case.

Sound... and availability

The speakers are also built directly into the case. LG talks about a 40-watt four-channel speaker system. According to the data sheet, it can even play Dolby Atmos - in practice, I wouldn't claim to have noticed this. However, the sound still sounded surprisingly powerful for audio from a suitcase. Correspondingly the weight: it weighs around 12 kilos.

What will all this fun cost? Around 1000 euros at the start. At least in Germany, where the StandbyME will be launched by the end of the year at the latest. I was not yet able to find out whether it will also be available in Switzerland. I will update this article as soon as I know more. I'd really like to take the TV case home with me anyway. No idea what for. But I'm not even talking about needing it. I just want it. Full stop.

And you?

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.

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