When someone brings out a projector, I know I'm in for a boring night of travel photos. But the LG Ultra Short Throw Minibeam projector (PF1000UW) also has speakers and apps such as YouTube and Netflix, so it can also be used as a big TV.

At $2499 it's expensive, but the stand-out feature of this projector is the ultra-short throw, which means it can be placed close to a wall, as close as 40cm for a reasonable image. It's also light, weighing around 1900 grams.

Setting up is easy, but through a menu projected on the wall it's a bit tricky to get it all working with the remote. I'm hoping in the future the projector will recognise voice commands like Google Home or at least have an app to make things easier. Also, the fan is noisy.

Projecting photos from a phone can be done with Miracast, a wireless display standard that can mirror the screen, but only for Android or Windows. I connected my iPhone to the projector with a cable, but accessing the photos through the projector's menu is clumsy and confusing, while my partner's Samsung Galaxy worked seamlessly, projecting exactly what was on the screen.

My photos looked stunning presented in large format. The colours were rich, from the deep reds and blues of the outback to the winter greys of Paris. Skin tone was particularly impressive. My skin looked better projected large onto my lounge room wall than it does in real life. But the room needs to be as dark as possible; any ambient light will reduce picture quality.

YouTube clips screened well, however the sound is average. You wouldn't want to be playing a clip of the opening scene to 2001: A Space Odyssey.