LG’s StanbyME Go is easily the most Inspector Gadget thing I’ve ever reviewed. It’s a 27-inch touchscreen TV that’s built into (and protected by) a large military-grade briefcase — complete with an integrated sound system, HDMI connectivity, and the same webOS software that runs on the company’s regular TVs.
Theoretically, you can bring it anywhere, but at 28 pounds, the StanbyME Go is far from a light load, and it’s a stretch to call it very portable. Road trips are no issue, but I never got bold enough to bring this thing on a flight. For one, I didn’t want to deal with TSA scrutiny over this gadget that looks like a Mission Impossible prop. But the briefcase is too wide to satisfy the carry-on requirements at most airlines, regardless.
But it’s… it’s unique as hell. And that’s what has resonated with me over these last couple months of testing the terribly-named StanbyME Go. You can take this briefcase TV tailgating; you can bring it camping; if you’re traveling somewhere, it can be a mobile entertainment and gaming solution for yourself or the kids. I’ve had friends say they’d be open to using something like this in lieu of a projector in rooms where a permanent TV might be unwelcome. When it comes time to lift it up, that excitement often dampens.
Aside from its heft, the biggest thing going against the StanbyME Go is the $1,200 that LG is asking for what, at the end of the day, is a pretty unremarkable 27-inch LCD panel. It’s a 1080p screen with so-so viewing angles and a peak brightness of 500 nits. That’s more than fine for indoor viewing, and I’ve also found it adequate for most outdoor usage so long as you’re not in direct sunlight. (The display’s anti-reflective coating helps out here big time.) But if you’re judging this thing by display specs alone, paying $1,200 for it would be lunacy. I would go wild for a 4K OLED version of the StanbyME Go, though that would likely rocket its price up into $2,000 territory. The nicheness of this product is inherently part of why it’s more expensive than many would prefer.
The claimed Dolby Vision HDR support is laughable, considering this display’s limited brightness. The same goes for the four-channel “Dolby Atmos” speaker system, though I was surprised by its fullness since the audio is coming from drivers unconventionally built into one side of a briefcase. And despite the fact that the speakers are positioned behind the screen when it’s raised, the sound remains clear. Just don’t expect much in the way of immersion or surround trickery here. If you need more impactful sound when tailgating, you can always pair up a large Bluetooth speaker.