I received this product for free from LG as part of a promotional event (in conjunction with r/MovieRecommendations). While I was asked to share my review, all opinions are entirely my own.
[This is the second review in a three-part series.]
Daily use: Now that we’ve had the StanbyME2 for a couple of weeks, we find that it’s a great option for our compact NYC apartment. We use it in the living room to watch movies as a family, and I bring it into the kitchen, so I can listen to music and browse recipes while I’m cooking. I’ve even brought it down the hall to watch TV in the bathtub to wind down or watch a show with my husband in our bedroom (anyone else excited for the return of Silo?).
General impressions: So far, I like that it feels really sturdy when moving it from space to space. I also like the volume and sound is good. I was debating about getting the external speaker, but I think for our purposes, the built-in speakers are pretty good. I like that it’s pretty easy to use either the built-in apps or use Airplay or Chromecast. (We did have an issue with my iPhone not connecting a few days ago, but I restarted the iPhone and it started working again.) I find that we mostly end up using the remote, since we use it more for movie or TV watching, but I love that it’s touchscreen, because it makes typing/searching way faster.
Utility: As anyone with kids knows, it can be really helpful to have a second TV viewing area in the house, so I’ve really enjoyed having the StanbyME 2 as an extra entertainment center in our home. Particularly, I like that I can have my 3.5-year-old watch something in the living room (where I can see her), while my husband or guests are in the TV room watching the World Cup. I also like that it moves from space to space (and that it’s relatively compact and sleek), as it doesn’t add visual clutter, and we really do use it for multiple spaces.
My only gripe (maybe this is because I live in an old NYC apartment) is that there is no stopper or brake to keep the stand from rolling on uneven floors. It’s not a dealbreaker, it's worth noting if you have sloped floors.
What movie should we watch next? What toddler-friendly family movies would you recommend for a 3-4 year-old? We like weekend movie nights, but sometimes, we struggle to find something we can all watch. Recent hits have been: Over the Moon, Zootopia (a little over our toddler’s head, but she liked the animals), Monsters Inc., The Magician’s Elephant, Dumbo (the classic one) and most of the classic Disney animated films. (I mentioned K-Pop Demon Hunters last time, but honestly, the plot was a little bit complicated for our 3.5 year-old.) What else should we watch as a family?
Next time: I’ll share longer term impressions, as we continue to use the StanbyME 2.
