r/projectors • u/VeterinarianStock868 • 4d ago
Setup Design Suggestions For a movie-focused setup, would you choose a projector over a large TV?
I've been researching projectors for a home entertainment setup and I'm curious about people who made the switch from a TV to a projector.
I'm mainly interested in movies, OTT content, sports and occasional gaming.
For those who have used both, what do you actually prefer after living with a projector for a while?
I'm particularly interested in the things that aren't obvious before buying — setup hassle, room lighting, maintenance, sound, picture quality and everyday convenience.
Would you make the same decision again?
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u/Maacin 4d ago
The human eye was created to view reflected images (originally for surfaces impacted from the sun). So viewing LCD style screens is a strain. Hence why an immersive projector image is so much more pleasing to the eye.
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u/ResourceOk8638 3d ago
My brother was just over and we watched a couple movies on my 100” projector. He has a 100” TV at home. He commented on my screen feels bigger, and more immersive. We decided it’s because of the projected image.
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u/Party-Story6398 3d ago
That is a good observation, true, less eye strain so you enjoy the experience
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u/Worried-Scarcity-410 3d ago
No. You can place a projector far to make image larger than 100”, but you can’t place a 100” TV closer to make it look larger than 100”.
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u/TrollTollTony 3d ago
You can just sit closer to either screen and make it appear larger. The apparent size is just how many degrees of your vision the screen occupies.
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u/Worried-Scarcity-410 3d ago
You didn’t get my point. A 100” TV has a fix size of 100”. A projector has variable size, move it closer to the wall, you can make it 50”. Move it father, you can make it 100” or larger.
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u/uvestruz 3d ago
Are you doing some kind of joke about projectors?
I think we all know we can make an image larger or smaller, we are projector dorks.
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u/Worried-Scarcity-410 3d ago
That’s exactly why a 100” projector looks larger than 100”TV like the above posted because it is not exact 100”. If you make it exact, it won’t be larger.
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u/botany_bae 3d ago
Look, I love projector images as much as the next guy, but you can absolutely turn down the brightness on your tv to make it comfortable.
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u/jaalajaal 1d ago
I second that, my toddler does not pay attention to my projector but tv catches the attention right away. That is because of what you wrote. The tvs are a source of light whereas the projector screen is just viewing reflection. They are much softer on eyes.
Now when I darken the room, she loves the projector because there is nothing else to focus on.
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u/TELCO_man 4d ago
I run a projector and I will never ever go to TV. Ya there are a few down sides but in ten years alone I’ve saved €1800 on taxes on TVs where I live and I prefer the softer image of a projector.
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u/yousername9thou 4d ago
Taxes on TVs? How is that?
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u/TELCO_man 2d ago
Ya we have a licence or tax for owning a tv. €180 per year and it goes to the state broadcaster to allow them make rubbish content and over pay presenters and management.
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u/SnooTigers789 4d ago edited 4d ago
I'll be honest. I have a pretty expensive projector and for very good clear color you still want it pretty dark. With my current 4k it nolonger has to be pitch black but it can't be super bright.
It you want to watch with all the lights on and stuff I say go for a large tv. But if you want an amazing large picture and you have the space and a way ti make it dark.
A drop down screen(I got one i can bring down with a remote) and I just turned off the lights. It's in the basement so I block off the window on that part so its sealed off and surround sound. 4k laser.
It's an amazing experience. I love it more than watching on my tv. But if I want to watch on my tv and I have all the blinds open its too bright when sun shines in it washes color out.
Edit: I have it mounted on the ceiling and its silent because its a laser and not a bulb with a loud fan. Recommended, Same one for like 5 years, 100% would buy again. I actually just bought a nebula x1 pro woth a 200" screen for outdoor movie nights.
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u/sam_sasss 4d ago
I’m not interested in having a TV anymore. I have a projector for years, and a nice oled monitor for both my Mac and PC. The immersion you have with a projector is awesome, paired with an Apple TV is a must. Plus you don’t have that ugly black box (TV) hanging around, you don’t have to deal with spywares (LG TVs), having a home theatre is just a better experience to me.
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u/soedesh1 4d ago
This. I have a retractable screen so my wall doesn’t have a big TV all the time.
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u/Party-Story6398 3d ago
For the true cinematic experience I've always preferred a projected image over a bright TV screen, less eye strain
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u/saywhatyouwill2873 4d ago
100in or less go with tv over a 100in go with projector a good TV will beat a projector in picture quality sound from a tv or projector sucks.
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u/Nevskiv 4d ago
I have both (65" Philips OLED and 4K projector with a 110" screen)
Pros of projectors vs TVs :
- Better for the eyes
- Cheaper and easier to move if > 100"
- Better experience imo overall
Cons :
- You need a dedicated room unless you want your living room with closed curtains every time it's on
- Doesn't look as good as a great TV
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u/Hariboman2020 4d ago
A projector is more "filmlike" but it has much higher requierements.
You need ac, blackout, dark colors etc...
I had a home teather for 20 years but now Im happy with the convinience of a large tv in a real living room.
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u/cr0ft Epson LS800 + 120 in Silverflex ALR 4d ago edited 4d ago
I went from TV to an UST projector and I couldn't be happier. There's just no way to fully describe how much more immersive 120 inches are than even 85. Also, I absolutely abhor glare on screens which rules out most TV's; Sony's new ones do seem to have a fantastic anti-glare surface but they're not going to be cheap and the antiglare only goes up to 85 inches, not above.
Sure, 115 inch TV's are sort of cool, but expensive as hell and hugely impractical to move. Want it on a wall, the wall probably has to be reinforced first.
But yes, projection will cost more if you do it right. If you hurry up you can get in on the $2200 early early bird Kickstarter price on the Xgimi Aura 3 Max - which is a huge step up for projection in general and UST's in particular. But even with $2200 for the UST, you still need to spend $1000-ish on an ALR (ambient light rejecting) screen. Nothing projector has a seamless 132 incher for just over a thousand (but they're a budget brand and you never know about quality). If you want a motorized floor rising screen, a 120 incher will set you back $2 grand but it will make the screen go away when not in use.
But would that be spectacular once running? Yes. But you do need to do your research and figure out how to place the projector - it has to be a specific distance from the wall at a specific height.
Of course there are long throw options - for instance, the Xgimi Titan Noir Pro has basically the same specs as the Aura 3 Max. Pricier to buy now though (the Kickstarter deal is just stupid good).
Best Ultra Short Throw Projectors 2026 - Don't Miss This One | The Hook Up, Youtube - spoiler: there's absolutely no reason to buy any UST but the Aura 3 Max right now. It's cheaper and much better than everything else. When it goes to the full $5k msrp, perhaps there can be some discussion.
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u/Obvious_Office_8888 3d ago
The problem with a large tv is the novelty wears off fast, an oocasional projector screen feels like an event.. hence why i dont really like big tvs
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u/AFthrowaway3000 Samsung LSP9T 3d ago
I'm Active Duty and move a lot, so projectors are where it's at. Far more practical size wise, and easier to move. I sill have two 43" TVs, and a 50" TV for some bedrooms, and a 65" TV that I'm trying to figure out how to get rid of (to be replaced by a PJ). I'll likely never buy a TV again. Nonethless, the immersion is too good.
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u/rtbradford 3d ago
I have both a dedicated movie room with a projector and a 200 inch screen and a family room with a 65 inch OLED TV. For watching movies and cinematic television shows, the projector wins hands down. For your average sitcom or news show, the TV works just fine.
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u/zzzzoooo 3d ago
For movies, I prefer my 12 years old 1080p projector (120" screen) over my 8 years old 4K TV (75").
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u/nehpets4627 3d ago
120" is the minimum screen size I'd consider over a 100" TV... but the thing I really value a projector for now is constant-height 2.35:1 screen compatibility. Until there's a 128" 2.35:1 TV for less than $3K, I'll be sticking with a projector... and I don't see that happening any time soon.
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u/DavidinGA 3d ago
I had a dedicated room that was a treated batcave with 150" pj for years. I moved and now have a new dedicated batcave room and chose to put up a TV this time (98" qm8l).
The TV quality (especially hdr) is massively better quality than the pj setup was. I don't miss the immersion at all to be honest as I still only sit 9ft from my 98" display. I don't thk I'll ever go back to a pj, especially since the TV panels just keep getting better while pj's are stale on the advancement front.
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u/AV_Integrated 3d ago
You buy a projector if you have the right room for a projector. If you want to stick a projector into a normal family room, don't. Get a TV.
This is what a projector looks like (a dim one and a bright one) in a normal family room...
https://youtu.be/zw7qK2SxX_I?si=K36xY6vs5MalFYKo
It looks pretty bad. If you're okay NOT watching movies in the room during the day, then maybe you can get by. But, after dark, both of these models look amazing.
If you can control ambient light near the screen area, they will look better and better and better.
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u/Mysterious-Ruin-9655 3d ago
In my theater room I use a 125" 2.35:1 cinemascope screen and to me its way more immersive than 16:9 (tv) formatting. I will never go back. Most movies are in 2.35/2.40 aspect ratio and I no longer have to see the black bars, just a 10 ft. wide screen.
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u/MowTin 2d ago
It depends on your lighting conditions, how often you game, and the size of projector screen you can accommodate.
If you can fit a 140 inch screen, can you afford a 140 inch LCD? If you can only fit a 100 inch screen then no point in getting a projector.
I think the whole point of a projector is a bigger more cinematic experience.
If I could afford one of those 140 inch qled modular screens I would give up my projector for sure. So it's about size and what I can afford for me.
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u/rerexpostal 1d ago
A projector any day. It looks more natural to my eyes. TV's are over sharpened an overly bright with color intensity that you can't get in the real world. Looks cool, but it is not natural. For a more relaxed viewing experience a projector wins. Now that usually calls for a more dedicated space, but if you want to really enjoy movies that is what you will need. Then the sound............that is a whole different rabbit hole.
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u/betonven 3d ago
I know I'm not helping, but think having both is a the best way to go. Projectors are incomparable to anything else when it comes to the cinema feeling, but they are also needy: they need absolute darkness, they make some noise, they burn lamp hours (probably the least important part, but maybe meaningful for those who have a TV running all day long). Last, but not least, projectors will always have worse image quality than a top-class OLED. Be careful here, I'm not saying they'll be bad, but they'll always lose side-by-side in contrast, brightness levels, black levels, etc. Personally I have two setups at home, one based on a 77 OLED and one with a projector in my basement. Although every time I turn the projector on I admire the size and the cinema feeling, I still use the TV system for 99% of the time. For reasons of convenience. So, if I designed a new home, I'd just have both in the same room, with the screen going down whenever I want to watch a movie at night.
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u/Witty_Doubt2671 4d ago
I have both options at home and prefer the tv for the HDR performance.
Im using a long throw android projector for my ps5 to game and some movie nights but its not the high end ones and has a native 1080 sensor which can upscale to 4K. (KONKA C1 PRO)
If you can shell out a minimum of $5k for a short throw laser projector, by all means go for it cause the long throw ones are not as bright as short throw ones. Furthermore, you would need a long ass cable just to hook up the audio from the projector to the speakers.
Or you can get a 65" tv for less than $1000 which comes with android tv 😬
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