Is a projector better than a TV for home use?
Everyone likes to have a bigger TV, but getting a TV bigger than 65 inches becomes very expensive and the question arises, 'is it better to get a projector instead of a large TV?'. A Projector becomes more practical than TV when you want screen sizes bigger than 65 inches. You can get a really good projector for about the same price of a big 65 inch 4K TV.
How to set up a projector at home
There are several options for setting up a Projector at home. In the simplest, non-permanent, portable installation of a projector, the projector can be brought out when needed and plugged in and kept on a coffee table and the picture projected on to a wall. You can also have a permanent projector setup with the projector mounted on the ceiling. You can also have the projector to work in the bed room or have a dedicated room in the house as a permanent home theater. The options for setting up a projector at home are many. Here below are shown some examples of the simplest way to install projectors at home.
The picture above shows one of the cheapest projector setup at home. The projector is simply kept on the coffee table and the projector picture is projected onto a wall. Many projectors have built in speakers and in such a set up, a separate speaker system is not required, but is recommended. The movie can be from USBs which can be directly mounted on the USB input of the projector. You can also connect Set top box, Cable Connection and even your laptop to the projector with the HDMI input of the projector. In this simple projector set up, when the projector is not in use, it can be safely kept in a cupboard or draw.
The picture above shows a more permanent projector setup in a typical home living room. The projector is ceiling mounted and has a screen on the wall in front. The screen can be of many different types as explained in our page about projector screens. In this set up, an extra sound system is a must, because the projector is overhead and the projector speakers cannot be used. Even though this projector set up is a little more expensive, it is a much more enjoyable projector set up.
In both the examples of projector setup in the house, the cost in most cases will be less than a good quality 65 inch 4K TV. But instead of a picture size of 65 inch from the TV, you can see much larger picture sizes - typical home projector screen sizes can be anywhere between 100 inches to 200 inch or more, depending on the light output and zoom capabilities of the projector and the ambient lighting conditions.
Can a projector picture look as good as a TV?
The picture quality of a projector compared to a TV picture quality will depend on the specs of the projector and the ambient light conditions. The projector picture can look as good as, if not better, than a TV picture, provided the right conditions prevail. You need not completely darken the room, only avoid any bright light falling on the projector picture area. If you can darken the room with curtains, then even during the day the projector viewing experience will be much more appealing and relaxing to the eyes than viewing on a TV . A good sound system will enhance the experience of projector viewing.
Difference between TV and Projector, Benefits and advantages of Projector over TV
The main difference between a TV and a Projector, is the size of the picture displayed. A cheap projector available now can put up a good picture measuring 120 inches diagonally. A TV on the other hand, if you go beyond 65 inch diagonal size, it becomes exponentially expensive and also so heavy that it becomes unwieldy to handle. So the main advantage of having a projector is that you can see much larger pictures. How good the picture from a projector compares with the picture quality of a TV depends on several factors like the ambient lighting, the lumen output and resolution of the projector. Nowadays 4K TVs are the norm and 65 inch 4K TVs are going quite cheap. So how does a HD 1080p projector picture compare with that of of 4K TV? The answer to this question depends on the distance you are sitting from the displayed picture, whether from TV or projector. The 4K resolution on a 65 inch cannot be distinguished from that of a 65 inch HD TV from a distance of about 6 feet from the TV picture. So if you are viewing, for example, a 65 inch 4K TV picture and a 100 inch 1080p HD projector picture from a distance of, say 8 to 10 feet, the larger projector picture will look better. The HD 1080p projector vs 4k TV picture will depend on the ambient lighting. So in a darkened room the HD projector picture will be far superior to the 4K TV picture. In a room with moderate ambient light, the 1080p HD projector vs 4k TV picture comparison will depend on the brightness of the projector. Now 4K projectors are becoming affordable and a picture from a 4K projector does make a big difference to the picture quality when displayed on 100 inch and more picture size. So in short, a projector picture can look as good as a TV, if not better, in most conditions.
Other differences between TV and projector can be listed as follows:
- The projector is compact and light compared to a big TV
- A projector does not have powerful speakers like a TV, so an extra sound system will have to be provided.
- With projectors, the darker you can make a room, the better will be the projector picture quality.
- Projector lamps burn out after a few thousand hours (3,000 hours for normal projectors / 25,000 hours or more with LED and Laser projectors).
- Projectors usually do not come with built in software or tuners to enable it to play directly Youtube, Netflix or other internet based TV programs.
Should I buy Projector or TV
To make the decision to buy a projector requires some guts and the conviction that a projector is the better option than a bigger TV. We hope that this website guide to projectors will help you make that decision. I made the decision to go the projector way more than 10 years ago and have never regretted it, even for one day. Many of my friends converted to projectors after seeing my projector setup.
A projector set up requires a good surround sound system, but this is also the case even if you have a big TV, because the sound in a flat panel TV is not great. In our page on setting up surround sound system for projector, there is a guide on how to set up a good surround sound system for projector.
Some go to elaborate lengths spending a fortune to make a separate room into a home theatre. This is great for those who can afford it, but your bedroom can be converted into a projector room. This is how I have my Projector set up and it did not cost me all that much extra other than the projector and sound system. I have a 55 inch TV in the living room and the projector set up in the bedroom. We use the projector to watch movies in the comfort of our bed lying down. Projectors are the best way to watch movies at home. It is much more convenient and comfortable watching a movie on a big screen in the comfort of your own bedroom.
There are mainly three different kinds of projectors for home use: LCD, DLP and LCoS. Other differences between projectors are the number of the Light processing chips in the projector – whether it is one or three; and the type of light source: metal halide lamps with about 5000 hours life or LED Lamps with 20,000 plus hours of service or Laser lamps with again 20,000 plus hours of service or Hybrid projectors, usually a combination of LED and Laser light sources.
All of these types of Projectors are discussed on separate pages: LCD Projector, DLP Projector and LCoS Projector and Light sources for projectors.
Projectors require a screen for the projector picture to be projected on to. My experience with Projector Screens over these 10 plus years of using a projector is that screens are good, but a plain smooth wall painted over with the right paint, is almost as good. There is a whole page dedicated to projector screens and how a walls can be made into good projector screens.
Where to buy Home Theater Projectors and Projector Screens online
The best place to buy Projectors and Projector screens is the Amazon online store in your country. Amazon is best to buy online Projectors and Screens because not only are they very competitively priced, but you also have the assurance of service, and in the worst case, even return for a refund in case you are not satisfied.
Links for Home Theater Projectors
This is the Link for Home Theater Projectors from Amazon AUSTRALIA
This is the Link for Home Theater Projectors from Amazon CANADA
This is the Link for Home Theater Projectors from Amazon INDIA
This is the Link for Home Theater Projectors from Amazon UK
This is the Link for Home Theater Projectors from Amazon USA
Links for Projector Screens
This is the Link for Projector Screens from Amazon AUSTRALIA
This is the Link for Projector Screens from Amazon CANADA
This is the Link for Projector Screens from Amazon India
This is the Link for Projector Screens from Amazon UK
This is the Link for Projector Screens from Amazon USA
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All pages in our website www.whyProjector.com
Below are links to all the pages on this website and we hope you will make full use of all the great information about projectors.