Projectors vs TVs: The biggest pros and cons

Until recently, there wasn’t much crossover between the projector and TV markets. Projectors were expensive, needed a lot of space, were difficult to set up and only worked in near-dark rooms. TVs were less expensive, could sit flat against a wall and – generally – just worked.

Things have changed in recent years. New breeds of ultra-short-throw projectors like the Samsung Premiere 9 sit inches from a screen and still give you a massive picture. Modern laser and LED projectors can output images bright enough for viewing in a sunlit room. Compact portable projectors can be found for under £500, and include built-in audio and streaming skills. You can, in theory, use a projector as a replacement for a TV.

Conversely, big TVs no longer cost the Earth. With 65in to 85in TVs available for under £800, does it make sense to spend the same (or more) on a projector and a screen?

To help you make up your mind, we’re going to take you through the pros and cons of each approach, with a little help from experts from manufacturers BenQ, Hisense, Epson and XGIMI.

Projectors vs TVs: Picture quality

Picture quality differs massively from TV to TV and projector to projector, but TVs have an advantage in that LCD and OLED tech offers more consistent image quality, with higher levels of brightness and colour depth.

As Tex Yang, vice president at XGIMI puts it, “Projectors face challenges like variable image size affecting sharpness and sensitivity to ambient light.” The way the projector is set up, the focus and alignment, the screen and the lighting in the room will all impact image quality.

Where 4K TVs have a native 4K resolution, most affordable 4K projectors use a technique called pixel shifting, refreshing a 1080p image at 240Hz to create what looks like a 4K image at 60Hz. The effect is incredibly convincing, and outside of direct A/B comparisons even expert viewers can’t see a significant difference, but it is there.

Matthew Glynn, product marketing manager at Hisense UK, feels we shouldn’t make too much of TVs’ advantage. “While TVs typically offer higher brightness levels on paper” he argues, “this does not always translate to better image quality. Many TV panels suffer from issues like dirty screen effect (DSE) or oversaturation, which can impact colour accuracy and overall realism.” Laser projectors, he contends, can also deliver wider colour gamuts that exceed those of most TVs.

Shaun Robertson, product manager for home cinema at Epson agrees, suggesting that “Projectors can deliver a standard of colour, resolution and brightness to rival some of the most high-end TVs.” However, he feels their real advantage is that “projection more effectively brings the cinematic experience to your home.” XGIMI’s Tex Yang concurs. “With a proper setup – a dark room, a quality screen and a high resolution – projectors deliver immersive, cinematic experiences that rival TVs, offering larger, customisable viewing options.”

Projectors vs TVs: HDR

High-end TVs like the LG G4 OLED and the Mini LED Samsung QN95D offer peak brightness levels of anywhere between 600 nits and over 2,800 nits for HDR highlights, and black levels of either zero or close to zero.

With projectors, things are complicated by the fact that brightness output is measured in ANSI or ISO lumens, and at the point light emerges from the lens. In practice, it’s nowhere near the quoted levels when it bounces off the screen.

Hisense’s Matthew Glynn admits this puts projectors at a disadvantage. “Unlike OLED, QLED or Mini LED TVs, projectors traditionally struggle to achieve the same peak brightness levels required for optimal HDR content display,” he says.

“This can sometimes result in less pronounced highlights and reduced vibrancy.” However, he feels advances in laser projector technology are reducing the gap. Damian Trendall, projector line of business manager for BenQ says the same about LED tech.

What’s more, he suggests the firm’s HDR Pro technology achieves good results because it “does not simply focus on providing the highest natural brightness to show more dynamic range” but optimises the image for comfort, presenting “a more detailed and realistic image in a way that is best suited for human eyes.”

In use, particularly in darkened rooms, I’ve found brighter (2,000 to 3,000) lumens projectors – and even some with outputs lower than 1,000 ANSI Lumens – capable of delivering superb HDR highlights and plentiful shadow detail, though really dark, inky blacks are harder to recreate.

Projectors vs TVs: Sound quality

Both TVs and projectors sometimes fall short on audio quality. With projectors, sound has often been an afterthought, with weedy speakers not designed for serious viewing. With TVs, the drive to reduce panel depth and frame size has often come at the expense of audio.

In recent years, though, both have seen real improvements. An increasing number of premium TVs now come with impressive audio systems built-in that negate the need for a soundbar.

The Philips OLED+910, for instance, has a 3.1-channel system tuned by Bowers & Wilkins, while the Panasonic Z95A has a 5.1.2-channel arrangement that includes up-firing Dolby Atmos speakers. These tend to be very expensive though, and there’s still a lot of room for improvement on cheaper options with basic down-firing 2.1-channel sound solutions.

On the projector front, portable and ultra-short-throw options have started integrating powerful stereo speaker systems or even soundbar tech. From experience, you need to be careful about positioning or where you sit, with portable models sounding best if they’re directly in front of the viewer. Otherwise, it’s a matter of which model you go for, with good and bad audio options no matter which way you go.

Projectors vs TVs: Image size

This is where projectors have a real advantage. You can now find 70in, 85in and even 100in TVs on the market, but they’re going to cost you north of £800 for a mid-range set and often £1,500 or more. The 98in TCL Q9BK pictured below, for instance, will set you back £1,999. The 110in Hisense UXN, meanwhile costs an eye-watering £19,999.

Buy an entry-level 4K projector and a basic screen, and you can have a 100in to 150in screen for around £1,000 or less. As Epson’s Shaun Robertson puts it, “Many projectors offer display sizes of up to 300 inches for a fraction of the cost of a similar-sized television.”

What’s more, a projector is an easier fit in most homes than a massive TV, particularly if you combine short-throw models with pull-up or roll-down screens. And, as Hisense’s Matthew Glynne adds, ‘they excel in creating an immersive, cinema-like experience.’ It’s the closest you’ll get to the multiplex in the comfort of your home.

Projectors vs TVs: Daytime viewing

Ambient light and sunlight will always be a problem for projectors. Again, new LED and laser technology is helping. BenQ’s Damian Trendall suggests that while older lamp-based models struggled “even in mild ambient lighting”, modern LED assemblies do a better job of linking light, colour and power, resulting in “a far more vivid image with more intense colours, and therefore increased clarity in different light conditions.”

He’s not wrong, and high-brightness LED and laser projectors now work better during daylight hours, especially when paired with a high-gain or ALR (ambient light rejecting) screen. What’s more, reflective screen surfaces don’t always make things easy for TVs near a window or in a brightly sunlit room. All the same, while most TVs are visible and watchable during daylight hours, this is less true of most projectors.

Projectors vs TVs: Smart platform

TVs definitely used to have the edge here, with more stable and established software and far better app and channel support. Too many projectors used to arrive without any smart features, or with horrific versions of Android TV running old and even non-functioning apps.

Things have improved massively in the last two years, with brands like Hisense adapting their TV software for projector use, and others standardising around Google TV. Yet we’re still seeing projectors arrive without support for one or more mainstream UK TV providers, which is unthinkable on most TVs.

Projectors vs TVs: Connectivity

TVs tend to not just have more HDMI inputs as standard – often three or four – but more modern inputs too, with HDMI 2.1 connections now trickling down to even more affordable TVs. For example, the Samsung Q80D, a great-value QLED, comes equipped with four HDMI inputs, all of which are of the 2.1 specification.

With projectors, even well-equipped options like the XGIMI Horizon Ultra are typically limited to one or two HDMI connections, a couple of USB-A ports, an analogue audio output and an SP/DIF output for digital audio along with Wi-Fi 5 or Ethernet. That’s fairly basic by TV standards, and there’s no guarantee that any of the HDMI inputs will even support ARC or eARC for connection to a soundbar.

What’s more, you’re unlikely to get an aerial or satellite input if you want to watch broadcast TV; an inclusion on even basic TVs.

Projectors vs TVs: Features, controls and customisation

TVs generally offer a wide range of controls and customisation options, ranging from simple picture profiles to detailed colour controls and settings for motion-smoothing, sharpening and more.

However, more advanced home cinema projectors like the Sony VPL XW5000ES take this to a whole new level, with more detailed controls for colour gradients and profiles and masses of custom settings. On the other hand, some mainstream or portable projectors offer minimal tools and settings.

TVs tend to have the edge when it comes to gaming features, like VRR (variable refresh rate), reduced response times or higher refresh rates. Gaming projectors such as the Epson X500i will often have these, but you won’t find them on such a wide range of models.

Projectors vs TVs: Lifespan

Lifespans were a serious concern for early OLED TVs, but modern OLED TVs – and LCD or mini-LED models – tend to have lifespans of 36,000 to 100,000 hours, which is enough to keep them going for between 10 and 30 years at 10 hours per day.

With older projectors or lamp-based models, you usually had to replace the lamp every 4,000 to 8,000 hours. Modern LED and laser projectors like the Hisense C2 Pro usually have a lifespan in the 20,000 to 30,000 hours range, depending on the settings and brightness level.

Projectors vs TVs: Price

Prices on both TVs and projectors have tumbled in the last few years, with decent budget TVs like the 43in Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (picture below) selling for around £300 and entry-level projectors including the Anker Nebula Capsule Air appearing for around the same money.

However, at the low end, buying a TV gets you more bang for buck, including a 4K resolution, higher brightness levels and a modicum of HDR performance. You won’t find any of these things on a projector for under £500, at least without a major manufacturer promotion.

Projectors vs TVs: Which should you buy?

Go category by category through the above, and it’s a convincing win for TVs. While you can now get a great, TV-equivalent experience from the best LED and laser projectors, it’s going to cost you a lot more once you factor in not just the price of the projector, but the price of the screen. What’s more, the TV will usually offer you more in terms of connectivity, features and app support.

All the same, don’t discount projectors. Even if the TV wins for everyday casual viewing, nothing beats a projector and a big screen for watching movies the way they were made to be watched. It’s also an incredibly immersive way to enjoy your favourite games. Give one of our best projector picks a try, and you’ll soon see exactly what we mean.