Why You Need a Home Projector to Replace a TV? (2021 Update)

Projector or TV? Which one?

BenQ

2021/03/09

Turn every room into a home entertainment space

On the one hand you’ve nursed a lifelong love of cinematic experiences and want to have that feeling at home. You also have friends that share that passion and enjoy hosting them from time to time to partake together in the joy of movie watching. But on the other hand, you rent a small-ish apartment and possibly need to move due to work on a regular basis. That makes huge TVs impractical and really not a good investment, as lugging them around is difficult. And they don’t always have the best screens for shared viewing anyway. And let’s not even get started on tablets or notebooks. Those tiny screens simply don’t work for a cinephile like you. Maybe on a train or a plane, but not at home, not in your castle and safe haven.

Behold the home projector, an ally for someone like you and many others who love movies but have specific circumstances that make a TV less than ideal. As a cinema buff you only really enjoy movies on a big screen, and the trademark shine and hum of a projector make you happy. TVs just don’t have that charm, but also from a practical standpoint, projectors allow you to watch on screens or even walls with views twice the size of the biggest TVs around. And you can do that right in your rented apartment with a minimum of fuss. You get a projector, set it up, and within minutes you and your friends are enjoying a movie together with a unique feel that’s very different from the usual flat panel TV. You don’t need to sacrifice movie enjoyment just because you lead a mobile, dynamic life. You don’t have to settle down and construct a massive home theater to enjoy films (and TV) in their original format. With projectors you can do that in any residence, even a tiny bedroom. You’d be surprised how easy it is to put a 100” screen up pretty much anywhere!

Let’s look at four rather typical situations where a home projector will be a life saver for you. Of course not everyone fits into neat categories, but in this day and age you’re very likely to identify yourself in at least one of these.

Life on the Road and So Much to Watch

You’re dedicated to your career or studies and those require you move on a regular basis. Maybe yearly, maybe every two years, who knows. But what’s for certain is that committing to a large, permanent residence where you can construct your dream home theater is really out of the question. Besides, if you’re somewhat of a nomad chances are you’re renting modest places with limited space. Does all of that mean you need to give up on watching movies and programs? Most certainly not.

Thanks to the portable magic and small footprint of projectors, you can get the charm of a compact movie theater anywhere with a camper RV. And it moves with you. Interestingly, projectors take up far less space than big screen TVs. And that huge 100” screen we mentioned above rolls up to fit in your small suitcase. Try doing that with a 75” OLED that costs more than a year of rent. Hint: you can’t. Projectors, despite their public image, are inherently more portable than TVs. That’s why they were so popular with moving attractions back in the good old days, they’re easy to pack and unpack. If you’re a wanderer, projectors are your friends.

Small Room, Big Movie, and TV Love

With the massive growth of streaming, you have so much choice when it comes to movies and TV shows. Too much choice. A lot more choice than room space. But don’t worry, compact projectors with short throw distances mean your small room can do just fine as a place to enjoy movies and other content. Short throw allows displaying big images from close up to the screen or wall. You don’t need to mount anything on a ceiling or build a projection booth way in the back. Even if your room is basically a bed with some space around it, you’re good. A massive TV won’t just cost you a lot, it’ll likely look really odd just standing there all the time.

Projectors themselves arrive in very small sizes these days, and the screens you project onto roll or furl out of the way when not in use. With a big TV you’ll probably worry about dust or bumping into it if your room’s really small. None of that with projectors.

You’re the Sharing Type

Switching tracks, let’s talk about sharing. Maybe you’re still in that rented apartment or maybe you finally settled down. But you still enjoy having friends over from time to time to watch movies or sports together. And you don’t necessarily want to have everyone in the same place each time. For example, one evening it’s a football match in the living room, the next week it’s Netflix in your study then playing your favorite XBOX or PS5 games on a big screen. Life is about flexibility and you can’t possibly have a gigantic TV in each room, not unless you’re made of money and hold shares in the power company.

A single projector and screen are all you need to enjoy movies, TV, and sports from living room to lawn. If you want to share entertainment with friends and family projectors present excellent value and utility. Just make sure to consider your neighbors!

Projectors make sharing entertainment with your friends easy

Especially Great for Kids

Projectors are inherently child-friendly for home education or home edutainment. How so? After all your years of moving apartments and renting you at last have your own place and a family. Sure, you have a nice TV in the living room but again, it’s not very spontaneous. TVs just stay in place, a projector goes anywhere. Movie night doesn’t have to be in the living room, it can be in the kitchen if you and the family feel like it. Then you can have animated story time at any given bedroom. And let’s not forget about health. Several studies have shown that TVs cause considerably more eye strain than projected images, especially when sitting close to the screen. Hence, you and the kids can get much closer to the large projector display without worrying about eye fatigue compared to a TV. Projectors are even healthier, it seems!

With kids, the best times come from organic, natural play that everyone agrees on and engages with together. Why just sit the little ones in front of the TV or, even worse, smartphone? Much better for the whole family to gather before a screen that you put up as a team and then pack up when finished. Not only do you enjoy yourselves, but the kids learn something about setting up and responsibility that goes a little beyond finding the TV remote.

Projectors for Busy Lives

So there you have it. You may have thought your active, slightly nomadic life meant giving up cinematic experiences from the comfort of your home. You may have consigned yourself to a tiny screen because your room’s small. You stopped watching movies with friends since who wants to crowd around a laptop. And your kids don’t like watching stuff on the same TV every day. Well guess what, projectors are here to the rescue. They’re versatile, portable, and magical. You should make a point to consider a projector for your life now.

For more info, do check out this useful article about creating a portable movie room.

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