Should You Buy a TV or a Projector?
It was just over a year ago when Esquire's commerce director Krista Jones proclaimed laser projectors were the future of entertainment. Having just joined the team, it was not a proclamation I agreed with, but who was I to protest? In the year to follow, I put myself to work testing TVs and projectors of all sorts to determine which one was really better: a 4K TV or a short throw laser projector? Each has its advantages, but you only need one or the other. So which is the best to buy for you?
It's an interesting question, because these are two completely different products in a lot of ways. In practice though, everyone needs something to watch TV, movies, sports, and play video games on. You can do all those on high-end projectors these days, and the reality is that a flat-screen 4K TV just isn’t that exciting anymore, but it is typically cheaper and gets the job done without fuss.
What is exciting is a thin, bezel-less TV that turns into a classy work of wall art the moment you stop using it. Or better yet, a box that sits below your desired display space (or retractable screen) and projectors upward without needing to be across the room shooting a literal image onto the wall. These are some of the newfangled options you may not be aware of when it comes to the TV vs projector turf war. There's a lot to tackle when breaking down this tech, so let's get right into it. Starting with the defending champ, the classic television.
Why a TV is the Obvious AnswerLook, I'm still a TV guy, and I think for a lot of setups it's still the best way to go in terms of value and functionality. For starters, you can still get a pretty decent 4K TV for a few hundred dollars (at least in a pre-tariff world). One that does everything you need and will last you a handful of years at the very least.
That's what TCL offers with its line of budget-friendly QLEDs, most of 'em ranging from $250 to $700 on Amazon. These will do 4K output, have streaming apps built-in, and likely even support higher refresh rates and modes for gaming too. It won't have the sharpest screen ever (they arguably aren't even true QLEDs) or compare to the dynamic glare-free range of an OLED, but it will be good enough for the untrained eye.
These TVs are easy to set-up, come with user-friendly smartTV interfaces (GoogleTV in this case, although Roku is also extremely intuitive), and connect to pretty much any gaming console, blu-ray player, or other device you have via HDMI.
I'm not totally blinded by bias. I see the big downside of having a huge 65-inch (or larger) display taking up wall real estate. It's not flashy, it's not sexy, and if you're not using it every day you would rather just have a nice piece of art hanging there instead. That's precisely why the Frame TV was invented.
The Case for the Frame or Canvas TVFor most, the Frame TV (which we’ve written about at length and fully endorsed here) is going to be a step between a traditional flatscreen TV and a projector. The pitch is to make a TV that can turn into a piece of art when its not in use. Plus, more than ever, we care about aesthetics, and that big black screen hanging from your wall simply isn’t chic. However, turning that big screen into the Mona Lisa is.
Samsung was really at the forefront of this trend when it introduced The Frame in 2017, way ahead of its time, and the digital art store. Eight years later, now expanding its art store to other TVs and introducing a new Frame Pro, this product still has a lot of hype behind it.
In the years since the Hisense Canvas has taken its place as our go-to recommendation for this type of TV. We even put it in our 2024 Gadget Awards and that wasn't all too long ago. What you're looking at is the best art TV on the market.
Art TVs are great for what they are, but where Hisense is really dominating as a brand right now is laser projectors. Despite my devotion to the TV, I look around and everyone on my team loves their projector. Even louder than their praise are the number of co-workers we have reaching out who are dying to review a projector. Everyone wants one of these! So I asked, "why do y'all love your projectors so much?" and here's what they said.
It’s better than a movie theater. The current favorite short-throw option is the the Hisense PL1, which a projects a 120-inch clear, crisp, and colorful image. It's my boss's favorite and she makes a solid point here, "I can’t tell you how many times a week I’m watching something while in awe of how amazing the quality is. Lasers really do wonders. Plus, I’m lying in my bed, eating my own food, and wearing my pajamas. You can’t sell me on a movie ticket anymore."
Best of all, she loves not having a screen (with art or not) hanging on her wall. Which also brings us to the biggest problem with projectors: the white wall. If you don’t have a white wall, you have to purchase a screen for your projector, and that can be annoying to use regularly or in the daytime for lighting reasons. If you don’t have the right home theater set up for this, it’s a logistical nightmare. That can be a major deal-breaker, even if the short-throw projector seems like the way to go.
While projectors don't take up space on the wall, they do take up physical space. This is another factor to consider if, like me, you live in a small apartment where you actually have more free wall space than floor space.
Our experiences with short throw projectors (that project right in front of the wall) have been incredible. That's what we'd recommend over a long throw option. We find the setup and maintenance a lot more hassle-free, and it's more aesthetically pleasing to have in your home.
But there are times when a long throw projector is great, for example this one from Hisense, which is made for gaming. I reviewed it and while I won't keep it long term, I got to experience Indiana Jones and the Great Circle projected to over 100 inches on my wall. With low-latency response time and high definition picture, I was impressed by how similarly the C2 Ultra performed to a 4K TV. The only downside is it's about twice the price of a comparable TV—depending on how big you want that screen to be.
With a long throw projector, at least, you don't have to be tied down to one size of display. We often found that long throw projectors had a little more tech or versatility in watching and gaming. So, here the answer is really all about what you're looking for. If you want to save space and it look incredibly mysterious in your home, go for a short throw. If you want a little more tech, go for a long throw.
Ultimately, I now see that many projectors have become just as good as TVs in terms of quality, and versatility, too. But TVs, by and large, remain more affordable and more reliable. I also now see why the Frame is still selling out every year, seven years after its release. It's the perfect hybrid for some people.
If I had to decide, I'd say for now, the TV is winning given that it's just an easy purchase. But I suspect short-throw projector is how we’ll all be watching at home in the future. Homes with projector screens built-in so you don't even have to worry about it. I really believe that is an option for the future if things don't fall apart first.
For now, it all depends on how you use your space, your decor, your vibe. Regardless, I’m looking forward to seeing how both of these spaces continue to evolve.
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