Choosing the Right Screen for a Home Theater Installation: Projector or TV?

We’ll break down the pros and cons of each to help you make an informed decision 

So, you’ve decided to build a home theater in your Park City, UT home. That’s great news — there’s no other entertainment system that compares to watching movies, TV shows, and sports in a space designed to deliver breathtaking and dynamic viewing and audio experiences.

But now, you have a lot of choices to make to get your home theater installation off the ground. One of the biggest decisions you’ll face is choosing a display screen: should you go with a TV or projector? Room size, budget, and performance are the primary factors that will guide your final decision — so let’s look at a breakdown of these factors for both types of displays. Keep reading! 

SEE ALSO: Complete Your Home Theater With Luxury Theater Seating

 

Large-Screen TV 

We know — you probably don’t associate the cinematic experience with a TV screen. But rapidly advancing performance technology and the rise of massive television sizes have shaped TVs into a strong contender for theater display screens.   

• Size.

  Today’s large, flat-screen TVs boast sizes impressive enough to hold their own in a home theater. You can find screens ranging in size from 55” to 85” from leading brands like Samsung and Sony. A TV is a comfortable fit that delivers a big-screen experience if you have a small theater room.

• Picture quality.

  TVs are certainly starting to edge out projectors in terms of performance. Top-of-the-line models have 4K or 8K resolution, superior brightness in all light settings, and HDR technology. Highdynamic range (HDR) enhances color and contrast to produce picture quality with deeper blacks, purer whites, and brighter, more vivid color accuracy. 

• Cost.

  A TV is the pricier screen choice. You’re looking at an investment of at least $1,000 — and possibly upward of $10,000 — to purchase the latest models with more features and the best quality performance. To get any size above 85”, the costs could reach six digits. 

Projector and Projector Screen 

A projector is a classic choice for accurately recreating the movie theater experience. And projector technology continues to improve year-over-year to deliver better performance.

• Size.

  A 100” or bigger projector screen is still the best option to recreate an authentic movie theater experience. On such a large screen, watching any movie, TV show or sports game becomes an Event with a capital E. And while it used to be that projector screen installations were too sizable for small home cinemas, new short-throw projectors require less space to produce large images, making them a viable option in space-limited rooms. 

• Picture quality.

  A 4K UHD projector produces exquisitely detailed images that look stunning on a large-scale screen. But projectors lag behind TVs when it comes to brightness, color, and contrast. The biggest quality issue is brightness. Even the brightest projector can’t match the brightness level of a TV, and picture quality starts to look washed out if there’s ambient light in the theater room. You can solve this problem by incorporating ambient light rejecting screens, building your theater in a windowless room, or installing lighting control solutions like motorized shades. 

• Cost.

  Projector systems are cost-effective for the amount of screen space you get in return. Systems can start as low as $1,000, but mid to high-range models can creep into the $20,000 and above price range. And newer technologies — like laser projectors — are even more expensive. 

Argenta is ready to help you build the home theater of your dreams in Park City, UT. Our team has wide-ranging experience designing and installing custom solutions for theaters of all shapes and sizes. If you’re ready to partner with an expert for your theater build, call us or fill out an online form to schedule a consultation. We look forward to hearing from you!