Projector Versus TV: Which Is Best for a Home Theater?

Setting up a new home theater is always exciting, although it’s something that can quickly prove expensive. Aside from audio receivers, speakers, and media players, a major cost factor invariably stems from the age-old need to decide between a TV or projector.

However, there’s far more to this all-important decision than just price. To decide one way or the other, it’s a good idea to delve into the pros and cons of the two options.

Whether a projector is better than a TV or vice versa forms the basis of a long-standing debate among home theater enthusiasts. Fundamentally, it’s an ever-evolving topic, not least because of the cost implications. That’s because price is, and always has been, a leading factor. In the past, huge TVs have consistently been wildly expensive.

While projectors have never been cheap, they’ve traditionally been a more cost-effective way to enjoy big-screen experiences at home. However, big TVs are now more affordable than ever, meaning that the pros and cons of both options continue to shift across the board.

In the past, projectors were the go-to means of enjoying big-screen experiences at home. Size-wise, TVs simply didn’t come close at any cost. Yet, various other perks have always existed at the same time, including:

Taking cost out of the equation, when it comes to home theater setups especially, projectors also come with various downsides. Among these are:

Especially today, projectors simply can’t compete with TVs when it comes to their simplicity of installation out of the box. There are numerous other pros, too. For example:

Of course, cost continues to be an issue, particularly with the very largest TVs. At the same time, price isn’t the only con, either. Other downsides when it comes to TVs versus projectors for home theater setups include:

Ultimately, cost is still a major deciding factor in the argument surrounding projectors versus TVs for home theaters. Even the most giant TVs continue to come down in price, though, meaning that cost is becoming less and less pivotal.

However, when placing greater weight on things like convenience and picture quality, TVs will always come out on top. TVs deliver vibrant colors, flawless pixels, and a more immersive experience.

Deciding between TVs and projectors is, perhaps, more complicated than ever in 2022. Still, both come with their fair share of pros and cons. Accordingly, it may be better to shop for a solution based on a given space. In this sense, TVs are typically more of a one-size-fits-all solution.

However, space permitting, it’s hard to argue with the experience that comes with a projector. That said, these require almost total darkness to work at their best. Where that’s not possible, more powerful, brighter projectors are needed, adding significantly to the cost.

When considering picture quality, ease of installation, brightness, and broader functionality, TVs are the best overall solution for today’s home theaters.

Setting up even a basic home theater can be a surprisingly expensive proposition. As such, it’s essential to protect any equipment with an extended warranty. With Upsie, extended home theater warranty solutions are available for TVs, audio receivers, speakers, media players, universal remotes, and more. Upsie does not currently offer warranty coverage for projectors.

All of Upsie’s home theater extended warranties provide protection from manufacturing defects, mechanical faults, and other failures. Examples range from screen burn-in and dead pixels to speaker malfunctions. Furthermore, Upsie’s warranties are affordable and cost up to 70 percent less than warranties sold elsewhere. Upsie achieves its low prices by cutting out the intermediaries (such as retailers) and working directly with the customer instead. As a result, customers get the best protection at the best price.

Other benefits include unlimited claims up to the purchase price of a piece of equipment, in-home repairs, and no service fees. Find out more at Upsie.com or download the Upsie app to lock in a home theater warranty in as little as five minutes.