Projector as main "TV" ?

[MOBB]

Currently have Sky Q, Netflix etc feeding into a LG OLED 65" TV. Sonos soundbar and sub.

Our new house has quite a long lounge (7m or so) and the TV just seems a bit small. Seems daft that 65" is too small..................

Larger TV's with decent spec seem to jump in price a bit too much for my liking, so I am considering a projector instead.

Are these ok for "normal" TV as well as films, sport etc? I've read that ambient light can be an issue - I wouldn't want to have to shut the curtains just to watch TV!

Any experiences or recommendations would be great thanks

[rossub]

You'll need to spend a fair old wedge to get a modern TV quality picture and cope with lighter conditions.

I spent £1700 a few years ago, but the 3 year OLED we have has a far superior picture....

[C&C]

MOBB said:

I am considering a projector instead.

Are these ok for "normal" TV as well as films, sport etc? I've read that ambient light can be an issue - I wouldn't want to have to shut the curtains just to watch TV!

Any experiences or recommendations would be great thanks

I think you will struggle using a projector with bright ambient light. I use a projector (HD, not 4K), and whilst reasonably bright, the image immediately starts to degrade as soon as you increase ambient light in the room - even switching on a lamp has a noticeable effect, so having curtains open and a bright day outside would (for me at least) make it unwatchable.

MOBB said:

Currently have Sky Q, Netflix etc feeding into a LG OLED 65" TV. Sonos soundbar and sub.

You might want to start saving up to replace those for when Sonos make them obsolete (see other thread on Sonos)!

[kingston12]

You'll need a really bright projector if you want to use it in daylight conditions, something like the Benq TK850.

I have got a Benq W2700, which is a similar projector with a better colour reproduction at the expense of lower light output. It gives an excellent picture, but I use a motorised blackout blind to make sure the room is almost 100% dark. As soon as any ambient light enters the room the picture quality starts to go down, bright sunlight and its unusable.

I've got a 65" LG TV as well and it doesn't suffer from this problem, but it still can't be place near or opposite a window because the screen reflections are so bad.

Even in a dark room, the LG betters the projector in all aspects of picture quality, but the projector isn't that far behind. I use the projector much more than the TV.

[B_Tank88]

We thought about this a lot when we moved into our house, but a couple of things stopped us from buying a projector for full time use.

Concerns of brightness during daytime watching
Having to move our light fittings as they would impede the projection throw

[mgv8]

A laser projector would be best for general use but can get very experience. A good shop will lend you one.

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

I don't think a projector would be very wife friendly? (assuming you're married of course )
I think you'd get annoyed with people walking in front of the light as well.

[kingston12]

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

I don't think a projector would be very wife friendly? (assuming you're married of course )

Do you mean in terms of the look of it, or actually using it?

The look isn't too bad. The current DLP models tend to be small and white, so not too intrusive if mounted flush to the ceiling and a retractable screen can be less noticeable than a normal TV as it just sits on the ceiling when not in use.

Usability isn't as good as a modern Smart TV that has everything built in, but this can be remedied using HDMI-CEC in basic set ups and Harmony remotes for more complex ones.

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

I think you'd get annoyed with people walking in front of the light as well.

That's a good point. When I use mine, there are just two of us sitting watching a film, but in a multi-use room with lots of people coming in and out it would be a pain,

[gregs656]

There is a good reason that no one really does this IMO, projectors are great things but not for all day every day.

[JEA1K]

gregs656 said:

There is a good reason that no one really does this IMO, projectors are great things but not for all day every day.

Agreed. Daylight image is massively compromised ... the only way to get around this is to spend as much as poss on the brightest projector you can in simple terms.

Some of the UST projectors are probably a better option if you do go down that line ... https://www.epson.co.uk/for-home/home-cinema

Less sensitive to ambient light being ultra short throw ...

[tomsugden]

We have had a projector in our sitting room for about 7 years. When we bought our most recent house in 2017 I had it properly installed with hidden HDMI cable and power in the ceiling, and speaker cables in the walls. Day to day we watch a 43 inch TV in the kitchen, so it's still hugely impressive for F1 or a movie to watch the big screen. Blinds do need to be closed though unless you're prepared to spend big money. Ours is mounted on the ceiling so no issues with people walking through it.

[Fundoreen]

massive pain in the ar$e unless you just plan to live in a cinema room.
The only solution I like in this instance is one of those LG projectors that sit a few inches from the wall/screen and can still project a huge screen.

[MOBB]

Thanks everyone, I think it’s clear what I need is currently over my budget, ie a UST laser Jobby, so I’ll wait til they come down in price and revisit then

Edited by MOBB on Friday 24th January 08:02

[anonymous-user]

I do both.

65" OLED for TV

Dlp optoma projector for movies.

Pj is ceiling mounted at the back of the room. Screen is motorised and drops down in front of the TV.

[peterperkins]

I've had an HD projector as my daily TV for years.

I don't watch much day time TV so ambient light nevers bothers me.

Pulling the curtains to watch it isn't exactly a hardship either.