TV or Projector?
Part 2 of 4 in the Media Entertainment Space 2021 blog series.
We’re over a year after the world stopped, if you’re like us at the DMGT you may be getting a bit sick of sitting on your OK-for-non-pandemic-times-but-now-not-good couch night after night, watching your decent-ish TV, working through all sorts of shows and movies but missing that “event” feeling of watching things on the big screen. We at the DMGT deeply feel you on this, and wanted to put together a year 2 list of ways to bring the big screen home.
One thing to keep in mind throughout this series is: You do not have to buy all of this at once, you can build your setup over time. It’s worth a bit of a wait to get the RIGHT components, as this is one part of the tech world where you truly, truly get what you pay for.
To TV or not to TV, an important question
There’s a lot to factor in when it comes to building a media entertainment space (DMGT rejects the gendered Man Cave label), but one of the most important to think through is if you want to go the TV route or dip your toes into the consumer projector space. TVs get refreshed by most major brands every year, but the cycle of projectors refreshing is between 2-3 years. This means that projectors may not have all the bells and whistles feature wise of TVs on the market in 2021. TVs will always be more affordable when talking about screen size sub-75 inches, but only projectors can get you into the 100+ range without spending $10k or more.
The big gap in projector tech is the lack of HDMI 2.1 ports. HDMI 2.1 is the upcoming standard for “next gen” entertainment at home. The PS5 and Xbox Series X both use HDMI 2.1 outputs, which can plug into any old HDMI port. Mid and high-tier TVs will have at least 1 HDMI 2.1for 2020-2021 models. Though right now, HDMI 2.1 is more about future proofing than anything. 2.1 will be able to handle 4K resolutions with 120 FPS, with more dynamic HDR. HDMI 2.1 can pass through 48 gbps of data, whereas 2.0 can only do 18 gbps. The other big ticket feature of 2.1 is the ability to do Variable Refresh Rates, which helps with image smoothness around motion, especially when video gaming. VRR is currently something that no projector can offer, since the tech relies heavily on traditional video panel structures of TVs, and hasn’t been translated to the projector world.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the GREAT article from ProjectorReviews.com “HDMI 2.1: THE BASICS. AND, WHO NEEDS IT TODAY – A RANT”, linked here. As you start to research projectors, you’ll start finding a lot of “noise” of people talking about pros and cons, but a pretty small landscape of clear data. ProjectorReviews.com does a great job distilling some of the bigger FAQs people have going into the projector world. The main takeaway is this: Unless you’re a hardcore gamer that also MUST game on a projector, making a buying decision on the inclusion of HDMI 2.1 isn’t something you need to do. Though, depending on when you’re reading this, you may have newer options as many projector manufacturers have not rolled out their 2021 models yet.
The PROs of a projector are screen size, wow factor, and ambiance. We discussed this topic on our podcast, about how having a projector will instantly make you a “hub house” for all things sports, movie nights, sleep overs, etc. Having a projector is cool, straight up. When people get a new TV, people might be like “Good for you” but if you told people you got a projector, people will find a way to make plans to hang with you. You also get the benefit of huge screen size and with the newest gen of projectors, options for 4K, smart TV features, and even some impressive audio performance without grabbing any peripherals.
The CONs past HDMI 2.1 are that many “4K” projectors are upsampling 2K resolutions, though you’d have to be an eagle to tell, if you have a small space you will need to look at ultra short throw projectors, which are more expensive, and there are some people regardless of how nice a projector is, who will experience a “rainbow” effect with DLP projectors which is the most common projector type across all budgets, though that’s been minimized more and more each refresh of projector life cycles. The other thing you need to consider is ambient light, if your room is blasted with sunlight all day, factoring in blackout curtains is important. Projectors and projector screens have gotten WAY better at dealing with light in the past 5 years, but still something to keep in mind.
If you’re going the TV route, the pros are pretty simple. For south of $3k USD you can get some great TVs with every current feature at around the 75 inch mark. The CONs are that the current most popular TV size is 65 inch, so does that even really count as anything that spectacular?
Ok, enough background, here’s our picks for Media Entertainment Space TVs and Projectors
Budget pick TVs (1k-2k):
Sony X800H - $1,198 on Amazon, 75 inch, 60hz, no HDMI 2.1
Sony X900H - $2,000 on Amazon, 75 inch, 120hz, HDMI 2.1**
Samsung Q70t - $1,598 on Amazon, 75 inch, 120hz, HDMI 2.1
Mid-Tier TVs (2k-3k):
Samsung Q70t - $2,798 on Amazon, 85 inch, 120hz, HDMI 2.1**
Vizio P Series - $2,498 on Amazon, 85 inch, 120hz, HDMI 2.1
High-tier TVs (3k plus):
Samsung Q90t - $3,997 on Amazon, 85 inch, 120hz, HDMI 2.1
Samsung Q800T - $4,298 on Amazon, 8K, 82 inch, 120hz, HDMI 2.1
LG OLED77CXPUA - $3,497 on Amazon, 77 inch, 120hz, HDMI 2.1, OLED** (Danny owns this one, in 65”)
Spend all your money tier TV:
Samsung Q950TS - $10,000 on Amazon, 85 inch, 8K, 120hz, HDMI 2.1
Ok, on to our projector picks! Before, make sure you read through this quick glossary of terms.
Projector Glossary of Terms:
Ultra Short Throw = set on an entertainment center right by the wall, and you’ll get a huge screen. Newer tech.
Standard Throw/Short Throw = You need to do math to determine screen size based on your room dimensions, and mount the projector on a wall or ceiling or stand. This is a more mature technology that has been around since big screens. Most likely where you’ll get the most bang for your buck.
Laser Light Source = Doesn’t use a light bulb, has a much longer life cycle
Budget Projectors (under 2k):
Optoma HD28HDR - $700 on Amazon, 1080p, HDR, 3D, standard throw
Optoma UHD30 or UHD50 - price varies, 4K, HDR, standard throw**
LG HU70LA - $1,600 - 4K, HDR, standard throw
Epson Home Cinema 4010 - $1900 on Amazon - 4K HDR, standard throw**
Mid-tier Projectors (2-3k):
Vava 4k UST - $2,520 on Amazon, 4K, HDR, laser light source, ultra short throw**
ViewSonic LS700 - $2,100 on Amazon, 4K, HDR, 3D, standard throw
High-tier Projectors (3k plus):
Optoma CinemaX P2- $3,300 on Amazon, 4K, HDR, laser light source, ultra short throw
LG UH85LA - $4,949 on Amazon, 4K, HDR, laser light source, ultra short throw
Epson LS500 - Price varies based on packaging with or without screen. 3LCD (no chance of rainbow effect), 4K HDR, laser light source, ultra short throw, low input lag**
Samsung Premier LSP7 - $3,498 on Amazon, 4K HDR, laser light source, ultra short throw**
Spend all your money Projector tier:
Samsung Premier LSP9 - $6,498 on Amazon, 4K, HDR, laser light source, ultra short throw
Sony VPL-VW715ES - $10,000 on Amazon, this is if you’re actually building a movie theater in your house**
** = DMGT Top Picks
Screens are very important when it comes to your projector. If you’re going the route of the ultra short throw, you will NEED to get a screen specifically designed for use with UST projectors. Some UST projectors come bundled with screens, some do not. For a good UST projector screen, you want to ensure that on the manufacturer product page, it specifically says made for UST projectors. A decent to good UST screen will run you between 600-2000+ depending on screen size, and if you want cool motorized floor rising screens or not.
For short throw and regular throw projectors, you can find decent screens for a lower cost, but you’ll still have to consider your ambient light within your media space. If there is any ambient light, we highly recommend getting a screen with ceiling light rejection (CLR) or ambient light rejection (ALR) technology. This is a MUST HAVE for UST projectors, but will make any type of projector look a lot better at various light levels, especially for folks going the “replace my TV” projector route.
Good brands to consider for your screen:
Note: With projector screens you get what you pay for, there are very few options on a budget that outperform their budget. You may be able to find lower priced high quality screens using alibaba.com, but your experience may vary depending on the vendor.
Next up, we’ll be talking AUDIO.
