To buy a projector instead of a tv

[willieversleep]

Hoping someone more knowledgable than me can advise.

I'm turning an outdoor building into a gym. I need to be able to stream you tube. I could either mount a tv or get a projector but I don't know which option is better. Recommendations would be much appreciated- thanks

For this purpose, definitely a projector. We have one in our “cinema room” which sounds posh but is only a projector connected to the PlayStation, pointed at a white wall.

I went to a friend's who had a projector. I definitely want one!! I'd go for that!

Make sure your wall is well plastered - projectors work best if the wall is really smooth

For your purpose, either would do, but think about how much light comes into the room as a projector is pretty useless in daylight. You'd need a dark room really. Even curtains don't help much if the sun is directly on the window.

We have a projector as our main TV. It means we can't really use the lounge for anything else when we're watching TV because the screen comes down in the middle of the room. This means we don't really watch tv during the day, and we don't have it on in the background. It's great for the evenings when we all settle down together though.

I used to have a projector instead of a TV. It sounded fun at the time, but there were a few issues:

• the resolution was not as good as a TV screen (so anything with text is harder to read)
• connectivity (types of video cables you can plug in) might be not as good as a TV (more restrictive?)
• it can get a bit hot (and bulbs are expensive to replace) and noisy (fan noise)
• you need to put the projector somewhere (either on a shelf, or hanging from the ceiling) and ensure the angle and distance are correct, and there are no obstacles between the projector and the screen (a white wall does work very well as a screen, though)
• you need a separate device for audio (some speakers)
• you need a separate device to be used as a video source (e.g. a laptop?)
• it only works when the room is dark (hard to see the image otherwise)

All in all, attaching a flat screen TV to the wall is a lot less faff, in my experience. Especially smart TV, which will double up as a simple computer (can play youtube, browse the Internet, etc.). And lot of TV screens can also be used as an extra monitor for a laptop.

We did this in a previous house - we got one of the brightest projectors possible, which was definitely a good decision.

It's worth thinking through what you're going to connect to it (we have a laptop) and where the projector, device and all the cabling will go.

I've had a few projectors over the years. In the old days it was a bit annoying with regards to inputs but thanks to Amazon sticks and Fire TV Cubes you just stick one into the projector and you have most streaming services, some live TV and able to beam content from your phone to projector. Basically a voice controlled smart projector :D The immersion was amazing - I would watch movies and see things I never noticed before.

The room needs to be pitch black for a projector to work well, I'd go for a TV. Were building a office room in our garden and we were planning on getting a projector until our friends who have one said not to unless the room can be made pitch black.

I’ve got a projector and the room doesn’t have to be pitch black, the picture is really clear. We use it as a home cinema and it’s great.

Our projector is the only TV screen we use in the house. It's a high resolution so the quality is very good. We have a chromecast plugged into the back via HDMi. You can play anything on it netflix, YouTube, iplayer, 4od and so on. 0

Does it need to be quite dark though @Skiphopbump ?

Can you use it in daylight?

My projector is almost 10 years old, rarely used, but doesn't need a dark room so I can't imagine newer ones being an issue.
I connected a Chromecast, hooked up to surround sound and its great for the rare times we want to watch something as though we're at the cinema. I'm not sure I'd want it as a main TV, but in a summerhouse I'd say it would be a good idea, you could even bring the projector in easier than a TV if not completely water tight

@neverenoughchelseaboots i wouldn’t use it in bright daylight but for example of the door is open and daylight is coming from the same other room which is behind the projector then it’s fine.

Thank you, that's helpful.