I tried choosing between a projector and a TV

It’s rare to walk into a house, apartment, or even hotel room and not see a TV inside. Besides being an entertainment hub in a living space, TVs are often a focal point that everyone in the household gathers around to watch together. It’s like the campfire of our ancestors, except now we’re gasping over Love Island UK drama.

I did have a friend in college who refused to own a TV, but she was the biggest cinephile I knew. How? She had a projector that lived in the closet until it was time to throw a new film up on the wall. I always found it so unique and fun — even though the quality wasn’t as good as the smart TVs at my house, it was ten times more fun to watch Bridgerton on her wall instead of on a regular screen.

Well into my adult life, I’ve owned plenty of TVs. I have a solid 55″ LG TV sitting in my living room, but now I also own a cinematic gadget myself: a Dangbei N2 Mini projector. Why though? I have a perfectly good TV, so why would I sacrifice that quality for an entry-level projector? I’ll tell you exactly why I own both and use them for wonderfully different purposes.

TVs are built for daily life

But projectors make watching feel more special

When I log off after a long day of work, I want to plop down on the couch and watch Bones reruns. My TV is basically a piece of furniture, never leaving its spot on the entertainment unit and requiring zero setup, adjustment, or even any movement besides reaching for my Roku remote. It’s there for background YouTube, Bones reruns, and sports events like the upcoming Masters tournament. TVs are low-effort, and that’s why they’re so folded into our lives — they’re easy and convenient.

Projectors enter the equation when you don’t want something nonchalant.

I’m talking about movie nights, evening hot tub sessions with my friends, dinner parties, and any casual social setting where I might want a little more entertainment for my guests. The best use-case I’ve found is sports events — there’s nothing more annoying than carrying a 55-inch TV outside and finagling with extension cords just to get it up and running. My male friends would beg to differ, but bringing out a projector is whimsical enough that they keep their mouths shut and enjoy the uniqueness of the situation — even if it’s not quite dark enough to throw the perfect picture their beloved OLED screens provide.

Yes, picture quality matters, whether it’s for sports or a movie. But using a projector officially transforms a watching event into more of an experience or social gathering, even if no one is treating it like a formal screening at the local AMC.

I don’t want a TV in my bedroom

But projectors still let me watch things in bed without that commitment

Growing up, my mom had a major rule: no TVs in bedrooms. I think she was afraid we’d never come out if we had them, and she was right — my family always seemed to gather together in the common areas instead. Mission accomplished, and now I still don’t want to bring the temptation of a screen into my apartment bedroom. But that also means if I want to watch something from the coziness of my bed, I’m limited to my iPhone, iPad, or MacBook Pro’s much smaller screens.

That notion alone is enough to defeat the purpose altogether. Sure, my living room is only a few steps away (thanks, apartment living), but there’s something special about being horizontal in bed and enjoying an old Disney movie. That’s when I bring the projector into my bedroom and throw Tinkerbell up on the wall. No screen, no problem!

But shouldn’t cozy watches be low-effort? Not always. The N2 Mini is incredibly low-effort in general, so the hassle isn’t there. All I have to do is plug it in, draw my blackout curtains, and enjoy the movie magically on the wall without the commitment of a mounted TV ruining the vibe. Luxury of the screen, check. The eyesore ruining the aesthetic harmony of my bedroom? Not in sight.

Because TVs are so mundane and expected in our lives, projectors feel even more cinematic in a way — even if it’s at the cost of picture quality if you’re using an entry-level model like mine. I want that cinematic appeal when I’m extra cozy in bed more than I want to see each pixel in Pixie Hollow.

Projectors help me achieve a very specific ambience

Part screen, part vibe curator

Many projectors are portable, and it’s one of their major advantages over TVs. You can take them outside, from room to room, and even use them in places where TVs wouldn’t fit or would look awkward. That means you can get creative with what you use them for.

I love to read. If the number of Kindle articles I publish doesn’t convince you, take a look at a few of my recent reading lists. Something that I love to do when I’m settling into a good binge-read is cultivate a “vibe.” I turn on calm music, dim the lights, and break out the coziest blankets I can find. Sometimes, I’ll even lean on some particularly creative YouTube channels that literally exist to create ambience — often even for the very book I’m reading.

My projector is perfect for bringing those ambient videos right into my bedroom. When I’m reading a fantasy novel, I find ambient videos that remind me of the world I’m reading about, and I’ll use the projector to display them — turning my wall literally into a window into that fantasy world. It makes hours of reading feel even more immersive.

You don’t need a projector to actively watch a movie, show, or sporting event. Sometimes, all you need it to do is help set the mood.