Super-Sized TV or Projector and Screen?
Which is the best choice for you and your home? Check out our handy guide to assessing what is right for your needs.
The good news is that Home Cinema Alliance (HCA) members are able to provide you with a multitude of viewing options from many types of setups. From super-sized TVs to conventional projector and screen partnerships and the increasingly popular short-throw projection category, there really is something for everyone and a wide range of budgets. No one solution is ‘better’ than the other. With the help of one of our skilled members, you will discover the right option for you and your home. This is the great thing about home cinema: it is a system designed specifically for you and your home.
Projector and Screen Combination
It was the case for some considerable time that the ‘best way’ to create a home cinema was by partnering a high-performance projector with a screen, similar to a commercial cinema. This is still often the preferred method as it produces very impressive results and is perhaps best suited to the cinema ‘purist’ looking for the highest performance available. These systems are often installed in a room used solely for entertainment. That is not to say these rooms cannot be welcoming and enjoyable spaces when the system is not in play mode. A modern home cinema is often as strong in its aesthetic and comfort performance as it is in delivering high-performance audiovisual experiences for movies, sport, and gaming.
A projector and screen combination offers several performance advantages, such as the use of an ‘acoustically transparent’ projection screen, which allows audio to pass directly through it. This means the speakers can be placed directly behind the screen, locking the audio tightly with the images to provide crystal-clear performance, particularly for dialogue. However, these systems often require controlling the amount of sunlight in the space to achieve the best performance. There have been advances in this area that have made this less of an issue in recent years, but some consideration is still wise.
Super-Size Me!
A category that has developed strongly in recent years is the availability of very high-performance and very large TV products. These include specialist products like the ‘Wall’ from Samsung, which use a modular system to build very large bespoke screens, up to 150in in some cases. More conventional TVs, which use established single-screen approaches, have also developed and can offer some seriously high-performance big-screen options.
Taking the ‘big TV’ route often means that the home cinema system can cope with higher amounts of sunlight, as these systems tend to be brighter than most projectors. In turn, this means a wider range of rooms and situations will be suitable for this type of approach. The quality of imaging with these types of products has improved significantly in recent years, and while many ‘purists’ would argue that projectors still have the edge, there is a lot to like about the ability of these products. Audio must be planned well, as speakers cannot be placed behind these screens, but many owners appreciate the versatility, high-quality images, and fast response times offered by this product sector, which gamers especially love.
Short-Throw Projectors
Offering a ‘third way’ for home cinema fans, this is another category that has developed strongly in recent years. This approach uses clever technology to project an image onto a screen from very close range. This means that all the imaging equipment needed to create the desired immersive experience can be stored at one end of the space, much like a TV setup.
This has several advantages, including making it easier to accommodate this type of system in a wider range of spaces than a conventional projector and screen. It is also often more straightforward to install. Additionally, it is possible to have the whole system integrated into attractive cabinetry that keeps the equipment hidden away so that it is only on show when required. When called upon, the screen rises up from the cabinet while the projector springs to life, still hidden within the cabinet, offering a compelling proposition for many.
Whatever option suits you and your family, one thing is certain: engage with one of the experienced members of the HCA, and you will be taking your in-home entertainment experiences to a whole new level.
