There are many people who believe that projectors are the television of the future. A few years ago that idea might have seemed absurd. But now, thanks to advances in projector technology, it is not difficult to envision a future where the television is a relic of the past. With the growth of projector tech and increasingly smaller devices, a plethora of low cost projector TV options have popped up on US markets. These are just a few of the reasons why we believe that the television could be replaced by the projector.
Projectors Offer the Complete Package:
When it comes to size, projectors cannot be beat. Right now, you can purchase a 180P projector that can produce a 300 inch diagonal screen. There are some televisions that have an 85 inch screen at 4K resolution. However, these are going to cost up to four times as much as a projector and are going to produce a drastically smaller image.
When it comes to image brightness, newer projectors are rated at 3000 lm. Some are rated even higher. This means that you are able to have a viewable image without needing to close the curtains or do anything to change ambient light.
Space and Aesthetic Concerns:
A large screen television dominates whatever space it’s in. If you have a 75 inch flat screen, you will need to organize your entire living area around the television. Some companies have tried to get around this issue by giving their televisions a modern yet decorative frame. When the television is off, it can show artwork. The idea is to make the large screen television blend into the wall when it’s not in use.
The problem with that is that your television is on all the time. Even if you’re just using a fraction of the power, this is going to have an impact on your energy bill.
Projectors, on the other hand, are small. They can be stored in a way that makes them virtually invisible. They do not overpower the room that they are in. This means that a person can create a space that matches their taste and not one that works around the television.
Appreciating the Improvements in Projector Technology
Those who argue against projector technology complain about how long it takes to turn a projector on, the relatively low resolution, and how if a person stands in front of the projector, they can block out the image. Modern projectors are being designed to erase all of these problems.
A number of companies are creating ultra short throw projectors that makes it possible for a projector to cast a 150 inch image while the projector only sits 7.2 inches away from the wall. Some of these projectors include a powerful sound system.
Ultra short throw projectors are not new on the market. They have been around for a number of years. What sets the next generation of ultra short throw projectors apart from the competition is the fact that these are able to cast an image in 4K.
Some people have complained about the noise projectors make. This is because of the fan that’s used to cool the projector. With ultra short throw projectors, the fan is not eliminated. However, since the projector is up against the wall, it’s far away from the viewing audience. So the noise produced by the projector is not heard.
Improvements to Projector Lamps
Another complaint you would hear about projectors is that after a few thousand hours of use, the lamps start to lose their power. Laser-based projectors are making this complaint a thing of the past. There are a few models currently on the market that offer 25,000 hours of lamp life. This means that you could watch a motion picture every day for the next 30 plus years. Laser projectors start up almost instantaneously, taking away yet another complaint that people have about projectors.
They say that competition is good for customers, and this is clearly seen when it comes to projector technology. This year has seen the release of a number of 4K laser projectors. Some of these ultra short throw projectors are able to produce a 100 inch diagonal image while sitting only 3.9 inches away from the screen.
Do Televisions Even Have a Chance?
Yes, they do. There are a number of areas where televisions still are superior to projectors. One of these is the black screen. Televisions can create an absolute black screen, which in turn creates improvement in color contrast and brightness. Second, although a projector with a high lumen count can produce a tolerable image in the sunlight, right now there is no projector that can compete with a television’s ability to produce an enjoyable image in full sunlight or with all the lights in the house on. Televisions are dependable, which is another reason why people love them.
Another issue is resolution versus price. 4K technology is commonplace now. You can hop online and purchase a 43 inch 4K television for less than $300. Although there are a number of projectors that offer 4K like resolution, what they are really doing is using pixel shifting, a technique that rapidly moves pixels back and forth to create the illusion of a higher resolution. If you want a true 4K, you’re going to spend thousands of dollars.
And when it comes to the size advantage, both Sony and Samsung are looking for ways to produce televisions that give projectors a run for their money. Something that is worth watching is the Samsung Cinema Screen. Basically, you are able to connect individual LED screens across a wall the size of a movie theater screen. Since there are individual modules that are connected to each other, you have the ability to create a personalized size screen. Currently, these wall screens have been tested at 220 inches for 4K and 32’ x 9’ for 1080P.
It will be interesting to see how future generations remember what entertainment was like for people living in 2025 or 2030. Right now, when we think about momentous events in the 20th century, we think about how they were played out on the television. It is possible that future generations will think about how their historic events played out on large projector screens.
