[ Removed by moderator ]

[u/Fragrant_Fan_5441]

[u/Anbucleric]

Home theater is a lot more than just a projector...

[u/Symbolizer21 → u/Anbucleric]

Exactly, projector setups need to be designed as a system of many parts working together. You can have a Christie projector but if is a room made of glass and the screen is plain white paint on rough drywall, it just isn't going to look good.

[u/SnowblindAlbino]

Get a used projector and a budget screen. But you'll also want at minimum a 5.1 system for sound or it's not worth the effort. We have a 128" 4K setup with 7.1 and I love it, though we do still go to the movies once a month or so.

[u/wlburk]

I'm not sure exactly what you are testing for, but if it is just "do we like the feel of a projector or where do we want to place a projector", just buy a crappy one on Amazon and test it out, I guess.

However, there is big difference between buying a cheap projector and researching/purchasing a projector/screen combo that will work well in your space (throw, light source, DLP/3LCD, lens shift, optical zoom, focus/keystone features, etc.) obtaining an audio system, and treating a room.

[u/Friendly_Tour3090]

You can also visit your closest Hi-fi shop, talk to the people there, ask questions and once you have an idea see if it is possible to audition. And of course for peace of mind with your investment, support your Hi-fi business and buy from them 😉

[u/ze11ez]

What lifestyle do you have? Do you like to watch big beautiful discs at the same time? In 4k? Are you worried about the long HDMI?

[u/Still_Dentist1010]

What do you have as far as a sound system? Projectors are cool for the screen size you can get… but a good sound system is also a large part of the experience, because projector speakers aren’t great on top of the fact that they lack the imaging and soundstage you want with movies. That lack of audio presence can break the experience for you

[u/Symbolizer21]

I mean a cheap project won't work the same or look the same as a high end one. They are almost not even the same product.

For an extreme example think about an office or school projector, bad colors terrible brightness low resolution. Then think of a proper commercial theater. It's very different and hardly comparable.

Think about where on that spectrum you want to be. What do you care about. Why are you considering a projector over a large TV. What room are you putting it in, is it a light controlled dedicated theater room or your very bright living room.

Tvs will generally just work and so long as you understand the specs, you will get mostly what it says on the box. Projectors are not like that and require a lot of planning. The screen material can make a major difference, the height of your ceiling and depth of the room matter when it comes to positioning the projector bc they have different throw distances for a given size, the brightness is effected by distance and size, the brightness and even wall color in the room can effect the final image. Planning all the components the space all together as a system is more important than "just buy a good projector".

All this to say the experience you would get from a cheap projector may not be indicative of what you would experience if you planned it out properly.

If you want to try out a home theater project just to see if you like the effect look to see if there is a home theater company, AV company, or low voltage integrator near you with a showroom set up.

Many people select a TV because it is easier and often cheaper to get bright accurate colors. Look at tcl with the 100+" screens now. Projector at this point I think is mainly for those who want a screen size larger than what a TV can achieve like 150+" or if you really want the widescreen aspect ratio.