Huge TVs Are Great, But The Smart Money Buys A Different Display

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TVs are available in truly gargantuan sizes, but not every household has the footprint to host these massive screens. Beyond the logistics of getting a big TV delivered, assembled, and potentially mounted (on the wall or to a stand), depending on the set you're buying, you may be shelling out quite the pretty penny. Take the Samsung 100-inch QN80F, for example: It's not even the brand's LED-LCD flagship (that honor goes to the QN90F), and the 100-inch version goes for $5,000.

If you want to maximize picture quality while keeping the screen size as large as possible, you should consider investing in a 4K projector instead of a TV. Thanks to advances in portability, laser lighting, and picture upscaling, today's projectors are able to deliver bright, colorful visuals in both dark and bright rooms, and many models are capable of throwing images that exceed 100 inches.

The Hisense PX3-PRO is an ultra-short-throw 4K projector that delivers exceptional picture quality and can be placed close to the wall or screen you'll be projecting onto. Compared to a TV like the Samsung 100-inch QN80F, the PX3-PRO is $1,500 less ($3,500 list price), projects an image as large as 150 inches, and delivers the kind of pixel punch that cinephiles and gamers will relish.

If screen size is what's most important to you, switching from a TV to a smart projector is one of the best moves you can make for a premium home theater. Even the most lauded TV brands tend to cap size options at around 100 inches, and boutique models — like Samsung's 115-inch Micro RGB, a potential OLED successor — can end up costing an absurd amount ($30,000 for that 115-inch Samsung). Not only does this make a 4K projector a savvier investment for your bank account, but you'll also have a much wider range of brands and products to choose from.

In many cases, 4K projectors offer an expanded field of view, making it more comfortable on the eyes to watch movies and shows on a larger display. You may also notice additional picture details that would be tough to come by on a smaller TV screen. That said, projection surfaces definitely matter, too, and those looking for the ultimate home theater experience should pair a solid 4K projector with a great ambient light rejecting (ALR) screen.

And not all 4K projectors are created equal: Some bulkier models trade portability for cutting-edge visuals and class-leading HDR support, while smaller units may sacrifice picture tech in favor of versatile, plug-and-play connectivity and other perks. The Hisense M2 Pro is a fine example of the latter. While it doesn't get bright enough to deliver crystal-clear picture in a light-filled room, it trades peak illumination for a wide color gamut and solid gaming specs (up to 4K/60fps, or 1080/120-240fps).