Planning to upgrade your viewing experience? A massive screen can do that to your home theater. There are many ways to achieve this but be cautious as you may end up spending more if it doesn’t fit your preferences. Hence, our experts compiled ways to do this here in this guide.
How to Watch TV on a Projector
If you want a larger viewing screen in your home theater to watch live TV, then replacing your normal TV with modern projectors is the key. Adding a good projector and a projector screen to your home theaters is very easy and you can do it on your own.
The best thing about replacing your television with your home theater projector is that they have the same output and input connections. This means that you’ll have no problem connecting devices like a streaming box, Blu-ray player, satellite box, VCR, or even game consoles.
There are apps installed in most projectors and they run on an android box. With that, you can download apps so you can watch your favorite TV show or stream content from the internet. Just make sure that you are connected to the WI-FI.
If your biggest deciding factor is watching Netflix or AmazonPrime, your projector can serve as your streaming device so you can watch TV shows. You can easily connect it to your home internet connection, and you’re good to go.
The only problem with using a projector alone is that you may not be able to watch live TV if the signal from the box is directly being fed to your television itself. Some modern TVs are equipped with satellite receivers, removing the need for cables.
And though a home theater projector can provide a large viewing display size, you cannot watch normal TV channels here as many projectors do not have built-in tuners.
Most home theater setup have TVs using a top box or satellite box for the HD channels, which then solves that problem. You can use an HDMI cable to connect your projector directly to the set-top box, then you can proceed to watching TV on your projector.
However, ensure first that your home theater projector has an HDMI port which will allow the input from the cable box through an HDMI connector. This way, the same projector can detect the live television signal and display to larger screens, the same way a television does.
Aside from that, a streaming box like a Roku or a Fire Stick can be used to stream different types of content on your projector. Just choose it on your laptop or your phone and project it through your display device.
Most projectors are able to display quality images and videos in a dark environment. But if you really want to watch TV on a projector, you might want to consider getting a daylight projector. It ensures that the projector can display the same performance during daytime watching.
Tools Needed
You can watch normal TV on your home theater projector to achieve that large screen viewing experience. However, before you watch your favorite television shows projected on a big screen, you have to prepare the tools you need for this setup.
To do this, you will need a cable box that can deliver TV signals to your projectors. This will enable you to start watching your favorite cable TV show on your projector screen. Aside from the box, an HDMI cable to connect the two devices is required.
Lastly, you have new equipment which will provide audio as projectors do not have an audio output. This is usually connected to the source device, not on the projector, through a separate cable.
If your media source is a box system, then you can connect a soundbar or a speaker to it. Most boxes can accommodate different audio connectors like RCA, optical fiber, or even HDMI.
Why Use Your Projector to Watch TV?
In order to massively upgrade your home theater experience similar to when you are watching in a cinema, watching TV using projectors is the key. Watching your favorite TV series on a wide screen gives a different kind of experience than watching it on a TV screen.
Aside from that, you can organize a more enjoyable viewing party with more people. The use of projectors is beneficial since there is a bigger screen coverage and more people will be able to watch it cozily. Although you cannot connect your TV on your projector directly, you can secure a connection between your cable boxes and your projector.
Difference From Watching on a TV
Screen Size and Reach
The screen size a projector gives is wider than that of a TV. The largest TV is around 80” but your viewing screen can go wider than that as your projecting area permits.
The best thing with a projector is that you can adjust the screen display according to your liking. The position of your projector can also dictate its screen display.
Resolution
Both projectors and televisions share almost the same resolution capabilities. These devices can support 4K and 1080p HD. However, to truly enjoy the 4K technology, you’d need to use a wide-screen television.
On the other hand, a projector can easily give you the 4K technology as it provides a wide viewing display. The only problem with a projector is it needs a dark room to perform well.
Our experts mention that you can upgrade to a higher end projector like a daylight one in order to solve this problem. This way you won’t need a dark room every time you will watch.
Setup
A TV is easier to set up than a projector since you only need to place it on a table or mount it on the wall. In contrast, a projector needs to be installed in the ceiling, which takes more effort. It can also be placed on a tabletop for portable ones.
Cost
The price for a projector is way cheaper than the price for a television. Say we compare a 50-inch display for both devices. The projector can be at least 100% cheaper than the television because the latter needs more materials to create.
This also means that if you have a budget to splurge on a large television, you can use it to buy a high-end projector and upgrade its audio and screen.
Maintenance
A TV needs low to no maintenance. However, some projectors need more maintenance. For some, once the display gets dimmer, then the bulb life is nearing its end so you need to replace it soon.
According to our experts, the maintenance needed depends on the type of the projector. The digital light processing (DLP) type uses a lamp that needs replacing if used regularly. The liquid crystal display (LCD) and light-emitting diode (LED) [1] require low to no maintenance.
Ideal Setup
There are two possible ways you can watch TV on a projector in your home theater. Mounting it to the ceiling will give a more organized look since there will be lesser cables running on the floor. However, this will be a permanent setup so it would be a big problem if you want to change the location of your screen.
You can also put it on top of a table. This will allow you to adjust the viewing display but presents a higher tripping hazard because of the cables lying on the floor. This also gives you a choice to move your viewing location which is not possible for ceiling-mounted projectors.
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FAQ
How do I play a TV through my projector?
You can play a TV through your projector by connecting it to a cable source device or streaming box. HDMI cables are used to make the connection and transmit the data from the box to the projector.
Through this connection, you can watch your favorite television shows or stream them in your home theater.
Can you use a projector for everyday TV watching?
Yes, you can use a projector for everyday TV watching. However, ensure that your projector and the cable signal source device are compatible to be connected with each other. Normally, HDMI connections are used to couple these two devices.
Aside from that, you have to establish a connection between your source and an audio device since projectors do not have audio outputs. Speakers or soundbars can be connected to cable devices, laptops, Blu-ray players, or other sources.
Can you watch local channels on a projector?
Yes, you can watch local channels on a projector as long as you establish a connection between your projector and the signal source for your channels. The connection is usually through HDMI cables which allows the transport of signal from the box to the projector. Just make sure that your source is connected to an audio device so you can hear the sounds when playing videos through a projector.
Conclusion
Upgrading your home theater by increasing your viewing display is possible with a projector. According to our experts, using a projector can be cheaper than installing a panoramic TV. Aside from that, you can also watch TV on a projector as long as there is an established connection between the projector and the cable box.
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