Should you trade your TV for a projector?

Projectors are a very trendy choice for home viewing, but it’s worth evaluating your priorities before you trade in your TV.

The home projector industry has stepped up their game lately. Yes, you can still buy a projector that looks like the one in your high school classroom. (And if you’re into that look, don’t worry, what’s on the market will almost definitely work better than whatever your teacher struggled to turn on.) But more appealing is the wide line of portable projectors that fit in the nook on your bookshelf or the palm of your hand.

So, should you make the switch? It’s largely a matter of aesthetics and priorities. What are you looking for in your TV, movie and/or sports viewing experience?

Projectors offer a lot of practical pros and give the room a certain vibe, but their appeal as a budget-friendly alternative comes with pretty real caveats.

With a projector set up, you also need to decide on how you approach the screen and sound. Those are going to create extra costs. You’ll need a sound system if you don’t already have one. You’ll need to decide what you’re projecting onto. Some people are fine with using a blank wall or hanging a sheet. If you decide to go for a formal screen, there may be installation costs. If you’re setting up a full-on home movie theater, your budget and desired effect will likely justify the expense. If you’re just looking for a living room set-up, it may be worth crunching the numbers.

Projectors are also particularly susceptible to ambient light and light control in the room you choose will matter.

Still, with a projector, you don’t have to worry about finding the floor space for an entertainment console, which makes it appealing for many people living in tight spaces. The screen size is essentially as big as you want it to be, which makes it appealing if you’re going for a wall-size experience. And, if you opt for the super portable options, they’re almost entirely accident proof i.e. your dog or child is not going to knock it over and shatter that $1000 4K screen.

It all comes to down to what you want and ultimately, which details you care about. Unfortunately, that means your TV-buying and/or home-theater-creating experience is not getting any easier.