I starting using a projector as my only TV, and it changed how I watch everything

Published Sep 11, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT Dhruv Bhutani has been writing about consumer technology since 2008, offering deep insights into the personal technology landscape through features and opinion pieces. He writes for XDA-Developers, where he focuses on topics like productivity, networking, self-hosting, and more. Over the years, his work has also appeared in leading publications such as Android Police, Android Authority, CNET, PCMag, and more. Outside of his professional work, Dhruv is an avid fan of horror media spanning films and literature, enjoys fitness activities, collects vinyl records, and plays the guitar. When I renovated my home a few months back, I decided to drop the big television hogging space on the wall. In fact, I don't have a television at all anymore. Instead, I use a portable projector because, for the way I consume media, it solves several problems that a conventional TV simply can't. The biggest one is the simplest — I don't want a giant black rectangle permanently mounted on the wall when I'm not actively watching something. My projector, however, simply disappears out of view. I can chuck it in a cabinet or on a shelf, and bring it out only when I actually want to watch something. That small change makes a massive difference in how my room feels, making it feel less like it is built around the screen. More importantly, it gives me flexibility to decide where and how I want to watch a movie. While a television means plonking myself in the living room, the projector lets me throw an impromptu movie night on the terrace, or set up a cozy viewing experience in the bedroom on a cold winter night. A projector elevates every movie night Bigger, more flexible screens make a big difference The most obvious use case is the one that convinced me that this setup is perfect for me. When I'm getting ready to watch a movie, ease of access is paramount. I pick up my projector from my shelf, point it at the wall, and turn it on. That's it. Modern portable projectors have made setup and start incredibly easy. Autofocus and automatic keystone correction have taken care of much of the fiddling that came with setting up a projector. I no longer need to spend five to ten minutes adjusting the lens and trying to get a perfectly aligned image. That makes a big difference in everyday use. While it might seem like the extra step of picking up the projector from the shelf adds friction, in everyday use it's a minor inconvenience that pales in comparison to the advantages here. The other aspect of using projectors is dealing with projector screens. Well, I don't use one. A reasonably clean, light-colored wall works more than well enough for everyday viewing. Would I benefit from an ALR screen? Probably. But I'm not watching cinematic masterpieces every day. The average flick looks better on a massive screen if the color isn't quite as punchy as an OLED screen. And that brings me to size. Contrary to popular opinion, when it comes to projectors and movie viewing, size matters. A projector allows for a much larger screen than I could get with a regular television. Not just that, the screen is completely flexible to my needs. So I place the projector a bit closer when I'm in my bedroom, and it gives me a more compact 49-inch TV-style experience. Meanwhile, the living room gets a full 120-inches. It's great. The projector goes wherever I want a screen Built-in streaming makes it truly portable The flexibility of having a projector means I'm always looking for opportunities to put it to interesting new uses. For example, recently I had some friends over to watch football. With the weather unusually good, we decided to pop out into the garden and project the match onto the wall while setting up the barbecue. Was it picture perfect? No. But the experience was unmatched by any television. Another aspect worth mentioning is that most modern projectors, especially portable ones, come with built-in smarts. With Google TV support, I don't really need to plug in a streaming stick. Everything is built in. I've signed in to my Netflix and YouTube accounts, and I can watch those streams from anywhere. In fact, on occasion I've carried my projector to a friend's home, logged into the Wi-Fi network, and continued watching. Try doing that with a TV. Of course, the built-in HDMI ports get used too. The experience of playing a blockbuster game like the recent James Bond title on a 100-inch screen is absolutely unmatched. It goes without saying that no setup is perfect. And a projector certainly comes with some compromises. If you tend to watch a lot of TV in a brightly lit room, this isn't the setup for you. A portable projector doesn't get bright enough to handle that. Audio is another thing to keep in mind. While speakers have generally gotten better, the dinky little speakers built into a projector certainly aren't going to replace a home theater system. Investing in a decent set of speakers greatly elevates the experience. As for me, I usually pair it with Bluetooth speakers or headphones. Why I prefer a projector over a television A television is obviously the simpler choice for most. After all, you can't really beat pressing a button and getting on with your media consumption. But a projector opens up options. You can move it around, change the screen size at will, and even carry it with you. If you value those benefits, a projector will easily win out for you, as it has for me. In fact, going back to a regular television feels surprisingly restrictive once you're used to a setup like this.