Projector or TV?
A projector beats a TV on picture size per pound, but only in a dark room. Price per inch at 65 and 100 inches, lumens against room light and laser life.
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A projector is better than a TV for a picture of 80 inches or more in a room that can be made dark, and a TV is better for daytime viewing in a bright room. On Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026), a 4K laser projector costs £12.38 per inch of picture at 100 inches, against £16.50 per inch for a 100-inch TV.
The trade is light. A TV makes its own, while a projector bounces it off a wall, so room light washes the picture out. The portable picks below come from Best mini projector for university UK 2026, and the TV side is in Best TV UK 2026.
| Situation | Better choice | Pick and price |
|---|---|---|
| Dark living room, 100 inches or more | 4K laser projector | XGIMI HORIZON 20, £1,238.00 |
| Bright living room, daytime sport and news | TV | TCL 65V6D, £429.00 |
| Bedroom, film on the ceiling | Tilting laser projector | BenQ GV50, £569.00 |
| Small flat, no room for a big TV | Slim laser projector | Dangbei Atom, £579.99 |
| Student room or garden film nights | Battery LED projector | XGIMI MoGo 4 with PowerBase, £398.00 |
| Lowest cost for a big picture | Mains LED projector | Dangbei N2, £199.99 |
Is a projector cheaper than a TV per inch?
Yes at 100 inches, not always at 65. Every projector in the table costs less per inch at 100 inches than the cheapest 100-inch TV on Amazon UK, the Hisense 100E7NQTUK at £1,649.99. At 65 inches the TCL 65V6D TV costs £6.60 per inch, cheaper than both laser projectors at that size, and it works with the curtains open.
| Product | Type | Price | Per inch at 65in | Per inch at 100in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dangbei N2 | Projector, 1080p LED | £199.99 | £3.08 | £2.00 |
| Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen | Projector, 1080p LED | £349.00 | £5.37 | £3.49 |
| XGIMI MoGo 4 with PowerBase | Projector, 1080p LED | £398.00 | £6.12 | £3.98 |
| BenQ GV50 | Projector, 1080p laser | £569.00 | £8.75 | £5.69 |
| Dangbei Atom | Projector, 1080p laser | £579.99 | £8.92 | £5.80 |
| XGIMI HORIZON 20 | Projector, 4K laser | £1,238.00 | £19.05 | £12.38 |
| TCL 65V6D | 65-inch 4K TV | £429.00 | £6.60 | n/a |
| Hisense 100E7NQTUK (2024) | 100-inch 4K TV | £1,649.99 | n/a | £16.50 |
A projector's price stays the same whatever the picture size, so its cost per inch falls as the image grows. Distance sets the size: with a 1.2:1 throw ratio, a 65-inch picture needs 1.73 metres and a 100-inch picture 2.66 metres. The figures leave out a screen, since a smooth white wall works. Buyers sizing a TV instead should read What size TV do I need?
The cheap end of the table needs care. The Dangbei N2 costs £2.00 per inch at 100 inches, a fifth of the HORIZON 20's figure, but its 400 ISO lumens spread over 2.76 square metres give a dim picture, as the next table shows. The Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen is rated at 230 ANSI lumens, so its low cost per inch only holds in a fully dark room. Price per inch measures size, not quality: the HORIZON 20 is the only projector here with a native 4K picture, the same resolution as the TCL 65V6D, while the other five projectors are 1080p.
How bright does a projector need to be to replace a TV?
A projector needs at least 1,000 ISO lumens for a 100-inch living room picture, and 2,000 or more with lamps on, on Compare Electronic's rule. Compare Electronic converts the makers' ratings into nits, the unit TV brightness uses: lumens divided by pi times the picture area, on a plain white surface. The SMPTE cinema standard is 48 nits (14 foot-lamberts) in a dark room.
| Projector | Maker rating | Nits at 65in | Nits at 100in | Room it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XGIMI HORIZON 20 | 3,200 ISO | 875 | 369 | Dark, dim or lamp-lit room |
| Dangbei Atom | 1,200 ISO | 328 | 139 | Dark or dim room |
| BenQ GV50 | 500 ANSI | 137 | 58 | Dark room |
| XGIMI MoGo 4 | 450 ISO | 123 | 52 | Dark room, 65 to 80 inches |
| Dangbei N2 | 400 ISO | 109 | 46 | Dark room, under 100 inches |
| Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen | 230 ANSI | 63 | 27 | Dark room, under 80 inches |
Rated lumens are a ceiling, not a guarantee. ProjectorCentral measured 404 lumens from the 450 ISO lumen XGIMI MoGo 4, and Tom's Guide measured 1,084 lumens from the 1,200 ISO lumen Dangbei Atom and still judged it unsuitable for much daytime viewing. Only the XGIMI HORIZON 20 keeps 100 inches above 300 nits, which is why it is the one projector here that can stand in for a living-room TV.
Does a projector last longer than a TV?
A laser projector's light source outlasts a TV's software support. Laser models are rated for 20,000 to 30,000 hours, or 13.7 to 20.5 years at 4 hours a day, while TV makers promise 5 to 8 years of updates, as set out in How long do TVs last?
| Product | Rated life | Years at 4 hours a day | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| XGIMI HORIZON 20 (laser) | 20,000 hours | 13.7 years | Amazon UK listing |
| Dangbei Atom (laser) | 30,000 hours | 20.5 years | Amazon UK listing |
| BenQ GV50 (laser) | 20,000 hours Normal, 30,000 Eco | 13.7 to 20.5 years | BenQ |
| Samsung, LG and Hisense TVs (software) | 5 to 8 years of updates | 5 to 8 years | Makers' update terms |
XGIMI does not publish a light source life for the LED MoGo 4 on its UK page, and Samsung lists none for The Freestyle 2nd Gen on Amazon UK. Projectors run smart platforms too, and the XGIMI HORIZON 20 and Dangbei Atom use Google TV, so their apps age on the same clock as a TV's; a streaming stick fixes either.
Which projector can replace a TV?
The XGIMI HORIZON 20 is the projector to buy as a TV replacement, at £1,238.00 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026). It is a native 4K RGB triple laser projector rated at 3,200 ISO lumens, with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced and Google TV with licensed Netflix.
XGIMI HORIZON 20 specifications
- Brightness: 3200 ISO lumens (XGIMI)
- Resolution: 3840x2160, RGB triple laser
- Throw ratio: 1.2 to 1.5:1, 40 to 300 inches
- HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced
- Input lag: 3 ms at 4K 60 Hz, 1 ms at 1080p 240 Hz (XGIMI)
- Speakers: 2 x 12 W Harman Kardon
- Smart platform: Google TV, licensed Netflix
- Weight: 4.8 kg
- Laser life: 20,000 hours (Amazon UK listing)
At 100 inches the XGIMI HORIZON 20 costs £12.38 per inch, £4.12 less than the 100-inch Hisense TV, and its 1.2:1 minimum throw puts that picture 2.66 metres from the wall. It weighs 4.8 kg and runs on mains power, so it stays put like a TV.
XGIMI HORIZON 20 - pros and cons
Where to buy
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At a glance
Radar · 0-100 scores
- HORIZON 20
- Atom
- GV50
- MoGo 4 with PowerBase Stand
Verdict
A projector is better than a TV for a 100-inch picture in a room that gets dark, and costs less per inch at that size. A TV stays better for bright rooms and pictures of 65 inches or under. The XGIMI HORIZON 20 at £1,238.00 is the projector bright enough to replace one; the portable shortlist is in Best mini projector for university UK 2026 and the TVs in Best TV UK 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is a projector cheaper than a TV?
Per inch of picture, yes, once the image passes about 75 inches. The XGIMI HORIZON 20 costs £1,238.00 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026), or £12.38 per inch at 100 inches, against £16.50 per inch for the Hisense 100E7NQTUK 100-inch TV at £1,649.99. At 65 inches the TCL 65V6D TV costs £6.60 per inch and wins.
Can you use a projector instead of a TV in a bright room?
Only a bright one. Tom's Guide judged even the Dangbei Atom, measured at 1,084 lumens, unsuitable for much daytime viewing. The XGIMI HORIZON 20 is rated at 3,200 ISO lumens, about 369 nits on a 100-inch white surface by Compare Electronic's calculation, which leaves room for lamps on. Daytime sport and news still suit a TV better.
How many lumens does a projector need for a living room?
Compare Electronic's rule for a 100-inch living room picture is at least 1,000 ISO lumens, and 2,000 or more if lights stay on. A 100-inch image covers 2.76 square metres, so 450 lumens gives about 52 nits, just above the 48-nit SMPTE cinema standard for a dark room. The 3,200 ISO lumen XGIMI HORIZON 20 gives about 369 nits.
How long does a projector laser last?
Laser projectors are rated for 20,000 to 30,000 hours. The XGIMI HORIZON 20 lists 20,000 hours on Amazon UK, the Dangbei Atom 30,000 hours, and BenQ rates the BenQ GV50 at 20,000 hours in Normal mode and 30,000 in Eco. At 4 hours a day, 20,000 hours lasts 13.7 years, longer than the 5 to 8 years of software support TV makers promise.
How far from the wall does a projector need to be for 100 inches?
About 2.66 metres for a projector with a 1.2:1 throw ratio. Image width equals throw distance divided by the throw ratio, and a 100-inch 16:9 picture is 2.21 metres wide. The XGIMI HORIZON 20, Dangbei Atom and BenQ GV50 all have a 1.2:1 throw ratio, so each needs 1.73 metres for a 65-inch picture.
Is a projector good for gaming?
A living-room laser projector can be. XGIMI quotes 3 ms of input lag for the XGIMI HORIZON 20 at 4K 60 Hz and 1 ms at 1080p 240 Hz. BenQ quotes 22.4 ms at 1080p 60 Hz for the BenQ GV50. HDR highlights stay dimmer than on a good TV, so players who want bright HDR should read Compare Electronic's TV guides first.