There’s only one projector truly worth buying instead of an OLED TV

• The benefits of an ultra-short throw projector
• The drawbacks to ultra-short throw projectors

I’m not going to mince words here — generally speaking, I don’t think most people should buy a projector instead of an OLED TV, or any panel TV for that matter. Unless you absolutely, positively need a huge image, the price-to-performance ratio doesn’t work out, and that’s without factoring in the cost of a screen and any mounting equipment you might need. Meanwhile, the cost of large-screen TVs is continuing to drop. It’s possible to buy a 98- or 100-inch QLED for far less than what a projector with equivalent quality will cost you.

That said, if you’re bent on watching movies in the largest size possible, and you’ve got the space for a screen to match, there’s one type of projector I’d recommend most: an ultra-short throw (UST) model. I’ll explain the positives and negatives of the technology, including a more elaborate explanation of the general projector conundrum.

The benefits of an ultra-short throw projector

For a while, home projectors were a very niche product. Aside from the cost of the device and the screen, they used expensive bulbs that had to be periodically replaced, and you had to take the concept of a home theater very literally. By that I mean that you had to block all outside light, and mount the projector a good distance away from the screen, preferably somewhere where you couldn’t wreck its calibration by bumping into it.

Things have improved dramatically in recent years, mostly because of miniaturization and the switch to LED and laser technology. There aren’t any bulbs to swap out, and the best models are usable with some sunlight in the room, even if that should be avoided. There’s no real limit to how close to your screen a projector can get, either. Some projectors are remarkably small, and their lensing/imaging technology is able to accommodate the distortion caused by small distances.

Typically, you’re more likely to see a short-throw projector than a UST. These operate from a distance of roughly 3 to 4 feet — a little over or under a meter — which means they can sit on something like a coffee table. Honestly, for some people, this might be the way to go. You’ll still have to pay a good chunk of change for something that can match a panel TV, but you may be able to save some cash, especially if you don’t care too much about gaming or HDR support. More on this later.

Through a combination of unique lens technology and (more often than not) lasers, USTs can sit extremely close to their screens — possibly as little as 3 inches (under 8 centimeters). That’s enough to fit them on top of a conventional entertainment center.

There’s still a big catch with short-throws, which is their potentially complicated room setup. For some of you, they’re going to be sitting in the middle of your room, rather than next to your couch. That translates into needing a ceiling mount or some unusually-placed furniture. And even if you rely entirely on streaming and built-in speakers, you’ll at least need to snake a power cord across the room. Add things like a game console and external speakers into the mix, and you could be coping with a relatively messy layout.

Through a combination of unique lens technology and (more often than not) lasers, USTs can sit extremely close to their screens — possibly as little as 3 inches (under 8 centimeters). That’s enough to fit them on top of a conventional entertainment center, which means a much tidier layout. In fact you’ll sometimes see USTs marketed as “laser TVs.” That might be a big disingenuous, but it does reinforce how much more convenient USTs can be.

If you pick the right model, a UST may be both brighter than other projectors and an all-in-one entertainment option, even including decent speakers that can simulate Dolby Atmos. That may actually make one preferable over a panel TV, space-wise, assuming that the area on your wall doesn’t count.

The drawbacks to ultra-short throw projectors

You’ve got to pay to play

One of the primary reasons I steer people away from any projector is cost. If you want one with 4K, Dolby Vision, and gaming-ready refresh rates and response times, it’s going to cost you more than the average OLED, never mind a mini-LED or QLED TV. How much? One of the best models on the market — the Hisense PX3-PRO — is about $3,000, and is still limited to a 60Hz refresh rate at 4K. A “cheap” 4K HDR projector like the LG CineBeam S (pictured) is $1,300, and I wouldn’t recommend that for gaming. Either is a hard sell when you can get a 98-inch QLED that, for the cost of the CineBeam, will utterly decimate the PX3-PRO in terms of brightness and gaming specs.

That’s ignoring one of the practical necessities for most people, which is an Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screen. You can, technically, use a UST without one, but you won’t get the best possible brightness or contrast, and any bumps in a surface may create shadows amplified by the extreme angle a UST is projecting at. Suddenly, that $1,300 projector could end up costing upwards of $2,000, which is enough to afford an excellent 100-inch mini-LED TV. You might be saving some cash if you’re satisfied with a UST’s internal speakers, but that’s about it.

Ultimately, you have to ask yourself just how much you value the idea of images over 100 inches. Around that size or below, panel TVs are almost always the better deal.

Moreover, no consumer projector is really bright enough to use in a well-lit room. You might get an acceptable image, but a high-end UST is still going to appear washed out if it has to compete with the sun or a 1,100-lumen bulb. You’re expected to use one in a dim or darkened room, whereas even some of the OLEDs coming out in 2026 are perfectly usable in any environment. Soon enough, we’ll be swimming in TVs rated for over 4,000 lumens — for a point of comparison, the 3,000 lumens on my Apple Watch Ultra 2 is plenty readable outdoors at midday.

Ultimately, then, you have to ask yourself just how much you value the idea of images over 100 inches. Around that size or below, panel TVs are almost always the better deal, no matter how much of a footprint they might occupy. Over 100 inches, projectors are more cost-effective, since panel prices tend to skyrocket — so much so that the best panels can cost as much as a car.

Personally, I don’t find much value in gigantic screens. I’m a cinephile with the Film degree to prove it, yet even if I had enough room on my wall for a 110-inch image, I’d still find that overwhelming at the distance the average couch is sitting at. Maximizing immersion isn’t worth it if my eyes are forced to dart around constantly. For the length of a movie like The Return of the King or even Dune: Part Two, that’s irritating. I’m amply satisfied by my 65-inch mini-LED. I might upgrade to a 75-inch set…eventually.