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SofaView

Guide

TV or projector? Compare from the same seat

A 120″ screen has about twice the picture area of an 85″ TV.

85″ 120″

85″ TV (yellow solid line) and 120″ 16:9 screen (grey dashed line), to scale.

At 3 mWidthAngleArea vs 85″
85″ TV 188 cm 34.8° ×1.00
98″ TV 217 cm 39.8° ×1.33
100″ Screen 221 cm 40.5° ×1.38
120″ Screen 266 cm 47.8° ×1.99
135″ Screen 299 cm 53.0° ×2.52

Whether that feels better depends on your distance, how much you can darken the room and the wall you have.

Try it in the calculator

85″ at 9.8 ft (3.0 m) vs 120″

Viewing angle 34.8° · RecommendedChange the TV, screen size and distance to match your room.

Open the calculator with these values

What the size number leaves out

Throw distance. A projector makes a given image size only at a given distance, set by its throw ratio. A standard-throw model may need to sit 3–4 m back for 120″. Ultra-short-throw models sit just below the screen instead. Check the throw ratio before you pick a screen size.

Room light. A TV makes its own light; a projector relies on a dark room. In daylight or with lamps on, a projected picture loses contrast long before a TV does. A screen material that rejects ambient light helps, but does not fully close the gap.

Brightness spreads over area. The same projector gives a dimmer picture on a bigger screen. Going from 100″ to 120″ spreads its light over 44% more area.

Total cost. Add the screen, mount, cabling and a sound system. TVs have speakers built in; projectors mostly don’t, or have small ones.

Models in the size you picked

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Prices, stock and options change — check them on Amazon. Model, size and panel were checked against each maker’s own page.

Work out the right size for your distance first →