A projector is a device that creates a picture by shining light through or onto internal optics and projecting the resulting image onto a separate screen or a suitable wall, rather than displaying it on its own built in panel the way a flat television does. This makes it possible to reach picture sizes, sometimes well over two metres across, that would be impractical or very costly with a flat screen television.
Picture quality from a projector depends heavily on ambient light, since projected images generally cannot achieve the same brightness and contrast as a flat television, particularly in a room with daylight or bright lamps. Dedicated home cinema rooms with controlled lighting and a proper projection screen get the most convincing results, while some newer, brighter projector models are designed specifically to cope better with normal living room lighting.
Choosing between a projector and a large flat television involves weighing picture size and immersion against room lighting, setup complexity and running costs such as lamp or light source replacement. See our guide to projector versus TV for a fuller comparison.
