To TV or not to TV

I haven’t turned on the TV in months. In fact I don’t even know if I did this year. We exchange glances every once in a while as I use it as an unofficial mirror, but that’s kinda it.

As a kid, our very first TV was a tiny box. It had two big turn knobs and three smaller ones. Oh, and the picture was black and white. Uuuu, the excitement of turning the knobs! I loved and used that TV all the way to university. It was small, it made me get my but off the couch and it looked adorable. Sentimental thing, just go along with it!

In the last 8 years, my TV has gone from prize possession to “Do I really need you?”. True, I turned into a computer potato so all my needs are beautifully fulfilled by the even smaller device sitting on my desk. So that made me wonder. Where does the TV stand in today’s small screen society and what happens to the living room?

Now, don’t worry! I know! I heard you gasping ready to jump and hug the 55 inch prized possession. The truth is that the image quality that a projector can offer is not yet to the level of a high quality TV. But is there something out there? Is there enough potential for producers to invest in its development? Let’s see!

The TV
▲ The TV has the familiar factor, as we all know it and already love it.
▲ It also has the luxury vibe. It is the expensive, big, impossible to miss purchase showing off in your living room.
▲ It has the better image quality.
▼ The TV restructures the space it is placed in. It affects the layout of the room, the choice in furniture and its placement, the choice in curtains and more.
▼ It limits the usable options of the space. It forces directionality in the space and acts as a constant reminder.
▼ Though not fixed, the TV requires one or two stronger persons to relocate it, which represents a limitation in its flexibility.
▲ Easily connected to a computer.

The Projector & Screen
▲ It allows for far more flexibility, particularly in smaller spaces.
▲ The screen can be rolled up and allow the use of the wall or furniture behind it.
▲ It allows people who like to watch TV but do not like the aesthetic of the big black block not to have to compromise the aesthetic of their space.
▲ Both the screen and the projector can be placed on rails and moved back and forward within the space, based on the needs of the moment.
▲ It can be used as a space divider and hide/enclose/provide privacy to parts of the room/apartment
▼ The one big downside, for many, is indeed that quality wise it still falls short to the traditional TV.
▲ Easily connected to a computer.

[clickToTweet tweet=”If equal in image quality, what would you chose between a TV and a screen projector? ” quote=”So the question is: were the projector able to provide the same image quality as the TV, what would you chose? “]

All this sounds clear and simple, but what if they are already both already obsolete? What if the new generation with its new devices will use neither TV nor projector? What do you think?