Projectors

Our TV-centric lives pose an all-too-common problem. Where do you put the sofa? Facing the fireplace — or windows — or facing the TV? Hands down, the TV always wins. What can we say? We’re suckers for sitcoms.

But that doesn’t mean we always want to see the TV. We only want to see it when it’s on. When it’s off, we wish it would disappear. In fact, our urge to hide our TVs is so intense, we’ve created custom lifts and doors and an entire furniture genre — the entertainment center — just to conceal it.

But there’s a better way. A much, much better way. And with it you can do something you could never do with your standard TV: face your sofa toward your windows without blocking the view. I know. Incredible.

So what’s this magic device? The projector.

I realize, just the sound of that word may bring up horrible flashes of painfully boring science class ameba films. But I assure you, projectors aren’t what they used to be.

For the past 6 months, Brent and I test drove a pocket-sized, portable projector — the Qumi. To put it in perspective, that projector is the Honda Civic of projectors. Nothing fancy. No special bells or whistles. But it gets the job done. So well in fact, we’d never want to go back to an ordinary TV.

With a projector, you get a movie-esq experience. The picture size is huge. And when it’s off, you’d never know it was there. Simply put your screen up, and voila, no TV. It’s the best of both worlds.

The one downside to projectors is for the lower-end models the room must be completely dark for you to be able to see the picture. But if you’re willing to invest in a nicer screen and model — or blackout blinds — that’s not an issue.

Above and below you can check out different projector set-ups. If you decide to get a portable projector like us, you get the added bonus of being able to have movie nights outside under the stars. Talk about awesome.

Side Note: I’m not 100% sure the above photo is of a projector; however, if you have plain white walls, you don’t have to get a screen. You can project straight on to them.