Projectors and screens were the default at events for decades. Today most professional events use LED walls instead. Here's how the two compare, and when each one makes sense.
Brightness
This is the biggest difference. A projector's image is only as bright as the light it bounces off a screen, so it fades in bright rooms and disappears in daylight. Our LED panels produce up to 3,500 nits of their own light, so content stays vivid with the house lights up, under stage lighting and even outdoors.
Image quality and size
LED is built from modules, so a wall can be almost any size or shape: wide, tall, curved, or split into side screens. There are no visible seams, no keystone distortion and no hotspot in the middle. Large projection, by contrast, needs a long throw distance and high-end projectors to stay sharp.
Shadows and staging
Front projection throws shadows whenever presenters walk in front of the screen. Rear projection needs a lot of space behind it. LED sits directly at the back of the stage, so presenters can move freely and you keep more floor space.
Cameras and streaming
LED walls look clean on camera when they're set up properly, which is why they're the standard for live-streamed conferences, awards and sport. A good LED technician will match the screen brightness and refresh to the cameras.
Cost
Projection can still be cheaper for small, dark rooms with modest image sizes. But LED has become far more affordable, and once you factor in brightness, flexibility and impact, it's usually the better investment for any audience bigger than a meeting room.
When projection still makes sense
- Small meeting rooms with controllable light
- Projection mapping onto buildings or set pieces
- Very tight budgets where image size and brightness aren't critical
The verdict
For conferences, awards, live shows, sport and anything outdoors, LED wins. See our LED wall hire page for sizes and specs, or ask us for an LED quote.
