LED wall or projector for your hall, boardroom or classroom?

For years the projector was the default for halls and meeting rooms. LED walls have changed that, but a projector is still the right answer in some rooms. Here is how to decide.

Picture in a lit room

A projector's image washes out as soon as lights are on or daylight comes in. An LED wall emits its own light at 600 to 1,000 nits indoors, so presentations, videos and camera feeds stay clear with the lights up. For banquet halls, auditoriums used in the day and boardrooms with windows, this is usually the deciding factor.

Size and shape

LED walls are built from cabinets, so they can be any size, wide, tall or curved, with no visible joints. Projection needs a screen, a throw distance and a clear light path that people do not walk through.

Running cost and lifespan

Projectors need lamps or light engines and filters, and the picture dims with age. A good LED wall is rated for many years of daily use and can be repaired module by module. Power use for an indoor LED wall averages roughly 150 to 300 W per square metre.

Price

A projector and screen cost far less up front. An indoor P2.5 LED wall starts from about ₹5,600 per sq ft for the screen. For rooms used a few times a month, a projector may be enough; for daily use or rooms you hire out, an LED wall often pays for itself. A monthly rental is another way in.

When a projector still makes sense

• Small classrooms and meeting rooms with controlled light.
• Very tight budgets for occasional use.
• Temporary set-ups where nothing can be fixed to the wall.

When an LED wall wins

• Banquet halls and hotels that host functions every week.
• Auditoriums used in daylight, and schools with large assembly halls.
• Boardrooms where people sit close and video calls matter: choose fine pitch, P1.86 or finer.

See LED walls for halls and auditoriums and boardroom AV.