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A good projector these days costs less than it did five or six years ago, but the truth is the investment only makes sense if your space actually allows for it. I have a living room with some plants I like to keep, and I realized that darkening the room properly isn't just about closing the curtains - you need real blackout, because any reflected light completely ruins the experience.
What nobody tells you is that a projector demands more from your space than a TV does. You need enough distance from the wall, you actually have to be able to darken the room when you want to, and then there's the noise issue - depending on the model, the fan can be annoying if your room is small. If you live in a two-bedroom apartment and want to use the bedroom, for example, it gets more complicated.
The honest answer is: invest if you have a dedicated room or a space you can control well. If it's the living room sofa you have to share with natural light, there will always be limitations. But if you can create the right conditions, the difference in size and immersion compared to a TV is really significant - then yeah, it's worth every cent.
Good projectors have dropped quite a bit in price over the last few years, so depending on your budget it can make a lot of sense. The image is much bigger than any TV, and if you have space in a room or bedroom, it completely changes the experience of watching a movie.
On the practical side, you need a smooth wall (or a screen if you want to be fancy), control the ambient light, and the quality varies a lot depending on the model. If your room is very bright during the day, things get tricky - you have to use heavy curtains. It also needs maintenance like changing the bulb after a while. And if the projector is noisy, it can actually be annoying.
If you spend a lot of time watching stuff (series, movies, whatever) and don't mind the hassle of darkening the room, then yeah, it's worth it. Now, if you think you'll only use it once or twice a month, you're better off spending the money to upgrade the regular TV you already have.
The big thing is really the environment where you're going to set it up! If you have a dark room or can darken it properly, the projector is worth every euro - the image quality is incomparable. Now, if your space gets a lot of natural light or the walls are too light-colored, you're going to get frustrated because the image gets washed out and you lose all the charm. It's also worth thinking about whether you're going to use it regularly, because a properly set up projector ends up being an investment you'll get use out of for years!
I think the question isn't really "is it worth investing in a projector," but rather "is it worth it for your specific situation." Because honestly, the difference between watching on a projector and a good TV is huge if your space cooperates, but if it doesn't, it turns into kind of a regretted purchase sitting in a corner.
One thing nobody mentioned is the noise issue. A decent projector makes a fan noise that doesn't seem like much, but after half an hour of the movie you start to notice it. And if you're sensitive to that kind of thing, like you get insomnia easily or someone's sleeping nearby, it can be annoying. There are quieter ones, but then the price goes up quite a bit. Plus there's the lamp that doesn't last forever and replacement is expensive - so it's not just a one-time purchase and done.
If you really love movies and have a room that can get pretty dark (or even semi-dark), or if you have a decent-sized bedroom, then yeah it's worth it. But if the space is cramped, there's natural light coming in directly, and you already have a decent TV, maybe it's less hassle to just stick with what you have.
I've had a projector for a few years now and the thing nobody talks about is the maintenance - the lamp burns out, the fan gets noisy, you have to clean the lens. That said, if you really have a room where you can control the light (or even a garage you can darken), the experience is completely different from a TV, even a big one. What I don't really agree with from the previous replies is that they seem to think it only works in bedrooms or tiny spaces - a decent living room even with some ambient light can give good results, it depends more on the projector's quality than on the size of the space.
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