Projector or 100-Inch TV? What a Giant Screen Really Costs in Canada (2026)

Picture Friday night: the lights down, everyone on the couch, and a 120-inch picture filling the wall. A few years ago that meant a dedicated home theatre. Today it fits in a normal living room, and it costs less than a 100-inch TV.

Best Buy Canada now sells 98- and 100-inch TVs, so it’s a fair question: if you want a giant picture in 2026, should you buy a TV or a projector? Yes, we sell projectors. So here are the real Canadian prices, side by side, and you can check our math.

The short answer

• At 100 inches, the projector costs less. The cheapest new 100-inch TV at Best Buy Canada was $2,799.99 when we checked. The Dangbei MP1 Max is $1,979.99 at its launch price, and it goes well past 100 inches.
• Past 100 inches, it isn’t close. The only TVs bigger than 100 inches that Best Buy Canada lists cost $24,999.99 and up. A projector just moves back.
• Under $1,000, only a projector gets you there. The Dangbei N3 Max puts a 100-inch picture on your wall, or your ceiling, for $549.99.
• And you get your wall back. When it’s off, there’s no giant black rectangle in your living room.

What a giant screen costs in Canada right now

Prices checked on September 27, 2026, at Best Buy Canada for the TVs and clavia.ca for the projectors. All before tax. TV prices move every week, so treat them as a snapshot.

Two things stand out. First, even at its full list price of $2,499.99, the MP1 Max comes in under the cheapest new 100-inch TV. Second, the TV price curve breaks after 100 inches: going from 100 to 115 inches costs more than $20,000 extra. On a projector, going from 100 to 120 inches costs nothing. You move it back about 50 centimetres.

Five things a projector gives you that a 100-inch TV can’t

1. A bigger picture whenever you want one. The same MP1 Max gives you 100 inches for the weekly series and 150 inches for the playoffs. Size is a question of distance, not dollars.

2. Your wall back. When a 100-inch TV is off, it’s a 100-inch black rectangle on your wall. When a projector is off, the wall is a wall again. In a living room that doubles as a family room, that matters more than people expect.

3. No delivery drama. A 98-inch TV is about 2.17 m wide and 1.22 m tall before you add the frame and the box, so the front door, the hallway turn and the stairs all have to cooperate. A projector arrives in a box you can carry with one arm: the MP1 Max weighs 5.6 kg and the N3 Max 3.6 kg.

4. No wall mount, no studs, no drilling. A TV that size needs a mount rated for its weight, or a very large stand. Neither Dangbei model needs a mount at all: the MP1 Max sits on its own stand that turns 360° and tilts 135°, and the N3 Max tilts from −45° to 135°, all the way up to the ceiling.

5. It goes where you go. A TV stays where it’s mounted. A projector moves to the bedroom for a sick day, the basement for a sleepover, or the cottage for the long weekend.

How much room you need (less than you think)

The picture grows the further back the projector sits. If there’s about 3 metres between your wall and the back of the couch, a 100-inch picture fits, with the projector on a coffee table or a shelf.

Distances are from the lens to the wall, calculated from Dangbei’s official throw ratios (1.2:1 for the MP1 Max, 1.25:1 for the N3 Max). Allow a little either way, and see our guide to throw ratio if the idea is new.

No screen needed to start: a smooth, light-coloured wall works. A proper screen boosts contrast further and makes a great upgrade later.

Getting the best picture

Brightness. The MP1 Max is rated at 3,100 ISO lumens, and ProjectorCentral measured 3,084, so the number on the box is real. That’s bright enough to watch with a lamp on or the blinds half shut. For afternoon viewing, close the blinds so the sun isn’t hitting the wall. The N3 Max, at 1,000 ISO lumens, is made for evenings, bedrooms and movie nights with the lights off.

Contrast. Dim the lights and dark scenes look their best. Space films and night scenes gain the most from a darker room, and from a screen if you add one later.

Gaming. The MP1 Max has two HDMI 2.1 ports (one with eARC for a soundbar), 35 ms of input lag measured by ProjectorCentral, and 240 Hz at 1080p. Console gaming on 120 inches is something you have to try. The N3 Max has one HDMI port and runs at up to 60 Hz, fine for a console in the bedroom.

Streaming, built in. Many cheap projectors can’t run Netflix because the app was never licensed for them. The MP1 Max (Google TV) and the N3 Max (VIDAA) both have officially licensed Netflix built in. Plug in, sign in, press play.

Want cinema sound too?

The MP1 Max’s two 12 W speakers, with Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X, are ready the moment you turn it on, and they fill a bedroom or a smaller room. The N3 Max’s two 6 W speakers are made for the bedroom.

For a 120-inch living-room picture, a soundbar makes the sound as big as the image. That’s true of any giant screen: thin TVs have no room inside for big speakers either. The Sharp HT-SBW53121 connects to either projector over HDMI eARC and adds real Dolby Atmos height channels, so the rain comes from above.

So which one should you buy?

When a TV makes more sense: if the sun hits your wall most afternoons and you can’t close the blinds, or you play competitive games and need three or more HDMI inputs. For everyone else, the projector gives you more screen for less money.

Who each projector is for

The MP1 Max is for the living room: a 100-inch-plus picture for film nights, hockey and evening TV, with real brightness, Google TV and Netflix built in, in one box that can also go to the basement or the cottage. If you’ve been burned before by a cheap projector with fake lumens or no Netflix, this is the one that fixes that.

The N3 Max is for the bedroom, the apartment or the dorm: a big picture on the wall, or straight up on the ceiling, for a fraction of any TV’s price.

Frequently asked questions

Is a projector cheaper than a 100-inch TV? Yes. On September 27, 2026, the cheapest new 100-inch TV at Best Buy Canada was $2,799.99, while the Dangbei MP1 Max was $1,979.99 and the N3 Max $549.99 at clavia.ca.

Can a projector replace a TV? Yes, in a room you watch in mostly in the evening or with the blinds closed. That’s most living rooms after dinner.

How far back does a projector need to be for 100 inches? About 2.7 metres (8’9”) for the Dangbei MP1 Max and about 2.8 metres (9’1”) for the N3 Max, measured from the lens to the wall.

Do I need a projector screen? No. A smooth, light-coloured wall works well to start. A screen improves contrast and is a good later upgrade.

Can you watch a projector during the day? The MP1 Max, at 3,100 ISO lumens, works with a lamp on or the blinds half shut; close them if the sun hits the wall. The N3 Max, at 1,000 ISO lumens, is for evenings or a room with blackout curtains.

Do projectors have Netflix? Many cheap ones don’t, because the app was never licensed for them. The MP1 Max (Google TV) and the N3 Max (VIDAA) both have officially licensed Netflix built in.

What’s the biggest TV you can buy in Canada, and what does it cost? Best Buy Canada lists 115-inch TVs at $24,999.99 and up. A projector like the MP1 Max goes up to 300 inches, with 80 to 150 recommended.

The bottom line

If your big-screen nights happen after dinner, a projector is the smarter buy: a bigger picture for less money, no mount, no delivery headache, and your wall back when it’s off. Measure about 3 metres from the wall to the couch, and you’re ready for 100 inches.

The MP1 Max and N3 Max are at their launch prices right now, with Canadian stock and a Canadian warranty.

Get the Dangbei MP1 Max → · Get the Dangbei N3 Max → · Read: the MP1 Max in a real room →

Ships from Canadian warehouses, with a one-year manufacturer warranty valid in Canada.

Sources: TV prices from Best Buy Canada, 98-inch-and-larger TV listings, checked September 27, 2026 (before tax; EHF as shown) · projector prices from clavia.ca, September 27, 2026 · Dangbei, MP1 Max Specsheet and N3 Max Specsheet, official, via Randmar’s Dangbei reseller resources · ProjectorCentral, Dangbei MP1 Max review (brightness and input-lag measurements). Distances calculated from the official throw ratios; TV dimensions calculated from a 16:9 screen diagonal.