If you are renovating a new flat, there is a decision being made in the first two weeks that almost nobody talks about, and once it is made it is very hard to undo.
When your interior designer closes up the false ceiling, the wiring inside it is sealed for the next ten years. If there is no power point where a projector would go, and no conduit to run a cable, then a big projected screen stops being an option in that room. Not expensive. Impossible, without tearing the ceiling open again.
Most homeowners only think about a projector after they move in, when the TV console is already built and the ceiling is already up. By then the cheap version of this decision has passed.
So if there is even a chance you might want a large screen in your living room, here are the three things to raise with your ID before carpentry starts.
1. Ask for a ceiling power point where a projector would sit
This is the big one. A single 13A power point in the ceiling, roughly 3 to 3.5 metres back from the wall you would project onto, is all a ceiling-mounted projector needs. Ask for an HDMI conduit running from that point down to your TV console at the same time. An empty pipe is cheap now and impossible later.
If you are considering an ultra short throw projector instead, the requirement is simpler: a power point behind the TV console, because the unit sits on the console itself, centimetres from the wall.
Either way, the cost of adding this during renovation is minor. The cost of adding it afterwards means opening the ceiling.
2. Think twice before building a full-height TV feature wall
Feature walls look excellent in mood boards. They are also the most common reason a projector cannot be used later, because the smooth unobstructed wall surface you need has been filled with shelving, panelling, textured stone or a mounted TV bracket.
You do not have to give up the feature wall. But if a big screen appeals to you, ask your ID to keep a clear rectangle of flat wall, roughly 2.7 metres wide, and to avoid gloss or heavily textured finishes in that area. Matte paint in white or light grey projects beautifully and costs nothing extra.
3. Decide the console depth before the carpentry is quoted
If you are leaning towards an ultra short throw projector, the depth of your TV console decides whether it will work. Most UST projectors need the console to sit a specific distance from the wall to fill the screen size you want. Get this wrong by ten centimetres and your 100-inch picture becomes an 85-inch one.
A standard 40 to 45cm deep console suits most UST models. Tell your ID which model you are considering, or ask them to leave the decision open until you have checked.
Should you even want a projector?
Honest answer: not always.
A television is better if your living room is bright all day and you watch mostly in the afternoon, if you want something that switches on instantly with no setup, or if you watch a lot of live sport in a sunlit room.
A projector makes more sense if you watch mainly in the evening, if you want a screen far larger than any TV you could afford at the same price, or if you would rather the screen disappear completely when it is off. For most Singapore living rooms, a 100 to 120 inch projected image costs less than an 85-inch television.
The point is not that one is better. The point is that you should make the choice deliberately, before the ceiling decides it for you.
See it before you commit
The easiest way to know whether projection suits your home is to stand in front of one. Our showroom has projectors running side by side on real walls, in normal lighting, and you are welcome to bring your own laptop or console to test with.
Bring your floor plan too. We can tell you in a few minutes what will work in your unit, what to ask your ID for, and whether a projector is genuinely the right call for your room, including when it is not.
Visit the showroom or send us your floor plan on WhatsApp and we will tell you what is possible before your renovation starts. Browse the full range here.
