Projector Sales Plummet: Are Cheaper TVs and the Rise of Short Dramas Making the Home Cinema Obsolete?

Just a few years ago, smart projectors were the talk of the town, with almost everyone considering or buying one. They were seen as the perfect compromise for big-screen entertainment—offering a viewing experience far larger than a typical TV without occupying a fixed space. All you needed was a blank wall. This period saw rapid growth in projector sales, with brands launching new models frequently, and "home cinema" became synonymous with the product category.

Projector Sales Plummet: Are Cheaper TVs and the Rise of Short Dramas Making the Home Cinema Obsolete?

But by 2025, the situation had changed dramatically. A report on the projector market from CINNO Research revealed that total annual sales reached 5.203 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 13.9%. Sales revenue fell to 8.36 billion yuan, a decline of 16.5%. This marked the second sales drop since the category's rise in 2020 and the steepest decline to date. So, why has the once-promising star of home entertainment suddenly lost its shine?

A Divided Market: High-End Struggles While Low-End Thrives


Projector Sales Plummet: Are Cheaper TVs and the Rise of Short Dramas Making the Home Cinema Obsolete?

 

Despite the market downturn, leading brands collectively pushed into the mid-to-high-end market in 2025, launching numerous new products. XGIMI, Dangbei, and JMGO all released premium models with features like native 4K resolution, high brightness, and advanced HDR support, with prices ranging from over 9,000 to 12,000 yuan. However, these innovations still center around the old trifecta of "picture quality, brightness, and ease of use," essentially trying to make projectors more like TVs. The problem is, for the average consumer, projectors have always been an alternative to TVs. When a high-end projector's price rivals that of a large-screen TV, most will opt for the superior and more reliable picture quality of the television.


Projector Sales Plummet: Are Cheaper TVs and the Rise of Short Dramas Making the Home Cinema Obsolete?

 

The price war in the TV market has been relentless. For nearly 10,000 yuan, you can get a 100-inch Hisense TV with premium features. For less than half that, an 85-inch 4K 144Hz Redmi TV is available. This intense competition has siphoned off a significant portion of the projector market. In contrast, the low-end projector market has seen surprising success. Brands like Dayancheng, focusing on budget-friendly 1LCD models priced from a few hundred to just over a thousand yuan, have topped sales charts in their segment.

Shrinking Demand: How Can Projectors Save Themselves?

Looking back at 2025, the trends in display technology are clear. First, TVs are offering more value than ever, making them the first choice for most families. Second, new product categories like mobile smart screens (often called "buddy screens") are gaining traction, showing faster growth than both traditional TVs and projectors. These devices cater to a need for portability and convenience that projectors can't fully match. Furthermore, the rapid rise of short-form content, such as micro-dramas, has shifted entertainment habits toward mobile devices. As people spend more time on these platforms, the demand for large-screen entertainment naturally decreases. When a household needs one big screen, a TV is now the more logical choice.

Projectors are caught in an awkward position. They can't beat TVs on picture quality at the same price point, and they're less convenient than mobile smart screens for casual, portable viewing. To survive, the industry must look to niche markets. There is still a strong demand for large, immersive displays in non-traditional settings like camping and outdoor events, but this requires a redesign focused on portability, brightness, and power solutions. Other potential areas include gaming, where low latency and high refresh rates are more persuasive than pure picture quality, and business or education, where integration with productivity software could create new value. Ultimately, to win back consumers, projector manufacturers must answer a critical question: "Why should I choose a projector when a TV offers better value?" Simply improving brightness and resolution won't be enough. The key lies in leveraging their unique strengths to find a stable foothold in a shrinking market.

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