Worth it to upgrade to WU515TST? have a GT1080 now

[bm11]

Three years ago I built a temporary sim in my garage for the winter, and at that point I bought a GT1080. Now I have a permanent room and a really nice build going in. I'm considering upgrading my projector to a WU515TST, mostly because I landed on a 16:10 screen size (Carls Pro Enclosure 8.5x13) and WUXGA is native. It would have the added benefit of being almost double the lumen output. However, for about half that money I could upgrade to a GT1090HDR, and for no money at all, I can keep my GT1080. I know that most would say "try the GT1080 and if it doesn't work out, upgrade then," but I don't want to drill holes in my pine board ceiling and then move the mount another two feet away later. I'd just rather mount the right option right up front.

Thoughts? I'm assuming that I'm still going to need to run blackout shades, right? Also, where the heck can I order one of these? There are a ton of places on line that list them, but no one actually seems to stock them because they are the "professional series."

Thanks,

Bob

[Dax]

I am assuming you have the GT1080 HDR now? I thought this had over 3000 lumens maybe even almost 4000? If I am correct that is pretty good brightness. How bright is your sim room? Sure the other projector is better and brighter, but do you really need to make the switch. The other thing is we are in the middle of summer now and holding off to the fall (or even black friday sales) might find you saving a good amount of coin.

If it were me, I would hold off as I had thought your existing projector was actually pretty good. However, the temptation to upgrade is something that I also appreciate. Could you floor mount your existing projector for the time being and using lens shift (can't remember if this has lens shift) plus keystone? This would only be a temporary solution until you do your upgrade for the winter when you will really want your perm set-up.

[wbond]

If it's the original GT1080, it only has 2800 lumens, vs 1080HDR which has 3800 and double the contrast at 50k:1. The 1090 is even higher at 4200 and 300K:1. If you have the original GT1080 and were happy with it, then i would go to the GT1090HDR. I think you would see a considerable upgrade and for much less than the other one you mentioned.

[bm11]

If it's the original GT1080, it only has 2800 lumens, vs 1080HDR which has 3800 and double the contrast at 50k:1. The 1090 is even higher at 4200 and 300K:1. If you have the original GT1080 and were happy with it, then i would go to the GT1090HDR. I think you would see a considerable upgrade and for much less than the other one you mentioned.

Yes, I have a GT1080 (original 2800 lumen model). The big draw for me in the WU515TST is the resolution being native WUXGA (1920x1080) vs 1080p which is 1920x1080. I'm guessing that my 1080, and the 1090HDR for that matter, probably accomplish a 16:10 ratio by cropping the sides of a 1920x1080 image. So I'll be getting a 1920x1200 image downscaled to 1728x1080, assuming I did my math right.

So the debate with 1090HDR vs WU515TST in this application is- is it worth $1300 more (almost double) to get 19% more pixels, no funky scaling effects, and 1300 more lumens?

[wbond]

Probably better to just go with the one you want right from the start

[jasonreg]

Pretty sure the 515TST is discontinued (though may still be available at some retailers). I just pulled the trigger on a ZU606TST-W (WUXGA Format, 6000 lumens). This to replace my original BenQ MW632ST purchase. I was generally happy with the BenQ once set up properly but I found the picture just too dim unless I really controlled the ambient light. I had to block off a window that was casting just too much ambient intot he fray. I should say at night I was pretty pleased with the picture. Will let folks know how it looks when it arrives - hopefully this week. Really looking forward to the extra resoultion, Lumens and to see if the laser source holds up to the hype.

[bm11]

Any other options I should consider?

Another consideration is whether or not a 4k high lumen short throw option will come out sooner rather than later. I have the horsepower to push it (RTX 2080TI) for sure.

[keither5150]

I have decided to go with the GT 1090 HDR.... might take a while as it is not on the shelves in Canada yet.

[jasonreg]

Biggest reason I went with the ZU606TST-W was due to the throw ratio. For my setup I feel the 1090HDR (which I think is a great bang for the buck if you can control lighting levels) sits too far forward of my hitting area. For my 144" wide screen I need to place the projector 6.8 feet back (for 16:10 resolution) and 6 feet back for its native 19"9 resolution. Given I am hitting from approx 10 feet back I feel this opens the projector up to impacts from a sky ball. The 606 let's me place the projector 9'5" back from the screen at a native 16:10 which really suits my screen set-up. A bit more money but much higher lumens and a better warranty (3 years vs 1 year).

Bottom line, both are great projectors - you really need to find what works best for your set-up / desires. Projector Central is an invaluable resource for not just throw calculations, but reading up on the various criteria to really fond out what is (or should) be most important to you. I also think the "find a projector" tool is pretty great - you can just add in the options you want including the desired throw ratio (or distance from the screen) and see what is available. Great resource IMO.

Another option I considered was the ZU500TST-W. It incudes both Horiz and Vertical shift (which I did not really need) but has less lumens and costs a bit more that the 606.

[bm11]

Biggest reason I went with the ZU606TST-W was due to the throw ratio. For my setup I feel the 1090HDR (which I think is a great bang for the buck if you can control lighting levels) sits too far forward of my hitting area. For my 144" wide screen I need to place the projector 6.8 feet back (for 16:10 resolution) and 6 feet back for its native 19"9 resolution. Given I am hitting from approx 10 feet back I feel this opens the projector up to impacts from a sky ball. The 606 let's me place the projector 9'5" back from the screen at a native 16:10 which really suits my screen set-up. A bit more money but much higher lumens and a better warranty (3 years vs 1 year).

Bottom line, both are great projectors - you really need to find what works best for your set-up / desires. Projector Central is an invaluable resource for not just throw calculations, but reading up on the various criteria to really fond out what is (or should) be most important to you. I also think the "find a projector" tool is pretty great - you can just add in the options you want including the desired throw ratio (or distance from the screen) and see what is available. Great resource IMO.

Another option I considered was the ZU500TST-W. It incudes both Horiz and Vertical shift (which I did not really need) but has less lumens and costs a bit more that the 606.

Thanks for taking the time! I'm going to hold off for a bit, for two reasons- I want to put my enclosure together first (it's on order but isn't here, I went with a 16:10 Carl's Premium but I'm not sure if the optional baffles knock it down to a 16:9 or not. Also, if I'm going to spend this much, ideally I'll find a 4k short throw option, though nothing is initially showing up as an obvious option. I'm not sure if the Epson's Pro L1300UNL "4k enhancement" truly accomplishes 4k or not, though it is crazy pricey also.

As quick as TV's all went to 4k, it's strange to see how long projectors are taking to catch up.

[Stetson]

Likely because they sell 5,000 tv’s to every 1 projector (being conservative I would imagine)

[jasonreg]

So projector arrived and I have it installed. All I can say is wow! Image is so much brighter - even with room lights on - and the increase in definition is amazing. FSX2020 at WUXGA resolution of 1920x1200 is a great match. Very pleased with the new ZU606TST-W projector - worth the spend and the wait.

[Baller]

Still happy with this projector? As just looking for a new one and found this one...thought I’d search the forum and this is the only thread with it.

what did you pay?

[jasonreg]

Not sure who you are asking and which projector but if you were asking about my ZU606TST-W I am super happy. It is a fantastic projector though a bit pricey. It was around $3K but they had just been released and were in really high demand. They may have come down a bit since then. It is a 4K laser projector with 6,000 lumens with a Native 16:10 resolution. It ticked every box I was after and I am very pleased.