Projector Advice for Garage - Optoma GT1090HDR vs. BenQ LK953ST

[JohnLew]

What started out as "just a place to hit a few balls in the winter" has taken on a life of it's own

For reference I'm setting this up in my garage in a two stall space. Will be utilizing a Par2Pro Stealth Screen so it can be taken up and down easily. Have jackshaft garage door openers so overhead is clear. Uneekor EYEXO for a launch monitor. Will be used pretty heavily, I'm a very avid golfer and Minnesota winters are rough . Plus, I have 4 boys 8 and under that are starting to get into the game. Likely will go TGC 2019.

Really going back and forth on the Projector and, consequently, having second thoughts about GPU. The screen will likely be 16' wide and I'd like to use as much of that real estate as possible. No windows in the garage so light is controllable.

I'm thinking two different options on two different ends of the spectrum (kinda) - Optoma GT1090HDR or the BenQ LK953ST. I have 17-18' of space from back wall the screen and will be hitting from a distance of about 10' to the screen. Since the EYEXO sits 3.5' in front of the hitting area, I would like to put the projector just behind the LM. That limits me a little on throw ratio while still filling up that wide screen as much as possible.

Currently, the computer I have for the sim has a GTX 1660Ti.

Would I be better off going w/ the GT1090HDR and then upgrading later or going w/ the LK953ST from the jump? If the BenQ, will I need to upgrade the GPU or will I still see a benefit from the pixel shift and extra brightness of the unit vs. the Optoma? Then I could upgrade GPU's later when availability isn't so crazy.

Price is obviously a consideration but I don't want to invest in the rest of the setup and then make a mistake that screws everything up over the price difference.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Will]

I agree on the graphics card decision. It may be awhile, but a Nvidia 3080 would definitely work well at 2160p on TGC2019. 2080TI runs hot and loud but holds 60fps on 2160p. Just run the 1660 at 1080p, maybe even 2560x1440, until you get a good card.

The throw ratio on the LK953ST is perfect at 0.81 to 0.88 and would place the projector between 13 and 14 feet from the screen. I always recommend between 0.5 to 0.90 to clear the screen of shadows. A 16' image requires 30% more lumens than a 14' wide image. You'll be fine if the lights are controlled.

You may be able to save a lot of money by calling for written quotes. I spent thousands less than list price on my projector from AGI, just because I asked. They had great service and double checked my math for the projector mounting position and sent a matching mount for my application. I have not used projectorcentral's E-Z quote service yet. https://www.projectorcentral.com/BenQ-LK953ST-quote.htm Also, there is a good list of company's you can directly call. https://www.projectorcentral.com/buy-projectors.htm I have no affiliation with any of these company's.

Hopefully someone here that has owned an LK953ST can give you a link to their review. I had a lot of back and forth with another member in the message center about his projector. He got a BenQ LK970, which isn't short throw, but can feed 4k and 5000 lumens. He then switched to the same 8000 lumen epson projector that I purchased. Said night and day difference for the better, but I know that my epson is a wobble 4k without HDR. The current game doesn't use HDR, but maybe it would change in the future.

Lots of memories will be made on your system. Go big on the lumens!

[Chuck]

I lost the HV power supply in my Optoma 1080GTDarbee and used that as an excuse to upgrade to 4K. But after a real deep dive, I could not find a throw distance like Optoma's. So after asking a lot of people and a lot of reviews I settled on the Optoma 1090HDR. I'm really pleased with it. It accepts a 4K signal and down colors blends it to a 1080p. It's 4200 Lumens and looks amazing.

[JohnLew]

Thanks, guys.

Chuck Yes, the throw distance situation is definitely a factor. If I went with the GT1090, the PJ would be about 8-9' from the screen. That would be ideal as it would be situated just behind the Uneekor and nearly right above the hitting area. If I go with the LK953 then the PJ would be 13-14' from the screen in, behind the hitting area but not in a place where it would be a problem, I don't believe. I would just prefer the 8-9' without shrinking the screen. Want to take up as much of the 183" width as I can.

These are 16:10 ratio throw distances. A little shorter if I go with 16:9.

[SpookyCamzilla]

JohnLew I'm working with similar dimensions and also the EyeXO. Being the the EyeXO unit will be between the projector and the screen, will the EyeXO cause a shadow at the top of the projected image?

[Chuck]

I think for a standard short-throw PJ at 8ft, you can't really go wrong with the Optoma 1090HDR. This gives me an 11ft x 6.9ft 16:9 image from the floor that when played from 8ft is very immersive. I did look at a 4K ViewSonic as well at 9-10ft throw distance with a similar screen scale, but at 2000 Lumens I didn't think it would be suitable for a simulator with lighting. I also had others recommend the Optoma as a very good pick. I liked the laser and bulb life. Price is a higher than the lamp based 1080HDR but it seems worth it.

[JohnLew]

JohnLew I'm working with similar dimensions and also the EyeXO. Being the the EyeXO unit will be between the projector and the screen, will the EyeXO cause a shadow at the top of the projected image?

SpookyCamzilla Trying to figure that out, working through the math

Some of it depends on whether I go 16:10 or 16:9. Let's assume 16:10 for now because those are the more challenging dimensions. The max projected image height on my screen is 107.5" so if I take the 107" number, that would mean the image is 172" wide and the LK953ST would sit anywhere from 12'11" to 14'1". The lowest profile of low profile ceiling mounts is probably going to add 2-2.5" and the middle of the lens on the PJ is about 2.75" from the bottom of the unit (since it would be inverted from the ceiling). So at the PJ, the middle of the lens would be about 5.5" from the ceiling at the absolute highest, if I didn't drop it down at all.

Let's go conservative and call it 5". That would put it 117" from the floor and the top of the image needs to be at 107-108" from the floor when it hits the screen so it needs to drop about 9" over 13' or .7" per ft. When the light gets to where the EYEXO sits, it would have dropped another 4.5", making it 9.5-10" from the ceiling at that point.

I haven't found a good dimension drawing of the EYEXO but I don't think it sits down from the ceiling that much so it would be fine. Looks like about 6-8" at the most. If it's an issue, I could mount a little further back since you have some flexibility with the BenQ projector and zoom - giving the light a little more room to travel and drop. Worst case, I would drop it down on a post a little bit. In my theater room I have my movie projector mounted on a post about 6-9" down using a chief mount and a painted steel pipe. Easy and secure.

I'm actually more worried about casting shadows w/ the BenQ. If I mount at that same 13' distance, the bottom of the image has to drop 117" on its way to the screen, that's 9" per ft. So by the time it gets to the hitting area it has dropped 27" and is about 32" from the ceiling. Ceiling is 122" so that would put it 90" from the ground or 7'5". I'm 6'4" so it probably will be okay. Kind of a catch-22 though because if I move the hitting area back then the EYEXO has to come back too which makes it tighter to clear that.

Will Wanna check my math there?

[SpookyCamzilla]

That's brilliant - thanks.

[Will]

http://www.cleavebooks.co.uk/scol/calrtri.htm

Hit the "clear all" and enter two variables and then click "calculate it" button.

@JohnLew

I always keep this tab open for such a task. Use the tool and check your angles. Overhead and profile views can be calculated.

Let's work with goals and then see if the mounting position works. So, how about 7' safe projected light clearance for you. You are hitting 10' away. Input 84" for side a. Input 120" for side b. The calculator tells you that angle A is 35 degrees. Click "Clear All". Input 35 for angle A. Input your projector lens height of 117". Click "Calculate it". You can see that side b will be 167" away. That means for the light from the projector to easily clear your head and go over you, 7' off the floor at 10' from the screen, the projector lens will be 167" away from the screen and 117" off the floor. Change your goal or change your variables. Input only two at a time before hitting "calculate it".

167" from a 192" wide screen is 0.87 throw ratio. That's as far away as that benq could be and you should move it forward a bit more. This means the beam has more and more clearance over your head. Move it up to 160" at 117" height = 36.2 degrees for A. A=36.2 b=120 then the light will be 87.8 high. at 10' from the screen.

Projector at 160", ball is at 120", that puts the EyeXo at 84"? Is it 36" away from the ball? You are 76" tall, the light will be near 88". The EyeXO is only 6-8" tall. Play with the math, it should work.

No projector light can be on your head while addressing the ball. You should clearly overshoot the head. The projector can hang down a bit from the ceiling. Being over the ball will place it furthest away from the club.

Control the direction of light in the room and you won't have to buy projector lumens.

With that said.... go with 7200 lumens for a 16' wide screen when there is a need for ambient light. I've heard that you can buy my type of projector for close to 1/3 "msrp". The same lenses are used on Epson's newer models.

Go 16:9 to clean up monitor/projector sync issues. Also, the projector doesn't go beyond 3840 x 2160. You will have two other displays that will be also be running 2160 with one as a duplicate of the projector..

Vertical lens shift is close. A good retailer will check your math. That's why I went with AGI.

[JohnLew]

I also think that prob puts the LK953ST pretty much at the max of its lens shift capabilities (if I don’t drop it down from the ceiling much). Should work though.