Optoma GT1080 vs. BenQ 1085ST

[Gamble Gamble]

I just bought the last two pieces of the puzzle. HQ screen from Par2Pro USA (Preston is great to work with) and the projector. I was on the phone with the rep at projector people who recommended the GT1080ST over the EH200ST due to the higher contrast same lumens and $200 less.

Has anyone used this Pj with the HQ screen? I remember goodmatt78 saying it seemed washed out compared to the BenQ, but I was thinking maybe it was a defective unit. It says it has a higher contrast ratio and higher lumens. Does anyone know how this one could be worse with those stats?

[Dax]

You cannot always trust what a manufacturer puts out as a projectors lumens etc. And thus it is difficult to compare based off what one manufacturer says over another. Also while a unit could have been defective I would not suspect this to be be the case. A more likely or possibility could be that an incorrect settingv as used (say power save), but even then I would ask more questions before assuming something was not done correctly and then taking a chance.

Some other things to consider is the image size that you would like as well as room conditions and the distance from the screen that the projector needs to be to get your image size. This is where the info from projector central would be great.

My recommendation based on owning the benq is to go with something that is advertised as having at least 3000 lumen, as I find mine to be good but wish it could be brighter.

[Gamble Gamble]

it listed at 25,000:1 contrast and 2800-3000 lumens. I really would not want to cheap out on the last thing after I basically tripled my sim budget.

Do you have any recommendations for a good, clear picture that is bright enough for a sim? Aside from the info online on pj central I do not know what info to trust outside of you guys. Unfortunately, there are not any local stores that have these on display.

Thank you Dax

[SwingHarder]

I can't give you comparisons, but I have the Benq1085ST set up to give a 15 ft wide projection from about 10 feet away. No light sources between projector and screen, but lots of light behind projector. Image is good brightness on screen and that is at the mid output setting on the Benq (ie, I could go brighter).

The image is really good and that's with me using a painters canvas. I'm thinking it will only get better with the HQ screen, which comes Monday.

[goodmatt78]

Yeah, I don't think you can trust the manifacturer specs unless you really know the testing criteria and understand it well...and that is a shame for us that research and buy online.

The optima wasn't defective imo. I feel they were able to advertise more lumen output by sacrificing overall image quality. I tried tweaking the settings to improve the washed out image, but had little success. The benq was significantly better side by side in both brightness and contrast in my uncalibrated eye.

One other thing I have noticed....The benq has an optical zoom which the optoma does not. This really assists in mounting. Also I have found different sources actually have an effect on image size and I use the zoom to correct for this. For example running the st app from my ipad produces a slightly different image size than from the st pc program....same with wgt. Without the optical zoom, you would reallY need 2 different mounting locations to make it perfect.

If you can control light....it's perfect. I still keep my lights on but dimmed.

[Gamble Gamble]

goodmatt78

I may want to go your way because your image looks good in your posts. What are the dimensions of your screen? Also what distance are is the projector from the screen? Thank you

[goodmatt78]

My visible screen area is 11ft 10in X 8ft 6inch. My projector sits close to my back wall. My guess is screen to lens is around 12.25ft. I use the zoom to dial in.

I know the screen dims aren't exactly 4:3, but I installed the screen, then projector, then trimmed in the screen to fit the image. As I said, the image size changes by source which makes no sense. I can also watch netflix or direct tv in with projector in 4:3 mode. In native 16:9, the image height starts the same, but the width goes onto my side walls.

[Dax]

I would check out what Craig118 says about the hd25lv I believe it is. He seems to have some good things to say about that projector. If I were looking today I might give that a look.

[ForeLeft]

I just recently installed BenQ HT1085ST. Works great and the image looks really sharp. The optical zoom is really helpful, as goodmatt78 mentioned above that image size changes based on the source. When I connect iPad mini, image is smaller compared to when I connect my PC. The only feature that I would have liked to have is lens shifting, which this projector does not have. My projector is not exactly in the middle, so I am having to use little bit of digital keystone, but from what I have read lens shift is preferable to that.

[Hacksalot]

I have the Optoma works great on a 10x15 HD screen. I've used it for 3-4 months with flawless performance

[Gamble Gamble]

Hacksalot you did not think the GT1080 gave a washed out picture?

[Ironstrokes]

I'm using the gt1080 as well and very pleased with the picture (especially with all the lights off when watching movies), but then again, haven't had any other projector before, so can't really compare it to anything

[CBearsSB]

One suggestion is to purchase both and return one. Generally one can test out a projector for a certain amount of hours. You can hook up to HDMI cable and hold on latter to decide which has the best picture.

[goodmatt78]

This is exactly what I did. I bought both on Amazon...no issues returning.

[Hacksalot]

Gamble Gamble, no it looks outstanding actually . When people come over to play they are always amazed .

Clearly both peojectors are fine, not sure there is a bad choice. My Optoma has been really good though .

[Gamble Gamble]

Awesome that makes me feel much better. How much light do you have on when playing?

[Gamble Gamble]

Cool thanks guys. I bought the GT1080 from a group that allows returns The throw ratio fits my setup perfect so I hope it works but if not I'll return it and try the other.

[jetergr]

Gideon - have you set this up yet? I noticed in your set up that you have a light right above where you will be hitting. Will you be turning the light off when you play? Or is this projector strong enough to work through the light?

I have a similar lighting setup in my garage, and I'm curious what type of projector I need to ensure I can hit with the lights on.

[Gamble Gamble]

I have some ideas of how to minimize that light's effect if it is noticeable. Projector should be here on Friday. I'll let you know what works

[Fieldygolf]

Can anyone help, I'm looking at moving my set up to garage and will have a screen that is 2.4 metre wide by 2.0 high. Looking at projector central I can have an image of 2.4 wide by 1.8 high in 4:3 which is good enough for the small room that I have. The optoma can be 1.6 meters away from
Screen. Again this is needed due to small space I have available. My question is can I have the optoma on the floor or raised very slightly. I have never had and projector and I just spoke to a rude women on the phone at a projector shop who said that I can't have it on the floor and the optoma will be no good for a simulator. All the research I have done says it's good enough for me but need to know if I can have it on the floor. Thanks in advance

[wbond]

She's clueless. It's a projector, it projects an image either whether right side up or upside down, on the floor/desk or hanging from the ceiling. It's also listed on many sites as a gaming projector, no clue why she would mention it's not good for a simulator. I have the GT1080 and it works fine with TGC. Just note, it has no adjustable lens and it has a large offset for where the image starts. The only concern would be how are you going to protect it from getting hit.

[Fieldygolf]

Thank you for the reassurance. I currently have the golf club but am perfect golf on steam so might give that a go. I understand about the no adjustable lense but what does large offset mean? In terms of protection I'm going to built a box to house it in. Again thanks in advance

[wbond]

It means that the image will start a significant amount either above the projector or below it. This has one of the largest image offsets that i've seen.