Benq vs. Optoma

[orangeman]

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a short throw projector. My finalists are the Benq HT2150 and Optoma GT1080. The Benq is roughly $300 more than the Optoma. I do like the fact that the lens is not fixed. Interested to hear from others on their thoughts here.

Thanks!

[bm11]

I'm in the same boat and would like to buy today. If you don't mind me adding to your thread- if my ceiling height is 11 feet and my screen is 7" tall, is there a mount configuration that would work or do I need to go with a floor mount?

[orangeman]

My ceiling is lower so I am going floor mount. The floor also gives you flexibility in placement. You'll need to be more precise with a ceiling mount, especially with a fixed focal length.

[bm11]

Have you done the math on how far back your projector needs to be? I'm just worried that putting the projector in front of my stance mat will put my mat back too far.

[Brandon]

I have the Optoma and I'm happy with it. I havn't seen the BenQ so I can't comment but it seems to be a popular choice.
I had mine on the floor for awhile, it was roughly 6' away from my screen and my mat was directly behind that putting me about 9'6"-10' from the screen
I've since moved the projector to the ceiling and I like it much better. It's completely out of the way and I don't have to worry about skipping thin shots off of the projector enclusure, not to mention watch putts go over it.
The projector is hung 99" from floor to the bottom of the unit and 71" from lens to screen if that helps. I use a 4:3 screen size and it fills my 105" wide screen

[aja]

As far as the notion of floor mount being better than ceiling mount.... have to agree that ceiling mounting is a much better option. The projector is truly out of harms way. Floor mounted projectors, even in a protective case will wreak havoc with the inevitable "worm burners". And please explain to me how you are going to putt over your floor mounted projector?

To establish the best ceiling mount location you can actually play around with the projector sitting on the floor. Move it around until you have pinpointed the correct distance from the screen. The proper ceiling mount location is directly above. Not that complicated.

Meant to inform, not inflame.

[p3eps]

To establish the best ceiling mount location you can actually play around with the projector sitting on the floor. Move it around until you have pinpointed the correct distance from the screen. The proper ceiling mount location is directly above. Not that complicated.

I did this with my fixed Optoma. Found the location on the floor, and then hung a plumb line from the ceiling to get the exact placement for the centre of my lens.
Worked out pretty well.
I then swapped to a Benq, which I'm much happier with. Although it has slightly lower lumens, I feel it's actually much brighter.

[orangeman]

thanks. i am leaning toward the benq.

[jyarbs67]

I am only able to fit a 7' high by 8' wide screen is this going to cause me any issues with a optoma 1080 projector?

[Brandon]

I am only able to fit a 7' high by 8' wide screen is this going to cause me any issues with a optoma 1080 projector?

Nope, you'll just have to move it closer, a few inches closer makes a big difference in terms of screen size.

[jyarbs67]

Thanks! I cant wait! Skytrak comes today!

[BagMan]

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a short throw projector. My finalists are the Benq HT2150 and Optoma GT1080. The Benq is roughly $300 more than the Optoma. I do like the fact that the lens is not fixed. Interested to hear from others on their thoughts here.

Thanks!

I know this response is late, but I wanted to post my findings for anyone else looking for the answer. I was able to do a side by side comparison of the GT1080 and the HT2150st and found the differences between the two to be very minimal.

Projected on a 12' wide Supertex screen 16:9

-The Benq had a very slightly better image. Splitting hairs, but the color and sharpness was ever so slightly better.
-Both projectors were the same brightness
-The Optoma projects a bigger image and was able to fill the screen from a distance of 7 feet. Even with zoom, the Benq needed to be 9 feet from the screen.

I went with the Optoma since it fit my needs better with its shorter throw.

[Ironstrokes]

I know this response is late, but I wanted to post my findings for anyone else looking for the answer. I was able to do a side by side comparison of the GT1080 and the HT2150st and found the differences between the two to be very minimal.

Projected on a 12' wide Supertex screen 16:9

-The Benq had a very slightly better image. Splitting hairs, but the color and sharpness was ever so slightly better.
-Both projectors were the same brightness
-The Optoma projects a bigger image and was able to fill the screen from a distance of 7 feet. Even with zoom, the Benq needed to be 9 feet from the screen.

I went with the Optoma since it fit my needs better with its shorter throw.

Nice to read a review of someone with experience with both of them. I had my suspicions that there really wasn't much of a difference when I watched a few videos before I got my optoma short throw. And that was against the previous benq. Plus it being and even shorter throw was the kicker for me as well

[wbond]

Probably why these two appear to be the most widely used. Distance and image offset seem to be the larger differences between the two. I went with the optoma since it has a larger image offset which gets the projector higher above the golfer. And the bigger reason was the price i got through amazon warehouse for it.

[orangeman]

Just to close the loop here, I originally went with the BenQ, but wound up returning it and now have the Optoma. All things being equal, I liked the BenQ better, but throw distance was the driver of the swap. Though I didn't have them side by side, I feel like the BenQ was a little crisper and brighter and the keystone correction was better. Finally, I liked the mechanical vs. digital zoom. That said, the Optoma is working out just fine and from a cost perspective, saved me $300.

[teamacacia]

Just to close the loop here, I originally went with the BenQ, but wound up returning it and now have the Optoma. All things being equal, I liked the BenQ better, but throw distance was the driver of the swap. Though I didn't have them side by side, I feel like the BenQ was a little crisper and brighter and the keystone correction was better. Finally, I liked the mechanical vs. digital zoom. That said, the Optoma is working out just fine and from a cost perspective, saved me $300.

Orangeman, Did the longer throw of the benq require the projector to be in a place where it interfered with something (swing, room lights, etc)? And just to clarify your statements, BenQ was slightly better on all points with exception being the throw distance? Thanks! As soon as my old house sells, I am envisioning a projector on the ceiling in my garage!!!

[orangeman]

Yes. I'm in a smallish space and the throw pushed my hitting mat too far back in the room.