Projector advice

[bubbtubbs]

Quick question, looking for some guidance.

I've been using a GC2 with a swivel-mounted TV adjacent to hitting area. There's never much for short throw projectors on Canadian marketplace in my area but a few have come up this week.

I have to decide between a 720p Optoma for 400CDN or a 1080 HDR for 800. Same ANSI lumens (3800) for both, same throw distances on Projector Central. Graphics card is an RTX 3060 so I'm not 4K but will look to upgrade to 4k in the future as prices of laser come down.

Just wondering if the extra upcharge is worth it for 1080p when I'm planning to get 4k in a year or two. It's mainly a practice space and I'll still use the TV for numbers - it'd just be nice to have an aiming point that isn't a crosshair taped to my screen.

[jasonreg]

Well both will be an improvement over the TV solution but in short, yes I think the 1080HDR would be a better choice than the 720P version if only to retain more resale value when you eventually upgrade. 720P will be noticeably grainy on a larger projection IMO (remember it is not just the vertical pixel count but the horizontal as well (720P - 1280 x 720 vs 1080P 1920 x 1080). That said, I would also check how much life if remaining (or used) on the bulbs. They can be quite expensive to replace and if one assumes the 720P projector is a few years older, it would have more lamp usage (maybe).

Good Luck,

[bubbtubbs]

I bought the 1080 HDR. Talked the seller down to 650 because of lamp life. Should be able to get it re-lamped and mounted for less than 800 all in.

[jasonreg]

I bought the 1080 HDR. Talked the seller down to 650 because of lamp life. Should be able to get it re-lamped and mounted for less than 800 all in.

Well done! Enjoy the projector.

[bubbtubbs]

Now I just have to make an enclosure. My current setup is just a par2pro raw SQ screen hanging on an aircraft cable as a ball backstop.