4:3 vs 16:9 screen aspect ratio

[HACKER20]

Hello everyone!
First post after just signing up. I'm getting ready for my first simulator build.

I'll be getting a Skytrak launch simulator very soon. I'm going back and forth on what screen aspect ratio to go with. My garage is 12 feet wide with 10 plus feet of ceiling height. 20 feet deep. For the area I want to put it in, a 4:3 aspect ratio would fit perfect. The question is.... would I be sacrificing picture quality by not going with a 16:9 aspect ratio when I play the virtual golf courses?

I'll use the Skytrak a lot for practicing. (Perfect for 4:3.) What I'm really looking forward to is playing the virtual courses. I'm probably going to get The Golf Club 2019 software. Will those courses format to 4:3 screen aspect ratio? Will they look just as nice as a 16:9 aspect ratio? What I don't want is black bars on the top and bottom of my screen. Practice will help me improve but I care more about playing the courses.

The projector I have my eye on can do both. I'll make sure the computer I pick up can cover any / all graphics.

Your thoughts on this would be a huge help!

Thanks!

[Godfather]

I’d stick with 4:3

[JDG]

I think going with 16:9 is a no-brainer. You will get a much better visual experience and it gives a much better appearance for your simulator.

[Godfather]

In my 4:3 suggestion I assumed the screen was going on the 12’ wall. If so you’re looking at:
4:3... maybe 11 x 8.25
16:9... maybe 11 x 6.2
I’ll take the extra height all day!

[schurlette]

This beeing your first sim setup, I'd suggest you go for a most flexible build. I am aware that you are going with Skytrak, but you might change your simulator over the next few years on go with some other technology. If you then do radar based you might want to maximise your ball flight and hence want to have the highest possible enclosure for those wedge shots that will hit the roof.
The aspect ratio is really down to the possibilities of your room as Godfather stated above. If you want a 16:9 without black/white/green bars (it really is down to how you "decorate" it) you would need a 16 feet wide enclosure at an assumed height of 9 feet. So given your room size, 16:9 without bars is not going to happen as 6.2 feet is not high enough for the enclosure.

My suggestion:
Buy a WUXGA (1920x1200) projector with a flexible projection ratio (distance to screen vs. picture size). That way you can do a full HD 16:9 projection (1920x1080) that will leave you with bars, but you can also do a 1600x1200 4:3 projection that maximises the area (it is the highest resolution 4:3 ratio I found in TGC2019). You can then decide what you prefer.

[HACKER20]

but you can also do a 1600x1200 4:3 projection that maximises the area (it is the highest resolution 4:3 ratio I found in TGC2019). You can then decide what you prefer.[/QUOTE]

So if I’m understanding correctly...
TGC2019 has a setting to format their courses for a 4:3 screen?

[Jason Penner]

Yes. I run it 4x3 on an older projector 1280x1024. It looks good

[schurlette]

Hi,

I took some screenshots from my 1920x1080 screen - so aspect not quite right (1600x1080 instead of 1200). but it seems that TGC2019 cuts away the sides when changing the resolution. See attached pictures.

[gmbtempe]

I am in the same quandary as the original post. I can do 16', 14' or 12' wide. The difficulty in doing each width increases with the width. I feel like 14' is a good middle ground. I am going to build the EMT cage at 9' high (leaves 5" to my ceiling). So you figure with clips to hold the screen its going to be roughly 8' 8" to the ground.

If I go with a 14' wide screen than the true width of the cage would need be about 14' 8" to allow for clips on both sides of the screen. So a true 16:9: ratio would be a projected image of 7' 9", This would leave about 1' of blank screen to the floor. (8'8" to 7'9")

The blank screen to the floor, is this a normal condition that people deal with or would be better to make the enclosure less height so that the image true goes from top of the screen to the floor?

To further complicate things I see others recommend a 16:10 ratio, is that a good or bad idea?

Thanks!