What am i looking for in a projector?

[bart2puck]

finishing touches on my diy simulator. Time to get a projector. I know nothing about video/ratios/throw distances/ etc. What am i looking for in a projector? I dont want to spend a million dollars but also want to get something that will serve its purpose.. I plan on mounting projector to ceiling which is 13 feet up. I will need some kind of extended mount. The distance from the projector to the screen can be anywhere from 6-11 feet. My screen is 7.5ft x 7.5ft. What other factors would you need to know to help?

[LastChance56]

#bart2puck

Go to Projector Central, you can select models based on price, resolution and throw ratio's. Once you select a few compare them. The Projector Calculator will give you idea of where the projector will be mounted. Search for you-tube videos for Projector Reviews for golf sims. I went for cheap first and after weeks of research, I decided I wanted 4K with at least 5000 lumens. My ceiling is 13-14 feet also, I am fabricating a hanger that will be mounted from the wall extending parallel to screen to mount projector.

The BenQ LK936ST with lens shift allows me to do that. To me, this is a 'you get what you pay for' decision. I am starting out with the Ernest Sports Tour Plus launch monitor (cost me $1,100) and I will put up with it's mic issues. The immersive experience of 4K was important to me. In a year or two, I will treat myself to a launch monitor upgrade.

Do not forget to check that the mount location does not interfere with your swing.

Good Hunting!

[digger]

The biggest question is how much do you want to spend? A 936ST is awesome but also $4895 or something like that. Something that will get you by might be a couple hundred bucks used. +1 on projector central, they are a great source of info. Throw ratio, brightness, lamp vs laser, resolution and cost are all factors. Lamp based projectors are quite a bit cheaper to buy but bulbs are expensive and shorter lasting. Do your homework and start shopping.

[Brettster]

bart2puck - it all depends on your budget...

Here are some Projectors you might want to consider, from LOW PRICE (Budget) to HIGH PRICE (4K):
https://tinyurl.com/4k-mini-projector-dolby (the one I purchased for very low price - not bad and has true Dolby surround sound licensing so works well for sound/movies)
https://tinyurl.com/Roconia4K-1080P-5GBT (another cheapo, without Dolby surround)
https://tinyurl.com/BenQMW632ST-WXGA-Short-3200L (BenQ short throw)
https://tinyurl.com/BenQtk700sti (BenQ with 4K pixel shift)
https://tinyurl.com/Optoma-HZ406STShortLaser4200L (Optoma Laser 4K)
https://tinyurl.com/Optoma-ZW403-4K (another Optoma 4K)
https://tinyurl.com/Optomoa-GT1090HDR (Optoma 4K high lumens - 4200)
https://tinyurl.com/ViewSonicX104KE-ShorterThrow (Viewsonic with Short throw)
(*The 4K options are not required, but include incredible detail. The Laser projector options provide much longer life (as no bulbs need to be replaced) and brighter output.)

Surround Sound Systems (Budget to HIGH):
https://tinyurl.com/Vizio51SurroundBar (Vizio Surround does the job for less, and with wireless Subwoofer - this is the one I have, see it in my entire forum thread mentioned above).
https://tinyurl.com/Sonos-Playbar-Surround (Sonos Playbar)
https://tinyurl.com/Sonos-Soundbar-TVMoviesMusic (Sonos Premium Soundbar)

[bart2puck]

this is awesome, thanks all

[hamviper]

So I don't have mine yet so this is just a reading a lot opinion for now. Your screen is smaller then a lot of ones seen on here. For example, mine is 8.5 x 13.5 feet so I am lighting almost 2x larger screen. From my research I wanted at least 4000, but really 5000 or more lumens for a small amount of ambient light. With your screen size, and if you have good control of your light, you will likely be happy with 3K lumens or less with good light control. This opens a lot of doors and some nice budget units like BenQ TH671ST for 1080P or BenQ TK700STi 4K (less budget but good for 4K).Remember if you go 4K you have to have a pretty stout computer to create the picture, factor that into your budget. Projector central will be your best bet to find one with the right throw. Make sure you use your screen height and ignore width or size. You will have to set a custom resolution for the screen you picked but the projector will need to throw the height of the screen then clip off the sides. This helps figure out where you will put it. Also look at where it is positioned in relation to the screen height, some are above the screen, some are below and it will make a difference.


Good luck.

[digger]

I am no authority but I read from another site that 4k is great if you want the best and are willing to spend the money but a laser based projector with slightly less resolution might be a good choice if you don't want to break the bank.

[WannaBScratch]

I can totally recommend the BenQ TH671ST if you're not looking for high end 4k type setup. Currently in the process of getting my sim set up. I had reservations about it but based on reviews I've seen here and elsewhere, I went ahead and purchased one. Got it tested this week and it will work great for my space. I have a 12x9 screen and the projector is right at about 11' away. As long as you can control light getting directly on the screen, it should look good. As seen in the pic, my room has plenty of ambient light, but the screen and pic quality look great at least to me anyway. Pic quality much better in person that in the pic posted. Projector was on floor in the pic but has since been mounted to the ceiling. have 12 foot ceilings.

[bart2puck]

I can totally recommend the BenQ TH671ST if you're not looking for high end 4k type setup. Currently in the process of getting my sim set up. I had reservations about it but based on reviews I've seen here and elsewhere, I went ahead and purchased one. Got it tested this week and it will work great for my space. I have a 12x9 screen and the projector is right at about 11' away. As long as you can control light getting directly on the screen, it should look good. As seen in the pic, my room has plenty of ambient light, but the screen and pic quality look great at least to me anyway. Pic quality much better in person that in the pic posted. Projector was on floor in the pic but has since been mounted to the ceiling. have 12 foot ceilings.

Thats the one I purchased.

So i have a question. I have an 8x8 screen. did you tinker with resolution? how did you determine how far back to set it? looks like you have it perfectly framed there...

[WannaBScratch]

Use projector central to work out the distance needed to fill screen top to bottom. Then you should be able to adjust the width with custom resolution in you vid card settings. Mine is 4:3, so the movies come up short top and bottom, but for sim it should be the full screen. There's posts on how to set up the custom resolution on the forum.