The Quick Verdict
Get the BenQ AH30ST 1080P Short Throw LED Golf Simulator Projector. It lists at $1,499 MSRP, $300 under the Optoma at list. Of these two, it's the one whose maker names a golf mode, lists a 1:1 mode for square impact screens, and publishes an input-lag figure. Its zoom lens also gives you a range of mounting distances instead of one exact spot. The Optoma GT2000HDR is the pick only if the projector has to sit very close to the screen. Its fixed 0.496 lens puts a 10 ft wide image 5.0 ft from the screen. Check price at Amazon →
What They Have in Common
These are both 1080p projectors at a native 1920x1080 in 16:9, and both are short throw by the numbers. Each lists a 4:3 mode. Neither has lens shift: BenQ lists none, and Optoma lists none with a fixed lens. Neither maker says which standard its lumens figure is measured to.
Where They Differ
Throw distance and image size
Image width is the throw distance divided by the throw ratio. The BenQ's throw ratio is 0.69–0.83:1. From 10 ft back, that gives an image 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide, depending on where the zoom is set. The Optoma's ratio is a fixed 0.496:1, so from 10 ft back it's 20.2 ft wide.
Working the other way, a 10 ft wide image puts the BenQ 6.9 ft–8.3 ft from the screen and the Optoma 5.0 ft from it.
That fixed lens is the real-world difference. On the Optoma, the distance is the only thing that sets the image size, so the mount position has to land exactly. The BenQ's 1.2 optical zoom gives you a stretch of distances that all produce the same width. Before buying either, measure from where the lens will sit to the screen and check that number against these figures. Optoma also lists a native offset of 116%.
Screen shapes
BenQ lists 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 1:1. Optoma lists 4:3, 16:9 and 16:10. Square isn't among the Optoma's stated modes. That doesn't mean it can't do it, but Optoma doesn't say it can. For a 4:3 screen, both makers list the mode.
Brightness, input lag and golf mode
BenQ rates the AH30ST at 3,000 lumens and Optoma rates the GT2000HDR at 3,500 lumens. Neither states the measurement standard, so I won't call either one brighter from those two numbers.
BenQ publishes 16.7 ms of input lag at 1080p 60Hz. Optoma doesn't publish an input-lag figure, so there's nothing to compare it against.
BenQ names a golf picture mode. Optoma doesn't say either way.
Light source, keystone, size and warranty
The BenQ is LED, rated at 20,000 hours. The Optoma is laser, rated at 30,000 hours.
For keystone, BenQ lists 2D with auto vertical correction, ±30° vertical and ±30° horizontal. Optoma lists ±15° in each direction.
The BenQ weighs 5.84 lbs, 0.77 lbs lighter than the Optoma's 6.61 lbs. Dimensions are 11.95 x 4.23 x 8.69 in for the BenQ and 10.79 W x 4.49 H x 8.50 D in for the Optoma.
The warranties are built differently:
- BenQ: "3 years parts and labor from purchase date (original retail purchaser), US."
- Optoma: "1 year projector parts and labor; 5 years or 12,000 hours light source."
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AH30ST 1080P Short Throw LED Golf Simulator Projector if:
- Your impact screen is square. BenQ lists a 1:1 mode and Optoma doesn't.
- You want a published lag number to go on. BenQ states 16.7 ms at 1080p 60Hz.
- You want slack in where the mount goes. A 10 ft wide image comes from anywhere between 6.9 ft and 8.3 ft back.
- You want the golf picture mode the maker names.
- You want the lower list price ($1,499 vs $1,799) and 3 years of parts and labor on the whole projector.
Get the Optoma GT2000HDR if:
- The projector has to sit very close to the screen. It needs 5.0 ft for a 10 ft wide image, or gives 20.2 ft wide from 10 ft back.
- You want laser with a 30,000-hour rated life, plus light-source coverage of 5 years or 12,000 hours.
- Your screen is 4:3 or 16:9, and you can mount at one exact distance since the lens is fixed.
The Bottom Line
The BenQ lists for $300 less at list. It's the only one of the two that states a 1:1 mode, an input-lag figure and a golf mode, and its zoom range keeps the mount from having to land on one exact spot. The Optoma's case is reach: a 0.496 ratio puts a big image very close to the screen, and it carries the longer rated light-source life.
If I had to bet, the mounting slack and the stated square mode matter more in an actual bay than the extra reach does.