The Quick Verdict
Get the BenQ AH30ST 1080P Short Throw LED Golf Simulator Projector. It lists at $1,499, which is $100 under the Optoma at list. BenQ also names a golf picture mode, lists 1:1 among its screen shapes, publishes a warranty, and gives you a zoom lens for some mounting slack. The Optoma GT2400HDR only earns the spot where the projector has to hang as close to the screen as possible. It puts up a 10 ft wide image from 5.0 ft back. That's the one number it owns. Check price at Amazon →
What They Have in Common
Both are native 1920x1080, 16:9 projectors that their makers call short throw, and the throw ratios back that up. Neither has lens shift. BenQ lists "none," and Optoma calls it a fixed lens with a native offset of 116% +/-5%. Input lag is 16.7 ms at 1080p 60Hz on each, so there's no gap. Both list 4:3 as a supported shape.
Where They Differ
Throw and image size
Image width is throw distance divided by throw ratio. The BenQ has a zoom lens at 0.69–0.83:1, so from 10 ft back it gives an image 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide. The Optoma has a fixed 0.496:1 lens, so from 10 ft back it's 20.2 ft wide. Flip it around: for a 10 ft wide image, the BenQ sits 6.9 ft–8.3 ft from the screen and the Optoma sits 5.0 ft from it.
That's the practical split. A shorter throw ratio means the projector hangs nearer the screen, which changes where it ends up relative to your hitting spot. Measure from where the lens would go to the screen before picking. The BenQ's 1.2 optical zoom gives you a range of mounting positions for the same image width. The Optoma's lens is fixed, so each image width has exactly one distance.
Screen shapes and golf mode
BenQ lists 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 1:1. Optoma lists 4:3, 16:9 and 16:10, so 1:1 isn't among its stated modes. That's not the same as saying it can't fill a square screen. Optoma just doesn't list it. If your impact screen is square, the BenQ is the one that says so on paper.
BenQ names a golf picture mode on the AH30ST. Optoma doesn't say whether the GT2400HDR has one.
Brightness, light source, keystone
BenQ quotes 3,000 lumens without stating the standard. Optoma quotes 4,200 lumens to ISO 21118. Those figures don't measure the same thing, so I'm not calling either one brighter.
The BenQ's LED is rated for 20,000 hours. The Optoma uses a laser, and Optoma doesn't publish a life figure for it. For keystone, BenQ lists 2D (Auto) with ±30° vertical and ±30° horizontal. Optoma lists ±15° each way, so the wider published range is the BenQ's.
Warranty, weight, price
BenQ's warranty reads "3 years parts and labor from purchase date (original retail purchaser), US." Optoma doesn't publish a warranty term for this model. The BenQ weighs 5.84 lbs, 0.77 lbs lighter than the Optoma's 6.61 lbs. It measures 11.95 x 4.23 x 8.69 in, against 10.79 W x 4.49 H x 8.50 D for the Optoma. BenQ gives a 2025 release year and Optoma gives 2026. List prices are $1,499 and $1,599.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AH30ST if...
- Your impact screen is square. 1:1 is among its stated modes.
- You want a named golf picture mode on the spec sheet.
- You want slack in where the mount goes. The zoom covers 6.9 ft–8.3 ft for a 10 ft wide image.
- You want a published warranty and a rated light-source life before you buy.
- You want the lower list price of $1,499.
Get the Optoma GT2400HDR if...
- The lens has to sit as close to the screen as possible. It needs 5.0 ft for a 10 ft wide image.
- You want the widest image from a fixed mounting spot: 20.2 ft wide from 10 ft back.
- Your screen is 4:3, 16:9 or 16:10, so the missing 1:1 listing doesn't matter.
- You'd rather have a brightness figure with a named standard (ISO 21118) than one without.
The Bottom Line
The BenQ AH30ST 1080P Short Throw LED Golf Simulator Projector lists $100 less and names a golf mode. It also lists both 1:1 and 4:3, publishes its warranty and LED life, and its zoom gives you a range of mounting distances. The Optoma GT2400HDR's case is the 0.496:1 lens, which gives a 10 ft wide image from 5.0 ft. My read is that's the only reason to spend the extra $100 at list. Measure from the lens position to the screen first. Unless you need the lens that close, go BenQ.