The Quick Verdict
Get the BenQ AH500ST 1080P Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector. It lists at $1,999 against $4,899, gives a far wider image from the same mounting distance, and BenQ states it can fill both 4:3 and 1:1 shapes, which are common impact-screen shapes. The BenQ LK936ST 4K HDR Short Throw Laser Projector earns the $2,900 gap at list only where the lower input lag, the 3840x2160 resolution and real lens shift are worth that money. For a hitting bay, I don't think they are. Check price at The Indoor Golf Shop →
What They Have in Common
Same maker, same laser light source rated at 20,000 hours in normal mode, and both list a native 16:9 aspect ratio. BenQ calls both short throw, and both have a golf picture mode by BenQ's own listing. Neither states a brightness standard, but both figures come from BenQ, so they're measured the same way.
Where They Differ
Throw ratio and image size
Image width is the throw distance divided by the throw ratio. The AH500ST has a fixed 0.499:1 lens, so from 10 ft back it throws an image 20.0 ft wide. The LK936ST has a 0.81–0.89:1 zoom lens, so from 10 ft back it's 11.2 ft to 12.3 ft wide. Run it the other way: for a 10 ft wide image, the AH500ST's lens sits 5.0 ft from the screen, and the LK936ST's sits 8.1 ft–8.9 ft from it. Both are short throw by the numbers. The AH500ST just gets there much closer.
On a fixed lens like the AH500ST's, the mounting distance is the image size. There's no zoom to adjust it once the bracket's up, so measure from where the lens will hang to the screen surface before you drill anything.
Mounting slack
This is where the LK936ST earns some of its price. It has 1.1x optical zoom, lens shift of -60%+60% vertical and -23%+23% horizontal, and 3D keystone at ±40 degrees vertical, horizontal and rotation. The AH500ST has 1x optical zoom, no lens shift, and 2D keystone at ±30 degrees vertical and horizontal. If your mounting position is fixed by a beam or a joist, the LK936ST gives you more room to correct for it.
Screen shapes
BenQ states the AH500ST can do 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 1:1. For the LK936ST, BenQ lists no selectable modes at all. That isn't the same as saying it's stuck at 16:9. It means BenQ doesn't say. If your screen is square or 4:3, the AH500ST is the one where the maker puts that shape in writing.
Brightness, lag and resolution
The LK936ST is rated at 5,100 lumens to the AH500ST's 4,000, a 1,100-lumen gap. Input lag at 1080p 60Hz is 16.7 ms on the LK936ST and 33.4 ms on the AH500ST, so the LK936ST is lower by 16.7 ms. The AH500ST is native 1920x1080. The LK936ST lists 3840x2160, and BenQ doesn't say how its 4K is produced.
The smaller stuff: the AH500ST weighs 11.2 lbs and measures 12.60 x 5.14 x 10.04 in. The LK936ST weighs 15.4 lbs and measures 16.4 x 6.5 x 13.8 in, so the AH500ST is 4.2 lbs lighter. The AH500ST carries "3 years parts and labor from purchase date (original retail purchaser), US." BenQ publishes no warranty term for the LK936ST. Release years are 2024 for the AH500ST and 2021 for the LK936ST.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AH500ST 1080P Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector if:
- Your impact screen is 4:3 or square, and you want the maker to state that shape is supported.
- You want a 10 ft wide image with the lens 5.0 ft from the screen, not 8.1 ft–8.9 ft.
- You'd rather have the published three-year US warranty than no published term.
- A $1,999 list price is the ceiling for the projector line of the build.
- You're mounting overhead and the 4.2 lb difference matters to the bracket you've chosen.
Get the BenQ LK936ST 4K HDR Short Throw Laser Projector if:
- Your screen is 16:9 and the shape question doesn't apply.
- You want the lower input lag: 16.7 ms against 33.4 ms at 1080p 60Hz.
- The lens can't hang dead center on the screen, and you need lens shift and 3D keystone to correct for it.
- The bay doubles as a movie room and the 3840x2160 resolution is worth $2,900 at list to you.
The Bottom Line
The AH500ST lists for $2,900 less, puts a 20.0 ft wide image up from 10 ft back, and has BenQ's stated support for the 4:3 and 1:1 shapes a lot of sim screens use. The LK936ST has real advantages in input lag, lumens, resolution and mounting flexibility. Call it a hunch, but for a dedicated hitting bay, screen-shape support and that price gap matter more than any of them. Measure your lens-to-screen distance, check your screen's shape, and if it's 4:3 or square, this one's settled.