What Are the Three Best Projectors for Eye-popping Realism with a GCQuad Golf Simulator System?

A photometric system like the GCQuad requires a lot of light for the launch to see and track the ball.  But ambient light is the enemy of a projected image, so you will need a bright projector to light up your impact screen.  Most setups with a larger screen use a 5000 lumen laser-powered projector.   This is enough power to enable the playing area to have enough light in the playing area for the launch monitor to work properly – but still bright enough to look great on a 12 foot or wider impact screen.  

Foresight’s FSX’s premium courses enable you to play the best courses in the world in ultra-realistic 4K UHD resolution.  This technology enables you to see the details of the wall of Hells Bunker as well as the spray created from the crashing waves at Pebble Beach #7 for the ultimate in a realistic simulator. 

To see these details when you playing – you will need more than a generic projector.  The BenQ LK953ST is one of the only golf simulator projectors that can render every one of the 8.3 million pixels from your simulator on your impact screen – showing every detail you paid for. The alternative resolution to a 4K UHD projector is the WUXGA resolution which displays just under 2.5 million pixels.  Remember, the larger your impact screen – the more important resolution is to enable the image to look realistic.

Good players notice the details in every hole.  Great golf simulators render every detail on the course with true and accurate colors.   While a home cinema projector will specify color accuracy, most 5000 lumen projectors never mention this in their specifications.  Why?  Many of these projectors are designed for brightness instead of color accuracy.  The result is an image that is bright enough to fill your impact screen – but without compelling realism.  The best projectors for a GCQuad use a 10-bit color processing system capable of creating over 1 billion colors – and disclose the color accuracy to industry standards such as Rec. 709.   You can also find projectors in this class that have the same DLP color technology used in digital cinema.

Simple.  The best launch monitor deserves the best projector to bring out every bit of enjoyment your system has to offer.   Here are the three key differences between a traditional lamp and a cutting-edge laser projector for you to consider with your GCQuad.

Let’s start with the basics.  Turning the projector on.  One of the biggest advantages of a laser projector is that it turns on instantly – just like your TV.  Traditional lamps require a warm-up period and the more powerful the lamp, the longer it takes.   Laser projectors enable you to just drop in and hit a quick bucket of balls.  Laser projectors also don’t need extended cool-down time to cool the lamp, so there is less risk of overheating if the power goes out when you are using the projector.

Why do 75% of high brightness projector buyers choose a laser over a lamp? They stay brighter longer. A 5000-lumen lamp that is rated for 3000 hours of life starts losing brightness in the first few hundred hours - and will only be displaying 2500 lumen when it is replaced. By contrast – a laser projector with a 20,000-hour life will look much brighter than a lamp projector after the same 3000 hours.

The cost of replacement lamps – and the hassle of installing them – is getting are more expensive.  High brightness projector lamps don’t last as long as lower brightness models – and substituting a generic lamp to save money can ruin your projector.   For example – one popular golf simulation 5000-lumen projector model has a replacement lamp cost of $350 plus installation - which can add up to over $2000 over the life of the projector –about four rounds of golf at Pebble Beach.  

Also – the latest laser projectors from BenQ eliminate the hassle of filter cleaning that is required on most other projectors.   This eliminates the risk of your projector shutting down due to a dirty filter in the middle of a game of Wolf.

To have a setup like this one – you will want a projector with a short-throw lens.   This enables you to mount the projector in a spot out of danger – but also in a way where the player doesn’t cast a shadow on the screen.   In the past, a good projector required an expensive optional lens, but the latest golf simulation projectors now have integrated short throw lenses that have a great picture and are less expensive.  

Both DIY’ers and professional installers appreciate the optical and digital correction tools such as lens shift, keystone, and other features such as digital shrink.  Lens shift enables you to move the image up and down or sideways.  Keystone corrects for any tilt on the projector and digital shrink is ideal if you have to mount the projector further back to avoid the playing area – and then reduce the image size so it doesn’t spill over the edge of the impact screen.

To get the right projector for your GCQuad, here are several good laser projector models at a variety of price points and mounting positions that will help you have the most realistic experience when trying to best Phil’s stats at Cypress Point.