Golf Simulator Projectors: Epson EB-PU1006W vs BenQ Laser Projectors

The resolution of a display is typically the most important specification for most buyers.  Most movies, television, and golf simulation software uses the industry standard 4K UHD specification that generates over 8 million pixels to ensure that you can see every detail.  BenQ is the only brand that offers a true 4K projector that meets the demanding standard of 8.3 million pixels on the screen. 

While the Epson markets “4K Enhancement” the description comes with a small footnote that explains that the projector only produces about half the pixels needed for a true 4K projector, but can accept a 4K signal.  So if you are looking for the same resolution as your 4K TV – the BenQ is the only choice.

For a realistic experience with a high-end simulator such as the GC Quad, you need accurate color on your projector.  While nearly every home theater projector specifies its color accuracy to the HDTV standard Rec. 709, a typical commercial high brightness projector color accuracy can vary dramatically from one model to another.

The BenQ laser projectors are the only high brightness projectors that specify Rec. 709 HDTV color accuracy at high brightness levels - ensuring that Sawgrass looks like… Sawgrass.   The BenQ projectors also have support for HDR, which makes big difference if you use your simulation area to watch movies.  The Epson Pro L1060UNL does not have any color accuracy specifications on this model.

For DIY’s and installers looking to install a golf simulator theaters or SimTheater, one major question is where the projector can be mounted.  BenQ projectors come with either a short-throw or a standard throw lens that have advanced corrections such as optical lens shift, keystone correction, corner fit, and digital adjustments that make it easy for you to align the picture – even if your projector is off-center. 

The Epson Pro 1060U also has lens shift and keystone but does not come with a lens, so you have to purchase the right lens for your mounting position at an extra cost.

According to Futuresource, BenQ has been making laser projectors much longer than Epson, so are there any other substantial differences that you should consider?   Here are a few to think about:

Lasers produce a massive amount of heat on the projector’s imaging device – and some brands like Sanyo, Hitachi, and Maxell have left the projector market despite their market leadership in lamp-based projectors. Many non-DLP technologies have struggled with the projector losing color accuracy over time, the latest instance being when the projector industry was rocked by Sony discontinuing its high brightness liquid crystal on silicon laser-powered cinema projectors due to losing color over time. 

By contrast, BenQ uses only DLP imaging technology – which has been used for over a decade in laser-powered commercial cinema projectors without any color fading or shifting issues.  Each BenQ laser projector has a 100,000 warranty on the DLP chip.  

One concern BenQ engineers have is that a laser can vaporize a dust particle inside a projector, and this “molten goo” can end up on critical components over time, and reduce the life span of the projector. After trying many different options (including filters), BenQ created the first completely dustproof laser projector. 

All models of BenQ laser projectors are tested under the same rugged IP5X dust test that is used on other products such as the Apple Watch.  The Epson 1060U uses traditional filters that need to be cleaned and do not have any dust testing certifications.

With 8.3 million pixels, making sure each pixel is sharp is an important part of the overall immersive effect of a true 4K projector. The BenQ projectors use a single chip design, which means that you will never have a misaligned image that creates a blurry pixel, which was a key goal in Texas Instruments' development of the technology. 

The Epson projector requires that all three panels be perfectly aligned for the best picture, and the manual has a 20+ step process to adjust the LCD panels if they become misaligned.