Optoma GT780 Short Throw Projector for Gaming & Movies | HD Ready 720p + 1080p Support | Bright 3800 Lumens for Lights-on Viewing | 3D-Compatible | Speaker Built In

I built a golf simulator in my basement last year, and after a lot of research, landed on this projector as the best option. I needed something that would put up with hours of continuous use and had a short throw. After using it for more than a year and probably thousands of hours here's why I would give it a five-star rating.Bright and clear pictureWhen setting up a golf simulator, you need to be in a room with some light so you can see the ball. I worried that a projector would struggle to provide a bright image in this environment. That is not been the case for this projector. It always appears bright and crystal clear even in a room with a lot of ambient light. I've also been impressed with the clarity of the picture. We use it to watch movies and videos from time to time and it really does feel high definition.Easy of UseIt couldn't be simpler to use. The remote is easy to operate and even my 12-year-old can go down and confidently operate the projector and golf simulator. It was also very simple to hook up with an HDMI cable out the back of the projector running straight to our iPad. I also found the Keystone adjustments to be easy to work with. It got pretty close to what I needed on its own and I was able to fine-tune things manually. I never read an instruction manual, and everything turned out to be so easy.Performance over long hours of useMy two sons are competitive golfers who play tournaments almost year-round. So, I can confidently say we are users of our golf simulator. Sometimes the projector has to run for six or eight hours a day. Even with that we've never seen overheating issues or had any problems with performance. It simply works all the time every time.SummaryAll that being said, I can't find anything that I would take a star off my rating for. We've truly been happy and I was surprised at how affordable the projector was when we purchased it. So, if you're specifically looking for a projector for a golf simulator or even a home theater situation wherea short throw is important. I would highly recommend checking this one out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Firstly, I wanted to say that I was not compensated to write this review. It is simply the result of my good experience with this projector over the last month. Also, I’ve had experience with 2 pevious projectors, the most recent being the Optoma EH415ST (which is also a decent 1080p projector) and 2 projectors I tried and returned. I really just wanted better, more accurate color and a way to show my 3D collection. I was sold on the Optoma short throw set up. It works perfect for me as I move my projector around. It isn’t as finnicky as the Ultra Short Throw projectors. For those you need an absolutely flat, fixed screen because they show every little imperfection. Believe me I tried. This Optoma short throw of 100 inches at about 4 feet is thankfully, more forgiving. And lastly, I’m not a gamer so I can’t speak to the input lag and all that. But I imagine it would be a very good experience.Setting up: It’s pretty intuitive. I have yet to look at the manual or even the quick setup card. You turn it on, plug in your roku, firestick, bluray player or whatever in HDMI 1 and get familiar with settings you prefer. Pretty simple. Even a Caveman could do it. There was no substantial lens cap on mine. It came with a clam shell cover that was taped on.Remote: I got a small remote….like roku small with a lot of little buttons. Luckily, my old, larger remote works with this projector and is easier to work. You can buy these on amazon for a reasonable price.Brightness and Daylight viewing: Hey, it’s a laser light! It has a very long lifespan and It’s super bright. For me, it stays in ECO mode and I find myself turning down the brightness. I’m including a photo of the screen with a couple of window shades up. It will still produce a decent image. And you can adjust for this by choosing a different mode and tweaking settings. I think it would do a very good job in a conference room in presentation mode. At night, I can have a lamp or 2 on with very little degradation of the image.. Also, I turn my projector on and off a lot. I think the laser is a better choice for this.Color and image quality: This projector has rich, accurate color and produces, what are sometimes, eyepopping whites and colors. I found that the best setting for this is the Cinema mode. It seems to do a great job with whatever it does with 4k and HDR input and produces beautiful images. Black levels are very good. Maybe not as good as a OLED tv, but it’s better than my LG 4k flat screen. Here are some of my settings for the Cinema mode: I leave dynamic range, or HDR on auto.Brightness, contrast and color can be zero…. Or -4 brightness and +4 color. In the color group, Brilliant color goes on the blue side at the low end and green at the top. I leave it in the middle at 5. For Gamma I leave it at standard. I do find the Cinema mode is on the blue side with temperature set at Cold…. I adjust this with +5 for Tint. Or you can adjust the color temperature. Pretty simple. You’re mostly adjusting the brightness and color as you go from media to media.I also spent time with the RGB mode. It’s preset very warm and on the green side. You can adjust with tint and color temp. Whites aren’t as brilliant, but this can be easier on the eyes.I tend to have sharpness turned up all the way but it depends on the media. Older films that are lower resolution copies can benefit from turning down it down.Random: I watched the movie Speed Racer last night. My gosh, what an eyecandy extravaganza! Looked fantastic!3D viewing: It’s good, nice color but you still see roughness in action. Optoma touts the 120 hz support as being helpful with 3D, but I believe this only applies to a game console or computer. Correct me if I’m wrong. I was pleasantly surprised that once you switch to 3D mode, you can still adjust image settings. I’ll keep playing with that.Photos: I’ve included some photos….not really for close inspection. Just snaps I took from my couch with my phone mainly to show color. And my first screen was screwed up at the top. The real thing is better with proper keystone, color and sharpness.All in all, I think Optoma hit a sweet spot here. A laser projector that produces a beautiful, cinematic image as good or better than a movie theater and support for 4k and HDR input. If you have the bucks and the short throw works for you, give it a try!