Placing Your Projector (Throw Ratio)
The final placement of your projector in relation to your screen will depend on the throw ratio of your projector and also your desired image width.
The projector Throw Ratio calcualtes how many feet back your projector needs to be for every foot of image width. So if your throw ratio is .5 and your image is 10 feet wide, then the projector will need to be .5 x 10 = 5 feet back from the screen.
Most short throw projectors have a throw ratio anywhere between .5 and .7. Most projectors have a fixed throw ratio, but for some projectors you can slightly adjust the throw ratio.
Pairing Your Projector and Screen (Aspect Ratio)
All HD and 4K projectors use a native 16:9 aspect ratio, which is wide screen. This means that for every 16 inches of width, the image will also have 9 inches of height.
Ideally for most HD and 4K projectors, we would recommend also getting a 16:9 screen.
What about 4:3, 1:1, and Custom Screens
Often, projectors will also have an option to use a 4:3 aspect ratio. If your golf simulator software also supports a 4:3, then it will pair well with a 4:3 screen.
Otherwise, if you want to pair your projector with a differently sized screen, you will need to make one of the following choices:
- Match your projection image height to the height of the screen. Since the projection image will be wider than the screen in this case, some of the image will spill off the sides of the screen. Most golfers will choose this option.
- Match your projection image width to the width of the screen. In this case, the height of the image will be less than the screen, and you will have black bars at the top and bottom of the screen.
WUXGA Projectors
WUXGA projectors use a 16:10 aspect ratio and we recommend pairing them with a 16:10 screen.
Projector Mounting
When it comes to mounting your projector, you have two options: floor mounts and ceiling mounts.
Floor Mounts: Floor mounts are protective boxes that contain the projector. They come with a wedge so that you can aim the projection up from the floor.
Ceiling Mounts: Ceiling Mounts can be adjusted to angle your image down from the ceiling. If you decide to drop your projector, make sure that it is far from your golf club or that you have at least 9'-10' height clearance on your swing.