Best Ultra Short-Throw Projector under $2000

Hi Simon,
Sorry, late to the party.
There are not any "pro" solutions in the Ultra short world at this price point, mostly just consumer grade.

Most consumer units have a max screen size of about 100" or less with limited variability, and/or aren't particularly bright for corporate AV use.
Christie has their Captiva laser UST's that are quite nice - they can do somewhat larger images and have all of the laser benefits as well, but they are north of $3K, unless you can pick up a refurb.

If you do find something, let me know as I'd like to find something myself for a project later this year.
 
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I have been looking for a solution for this for a bit. What size screen, distance and brightness are you to working with?
For my needs Im usually looking to fill over 120" under 8ft with around 5k lmn. I have not found a solution yet. I did find a Canon option that looked very good and can fill a 150" screen from about 6ft but it definitely does not fit in your under 2000$ budget.
 
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How about this. It looks like screen size maxes out at 120" so it doesnt really fit the bill for most of my uses but 5200lmn
 
Taking a closer look at this model( Optoma515ST). 5000 lmn right in the 2g neighborhood and looks to be capable of projecting a max 303" image. 100" from 5.7 ft, 1080p native resolution. Inputs include HDbaseT. Lotta bang for the buck. Not the most sought after brand but might be a viable option for limited space conferences with larger screens.



Updated-found better price.
 
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I ended up finding a bunch of used Sony VPL series for a super great deal. Nice thing about them is the bulbs are inexpensive and while not as bright as some of the newest options (3100 lumens), they are still pretty strong. If you can find something like this it's another option to consider in the ultra-short world.
 
Preliminary test on a 9'x12' screen in fully lighted hockey rink. Image still cuts through and looks decent. Little washed. Going to give them a test run on some 180" 16:9 screens next week to see how they will do in a ballroom with a little more light control. Im am working on a little video footage so people can judge themselves.
 
Couple gigs in on these. I think they are a decent choice for the money. Here are some pics on 180" screens in a semi lit room. Pictures make the room appear darker than it was. Either way they trounce on my 3200lumen units I was using previously.
 

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I haven't tried any of the little all-in-one short throws but have some experience with the Panasonic DLP projectors with the ET-DLE030 lens. At $5k for the lens alone, it certainly doesn't fit your budget but with 6-7k lumen projectors on screens as wide as 12' I've found the Panasonics to be pretty good. Obviously these ultra short throw systems take longer to dial in but I really like the flexibility they give. I would be very curious about how the Panasonic combo compares to the Optoma units you've got.