A first glance, the Ricoh UHL3660's $6,000 price tag might seem a bit on the high side for an ultra-short throw (UST) projector aimed at schools, businesses, and churches, but dig a little deeper and the value proposition improves. It not only can put 4K images on screen without blinding the presenter or casting shadows onto the screen, but its 6,500-lumen rated output outperforms its key competitors, making the UHL3660 the one to get for lights-on, shades-up shows in the brightest conditions.

For houses of worship or large lecture halls, the UHL3660 has the luxury of a video-out port for running a secondary display, and its dual-laser illumination engine will never need a new lamp or dust filter, making this a good choice for installs where the projector is mounted high up. Its life can be extended to a class-beating 40,000 hours of use depending on usage and the UHL3660 can continue projecting even if one of its two laser banks fails.

As for direct competitors in its brightness class, the UHL3660 has none. The next brightest USTs on the market are the Epson PowerLite 810E and Panasonic PT-CMZ50, both rated at just 5,000 ISO21118 lumens. Both, however, do offer a 21:9 aspect ratio mode for widescreen conferencing formats like Microsoft Teams Front Row, a key feature which is lacking here. Still, the UHL3660 has the potential to not only be the brightest UST projector around but also the closest thing to fail-safe presentations that exists today.

Insights into Our Reviewer's Process

Check out this interview with reviewer Brian Nadel where we learn more about his background and projector review process and discuss his most recent review of the Ricoh UHL3660.

Features

Aimed at large classrooms and corporate conference rooms as well as museums and houses of worship, the Ricoh UHL3660 is an ultra-short throw (UST) projector that packs a lot of punch into a mid-sized case. At 20.9 x 5.5 x 18.6 inches (WHD) and 25 pounds, the white case is suitable for a single-person installation.

Able to be wall- or ceiling-mounted with its eight attachment points, the UHL3660 also has four adjustable feet for tabletop or floor use. Unfortunately, Ricoh offers no customized wall mount, although it worked fine with my generic ceiling mount. The UHL3660 requires an unusually large 40 inches of clearance on its three open sides for cooling air.

Rated at 6,500 lumens, our sample of the UHL3660 measured significantly brighter, but more on that later. It should provide ample brightness for anything from large budget meetings to lecture hall physics simulations to projecting an inspirational video behind the choir during services.

Able to be set up as close as 0.4 inches from the screen, the UHL3660's lens with a 0.24:1 throw ratio delivers a bright and vivid 85-inch image (measured diagonally) with its back side at less than a half inch from the screen. It can fill a maximum image size of 13.3 feet (160 inches) at about 15 inches. Like all USTs, it will be set up so close to the screen that the UHL3660 won't blind the presenter, teacher, or religious leader or cast shadows on the projected material because they will be in front of the projector.

Behind the scenes is Ricoh's unusual OptiBright dual-laser illumination engine, which has two independent phosphor wheels to extract beams of yellow light that are divided into red and green streams with dichroic mirrors. The beams are combined and passed through a color wheel with an enlarged green portion. It is bounced off the UHL3660's 0.65-inch Digital Light Processing (DLP) imaging chip with the final image projected over the case and to the screen.

With Ricoh's 4K 4-way pixel shift mechanism, the DLP's native 1920x1080 (HD) imaging can be quadrupled to 3840x2160 (UHD) by precisely repositioning the target up and down and side to side 60 times a second. The effect can be startling with extra details from high-resolution images showing up without any visible artifacts or loss of brightness. Switching between HD and UHD is easy, but my advice is to set it to 4K and forget about it. In fact, this feature is set to "on" by default, so no need to make any adjustments here to experience this resolution.

Capable of projecting at any angle, UHL3660 works just as well in portrait as in landscape orientation. Essentially maintenance free, there are no lamps or dust filters to replace. About the only thing you'll need to do is occasionally clean the case to ensure air flow remains optimal. Its built-in failover protection allows it to continue projecting if one of the lighting streams drops out, just about guaranteeing an uninterrupted presentation, although at a lower brightness.

Like other laser-lit commercial projectors, the UHL3660 has a 20,000-hour rated lifetime at full blast—the equivalent of a dozen years of hard use. That can be doubled using Ricoh's Long Life mode or set to Constant Luminance to keep the lighting level stable over time; both deliver less light to achieve their benefit.

As is the case with other UST projectors, there's neither an optical zoom nor the ability to shift the image around on screen to get its positioning just right. In fact, the only way to increase or decrease the projected image is to carefully move the projector away or toward the screen. ProjectorCentral's Ricoh UHL3660 Throw Calculator.

The UHL3660's motorized focus allows minute adjustments from the remote control. Able to project in 4:3, 16:9, and 16:10 aspect ratios, it lacks a dedicated 21:9 widescreen setting for Microsoft's 21:9 Front Row videoconferencing or its alternates. However, its built-in edge-blending interface allows two UHL3660 projectors to be combined for an ultra-wide aspect ratio image.

There's lots of setup help built into the UHL3660, starting with the projector's unusually large keystone range that corrects for up to 20 degrees down and 5 degrees up as well as 15 degrees right-to-left. The projector's four-corner interface or 6-point grid adjustment makes getting a rectangular image easy. The projector's 2,000-point grid adjustment is for projecting onto curved or uneven surfaces.

The projector's five picture modes cover a lot of territory as described below. Fine-tuning the color output is easy with the projector's advanced settings that include Ricoh's Natural Color Enhancement (NCE) for adding vibrancy. There are the expected controls for brightness, contrast, saturation, and sharpness as well as gamma settings of 1.8, 2.0, 2.2, and 2.4. The UHL3660 has four color temperature choices.

The UHL3660 can take advantage of videos enhanced with High Dynamic Range (HDR) encoding. It uses the HDR10 format's EOTF (Electro-Optical Transfer Function) with low, medium, and high settings to adjust the tone-mapping to best match different content.

On its right side, the UHL3660 has two HDMI 2.0 inputs and the bonus of an output for sending video to an overflow room or secondary display. In addition to a remote control jack, the pair of USB ports can power a streaming adapter. One can also be used to update the firmware or run diagnostic tests, while the other can show JPEG, BMP, and PNG images or MOV, MP4, and MPG videos from an external drive. Control options are supplemented by an old-school RS232 serial port.

The UHL3660's pair of 3-watt full-range speakers and 5-inch woofer deliver unexpectedly deep and realistic audio with excellent spoken word programming. That's fine for a small to mid-sized room, but the projector's 3.5mm analog audio-out jack can run an external sound system for larger spaces. It lacks a microphone jack for a presenter, however.

The projector's pair of RJ-45 LAN connections can stream uncompressed HDBaseT video as well as connect to the building's network for remote monitoring and control. After plugging the projector's Ethernet port into my office's wired network, determining the projector's IP address, and assigning a password, I tapped into the UHL3660's browser-based System Status page. It showed everything from the source and the stream's specs to the temperature of the laser banks and imaging target.

Meanwhile the UHL3660's Web Control page is for turning the projector on or off, selecting the source and controlling things like brightness, contrast, and saturation. I was able to remotely explore the projector's menu, select items and activate (or deactivate) them. The projector works with third-party control systems, like PJLink, AMX, Extron.

The UHL3660 has one more trick up its networking sleeve: wireless screen mirroring. A moment after switching the projector to wireless mode with the remote control, I linked my HP Dragonfly notebook via Miracast and shared its screen. Unfortunately, its Wi-Fi implementation is a one-trick pony that can't be used to transfer files from within an organization's Wi-Fi network. Also, you do not actually need to connect to a network to project a display via Miracast; the projector pairs directly to the source (PC, phone, etc.)

The projector's three LEDs show the system's status and warn about overheating, while the UHL3660's functional control panel can turn it on and off, open the menu, and make selections. There's a handy AV mute key for shifting the attention away from the screen and to the presenter.

With a 32-foot wireless range, the remote control's reach can be lengthened by plugging it directly into the projector with a 3.5mm audio jumper cable. In addition to keys for projecting one of the 10 integrated test patterns and selecting the input, the UHL3660's remote offers choices like adjusting the volume, auto-keystone correction, and selecting the projector's eco modes.

The UHL3660's warranty matches Epson's three years of coverage with next-day replacement of broken projectors. An additional two years of coverage adds $379, although dealer pricing may vary.

Performance

Color Modes. Of the UHL3660's five picture modes, Bright puts the most light on the screen with a brightness level that was well over the 6,500-lumen spec on our sample, measuring 7,161 lumens as described below. Its distinctly cold feeling and blue overcast color temperature means it should only be used when brightness counts for everything. That said, the Standard setting warms the image up a little while maintaining brightness that, at least on our sample, was still over the UHL3660's rating.

The Vivid mode is for making charts and graphs pop and adds in the punch of some extra pink and purple tones to the mix. On the other hand, it makes flesh tones look garish. Meanwhile, the Natural mode is the best way to show flesh tones, artwork, and natural scenes, and functions as a stand-in for a dedicated movie or cinema mode. Dicom Sim is for projecting X-rays and medical scans at a hospital or college.

The UHL3660's Wall Color mode can compensate for projecting onto a painted wall. There are settings for light yellow, light blue, pink, or green, but the projector lacks dedicated whiteboard or blackboard projecting modes.

Presentation Viewing. The UHL3660's well-named Bright mode with its 7,161 lumens obviously provides the brightest image and despite its overly blue cast can be used in high ambient light conditions for spreadsheets or other presentations that don't contain photorealistic images.

The best alternative is probably the Standard mode, which yielded 6,726 ANSI lumens and is easier on the eyes. The Vivid mode (which came in at 6,222 ANSI lumens) could be a good option for presentations filled with colorful graphics, while the Dicom Sim setting (6,120 ANSI lumens on our sample) is the obvious choice for presenting medical scans.

Video Viewing. While the UHL3660 lacks anything like a cinema mode or dedicated picture mode designated to meet Rec.709 or sRGB imaging standards, the Natural mode worked well with online and Blu-ray videos. It didn't appear to drop frames or freeze up and delivered smooth 4K video with 6,262 ANSI lumens. It did particularly well on the dark green of trees, the deep blue of skies, and the orange-red of sunsets.

Movies and video encoded for HDR10 enhancement looked even better when the projector's HDR decoding was used. The BBC's A Perfect Planet Ultra HD Blu-ray disc showed a little extra richness and highlights, particularly in a scene depicting a flock of pink flamingos.

In addition to the projector's high-output Constant Power lighting mode, the Eco setting is not only quieter with a lower fan setting but its power use is 50 percent below the baseline. This can potentially save on electricity bills and extend the laser's lifetime to Ricoh's forecast of 30,000 hours. It is at the cost of a 45-percent reduction in light output, however.

There's also the UHL3660's Long Life mode that keeps the fan at full speed while lowering the power use by 47 percent to keep the lasers from getting too hot. It resulted in a 46 percent loss of lighting but extends estimated life to 40,000 hours thanks to its combination of lower output and aggressive cooling.

The Constant Luminance setting is for those who want to set the projector up and forget about it. It starts at a 24-percent reduction in brightness but attempts to keep the lighting at the same level as the device ages. Ricoh forecasts a 26,000-hour lifetime.

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Despite a loud blast from its fans when the UHL3660 starts up, the projector is quiet enough to set up near participants. In a room with a 38.9dBA background noise level, casual measurements of the UHL3660 had a maximum noise level of 42.9dBA in Bright and Constant Power modes, measured 36 inches from the projector's exhaust vent. In Long Life and Eco modes, it was 43.0dBA and 41.3dBA. By contrast, Ricoh rates the projector at 36dB and 32dB in Constant Power and Eco modes using the industry-standard averaged measurement taken all around the projector. Our casual, real-use measurements are always higher.

At its peak brightness, the UHL3660 consumed 409 watts and 0.8 watts in standby. Assuming it's used for 8 hours a day and 200 days out of the year and your organization pays the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity, the UHL3660 should cost about $106 a year to operate. It requires neither lamps nor dust filters.

Conclusion

Bright and chock full of helpful features for schools, houses of worship, and office conference rooms, Ricoh's UHL3660 does its best work up close to the screen where it can put its 6,500-plus ANSI lumens to work. The UST projector's 0.24:1 throw ratio translates into 13.3-foot (160-inch) images from only 15 inches away from the screen. More to the point, its dual-laser design is rated to last between 20,000 and 40,000 hours of use (depending how bright the image is), is maintenance-free, and has the ability to run even after one of its laser banks fails, although at lower brightness. That's for when the show must go on.

In addition to wireless screen sharing and an HDMI-out port for sending video to a secondary display, the UHL3660's coolest digital trick uses 4-way pixel shifting to boost its native 1920x1080 imaging to 3840x2160 and creating a higher perceived resolution than many of the 2-way shifting models seen on the market today. The results look so good that it seems a shame to limit its resolution to HD levels.

At $6,500, the Ricoh UHL3660 is on the high side compared to lower output projectors that sell for thousands less. But with nothing for it to match up with in its brightness class, the UHL3660 is a uniquely effective way for a school, church, or business to put the big image on-screen without blinding the presenter. In addition to other fixed-lens UST models, Ricoh is also positioning the UHL3660 as a competitive option against interchangeable lens projectors. Many manufacturers offer models in the 7,000- to 10,000-lumen range with optional UST lenses. These often come with significant drawbacks: high costs (both for the PJ + Lens), lack of compactness, and a reduction in brightness when installing the lens. For users prioritizing UST projection capabilities, the UHL3660 may offer a better value and be a more practical choice.

Measurements

Brightness. Using the UHL3660's Constant Power mode and Bright setting, the UHL3660's 7,161 ANSI lumen output for our sample blew past Ricoh's 6,500 lumen rating. That fell slightly to 6,726 in Standard mode, although it's still above its rating. In Vivid and Natural modes, the projector put out 6,222 ANSI lumens and 6,262 ANSI lumens. Its Dicom Sim setting put 6,120 ANSI lumens on screen.

There's also a Constant Luminance mode where the projector attempts to keep the same light level of its lifetime. It started at 5,462 ANSI lumens.

The Eco and Long Life modes reduced output by 45 and 46 percent. The difference is that Eco reduced the fan speed and used 207 watts at a noise level of 41.3dBA while extending projector life to 30,000 hours. Long Life kept the fan running strong to cool the projector's components, used 204 watts and had a noise level of 43.0dBA while extending the projector's life to 40,000 hours.

Ricoh UHL3660 ANSI Lumens

Picture Mode	Normal	Eco
Bright	7,161	3,977
Standard	6,726	3,678
Vivid	6,222	3,432
Natural	6,262	3,713
DICOM SIM	6,120	3,779

Brightness Uniformity. The brightness uniformity of the Ricoh UHL3660's image measured 80.9% with a noticeable hotspot in the upper right corner.

Fan Noise. With a sound meter 36 inches from the UHL3660's exhaust vent, the projector was relatively quiet for its output at a peak of 42.9dBA in a test lab; the room had a background noise level of 38.9dBA. The noise level for Eco and Long Life modes were 41.3dBA and 43.0dBA. Ricoh rates the UHL3660 at 36dB in Constant Power mode and 32dB in Eco mode using the industry-standard multipoint averaged measurement in a soundproof room; our casual real-world measurements are always higher.

Temperature. The UHL3660's exhaust vent ran cool during testing at a peak of 87 degrees Fahrenheit. That's considerably cooler than most other UST projectors we've tested.

Input Lag. Using a 1080p/60Hz signal, the UHL3660 had a measured video delay of 58.7 milliseconds. That's similar to other commercial UST projectors and too slow for a school's video gaming team, but suitable for casual gaming.

Connections

• HDMI-in (x2, HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2)
• HDMI-out (HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2)
• HDBaseT (RJ-45)
• Ethernet (RJ-45)
• RS-232C Serial Port
• Remote control extension (3.5mm)
• Audio-out (3.5mm)
• USB Type A (x2 data and power)

For more detailed specifications and connections, check out our Ricoh UHL3660 projector page.

To buy this projector, use Where to Buy online, or get a price quote by email direct from Projector Central authorized dealers using our E-Z Quote tool.

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