Ricoh PJWX4141Ni Express Review: Who needs a large room for a projector?

This projector from Ricoh is unlike anything I have reviewed so far. To start with it takes you a double read of the manual to understand that this one does not want you to point the lens at the wall. This works differently. Thanks to being the first to user free form mirror projection. So, the lens is pointed up and the image ends up on the adjacent wall. The great thing here is that for a 60-inch image you won’t need the projector to be more than a foot away from the wall.

Specs: Single chip DLP | 1,280×800 p on 0.65 inch panel | 3,300 lumen | 5,000:1 contrast ratio | 48″ to 80″ screen size | 11.7 to 24.9 cm distance | High-pressure mercury lamp with 3,500 hours life | 2 W mono speakers | 3 kg | 100 – 240 V, 50/60 Hz

Price: Rs 1,32,093

What is good?

The ultra short throw feature is really amazing. You can never imagined that you could get such a large image from such a short distance. This in a way eliminated the need for ceiling mounted projectors and you can keep the projector on a chest of drawer or even near the TV if you got space on the wall there.

Of course, you can plug in an HDMI cable, or a VGA cable to stream content into the projector. But there is also the splendid wireless streaming which is almost single-step once you have downloaded the software on the laptop or tablet from which you want to beam. Wireless projection is not new, but Ricoh has really made the process simple.

The overall image quality is good. I managed to rig up the projector and enjoy a couple of movies on a large screen. With HD videos you will get a sharp picture at about 50-inches. Full HD video can go to larger image sizes.

The projector has multiple modes so that you can fit on the wall facing, up down or looking up as the space suits you. This versatility is a good feature to have.

The projector is really cool and silent. And since the lens is not beaming directly at the wall, there is no scope for a heat buildup in between.

What is not that good?

The projector is supposed to play stuff off a USB dongle, but I could not get it to recognize any video format. I can understand a projector not being able to understand all formats, but not understanding any, is a problem, especially since the USB could be the most commonly used content source.

The projector is supposed to have automatic keystone correction, but it did not really work. I switched to manual but still could not get the adjustment perfect. You have to think differently as the projection is not the regular angle that you would have.

I would have liked the projector to be a bit more bright, especially given the price. If you don’t have a really dark room, the projection could end up being a bit pale.

Special Mention: The projector comes with an easy to use interactive pen that lets you convert the projected image into a whiteboard. It works well out of the box, but will appeal only to an enterprise or education sector audience.

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you are looking for a projector with short throw, wireless connectivity and portability. If you are someone looking for high-end projection this might not be ideal though. But the Ricoh PJWX4141Ni is one of the most convenient and versatile projectors in the market for sure.