There aren't many ultra-short-throw projectors that can match the Ricoh WX 4141N ($1,800) for portability, save a few other Ricoh models. Within that group, some add an interactive feature as well, but if you don't need interactivity, that only serves to increase the price. The WX4141N leaves the interactivity out while delivering more than enough features and performance to make it our new Editors' Choice portable, non-interactive, ultra-short-throw projector.

The WX 4141N is essentially a brighter version of the earlier-generation Ricoh PJ WX4130N that it replaces as Editors' Choice and is in the process of replacing in Ricoh's line. Both models are DLP-based, with WXGA (1,280-by-800) resolution, and both are built around a similar physical design, which makes them look notably different than most of the competition.

Typical ultra-short-throw projectors are deeper than they are high, and they put the lensing system near the back of the projector on the top surface, a description that applies, for example, to the Casio XJ-UT310WN ($1,295.00 at Amazon) and the Epson PowerLite 585W WXGA 3LCD Projector ($944.00 at Amazon) . The design lets you put the front of the projector impressively close to the screen, even though the lens isn't much closer than with some short-throw models. In contrast, the WX4141N is taller than it is deep, at 8.7 by 10.1 by 5.7 inches (HWD). The lensing system in this design is also on the top, midway between the front and back, but even the back of the projector isn't all that much further from the screen than the front.

Along with the small size, the WX4141N also weighs a light 6 pounds 10 ounces. You can install it on a cart or permanently in a mount if you like, but you can also take it with you as a traveling companion. Ricoh even ships it with a soft case to make carrying it easy.

Setup, Throw Distance, and Brightness

Setup is standard fare for an ultra-short-throw model. Connectors on the side panel for image input include the usual VGA, HDMI, and composite video. In addition, there's both a LAN port and built-in Wi-Fi for connecting to a network, with a free app available for iOS devices. According to Ricoh, the app lets you connect only through a Wi-Fi access point. Also built in is a USB Type A port for reading files from a USB key.

Ricoh recommends using an image size of 48 to 80 (diagonal) inches at a distance of 4.6 to 9.8 inches from the screen. You can make the image somewhat larger, but the image edge tends to bow with a larger-than-recommended size. For my tests I stayed with the 80-inch maximum. At that size, the projector is easily bright enough, at a rated 3,300 lumens, to stand up to the ambient light in a typical classroom or conference room. For dimmer lighting conditions or smaller screen sizes, you can also lower the brightness by using Eco mode or one of the lower-brightness predefined modes.

Image Quality

The WX4141N scored well for data images in my tests, using our standard suite of DisplayMate images. Color balance is excellent, with suitably neutral grays at all levels from black to white in all predefined modes. Colors are also nicely saturated in all modes, although red and blue are a little dark in the brightest mode, and yellow is more of a mustard color. More The projector holds detail well across the entire screen. Black text on white, for example, is highly readable at 6.8 points, and white text on black is highly readable at 9 points.

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Video quality is not a strong point, but it's acceptable for short clips, which is more than some data projectors can manage. The key problem is rainbow artifacts (flashes of red, green, and blue), which is always a potential concern for DLP projectors. With data screens, I saw these artifacts infrequently enough that it's unlikely that anyone would find them annoying. With video, however, they showed far more often. Anyone who sees them easily, as I do, will likely find them annoying for clips lasting more a few minutes. That still makes the WX4141N a better choice than some DLP models for showing video.

If you need sound, you're better off plugging an external sound system into the audio output. The volume with the 2-watt mono speaker is barely high enough for a small room.

If you want a WXGA ultra-short-throw projector for permanent installation, and particularly if you want one that can also handle lengthy video clips well, you should take a close look at the Editors' Choice Epson PowerLite 585W. If you need a projector to carry with you, however, and you want an ultra-short throw to guarantee a large image even in tight spaces, the Ricoh PJ WX4141N is almost certainly the projector you want. Its combination of brightness, small size, and light weight makes it the runaway pick as our Editors' Choice portable, ultra-short-throw projector.

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