Vivitek DH3660Z Business/Education Laser Projector Review

The Vivitek DH3660Z is a 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution, DLP projector intended for business and education environments, though it is primarily positioned as a projector most suitable for conference rooms or meeting rooms. Nicely bright at 4,500 lumens, the image seems even more vivid thanks to its laser light engine.

This projector would also be at home in K-12 Classrooms, multipurpose rooms, small auditoriums, museums, and houses of worship in addition to conference rooms, meeting rooms, board rooms, other office environments, and even medical classrooms and facilities, thanks to its DICOM SIM. Mode.

We’ll begin with a brief overview of the projector and a preview of its highlights before starting a deeper discussion of its special features. We’ll take a close look at the projector’s hardware, then get into the good stuff – the projector’s picture quality and performance. I’ll summarize everything for you on our last page, as well as provide some insights into the competition and this projector’s pros and cons.

We wish to thank Epson America for sponsoring this year’s Best Classroom Projectors Report. 

The Vivitek DH3660Z is a laser projector with a lifespan of up to 20,000, as is typical for laser projectors. This projector will outlast your use for it – that is, it will still be running strong and bright well after you’re ready for an upgrade in resolution or features. In a typical 180-day school year, with heavy 6 hours a day use, this projector will last for up to 18.5 years. Other environments that use the projector less often may expect this Vivitek to last even longer.

This is a 1080p projector, which is somewhat of a rarity in business and education projectors. Typically, we’ll see projectors with either WXGA resolution (1280 x 800), or WUXGA resolution (1920 x 1200). WXGA resolution is the business and education world’s 720p, and WUXGA is their 1080p. The difference here lies in screen height/aspect ratio. These two resolutions are just a tad taller than their home theater resolution counterparts and have a 16:10 aspect ratio rather than the usual 16:9.

If pairing the Vivitek DH3660Z with a 16:10 screen that you already have installed, the picture will be just a smidge shorter vertically than your screen. Not a big deal, but something to consider when purchasing. If this Vivitek will be the first projector installed in your space, pair it with a 16:9 screen. Other than that, 1080p and WUXGA are one and the same – WUXGA is just a couple hundred pixels taller.

The DH3660Z has an MSRP of $2,499 and began shipping in September of 2019 – so no street price as of yet. Still, $2,499 is highly competitive for a 1080p laser projector! Laser projectors always have higher price points than their lamp based cohorts. This higher upfront cost is balanced out by the cost of ownership overtime, which is lower than lamp based projectors.

Every several thousand hours or so, you’ll need to change out a lamp, which costs several hundred dollars for the lamp plus cost of installation. Multiply that over several years, and you’ll find the difference in cost between laser based and lamp based projectors to be pretty even. With lasers, it’s really more of a one-and-done experience, since the laser light engine lasts 20,000 hours before you have to do anything about it. For many, that low maintenance offers a peace of mind that far outweighs the additional upfront cost.

The Vivitek DH3660Z is a no-nonsense, plug-and-play sort of fellow with not a lot of bells and whistles. This is just the sort of projector many are looking for. Does it look good? Does it serve our purposes? If these are the two most important things to you, chances are this Vivitek is one to consider. Let’s get into those highlights before diving deeper into the Vivitek DH3660Z’s special features.