I have a Sony KDS-60A3000 60" SXRD RPTV in which the bulb burned out a few months ago. I bought a replacement bulb online from essentially the cheapest place I could find - I don't remember the name of the place, but it was assured as OEM quality.
Anyway, the bulb seems much dimmer than I remember the original one being when new. I recall the "vivid" preset on the TV being ridiculously bright and overpowering when new, but now even that setting seems dim. My calibrated setting is way dim and I just can't seem to arrive at a setting that works. I think I didn't notice it that much at first because the bulb had been dimming leading up to burn-out and the new one was about the same. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that it really should be brighter. My question is this: Has anyone had a similar experience with an aftermarket bulb? If so, where have you bought bulbs from and been pleased with the price and quality? I was looking at this place:
http://www.dlplamps.com/products/sony-dlp-lamp/sony-xl-5200.html
I thought the bulb with 2 year warranty seemed like a decent value since this TV gets a lot of use and the last bulb burned out several months shy of the 2 year mark. I'll keep the bulb I have as a backup for the time between burnout and the new bulb's arrival in the future. Any thoughts/opinions/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
