Should I replace my PJ lamp?

GO-NAD!

GO-NAD!

Audioholic Spartan
Yesterday, the 1800 hour "Replace Lamp" message popped up. It displays for a few seconds after startup and then disappears. IIRC, my manual stated that at 2000 hours, the projector will run for 10 minutes, then go to stand-by. The thing is, the image still seems quite bright to me. I'm sure that if I changed the lamp, I'll probably notice a difference in brightness, but right now, it looks fine.

So, my question is: is there any harm in resetting the lamp clock back to 0 hours and just keep using it until the image is unacceptably dim, or the lamp fails completely? I have a spare lamp on hand, but I don't want to use it, if I don't have to.
 
GO-NAD!

GO-NAD!

Audioholic Spartan
Drive it like a rental :D
Thanks for your detailed technical assessment.:D Something that seems odd to me, is that I run it in eco-mode, which should help extend the life of the lamp, but it looks as though the PJ doesn't give me any extra "credit time" for using that mode. I wonder if any projectors have built-in sensors that would tell you when the lamp has dimmed to a particular output, then give you the "Replace Lamp" message.
 
jinjuku

jinjuku

Moderator
If the cheap seat theater down the road from me is any indication you have nothing to worry about by resetting the lamp clock.

It would be a better picture there if I brought crayons and drew it in frame by frame.
 
GO-NAD!

GO-NAD!

Audioholic Spartan
If the cheap seat theater down the road from me is any indication you have nothing to worry about by resetting the lamp clock.

It would be a better picture there if I brought crayons and drew it in frame by frame.
Roger that.
 
lsiberian

lsiberian

Audioholic Overlord
Never a bad idea to keep a spare on stand by, but it sounds like a lamp timer scam to me. I'd be pissed if my lamp only lasted that long.
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
Yesterday, the 1800 hour "Replace Lamp" message popped up. It displays for a few seconds after startup and then disappears. IIRC, my manual stated that at 2000 hours, the projector will run for 10 minutes, then go to stand-by. The thing is, the image still seems quite bright to me. I'm sure that if I changed the lamp, I'll probably notice a difference in brightness, but right now, it looks fine.

So, my question is: is there any harm in resetting the lamp clock back to 0 hours and just keep using it until the image is unacceptably dim, or the lamp fails completely? I have a spare lamp on hand, but I don't want to use it, if I don't have to.
Might work to just pull the lamp assembly and replace it without changing bulbs?
 
GO-NAD!

GO-NAD!

Audioholic Spartan
I actually just checked the hours on the lamp - 2485. Unless I'm reading the manual wrong, the projector was supposed to go to standby after 10 minutes of operation, once 2000 hours had been reached. Anyway, as long as it's working fine, I'm going to leave it alone.

Thanks for the responses, guys.
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
You should be fine resetting the lamp hours. Make a note as to the hours when you reset it so you know how many real hours are on the lamp. Start to BUDGET for a manufacturer branded replacement lamp. Do NOT buy OEM, do NOT buy compatible. I'm sick of the horror stories coming from non-manufacturer branded lamps, and will offer zero sympathy to those who buy OEM, then have their projector burn up because the OEM bulb went into a 'compatible' housing, without proper UV filtering, or misaligned reflectors, or you reuse your end-of-life reflector and it fails.

Yes, new lamps are around $200-$300 typically, but well worth it for the repeat 2,000+ hour life span you often get.
 
GO-NAD!

GO-NAD!

Audioholic Spartan
You should be fine resetting the lamp hours. Make a note as to the hours when you reset it so you know how many real hours are on the lamp. Start to BUDGET for a manufacturer branded replacement lamp. Do NOT buy OEM, do NOT buy compatible. I'm sick of the horror stories coming from non-manufacturer branded lamps, and will offer zero sympathy to those who buy OEM, then have their projector burn up because the OEM bulb went into a 'compatible' housing, without proper UV filtering, or misaligned reflectors, or you reuse your end-of-life reflector and it fails.

Yes, new lamps are around $200-$300 typically, but well worth it for the repeat 2,000+ hour life span you often get.
I will reset the hours and note them, thanks. I already have a spare Panasonic lamp that I received from my retailer, as part of a promotion when I bought the PJ. I'm confused about "OEM" though. I thought that meant "Original Equipment Manufacturer", i.e. Panasonic, in my case.

Regardless, do you think I should buy another spare lamp after I install the spare that I currently have? This projector is about 3 years old now. It could be 7 - 8 years old by the time the second lamp dies. Would it be wise to invest in another spare lamp for a projector that may be at the end of its lifespan before that lamp is needed? On the other hand, the projector could be otherwise fine when the second lamp dies. Is it conceivable that this lamp might be no longer available 3-4 years from now?
 
lsiberian

lsiberian

Audioholic Overlord
Projector Tech hasn't advanced that much in the last 3 years. FWIW my OEM lamp works just fine and has for a while saved me like 300 bucks too. There is virtually no difference between this lamp and the original.
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
I will reset the hours and note them, thanks. I already have a spare Panasonic lamp that I received from my retailer, as part of a promotion when I bought the PJ. I'm confused about "OEM" though. I thought that meant "Original Equipment Manufacturer", i.e. Panasonic, in my case.
Panasonic doesn't make lamps - they brand someone elses product. In this case, likely an OSRAM bulb, with a housing which may, or may not be made by OSRAM. OEM can be very good (as mentioned above), but also can (and do) completely destroy projectors, or more often, fail at under 500 hours without any warranty to back it up. So, an OEM 'compatible' bulb doesn't mean original specification, it means that it is made by the company that made the one that is in your projector, and the 'bulb' is just a part of the 'lamp'. So, no guarantee, and nearly impossible to get any decent service on if it does cause a headache.

Regardless, do you think I should buy another spare lamp after I install the spare that I currently have? This projector is about 3 years old now. It could be 7 - 8 years old by the time the second lamp dies. Would it be wise to invest in another spare lamp for a projector that may be at the end of its lifespan before that lamp is needed? On the other hand, the projector could be otherwise fine when the second lamp dies. Is it conceivable that this lamp might be no longer available 3-4 years from now?
I wouldn't get another lamp personally. I would budget for another lamp, and then if it makes sense to replace at the end of that lamp, then you already have money for it. If you still love the projector, then you can have a new lamp in 1-2 days. Typically manufacturer lamps are still available for years to come.
 
GO-NAD!

GO-NAD!

Audioholic Spartan
Panasonic doesn't make lamps - they brand someone elses product. In this case, likely an OSRAM bulb, with a housing which may, or may not be made by OSRAM. OEM can be very good (as mentioned above), but also can (and do) completely destroy projectors, or more often, fail at under 500 hours without any warranty to back it up. So, an OEM 'compatible' bulb doesn't mean original specification, it means that it is made by the company that made the one that is in your projector, and the 'bulb' is just a part of the 'lamp'. So, no guarantee, and nearly impossible to get any decent service on if it does cause a headache.


I wouldn't get another lamp personally. I would budget for another lamp, and then if it makes sense to replace at the end of that lamp, then you already have money for it. If you still love the projector, then you can have a new lamp in 1-2 days. Typically manufacturer lamps are still available for years to come.
OK, gotcha. I appreciate the advice.
 
P

packy-cn

Audiophyte
HI.You think really much about future use of the lamps.But I am not agree you buy another lamps.Because might be the projector is broken in in your lamps use time.and then you bought another is just waste.
 
T

tcarcio

Audioholic General
I buy my lamps at Bulbs.com and they are OEM lamps. OEM stands for - Original Equipment Manufacturer. OEM means the projector lamp itself is the same as the original brand in your projector or TV. Most TV brands‘ lamps are manufactured by Osram/Sylvania or Philips. The difference is that these lamps are placed in an housing manufactured by a third party. You can save your original housing and put the new lamp in it but Usually they fit fine and work just as the original.
 
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B

blcskate

Junior Audioholic
One thing I did not see mentioned here is the reasoning to why they put the timers and shut off on lamps. The whole point of this "feature" is that they are trying to reduce the risk of damage to your projector. If the lamp were to explode in your projector it could cause harm to it. Have I ever seen it? No. Is it possible. Probably. Would I risk it on a cheap projector? Yes. Would I risk it on a 15k projector? NO
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
There are actually many reasons for timers, and reasons not to buy non-factory original lamps. Most people aren't aware of these issues, and sometimes they don't manifest themselves as serious issues, but when they do, you better believe people complain.

1. Manufacturer original lamps (Not OEM!) - sometimes have UV coatings on the bulb or the housing. This prevents excess heat from going into the projection system and helps maintain not just lamp life, but projector life. I have heard from several people who have burnt their optics up using non original lamps.

2. Lamp housings warp over time. All that heating and cooling on the metal cage. No, it's not a ton, but over the 2,000+ hours that the lamp is designed to last, the housing is designed to be throwing away with the bulb. Doing a bare-bulb replacement doesn't change the fact that the housing is no longer as 'perfect' as it was the day the lamp was purchased, and me be significantly degraded over that time period. It should be replaced.

3. Lamps can and do explode, but this is a very rare occurrence that may happen at any time really. I would not consider this a prevailing issue with lamp aging.

4. Significant dimming and contrast loss. For those who haven't seen a lamp near the end of its life, you will be appalled at just how dim that lamp does get. The projector loses all of its pop and wow factor, and just looks... dull. This is because the lamp may be 25% as bright as it was when it was new, and projector manufacturers know that your lamp will look terrible after a while, so you need to budget accordingly.

It always seems to be that it's a bit crazy to save $100 or even $200 on a gamble which could cost you a $1,000+ item, when this cost is clearly known when the projector is purchased. I mean, a $250 lamp, which lasts 2,500 hours, costs 10 cents for every hour of use. If you watch a movie every day for a year, that adds up to about $80. That may be less money than it costs to take a family of four out to the movies just once! So, the one-shot of $250 may feel expensive, but so do new tires on the car, or any other piece of preventative maintenance on any product. Suck it up! Your life isn't at risk on this, but a very nice piece of electronics may very well be on the line. If you budget ($80/yr.) then perhaps when the projector lamp does fail, it won't hit as such a shock purchase. Oh yeah! We've got money for that set aside already. Heck! We got an extra year out of the lamp, so overnight that new lamp to our home right away. :)
 
T

totalcomfort

Enthusiast
Just changed mine on my Benq w1070, it burnt out, timer said 3821hrs. Run them till they burn out.
 
T

tcarcio

Audioholic General
I have bought OEM lamps from Bulbs.com and have never had a problem. I save money and my picture is outstanding. The lamps come with new housings and fit perfectly. But you can go ahead and spend the extra money if you would like.
 
GO-NAD!

GO-NAD!

Audioholic Spartan
After 7 years of service, I am still on the original lamp. I have reset the lamp timer twice over that period, so that lamp now has about 6000 hours on it! I'm sure it's far dimmer than when new, but I'm not sure if I should change it, or drive 'er till she dies...
 
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