Quality HDTV capable DLP and LCD/LCOS rear projection prices have dropped considerably in the last few years. Prices have plummeted to well under $2000 for 62 inch sizes with 1920 x 1080 super high resolution. The cost the main internal replacement lamps has recently followed suit. This is a positive development in “light” of the fact that there is a very high probability that you will have to (or want to) replace the projection lamp.

Rear Projection Televisions are not like other televisions that can run maintenance-free for 10 years or more. They need to have their lamps changed on occasion, and most have air filters that need to be cleaned every month or two. Lamps typically last about 8,000 hours on most models high end models, some of the cheaper models last only 1,000-2,000 hours. Newer LED technology based lamps last up to 20,000 hours. Keep in mind however that some lamps won’t make it all the way to their estimated life spans. If you operate your LCD or DLP TV in a warm environment that is not adequately ventilated, or at higher elevations, this can reduce lamp life. Failing to keep the air filter clean may reduce lamp life as well. And some lamps will just fail sooner than others–estimating average lamp life is not an exact science and testing methods vary greatly among manufacturers.

Considering that the average viewer spends four hours per day watching television most lamps in high-end LCD and DLP TV models should last about 5.47 years and the low end models and over 7 years for LED based lamps. However normal DLP televisions could need lamp replacement in as soon as 9 months if you watch a lot of TV. At the end of this article I provide a list of manufactures I have tested and what you can expect as far as lamp life and replacement cost.

How to Get the Most out of Your Lamp:

To extend the lamp life of your rear projection television one recommended action is to change the default color setting (and contrast) you are using to watch TV. Most rear projection televisions are delivered with their color setting on the brightest picture setting, which can reduce the estimated lamp life to less than half. The manufactures set it to the highest contrast and brightness settings because it looks best on the showroom floor of your local electronics store.

Most rear projection televisions come with three presets. For example, the Sony’s LCD rear projection TVs has three presets Vivid, Standard and Pro. Vivid is the preset the KDS-R60XBR1 is set to when first taking it out of the box. The “Vivid” setting will lessen the life of the lamp to approximately 3600 hours because it is the brightest setting. The “Standard” setting will extend to about 5300 hours of lamp life and “Pro” will further extend the lamp life to around 8000 hours. No matter what rear projection TV you own, changing the picture setting to normal or standard will lengthen the life of the lamp. Decreasing the contrast setting to around 50% will accomplish the same.

Here is a checklist of what to do to get the most out of your lamp:

1. Check out the presets and select the setting with the lowest light output.

2. Once you’ve done that adjust the brightness down to your liking. The lower the brightness the long the lamp will last.

3. Check and clean the air filters on a monthly basis. Having a clean air filters means that your lamp has better airflow. Air is what is used to cool the lamp and the cooler your lamp runs the longer it will last.

Warranties and Lamp Replacement:

The manufacturer warranty typically covers the replacement of a lamp if it goes out during the manufacturers standard warranty period, but many only cover the first 90 days of the lamp life. Check your owners’ manual for the specific coverage offered with your TV.

When purchasing an extended warranty on your projection TV be sure to check if it includes lamp replacement in the projection TV during the extended warranty period. Verbal confirmation is not good enough. See it in writing. In many cases there is an additional charge specifically for a replacement lamp warranty though some extended warranties such as the XpresServ warranty do cover bulb replacement.

From our past experience with DLP rear projection TVs over the past several years and all the problems these TVs have encountered repair wise, we definitely recommend purchase of an extended warranty if you can find a reasonable price that includes bulb replacement. Rear Projection TVs need more frequent service than other types of TVs even though the repairs are usually fairly easy. They require a lot of professinal tweaking. For this reason, try to purchase an extended warranty with in home service. If you are in the average among TV watchers, you will likely need to have the lamp replaced within the first 2 to 3 years. A five year extended warranty covering defects and in home repair service usually cost around 10% of your TV.

Replacing a Lamp After the Warranty:

To find a lamp for your television I recommend going back to the company you purchased your TV from or you can usually find good prices at the dealers listed on this site.

If you need to replace the lamp after the warranty period you have two options you can either do it yourself or hire someone to come out a do it for you. Replacing the lamp yourself can seem like a daunting task but it’s usually not that difficult and can be done in less than an hour, with the actual replacement only taking a few minutes.

Each owner’s manual for a rear projection TV comes with instructions on how to replace the lamp. Here are the typical steps for replacing a lamp.

1. Turn your TV off. Let it sit there for about 5 minutes to let the cooling fan help cool the lamp.

2. Unplug your TV from the power let it sit about another 30 minutes. Even with the TV turned off power is still going to the lamp and the lamp receptacle can still be hot enough to burn you. Even if you think that the lamp is cool I recommend that you do not touch the receptacle.

3. Usually the lamp has a cover that you will need to unscrew. Most manufactures use a Philips head screw for holding the cover shut. Unscrew the lamp cover.

4. Unpackage the replacement lamp. Be careful not to tough the glass, as oil from your fingers can damage the lamp’s surface.

5. Pull the lamp out. Most lamps have a plastic tab or hoop on the handle that you can use to pull it out. Follow the owners manual for specific instructions on how to pull the lamp out. Make sure you do not touch the surrounding lamp housing if you just turned off the TV. It can burn you if it is hot.

6. After the lamp has cooled, place it into the empty box of the replacement lamp. Never put the used lamp into a plastic bag.

7. Using the guiding post also called “gutters” by some manufactures slide the lamp replacement lamp in pushing it until you hear a firm click.

8. Screw the lamp cover back in.

Managing the Used Lamp

Do not leave the used lamp near flammable materials or within the reach of children.

Do not pour water onto the used lamp or put any objects inside the lamp. Doing so could cause the lamp to burst.

LCD Projectors function by spotless light through transparent LCD cells. Most LCD projectors us advanced polysillicon LCDs, which use three separate color panels (red, green, and blue) to produce the preferred color. Projected images are produced by the combination of light shinning through the LCD cells. LCDs have excellent color saturation, usually have adjustable brightness and contrast, are typically brighter than DLPs at the same lumen output, and they have a broader range of connectivity.

DLP Projector (Digital Light Processing)

DLP projectors were developed by Texas Instruments and project images by reflecting lights against hundreds of little mirrors called digital micro devices (DMD). Each mirror representing one pixel is powered by electronics that adjust the angle of the mirror according to the color being displayed. DLP projectors are lighter in weight than their LCD counterparts. They are all digital technology and typically have higher contrast ratios, meaning that they project video images better than LCDs. They are portable, tend to be smaller and lighter than LCD projectors and connect easily to other digital devices.

While the projector lamp is still on (even while it is powering down), the lamp is very sensitive to movement. Moving the projector while the projector lamp is still on could cut down the lamp life, or of poorer quality, it could cause the projector lamp to burst.

Changing the projector lamp:

A projector lamp will gradually lose clarity over time. In fact, the curve is so slight that you may not even notice it. When your presentation or video has dimmed so much that you can hardly see the image, it’s time to order a new projector lamp. Another way that you’ll know that you need a projector lamp replacement is by viewing the total lamp hours used on the projector. All projectors have a built-in lamp hour counter that starts at zero when new, and should be reset once you change the projector lamp. You should be able to find the total projector lamp hours used within the menu system of your projector. Consult your users’ manual for instructions on how to check projector lamp hours on your model of projector.

Allow projector lamp to cool:

A filthy projector filter will cause it to run hotter and might cause the projector bulb to burn out prematurely. Therefore, we recommend cleaning the projector filter once a quarter with a can of compressed air. If your environment is smoke-filled or dusty, you may need to clean the projector filter monthly. The result of cleaning your projector filter regularly may result in additional months of use from your same projector bulb.

Give your projector “breathing room”:

Make your projector lamp last: Give your projector “breathing room”.
Pay attention to where the fan exhaust is on your DLP or LCD projector. All of the heat from the projector lamp must be dispersed away from the projector and exits at the fan exhaust. Make sure that this projector fan exhaust is two to three feet away from a wall or any solid object that could block it. Without “breathing” properly, the projector lamp will be too hot and could burn out much sooner. Make your DLP or LCD projector lamp last as long as possible by using this projector lamp tip.

Avoid dangerous climates:

The most hazardous climate to a projector lamp is extreme cold in the wintertime. If you leave a data/video projector in your car when it’s 40 degrees or below, the data/video projector lamp will have a tendency to explode if you turn the projector on instantly. You must allow the data/video projector to warm to room temperature before turning on the projector to avoid the unsafe situation of an exploding projector lamp.

Try to follow these tips to prolong your projectors life.

Brighter projectors tend not to have long lamp life, and this is what barred normal consumers from wanting to buy these machines. It wasn’t until manufacturers like BENQ came out with projectors like the DX660, that brightness became inexpensive.

The BENQ DX660 has a lamp life of 2000 hours, and this is quite amazing considering its brightness. It employs a 210W projector lamp, combined with an ultra efficient cooling system. The cooling system is what allows this lamp to last as long as it does.

The BENQ DX660 is a DLP projector, but unless you are ultra-sensitive, you most likely will not see any rainbows Dorothy. Resolution is pretty efficient at 1024×768 native, and a compression ability of up to 1280×1024p. This unbelievably wonderful resolution is coupled with HDTV at 1080i making viewing a pleasure, especially if you spend a little extra for those HD Sports channels.