Hey,

First of all, Hello to everyone as I'm a new member. My discovery of this forum was due to the unforunate event of my 2 month old Toshiba 50HM66 failing (Lamp Failure). I won't really talk about that as there is already a thread on that particular problem.

What I wanted to know is this: Are lamp failures a common problem among all other DLP TV's? This and many other forums are littered with threads about almost every brand regarding lamp failures.

Right now I'm thinking of going back to Best Buy to exchange my Toshiba for another brand; however, now I'm unsure if projection is the way to go due all the failures in many other brands. It goes with out saying that I expect my TV to last a reasonable period of time when I spend well over a thousand dollars for it.

Right Now I have three options:
1. Get lamp fixed under warranty
2. Try to exchange TV for a different DLP (eyeing a Samsung HLS5087)
3. Go for a Plasma or LCD of a smaller size (42inches)

Any thoughts/advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Mike

What I wanted to know is this: Are lamp failures a common problem among all other DLP TV's?

Yes, but all lightbulbs burn out!

Lamps are typically rated to last around 3,000 hours. Some will go in a 1,000 hours and some in 5,000 hours. Remember 3,000 hours is under ideal circumstances and are about as likely as you getting the stated miles per gallon when you by a car.

The average Canadian watches about 23 hours of television a week and in many households the set might be on 40 hours a week. Figure it out and you'll have a blown lamp every two to five years. It's like changing the oil in your car - a cost of maintenance.

This is why plasma and LCD might be cheaper in the long run for heavy tv watchers.

Thank you for the response. Maybe I should clarify my question. I understand that switching lamps is a cost of ownership; however, what I wanted to know if it was common for lamps to fail so prematurely? I don't watch a lot of TV but to be conservative, lets say my TV is on 25 hours a week. I've owned it for about 7 weeks, so thats about 175 hours (Given how much tv I watch, I'd guess it was a fair bit lower).

My concern is mainly relating to once the warranty is over, I'll have to pay out of pocket frequently to have the lamp replaced. If the lamp blows like three times, I essentially could have bought another TV instead.

So basically, should I chalk this up to being one rotten lamp?...or is this systemic problem with DLP's? If it's isolated to Toshiba's...I will switch to another brand; however, if this relates to DLP's in general I will switch to a Plasma/LCD.

I know this topic probably has been beaten to death, but any responses would be appreciated!

Because of the stresses faced by lamps used in DLP sets they are susceptible to infant mortality due to rough handling, dirt, etc. There have been lots of reports from all different brands of the first bulb dying relatively quickly so this isn't a Toshiba problem only.

One important factor to consider for lamp life is not only the number of hours but also the number of on/off cycles because the thermal cycling adds stress. So if you are turning your TV on/off frequently it will also fail more frequently.

Ahh. Hmmm...Interesting dilemma, do I change my TV watching habits or do I change the TV? I suppose my current habit is not ideal for a DLP as I usually don’t sit and watch for long periods of time. Any tips to improve the length of life of the lamp?

I’ve been thinking of moving to a plasma, but then I have to worry about screen burn haha.

Yes, but all lightbulbs burn out!

Lamps are typically rated to last around 3,000 hours. Some will go in a 1,000 hours and some in 5,000 hours. Remember 3,000 hours is under ideal circumstances and are about as likely as you getting the stated miles per gallon when you by a car.


Lamps in rear projection sets have an expected lifetime of 6-8000 hours, not 3000 hours. You must be thinking of lamps in front projectors which run hotter and do have expected lifetimes of 2-3000 hours. Some lamps do fail prematurely and are usually covered under the first year of manufacturer's warranty (for rear projection sets), but not extended warranty.

Lamps in rear projection sets have an expected lifetime of 6-8000 hours, not 3000 hours.

Says manufacturers. Numbers I have seen are closer to 3 to 5,000. Judging from the complaints I've seen, the AVERAGE is less than the manufacturers stated numbers.

REGARDLESS,

The point of this very old thread, and as I tried to explain in my original post, is that bulbs burn out and their lifespan varies. and a year or two ago you needed to think about that as a potential long term cost.

Again this is an old thread so the point is a bit moot.

Stay away from DLP because they suck, as good as they are in terms of picture quality and what not they are horrible due to the fact many things can fail, the bulb, colour wheel etc.

I am surprised your bulb is covered under a "warranty" BestBuy is pure crap and they would not cover our bulb I will never shop with those idiots again.

Go with a LCD I mean the worst thing you could have happen to an LCD is a dead pixel but if you opt for a extended warranty no need to really worry about that and the manufacturer should cover the pixel issues within the first year.