If necessary, you can change the lamp while the projector is fixed to the ceiling. Unplug the power cord from the projector and turn it off. Give the projector lamp at least an hour to cool. To remove the screw holding the lamp cover on, use the screwdriver that came with the replacement lamp.
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How much does it cost to change a projector’s lamp?
In recent years, projector prices have fallen like a stone. Many models are currently available for well less $1,000. Sadly, the price of new bulbs has not increased in step. Although some lights are currently priced below $300, the majority are in the $350 to $400 region and will likely remain there for some time. As a result, more and more buyers of entry-level projectors are dismayed to learn that replacement lights can run as high as 50% of the projector’s original cost.
It makes sense that a lot of people feel frustrated and bewildered by this circumstance. Nobody enjoys receiving an unexpected $400 bill in the mail. But if you plan for it, budget for it, and put it in perspective, it becomes much simpler to handle.
Video projectors cannot operate without maintenance for a decade or longer like televisions. They occasionally require lamp replacement, and the majority contain air filters that require cleaning every month or two. On most versions, lamps typically last for 2,000 hours. With some of the more recent projectors, the light life can be increased to 3,000 hours or even 5,000 hours. But keep in mind that not all bulbs will last as long as they are expected to. Lamp life may be shortened if your projector is used in a heated, poorly ventilated area or at a higher elevation. Failure to maintain a clean air filter may also shorten the life of the bulb. Additionally, predicting the average bulb life is not an exact science because certain lamps will simply fail sooner than others.
While longer lamp life is a benefit, don’t let lamp life alone play a sizable role in your projector choice. Undoubtedly, a longer bulb life can result in decreased ownership costs. However, a light will produce 1,000 two-hour movies if you use it for 2,000 hours. For a $400 new lamp, that works out to around 40 cents each movie. Your light will cost you roughly $12 every monththe price of a medium Domino’s pizzaif you watch thirty movies each month. The cost of the bulb is practically imperceptible when compared to the price of renting or purchasing those thirty DVDs each month.
Of course, if you plan to use the projector for 10 hours or more per day, you will go through bulbs more quickly than the average home theater user, and the cost of replacing lamps will become a bigger concern. But if you’re a normal home theater fan who might watch one movie per day or less, you might come to the conclusion that bulb life and lamp expenses aren’t really significant cost considerations when choosing between projectors.
In any case, estimate your expected monthly hourly usage when purchasing a projector, regardless of the type of usage you are anticipating. So that you are aware of what you are agreeing to, ask the dealer for the typical lamp life and replacement lamp costs. Only when you’ve calculated your lamp usage can you accurately budget for and put the cost of replacement lamps into financial perspective.
A little caution is advised for anyone considering purchasing a used projector in order to save money. A used projector typically has no warranty and, unless the seller specifically promises you a new lamp, the lamp is probably close to expiring. If you spend $500 on a used projector only to discover that you have to spend an extra $400 for a light to run it, you might not be ahead of the game. You’d frequently be better served investing in a brand-new projector with a brand-new light and a complete guarantee.
For displaying enormous video images in your home, workplace, or classroom, projectors are fantastic tools. They require some maintenance, though. However, if you plan for replacement bulbs over the course of the life of your projector, you shouldn’t have any significant financial surprises as long as you are aware that they are not cheap and that you will occasionally need one.
What occurs if a projector lamp burns out?
Fortunately, there are some indicators that the projector bulb needs to be changed. In order to make sure your projector is in functioning order, be aware of these symptoms.
Loss of Image
You have an issue if you switch on the projector and nothing appears. It’s likely that your bulb has burned out and you need to buy a new projector lamp. You might see the image fading before the bulb burns out. The luster or brilliance starts to wane. A dull image can be adjusted by the human eye, making an issue go unnoticed. Attempt raising the color settings on your projector. The bulb has to be changed if the image remains faint or stays the same.
Flickering Image
Have you seen any flickering in the projector’s images? This is yet another indication that your bulb is on the verge of burning out. Using a projector lamp that is not an OEM projector lamp can result in a faulty bulb, which is another possibility.
An Indicator on the Projector
Nowadays, a lot of projectors and DLP televisions incorporate an indicator that illuminates when the light needs to be replaced. This can appear as a flashing red or yellow warning or as a bulb icon on the display. If you’re unsure of where the indicator is, refer to the projector’s instruction manual.
The projector can be used till the bulb burns out. Over time, you’ll start to notice a degraded image. Before the projector bulb burns out, we advise changing it.
Color Loss
A powerful bulb is necessary for the color wheel within a DLP projector to function properly. When you need a new bulb, the wheel and DMD chip cannot accurately show colors. Another indication that your projector bulb needs to be replaced is fading colors or colors that look odd or muddy.
What happens if I don’t change the light in the projector?
It’s possible that your present lamp will blow up, perhaps harming the projector’s blowers, fans, colorwheel, and optics. When you switch out the old lamp for the new one, you must reset the timer.
Why do projector lights cost so much?
The majority of LCDs employ complex High-Pressure Mercury Vapor lamps to produce the necessary light. These lamps evaporate mercury gas using three distinct electrodes, which lights brightly when an electrical current is run through them. To maintain the ideal pressure when the bulb is functioning at its peak efficiency, the mercury content must be precisely measured. High Pressure Mercury Vapor lamps are difficult to manufacture and dangerous due to the mercury utilized in their manufacture.
Can I use an LED to replace my projector lamp?
An LED can be used to replace a conventional projector bulb, although the technique is challenging. Converting an outdated projector to an LED can be risky if you’re not experienced with electrical work. Make sure your projector doesn’t heat up an LED light too much.
How long is the lifespan of a projector lamp?
You must first determine the typical lifespan of your type of bulb before subtracting the lamp hours from it to determine how many hours are left on your projector lamp or lamp’s light bulb. To avoid overheat damage that could affect your projector, it is sometimes preferable to replace a failing lamp before it totally fails.
- Two Methods for Testing Lamp Life: There are two methods for testing lamp life. First, you may visit your projector’s system settings or menu to find out how long you’ve been using the lightfor example, 500 hours or less for a 1,500-hour lamp means you have 1,000 hours left. Second, you can check for burnout physically by looking at the lamp or bulb. However, doing so requires disassembling your projector, which is not advised if it is still covered by a guarantee (for about a year). The first technique is simpler to use, and the indicator may occasionally be made available through a smartphone app.
- Understand the typical lamp lifespans for projectors: Not every lamp is made equally. An LED can last you 30 years if you play your cards well and can operate for 60,000 hours (7 years without interruption, barring overheating concerns), as was previously mentioned. The typical halogen or halide lamp has a lifespan of 1,500 hours on average and a maximum of 3,000 to 5,000 hours. In contrast, the laser projector light has a lifespan of 20,000 to 25,000 hours (2 to 3 years of nonstop operation barring overheating concerns). These are averages, and burnout can occasionally cause even an LED to survive only six months as opposed to 30.
- The Contemporary Method of Obtaining Lamp Hours: It’s crucial to understand how your particular projector model allows you access to the control panel menu or system options, which should include the lamp hours. To be on the safe side, check your user guide or manual to find out exactly how the gadget displays this crucial information. There is typically, but not always, a button on your projector that activates the “Information menu.” Then you can tinker with its tabs to see how long you’ve been using the light for or how many hours it has been on. Even the predicted amount of time left for the bulb is listed on some models!
- The Ancient Method of Accessing Lamp Hours: If you have an old LCD video projector that links to an equally old CRT television set using SVGA cables and other accessories, these projectors have a more basic method of showing lamp hours. Again, consult the user manual if you need detailed instructions for a particular make and model of vintage projector. The On/Off switch or button on these vintage projectors, however, typically needs to be depressed for around 20 seconds before you can access light life. The process is identical to turning off your computer by pressing the power button.
How can I tell if my Mitsubishi DLP light needs to be repaired?
The majority of issues with these TVs are caused by light issues.
Simply select the relevant link for your Hitachi, JVC, Mitsubishi, Sony, or Toshiba TV to get assistance specific to that brand.
General lamp information:
Only TVs that use LCoS projection, like the Sony SXRD and JVC HD-ILA models, LCD projection, or DLP projection need projection lamps. These are large-screen tabletop televisions with typically 46″ or larger screens (and one 37″ Sony model). Projection bulbs are frequently included in small projector devices that display on different screens. With just a screwdriver, a client may quickly replace a projection lamp. In the event that a unique tool is needed, it is delivered with the replacement lamp. Flat panel TVs (plasma, LCD, and LED TVs), conventional direct-view TVs, and the classic floor-standing projection TVs do not have changeable lamps.
When you use the TV remote to access the TV menu (not the satellite or cable TV guide), the volume display, channel display, input display, etc., you are utilizing an OSD (On-Screen Display), which is a pattern that the TV internally generates on the screen. The lamp is okay if you can see an OSD.
A dead lamp can typically be identified visually.
A little glass tube is present inside each lamp.
This tube is defective if it is broken or if a hole has melted in it.
When the lamp goes out, viewers frequently hear a “pop.”
Another red flag for a poor lamp is if the outside glass envelope has a crack, blister, or discolouration.
Rarely will a light malfunction without any obvious internal damage.
This can only be verified by using a quality lamp in its place.
The surplus high voltage that is drained off when a lamp doesn’t illuminate can cause the lamp power supply to buzz or arc.
On TVs that repeatedly resume, this buzzing could be audible after each restart.
This noise may also be a sign of a malfunctioning lamp.
Weak lamps can also blank out while the set is operating, although bad lamps typically fail to illuminate when the set is turned on.
If the set notices this, it can try to turn the lamp back on.
The lamp is probably to blame if the picture and all OSDs intermittently go out.
JVC:
There is no picture or OSD when the TV first turns on. The front panel’s blue and orange lights eventually begin to flicker together, continuously, and twice every second.
Mitsubishi:
TV displays a dark screen during startup, with no picture or OSD. The LAMP light will start to illuminate after a short while and remain red throughout.
Symptom 2: (On some models) The TV is functional, however the LAMP lights are continuously yellow.
This serves as a warning that the lamp may soon fail after being used for a specific amount of hours.
In order to make the warning light go out after you replace the lamp, you must reset the lamp timer, according to an on-screen message.
Symptom 3: The image flickers, flashes, or changes color (on some models).
The set can shut down after a while.
Mitsubishi first produced bulbs for these models with yellow reflectors.
They now offer silver-colored lighting after learning that they could result in a variety of odd symptoms.
Certain aftermarket bulbs will also contribute to this issue.
Try an original lamp that you bought from Mitsubishi or from us if your set has a yellow lamp or if you recently replaced the lamp.
There is no assurance that your replacement lamp is a genuine Mitsubishi lamp unless it originates from Mitsubishi, even if it was labeled with the original Mitsubishi component number.
Sony:
Symptom 1: The screen is dark with no picture and no OSD, yet the green POWER light flashes once every second (the typical startup indicator). The red LAMP light begins blinking after the set tries to restart three more times.
Symptom 2: The TV is functional, however the screen goes black and there is no OSD or visual.
The picture eventually turns back on by itself after a little while, however it keeps turning on and off by itself.
While the picture is out, the green POWER light blinks continually, and sound may or may not be present.
Symptom 3: The television is functional, but each time it is turned on, a lamp warning message is displayed on the screen.
Toshiba:
The screen is dark with no picture and no OSD, however the red light on the front panel blinks three times per second and the green light comes on continuously. The television turns off and resets itself eight times. Then, both the green and red lights begin to blink once every second.
How can I turn the Mitsubishi TV lamp back on?
Most projectors require you to reset the lamp operating time counter to 0 after changing the light. If the counter is not reset, the projector may prematurely indicate that the replacement light is worn out or may even refuse to turn on. You can either follow the procedures below or consult your projector’s manual to learn how to reset the light counter.
Never swap out the lamp before resetting the counter. We advise that you order a new lamp right away even if your old one is still shining brightly and the projector is beginning to suggest that its life is about to expire. Install the new lamp as soon as it is delivered, and save the old one as a backup. It is recommended to avoid exceeding the bulb’s lifespan because doing so considerably increases the risk of explosions.
Procedures differ depending on the projector model as well as between projector manufacturers. Here are a few illustrations to get you started:
- Viewsonic, 3M, Dukane, and Elmo
- To access the menu, click the “MENU” button.
- Use the “ARROW UP” and “ARROW DOWN” buttons to select “Go To Advanced Menu…” when “EASY MENU” appears, then hit the “ARROW RIGHT” button.
- Press the ARROW RIGHT button after selecting “OPTION” from the menu in the left column using “ARROW UP” or “ARROW DOWN.”
- Press and hold the “RESET” button or the “ARROW RIGHT” button after selecting LAMP TIME from the “OPTION” (or “ADVANCED”) menu using the “ARROW UP”/”ARROW DOWN” buttons.
- A dialog box is displayed. Using the “ARROW UP” button, select “RESET”.
- Proxima, Infocus, and ASK
- Approach 1:
- Turn on the projector.
- Press and hold the volume up (“Vol+”) button for at least three seconds before pressing and holding the volume down (“Vol-“) button.
- The warning light ought to go green.
- Approach 2:
- Choose “About” from the menu (resp. “Info”).
- Reset the counter by selecting “Reset Lamp Timer” and confirming it.
- srie P/H/XD/X from Acer
- On the projector’s control panel or the remote control, press the “MENU button.
- To select Advanced setup, press the “Arrow up” and “Arrow down” buttons.
- To select “Reset lamp hours,” use the “Arrow up” and “Arrow down” buttons.
- To reset the lamp counter to zero, press the > button and select “Yes.”
- To return to the main menu, press the “MENU” button on the remote control or the control panel.
- Press the “MENU” button on the remote control or the control panel to close the OSD menu. The projector will save the modified settings and the OSD menu will exit.
- To display the lamp counter, press and hold Exit on the projector control panel for five seconds.
- To reset the counter to zero, press the Auto button on the remote control or the control panel.
- The OSD will vanish after around 5 seconds.
- Call up the OSD menu once the starting logo has appeared.
- SYSTEM SETUP: “Advanced” > “Lamp Settings” should be accessed.
- Enter the “MODE” or “ENTER” key.
- A popup titled “Lamp Settings” will appear. Press the “MODE”/”ENTER” button and select “Reset.”
- You’ll get a notice asking if you want to restart the lamp counter.
- Press the “MODE”/”ENTER” button after selecting the “Reset” option.
- The count of lamps will be reset to 0.
- PB6100/PB6110/PB6200/PB6210 from BenQ
- To activate the light counter, press and hold the “Exit” button on the projector control panel for 5 seconds.
- Press “MENU” to restart the counter when the OSD menu displays, or “Exit” to end it.
- Press the “Exit” button to exit the menu or the “Button” to reset the lamp’s running time to zero.
- “LAMP HOUR RESET OK” will be displayed. To exit the menu, click the “Exit” button.
- Canon, Christie, Eiki, and Boxlight
- Turn on the projector and select “MENU” from the menu. You’ll see the “ON-SCREEN MENU” emerge.
- To move the red frame to the “SETTING” icon, use the “POINT LEFT/RIGHT” buttons.
- Select “POINT DOWN.” When the “SET” button is pressed, the red frame will move to the “Lamp counter reset” option.
- You’ll see the message “Lamp replace counter Reset?”
- The “Yes” and “SET” buttons should receive the red arrow.
- You’ll see a second dialogue box with a request to confirm your selection. To reset the lamp counter to 0 click the “Yes” button.
- The lamp indicator “LAMP REPLACE” will stop lighting up after the counter has been reset.
- When the projector settings are displayed, press “MENU” and select “RESET” from the menu.
- Select “Setting LAMP HOURS,” then press “ENTER” to confirm the reset.
- The menu can be accessed by turning on the projector and pressing the “MENU” button.
- Choose “LAMP TIME” from the “OPTION” menu.
- The “RESET” button should be pressed and held for around 3 seconds.
- To confirm, select “RESET.”
- To open the menu, click the “Menu” button.
- To access the “Information” menu, use the “Right” or “Left” buttons.
- Select “Lamp Hour Reset” with the “Up” or “Down” buttons.
- Either “Enter” or “Right” should be pressed. You will notice the message “Please check user manual.”
- Press the “Down,” “Up,” “Left,” and “Right” buttons on the remote control in that order. There will be information about how to reset the counter.
- Turn the projector on.
- Hold the “ARROW RIGHT” and “ARROW LEFT” buttons down on the remote control while simultaneously depressing the “POWER” button on the projector control panel.
- The lamp indicator will blink twice after 3 seconds.
- To finish the lamp reset, let go of the buttons.
- The NEC srie NP/U/LT/VT
- Select “RESET” from the “MENU” menu by pressing the
- Select “CLEAR LAMP HOURS”; a dialogue box will display; then click “OK.”
- The projector won’t turn on if the counter has accumulated more than 3,100 running hours.
- Put the projector on standby if this happens. For roughly 10 seconds, hold down the “ON/STANDBY” and “CANCEL” buttons on the remote control. The “LAMP” sign will stop glowing once the bulb counter resets to zero.
- Activate the “Menu” button. To navigate to and select the “Settings” menu, press the “left” and “right” arrows (respectively, “3” and “4”).
- To access “Lamp Counter,” press the “Arrow up” and “Arrow down” buttons. Click “Select.”
- The screen will show the lamp counter. To confirm, click “Reset” and then “Yes.”
- The “ENTER/ARROW right” and “AUTO SYNC” buttons should be pressed and held. Press the “ON” button, then the “ARROW left” button while still holding them down.
- You will see “0000h” on the screen to indicate that the counter has been successfully reset.
- Sharp XR10X, XR20S, XR20X, and XR10S
- The “MENU/HELP,” “ENTER,” and “ARROW down” buttons should be pressed and held. Press the “STANDBY/ON” button while you are holding them down.