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Projector Lamp FAQ

Lamp Life

Why does my projected image seem dimmer than normal?
Most of the time this is caused by prolonged usage of your projector. Projector lamps dim with age and will eventually need to be replaced. Some projectors have a menu built-in to allow you to check your projector's amount of usage.

For further information check your projector's manual.
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How long will my projector lamp work?
Similar to regular light bulbs projector lamps have something called a lamp life. This life describes the general operating time and estimates the number of hours before the bulb reaches half it's original brightness.

Most modern projectors boast about 2000 hours, however lamp life will vary upon the technology used and the conditions the lamp is used in.

Dusty and smokey conditions can certainly cause a drop in the number of hours for the lamp. Normal operating conditions (no more than five hours a day and smoke/dust free environments) can ensure the lamp lasts it's full life.
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How can I ensure my projector lamp will last longer?
Operate your lamp in clean dust and smoke free conditions. If you must work in less than adequate conditions then clean your air filters every three months or more if needed.

Next, do not allow your projector to get overheated. Keep the vents free of clutter and blowing with ease.

Avoid turning the lamp on and off too frequently and only turn it on when you are ready to use it. Frequently turning it on and off will change the shape of the lamp's electrodes over time and can reduce it's life.

Take care when moving the projector, shocking the projector can reduce the lamp's life.

Most projectors have a "Lamp Economy Mode," take advantage of this. The mode reduces the brightness by about 20% on average, but in turn will lengthen the life of your lamp by about 50%. The reduction in brightness is usually not very discernible to the eye.

Be sure to always allow your projector to have a proper cool down time. This means allow the fan to stop before turning off or unplugging.
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Price

Why are projector lamps so expensive?
Many projector owners find themselves quite surprised when shopping for a projector lamp. When a person thinks of purchasing a light bulb essentially, they think of an object that costs about ten bucks, however, a projector lamp is a bit more costly. Surprisingly, this small light bulb of sorts usually costs between 200 to 400 dollars. This may sound outrageous but there are some understandable reasons for projector lamps being expensive.

Reasons include, but are not limited to:
  • Unique Design
      There are multiple projectors on the market all composed of differently shaped parts and most require different lamps. Each manufacturer will design proprietary projector lamps to be unique from the rest, only fitting their assigned projectors, by molding the casing for the bulb, and holder for the lamp, to be curved a bit differently than others.
  • Scarcity (Produced in Small Batches)
      Also, different types of projectors require different wattage. For example, home theatre and business projectors require between 150 watt to about 300 watt lamps. Because many lamps are composed of different amounts of watts, this limits each lamp’s compatibility with various projectors. Due to these two factors alone, there is a limited amount of each lamp produced each year, therefore causing the price of each lamp to inflate.
  • Difficult and Expensive Materials
      More specifically, projector lamps and the bulbs themselves are expensive to make and produce in large quantities for multiple reasons. Many lamps are made with UHP bulbs, developed by Philips. These bulbs are expensive to manufacture because they are made of borosilicate glass and fused quartz. Because quartz is so tough to work with and is so hard, special equipment, which is highly expensive, is needed to heat and mold the quartz. Also, the glass in the lamps is typically hand made by glass blowers, adding to the expensive nature of producing even a single lamp. A lot of time and effort is put into creating each lamp that is manufactured because they can not be mass produced like most products.
  • High Quality Standards
      The high price and scarcity of projector lamps drives their price even higher. Manufacturers protect their investment in expensive materials and time by enforcing high quality standards. At 200 to 400 dollars each, every lamp has to work. The highest acceptable failure rate in the projector lamp industry is around 0.4 percent lamp failures per batch. When a sample of lamps is tested in most manufacturing facilities, and the sample demonstrates a failure rate of higher than 0.4 percent, then the whole batch has to be inspected by hand or discarded.

      A higher failure rate is acceptable in less expensive items like clothing. Think of how often you have seen loose threads, stains, and little tears in a garmet for sale in a nice department store. That makes it easy to understand that the acceptable failure rate in the mid priced clothing industry is closer to 3 percent, or more than seven times higher than the maximum acceptable failure rate in the projector lamp industry. The costs related to quality assurance (labor, equipment, equipment, and failed product that never reaches the market) increase the cost of projector lamps. In a way, this is good for customers. The extra cost for high quality standards protects everyone from paying $200 for a broken, useless lamp.
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What should I know before buying a projector?
If you have the luxury of planning ahead, try selecting a projector based on the cost of the lamp. Look for projectors with low cost lamps. Optoma, Sanyo, and Eiki are a few of the many brands with relatively inexpensive projector lamps. Customers can enjoy low cost lamps longer if a projector is espeically popular, or the manufacturer uses the same lamp design in multiple projectors over several years. A popular projector will have a higher demand for projector lamps. That means that manufacturers can take advantage of economies of scale in production. They can make lamps in larger batches to decrease the cost per lamp.
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What do OEM Compatible Lamps have to do with the price and what should I know about them?
The safe bet for anyone searching for a projector lamp is to purchase from a reliable source that offers OEM and/or OEM compatible lamps. OEM lamps are produced and sold by the original manufacturer of the projector (Sanyo, Mitsubishi, Optoma) at full price. OEM compatible lamps are produced by companies who reverse engineer the lamps to compete with the manufacturers. Because projector lamps are so unique in shape and wattage from one another, it is extremely difficult and expensive for anyone to duplicate a manufacturer’s lamp efficiently and cheaply. Few companies have tried. Unfortunately, there are unreliable sources with lamps that have failed or burnt out much sooner than expected, without warranty. The low price of an OEM Compatible projector lamp can be attractive. Just be sure to understand your warranty rights before purchasing an OEM Compatible lamp.
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Is there anything I should know after buying my projector?
Watch for your projector to be re-manufacturerd under another name with a lower cost version of the same lamp. This can many times result in additional savings.
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Projector Specifications

How do I determine the lumens rating I will need?
When determining the amount of lumens for your room there are two main factors to consider, the amount of ambient light and the size of the image being projected. Think of it in terms of using a flash light. The more area you cover with the light source the dimmer the light becomes, hence the bigger projector screen the more lumens required. Additionally, depending on the relative darkness in a room, more Lumens can "wash out" the images being projected.

  • Home Theaters
      Projectors will need a Lumens Ratings that averages between 1000-1300 Lumens. Home Theater Projectors are typically used in a darker, light-controlled setting, therefore less lumens is required. However, it should be understood that having a 2000 plus Lumens Rating on a home theater projector does not equate to greater picture quality.
  • Board Rooms
      Projectors might need a Lumens Rating between 2000-3000 Lumens. The higher Lumens Rating in this setting is due in part to the fluorescent lights or ambient sunlight in board or conference rooms.
  • Large Churches & Auditoriums
      These require projectors with a high lumen rating (4,000+) due to the bright lighting situation and the large image being projected. A projector with a higher Lumens Rating also does not speak to the quality of the projector being purchased. More is not always better!
The surface on which images are being displayed can also affect the performance of a projector. Displaying projected images on painted walls, bedsheets or non-screen surfaces affect the reflection and diffusion of light and the image being projected. Having a good projector screen for quality display is always best.
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Projector Screens

What should I know before buying a screen?
When choosing a projector screen, there are many factors to consider. What are the intended uses, how big, which format, what screen surface, or even how much to spend.
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What should I know about portable screens?
Portable Screens can be a very practical way to display media anywhere. Portable Screens can be used for boardroom presentations, church functions, or in schools, moving them from one classroom to another. Portable Screens range in size from small enough to sit on a conference room table to large enough to show a movie at a neighborhood block party. There are also many different screen surfaces to choose from in Portable Screens.

Portable Screens have a few different ways in which they are set-up. Tripod screens are very popular because they offer a large viewing surface, and are fast and easy to set up. Assembly is usually complete in a few simple steps. Some portable screens come in a case or tube that rests on the floor and by lifting the screen handle, the viewing surface is revealed. This is a very handy application and great for presentations on the go. Fast Fold or truss system portable screens are sometimes large and heavy to lift, but they offer the largest viewing surface available in Portable Screens. This screen is most often seen at large concerts, church settings, sporting events, trade shows and conventions.

When it comes to cost, Portable Screens are a great way to go. They are less expensive than electric screens, and do not require a power source to operate. Portable Screens are affordable to use for any situation that calls for a mobile presentation platform. The Portable Projector Screen is the right choice for presentations and displays on the go!
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What is "Screen Goo?"
Screen Goo is the newest innovation in the projection world and quickly growing in popularity. Simply put, Screen Goo is special paint that is layered to create an outstanding projection screen at a fabulously low cost and no installation necessary. If you’re good at painting your walls, then using Screen Goo will be a simple and easy task for you.
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Why should I use "Screen Goo?"
If you are trying to install a home theater in your basement and just can’t afford a good quality massive projection screen, you dislike how your current screen looks fixed against the wall in your room, or you can’t figure out how to install or hang your projection screen and just figured you would give up then Screen Goo may be for you.
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How do I use "Screen Goo?"
This special paint has been designed specifically for video projection and to act as a high quality projection screen. Screen Goo can be applied to any smoothpaint-able surface, like your basic wall. If the wall has any texture to it, be sure to sand down the texture to create a smooth finish to paint on. A complete screen created using Screen Goo requires only two coats of paint, a topcoat and abase-coat . Applying Screen Goo on a white surface is highly recommended for best results. A primer is also recommended if your surface is not already white.

Screen Goo caters to both front projection screen users and rear projection screen users. To make a rear projection screen with Screen Goo, spray a thin coat of Screen Goo rear projection screen paint on a piece of plexi-glass or some other transparent surface. Screen Goo paint bonds permanently to plexi-glass. Apply the rear projection paint to glass instead if it would be better to have a temporary screen. Screen Goo projection screen paint will clean off of glass, and it can be sanded off of walls just the same as latex house paint.
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Technical Terms

What is a Lumens Rating and why is this important?
A Lumen is a unit of measurement of the amount of brightness that comes from a light source. For example, a 100 watt light bulb produces roughly 1200 Lumens. In this case, we are referencing the amount of light produced by a projector or the projector lamp inside the projector. To determine what lumens rating is right for you please see How do I determine the lumens rating I will need?.
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