Hi Everyone!

Here is the saga....Purchased an InFocus SP7210 in 2005. First bulb lasted approximately 500 hours and got the "replace lamp" message a year ago. I purchased a new bulb from myprojectorlamps and was pretty happy. That bulb lasted about 400 hours or so and then the dreaded "champagne bottle" POP! This latest bulb, from the same source, just died...again the dreaded POP! I had approximately 200 hours on it and just over 5 months.

So my question to you is should I go with another replacement? Should I go with a full replacement lamp vice just the bulb ($300 vs $500 with 6 month warranty)? OR....should I go with a new Projector?

I am satisfied with the SP7210 but hate having the bulb issues. I never turn it on and then off in rapid succession...aka...If I am going to use the PJ then I am going to leave it on for a few hours of movie/TV watching (all at dim light bulb setting not high).

If I am going the route of a new PJ then I would like to keep the price in the $1500 to $2000 range. Room we have the PJ ceiling mounted is NOT light controlled so a bright PJ is definitely a necessity. Screen is a VuTec Silver Star 110".

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Regards,

:)

funny, my 7210 bulb died at 440 hours...

it's a great projector with alot of lumens and bright vibrant colors, but it may be worth looking into one of the new 1080p projectors such as the X10 or the Benq W5000. My personal favorite, the In83 has the lumens, but is a bit pricey. How much money are you looking to spend?

Those are definitly not acceptable. You need to contact infocus to get it replaced. Bulbs should not die after 500 hours.

And if none of the warranty applies, i would definitly buy a new projector instead of wasting more money on the bulbs. epson 1080UB and panasonic ae2000 comes to mind for 1080p bright projectors. But they are just above your price range of $2000. You may wait a bit for the next gen from cedia to settle in and price drops.

Right now I am satisfied with 1080i output. Budget is $1500 to $2000. I called InFocus when the first one went out and will not be calling them again for technical help as the several folks I spoke with were absolutely horrendous.

Waiting is really not an option for a week or so max. This PJ is the centerpiece of the living area and we enjoy it every day. Everyone climbing into the Master bedroom to watch nightly TV is bearable but not for long...LOL!

Right now I am satisfied with 1080i output. Budget is $1500 to $2000.There's no 1080i output with a projector. Or, I guess what I should say is that a projector's resolution is the number of pixels, and isn't "progressive" or "interlaced", those are just ways video signals are sent to the projector.

The SP7210 is referred to as a 720p projector because it's resolution (1280 x 720) is the same as the resolution of a 720p video feed. "1080p" projectors would be 1920 x 1080. They'll both output a nice picture when fed 1080i, in the case of the 720p it'll be scaled to the projector's native resolution. You've been watching a 720p projector until now, so you should have an idea of how important improved resolution is compared to contrast, brightness, etc.

If you're going to be selling the SP7210 and buying a new projector, there are plenty of reasonably speced projectors in that range, including 1080p models, should that be important to you. www.projectorcentral.com (http://www.projectorcentral.com) is a great place to start comparing models. If you could find the Panasonic AE2000 (1500 lumens) or Epson 1080UB (1600) inside of your budget, those are some bright 1080p projectors you might want to consider, although you can get brighter and cheaper at 720p. (For comparision, the SP7210 is 1100 lumens at the "High Bright" setting, where it claims 2000 bulb hours (http://www.infocus.com/support/Products/Projectors/SP7210.aspx).)

Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

i really dont see any bright 1080p under 2k right now.

If you are satisifed with 720p (same resolution as your 7210) then there is a HUGE list of proejctors to pick from in that price range. Just listing some that comes to mind and satisfies your brightness

1) panasonic ax200 ( slightly below 7210 performance)
2) sharp mkii 12000 ( =7210)
3) infocus in76 ( <7210)
4) mits hc1500 (<7210 but a lot cheaper, you can use it as temp until 1080p comes down in price)

honestly i think you would be ok with any of those unless you are very very particular about picture quality which i doubt it :p

There's no 1080i output with a projector. Or, I guess what I should say is that a projector's resolution is the number of pixels, and isn't "progressive" or "interlaced", those are just ways video signals are sent to the projector.

The SP7210 is referred to as a 720p projector because it's resolution (1280 x 720) is the same as the resolution of a 720p video feed. "1080p" projectors would be 1920 x 1080. They'll both output a nice picture when fed 1080i, in the case of the 720p it'll be scaled to the projector's native resolution. You've been watching a 720p projector until now, so you should have an idea of how important improved resolution is compared to contrast, brightness, etc.

If you're going to be selling the SP7210 and buying a new projector, there are plenty of reasonably speced projectors in that range, including 1080p models, should that be important to you. www.projectorcentral.com (http://www.projectorcentral.com) is a great place to start comparing models. If you could find the Panasonic AE2000 (1500 lumens) or Epson 1080UB (1600) inside of your budget, those are some bright 1080p projectors you might want to consider, although you can get brighter and cheaper at 720p. (For comparision, the SP7210 is 1100 lumens at the "High Bright" setting, where it claims 2000 bulb hours (http://www.infocus.com/support/Products/Projectors/SP7210.aspx).)

Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

Peteer01.......

Thanks for the breakdown, very well put!....It was late and you are 100% correct in your statements, I apologize for my lack of clarity!

I currently (and for the next several years) am sitting approx 14' from the 110" screen and the picture quality at 720P is just fine for my viewing purposes.

I certainly will be checking out the projector central for some reviews, as I have been out of the market for a time now.

My largest concern is the "brightness factor" when viewing media on the screen as I do not have a light controlled room so to speak as I did in my last house with the dedicated theater area.

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Gagaliya....

I am particular about my picture quality but not as far as many folks are who may be considered "videophiles"...LOL.....I am very satisfied with the SP7210's output so I would be happy with the same quality that I currently have. If I can get a "more viewable" picture with the lighting control issues that would be a definite plus. I certainly appreciate the comments with the rough orders of magnitude on how things stack up vs. my InFocus sp7210. Many thanks!


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My next step will be to take a look at the various choices out there and go from there.....

What I have taken away from everyone's comments so far is that it is probably better to go with a new PJ and perhaps look for a warranty on bulb life? Although I am happy with my 7210, I don't want to continue sinking $$$ into bulbs when (if) they continue to POP :eek: when I am getting ready to watch somthing:D!

Thoughts?