For owners of these sets, what was the ''mileage''(in hours) of the lamp when you had to replace it? Mine was replaced between 2000-3000hrs. My set is a 50A2020.

70" XBR2: Replaced bulb at 7500 hours, but is was still functional (no discoloration, blobs, etc). It was just gettting too dim, forcing me to use Max Iris and 100% Picture, causing a loss in contrast. I've saved the bulb as a spare.

My set is also the 70" XBR2 lamp at 7843 hours, I am still using it.

For this survey to be statistically significant, we need 100 answers. So, if you own a SXRD, please vote :)

For this survey to be statistically significant, we need 100 answers. So, if you own a SXRD, please vote

Did you know that 63.42% of all statistics are made up on the spot? ;)

Your poll is fun and interesting, but I'm afraid that it will never be "significant". You're right about needing participation, but your poll has a design flaw. You forgot to separate the answers by model of SXRD RPTV. For example, you own the A2020 which like the A2000's & A3000's uses the XL-5200 lamp. Sony recommends changing that lamp at about 8000 hours. But your first two responders have the XBR2 which uses the XL-5300 lamp. Sony recommends changing the XL-5300 lamp at about 4000 hours- half the life of the XL-5200 lamp. The Qualia 006 SXRD uses the XL-5000 lamp and the XBR1 SXRD uses the XL-5100 lamp. I don't know the expected lives of those lamps.

The original XL-5300 lamp in my XBR2 has about 5000 hours on it and it is still going strong. HappyFunBoater and Micro have over 7500 hours on their "4000 hour" XBR2 lamps- which would suggest excellent lamp life for the SXRD's. But if A2000/A2020/A3000 owners were changing their lamps at 4000-7500 hours, that would indicate disappointing lamp life. See the problem?

Thanks for the fun poll, though.

I have the 70" XBR2 and replaced the lamp last weekend at 5000-6000 hours because umr is coming to calibrate later this week and I wanted a new lamp in place. Even though the lamp was beyond its rated life, I didn't notice any difference in the picture with the new lamp. I have no doubt that there was likely a measurable difference, though.

I replaced my still working bulb in my 70" XBR2 when the replace lamp warning came up at 6000 hours.
My extended warranty includes bulbs so there was no reason to try to extend the life of my bulb.
I kept it as a spare along with the spare bulb that came with my set.

I replaced my still working bulb in my 70" XBR2 when the replace lamp warning came up at 6000 hours.
My extended warranty includes bulbs so there was no reason to try to extend the life of my bulb.
I kept it as a spare along with the spare bulb that came with my set.

Most extended warranties do not cover bulb replacement. Where did you get yours?

Most extended warranties do not cover bulb replacement. Where did you get yours?

From my dealer (Video Revolution in Tulsa, OK) they are also a Sony authorized service center.

Most extended warranties do not cover bulb replacement. Where did you get yours?

Just an FYI, but Best Buy includes one lamp replacement. I wanted the replacement as a spare, and the old one still worked at ~6500 hours. Best Buy sent the replacement to my home with no questions asked, and didn't required the old bulb in return. In fact I even told them that the old bulb still worked, but it was just dim and I wanted to keep it "just in case". No problem.

Tell me how to check the hours on my lamp, I just replaced it.. does it reset the # after you install a new one? If not, I'll just subtract 6 hours! Hehe.

But at least then I can post my time.

KDS60A2000.

I have the 60XBR2 and had 6820 hours on my original bulb before I replaced it. The bulb was still working, but I felt the picture was starting to look dark. I installed the new bulb that came with the television and all was well. Two weeks pass and when I turn on my television, the red led "lamp" light flashes and I have no picture or sound. I only had about 100 hours on the new bulb, but it was dead. I re-installed the old bulb and all is well again, except for the slightly darker picture. I called Sony about the bulb problem and they wouldn't do sh*t about it (hard to believe, I know). I'm writing a letter to the corporate office in Fort Myers, Florida regarding this situation. Granted, the bulb is technically 2 years old, but it was never removed from the original box and it was stored in my closet. I feel that it's no different than me ordering a new bulb from Sony, them pulling one off the shelf and shipping it to me. I feel they should cover it or at least give me a discount on a new bulb.

Tell me how to check the hours on my lamp, I just replaced it.. does it reset the # after you install a new one? If not, I'll just subtract 6 hours! Hehe.

But at least then I can post my time.

KDS60A2000.

I've got an XBR2 and the hours are in the Service Menu. The method for accessing the hours may be different on the 2000. Just do a quick search in the 2000 forum and you'll find what you need.

Also, the hours won't reset automatically. In the XBR2 you have to reset it via the User Menu.

I have the 60XBR2 and had 6820 hours on my original bulb before I replaced it. The bulb was still working, but I felt the picture was starting to look dark. I installed the new bulb that came with the television and all was well. Two weeks pass and when I turn on my television, the red led "lamp" light flashes and I have no picture or sound. I only had about 100 hours on the new bulb, but it was dead. I re-installed the old bulb and all is well again, except for the slightly darker picture. I called Sony about the bulb problem and they wouldn't do sh*t about it (hard to believe, I know). I'm writing a letter to the corporate office in Fort Myers, Florida regarding this situation. Granted, the bulb is technically 2 years old, but it was never removed from the original box and it was stored in my closet. I feel that it's no different than me ordering a new bulb from Sony, them pulling one off the shelf and shipping it to me. I feel they should cover it or at least give me a discount on a new bulb.

FYI, the XBR2 service manual has all the red blink codes if you want to check the cause. Sounds like it's bulb related, but the service manual may have additional detail.

FYI, the XBR2 service manual has all the red blink codes if you want to check the cause. Sounds like it's bulb related, but the service manual may have additional detail.

Thanks for the information HappyFunBoater. I put the new lamp back in and had the same problem. So the "lamp" indicator on the front panel has separate fault codes also? I have the service manual on my computer. I may put the bulb back in one more time and see what it shows. I was also thinking of changing out just the bulb itself and save some money instead of the whole housing. Protvbulbs dot com has a good price for just the bulb.

Thanks for the information HappyFunBoater. I put the new lamp back in and had the same problem. So the "lamp" indicator on the front panel has separate fault codes also? I have the service manual on my computer. I may put the bulb back in one more time and see what it shows. I was also thinking of changing out just the bulb itself and save some money instead of the whole housing. Protvbulbs dot com has a good price for just the bulb.

The XBR2 has different fault codes (simply the number of times the red LED flashes) for various failures, but I admit I don't know about the 2000. You'd have to check the 2000 service manual. Sorry. I didn't mean to mislead you. I only know about the XBR2. But in general the 2000 is the same.

I was just over 8000 hours, something like 8014. Ran almost all day, every day, for two years and 10 days. Compared to the norm I'd say a very high ratio of hours to strikes.

Tell me how to check the hours on my lamp, I just replaced it.. does it reset the # after you install a new one? If not, I'll just subtract 6 hours! Hehe.

But at least then I can post my time.

KDS60A2000.

You must go into the menu and hit "reset" when you install the new bulb....so it can track the hours used on the new one....:D


Oh...and my SXRD KDS-50A2000 has 4100 hours and still looks awesome!

You must go into the menu and hit "reset" when you install the new bulb....so it can track the hours used on the new one....:D


Oh...and my SXRD KDS-50A2000 has 4100 hours and still looks awesome!

Just to be clear, I think you're talking about the lamp reset in the user menu, not the full system reset in the system menu that would wipe out all your Color, Brightness, Aspect, Sound, White Balance, etc., settings.

Just an FYI, but Best Buy includes one lamp replacement. I wanted the replacement as a spare, and the old one still worked at ~6500 hours. Best Buy sent the replacement to my home with no questions asked, and didn't required the old bulb in return. In fact I even told them that the old bulb still worked, but it was just dim and I wanted to keep it "just in case". No problem.

That must be a new or different warranty form; the warranty that covers my Dad's 60XBR1 mentions bulb replacement is covered, but not just "one."

My xbr1 has seemed... "flickery" for the last year or so. It's more noticeable in high contrast scenes and if I turn up the brightness it is harder to see. I don't have auto-iris on. Could this be a bulb problem? I have had the unit since october 2005 and have never replaced the bulb.

I just replaced my bulb after 5800 hours. The old bulb was working fine but the picture just seemed too dark! I was shocked at how much brighter the picture was after the bulb replacement. The new bulb went in without a hitch and the tv is like new again. The tv is a 50A2000 and it's 23 months old.

I placed my order throughAmazon and it was filled by Vanns (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-XL5200-Replacement-Lamp-Grand/dp/B0012OV61K/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1231790029&sr=8-1).

Your survey fails to discriminate between optional replacements and actual lamp failures. I replaced my first lamp at about 3900 hours in my 50A2000, but only because it was a bit dim for my tastes and I wanted to test its replacement. I'm keeping it as a spare, now.

Have more than 4000 hrs haven't replaced yet, replace lamp message comes on at startup, picture still looks fine. XBR2 70"

I own a KDS-50A2000. At ~50 weeks (3842 hours of lamp time per the service menu), the bulb went out with no noticeable dimming beforehand and no "pop" sound. I replaced the bulb only (i.e., kept the original bulb housing).

I'm really curious to know how much you guys paid for the replacement bulbs.

Also, where did you get them from?

I'm really curious to know how much you guys paid for the replacement bulbs.

Also, where did you get them from?




http://www.dlplampsource.com/e-store/prod_details.asp?pcid=0&cid=1016175235037&pid=1311354742970

close to 5000 hours and have not replaced yet
will be two years in february

so what is the "official" rated life for a lamp on a 70xbr2?

is it hours or years?

we've had our set for almost 2 years now, watch very little tv,a nd it only has 1600 hours on it; I got a free bulb as part of my deal, so I don't know if I should replace it just for grins, or wait until we have at least 5000+ hours on it

thanks!

I just replaced the bulb in my KDS-50A2000 at 7952 hours. I certainly can't complain about the lamp life, but I'm shocked that it got that much use. :o

I'm really curious to know how much you guys paid for the replacement bulbs.

Also, where did you get them from?

I got mine from River Valley Electronics' (http://www.rivervalleyelectronics.net/) eBay store (http://stores.ebay.com/River-Valley-Electronics) for $91 shipped. (This was for the bulb only, which was a simple swap into my original housing.)

so what is the "official" rated life for a lamp on a 70xbr2?

is it hours or years?

we've had our set for almost 2 years now, watch very little tv,a nd it only has 1600 hours on it; I got a free bulb as part of my deal, so I don't know if I should replace it just for grins, or wait until we have at least 5000+ hours on it

thanks!

The user manual and service manual both say 4000 hours. The user manual goes on to say that it should be replaced if the picture becomes dark or unusual, if the LAMP LED blinks, or when the lamp replacement message appears on the screen. (My TV was programmed to have this message displayed at 6000 hours.)

Some folks replace the lamp at 2000 hours, especially those that are concerned with getting the absolute best picture out of their set. These folks spend a lot of time in the calibration forums. I waited until 7500 hours (probably 1000-2000 hours too long). Others have even more hours and are waiting until it blows out. Part of the decision is how much a new bulb costs.

I recommend changing it when the picture is not bright enough or not acceptable in other ways, such as low contrast or inaccurate color. It's really up to you. Unfortunately your eyes will get used to the very slow changes in the bulb, so it's tough to know when you're watching a sub-par picture until you change the bulb, or someone with a new TV points it out to you.

very good points; especially the one about your eyes getting used to things..
When you watch as little tv as I do, its really tough to notice a subtle degradation of PQ..Plus, our TV is in a room that has a wall of patio doors, and, depending on what time of year it is, the lighting in the room can fluctuate..
And, to make it even more difficult, I recently changed from Comcast/dish to UVerse, so the picture is alot different that it has been for the last 2 years!

I guess 4000 hours, or, a drastic change in PQ is probably the best timetable for me..

thanks for your input!

I replaced the XL-5300 lamp on a 70" SXRD (KS-70R200A, Australian XBR2 equivalent) as 1800 hours due to occasional flicker and other brightness variations. The replacement lamp was much brighter.

With regard to light output decay with time is this linear or along the same principal as radioactive decay (faster decline early in lamp life) ?
If it is the latter has someone measured (or know) the half life of the XL-5300 lamp in terms of light output ?

50A2000 SXRD and my bulb is at 7700+ hours and still going strong. Set was purchased in September of 2006.

Just replaced the lamp in my 50XBR1 @ 5563 hours. It was an actual bulb failure, not just dim or poor PQ.

OK, color me stupid, but I can not find a Service Menu. I have a setup menu, which has a lamp replacement submenu. But all it says is "Start Bulb replacement"
KDS-50A2000

OK, color me stupid, but I can not find a Service Menu. I have a setup menu, which has a lamp replacement submenu. But all it says is "Start Bulb replacement"
KDS-50A2000

It depends on how you define "life", and how important a properly calibrated TV is to you.
The service and user manuals for my XBR2 say to replace the bulb at 4000 hours. The TV itself will warn the user to replace the bulb at 6000 hours. Several of us have used the bulb up to 8000 hours. I think others are beyond that and are waiting for the bulb to fail.

Throughout the lifetime of the bulb the color and brightness will change which will require changes to the user and service menu. You'll reach a point where you can't make changes adequate enough for YOU to have a good enough picture.

So it's really difficult to answer your question.

OK, color me stupid, but I can not find a Service Menu. I have a setup menu, which has a lamp replacement submenu. But all it says is "Start Bulb replacement"
KDS-50A2000

Here's a copy of the instructions from the owners' thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=701578):

To get to the Service Menu, press: (while tv is on)
PowerOff, Display, 5, Vol up, PowerOn

Press Jump until you get to the Panel Menu

Press 2 until you get to item 21 Lamp Timer


The bulb replacement option in the regular menu system will reset the timer to 0.

I am at 6345 hrs right now. Just waiting.

Does the lamp timer reset itself when you put a lamp on

Does the lamp timer reset itself when you put a lamp on

It doesn't automatically reset on the XBR2, and probably not on the other TVs either.

Personally I think this is pretty lame. Sony made it easy for users to replace the bulb, yet they require that they go into the service menu, which is definitely not a straightfoward process. But I'm not sure they're any different than any other manufacturer.

EDIT: OK, I'm in the weeds, as Moose points out in post #43.

Got 8,000 on my first lamp. Have 10,400 on the second one. It's definitely getting dimmer and I just ordered a new one.

It doesn't automatically reset on the XBR2, and probably not on the other TVs either.

Personally I think this is pretty lame. Sony made it easy for users to replace the bulb, yet they require that they go into the service menu, which is definitely not a straightfoward process. But I'm not sure they're any different than any other manufacturer.

You do not have to go into the service menu on the XBR2, there is a change bulb area in the regular menu that resets the timer.

You do not have to go into the service menu on the XBR2, there is a change bulb area in the regular menu that resets the timer.

Hmm. Well, aren't I the frickin' moron. Yes there is such an option. And now that I see it, I'm pretty sure I used it when I changed the bulb.

Duh! Feel free to ignore all of my posts while I'm taking Oxycontin. :o

Thanks, Moose!

Oh sooooooo close to 5,000 hours before the flickering was too annoying - the timer said 4979 on my KDS-60A2000 when I replaced the bulb.

I've never had any green blob or optical block problems with this set, knock on wood.

The picture quality is consistently better than any LCD or Plasma set I've seen. :)

I just came upon this thread and figured I might as well check my bulb hours out. My set is about 23 months old now, almost two years. Thought I might be getting up there... I LOL'd when I saw the hours: 2355. Guess I don't use the TV all that much!

omarr - are ou happy with the lamp you purchased from them?

i'm at 8326 hours. It was pretty tricky getting to the service menu. Thank you poster that gave a clear explanation on how to get there. The TV looks fine with so so many hours? I have the Best Buy warranty, should i replace now or wait for bulb to blow?

Zenvita

50A2000, lamp blew at 5804 hours. There was no Philips lamp available locally and had to get the TV going ASAP since I'm going away for the weekend... the wife and kids woulda killed me if it wasn't operational so went with the Osram which the local place had in stock... we'll see how the life of this bulb goes but for right now picture is soooo clear which means I'm also clear for the boys weekend out of town :)

KDS-50A2000 (bought 9/06) at 4800+ hours still going strong but noticing a delay at startup but that may be due to some programming issues with my Harmony remote. Starting after a recent shut down causes the green power light to blink up to 30 seconds before the picture comes back up.

After reading other comments, I have picked up a spare bulb at Vann's and will install when I receive it. I will keep the original as a back up. Hopefully, this will cure my slow starts but I'm also interested in seeing if the brightness noticeably improves.

KDS-50A220, didn't really burn out at 3k hours, had the picture go black every 10 seconds or so. Technically bulb is useless if it does that, so replacing it fixed, so bad bulb. Explained to me by Tech, those bulbs often build of a lot of capacitance resistance or something. What do I know?

The bulb warning just came on a few days ago. I'm now at 8024 hours (Since 12/09/2006), so I ordered a new Philips bulb installed in a recycled Sony OEM housing off eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380134088724). I noticed some occasional flickering on mostly white screens from the HTPC a few months ago. Hopefully a new bulb fixes that.

-John

The bulb on my KDS-60A2000 blew probably in the 3000-4000 hour range. I think we had it replaced at around 2.5 years of usage * about 4 hours/day = about 3650 hours. Best Buy replaced it for free under their Performance Service Plan. We use the TV quite a bit, so it could have had slightly more hours on it. I never saw the bulb replacement message though, so I know it didn't reach 6000 hrs. This seems kinda low, but I don't think I'm using the "power save" mode for the bulb. Otherwise, TV is kept in virtually ideal conditions - well ventilated, very little dust, and on battery backup in case power goes out (so fan can continue to cool bulb down properly). In my opinion, it definitely should have lasted longer.

I've seen many post the # of hours they have on their projection lamp. Exactly how do you determine how many hours you have on the lamp? What are the steps? :confused:

I just had my 55A2000 bulb pop ( I was fairly surprised on how loud that was too) on me today. I have had the set for about 3 years now and guess that I have about 5,00-6000 hours on it. That poor set is on for about 6 hours or more a day between the kids watching TV and me playing games at night. Stupid me in the last month or so did not call my extended warranty when I got the warning message that my lamp was expiring on the TV (what is the preset hours for that?). I did a reset like I did a bulb change to make the message go away and figured I would see how long it would last. Now it is going to take about 7-10 days to get my "Free" bulb replaced. I could have payed the service place $140 for a new bulb and them to change it (It's not that hard to do) today and then get my free bulb from the Extended warranty. I declined on that since we are leaving for vacation in a few days. Now I am hoping I do not get the wrong bulb when it comes.

Hello,
I have a Sony KD-55A3000 which I purchased Open Box (only one I could find).
6-20-08. The picture looked great and had plenty of light output. However, since it was a floor model, it had some hours on it.

While registering my A3000, I decided to order another Remote Control. While on the phone with customer support, I mentioned that the picture was getting dark. The CSR put me on hold for a minute and came back on the phone with her Supervisor on the line and transferred me to her. I tell her my story and mention how much other Sony gear I own when she decides to replace my bulb free of charge. She did take my CC and sent a printing label with the new bulb . As long as I sent back the other bulb, I would not be charged. And I was not.

In the 13 Months since receiving the new bulb, I have configured the set for max longevity and had it ISF'ed. I am getting my Masters and my GF has been studying for the Bar exam. Long story short, the set is barely turned off. In fact, I purposely leave it on of going out for under an hour. I do this because the turn on/turn off cycle is the most stressful part of a bulb's life.

My bulb has around 6500 hours and still looks great. I am about to get a backup XL-5200 to have when this one goes. It would be cruel to be TVless in the Living Room.
Cheers,
AD

Over 8000 on my 60XBR1. really need to order another one.

On the official Sony X3000 site here I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I changed my perfectly working bulb at 8500 hours. I was flat out called a liar. I only changed it because I got tired of looking at the warning light every day.

My didn't fail but there was a slight flicker on my set so I replaced the bulb and the flicker disappeared.

So it didn't actually fail and I'm hanging it on to the old one for an emergency spare.

My replacement lamp came in. I can not get over how much brighter the Set is now. I'm going to have to go in and tweak my settings.

Hello,
I recently replaced the bulb in my KDS-55A3000 at around 6,000 hours with a Sony XL-5200 factory replacement bulb. My bulb actually had plenty on life left on it, but I got really lucky and Sony sent me a new one for free.

I must say that it is amazing how different the set looks after replacing the bulb. I have always enabled power savings, etc. I actually purchased my A3000 open box after a desperate scramble after Sony's announcement that the KDS-Z70XBR5 was stillborn. I still lament those sets never seeing the light of day as they looked amazing. My open box had tons of hours on it and I actually got a new bulb for it one week after purchase as well.

While annoying that they need to be replaced, when calibrated, power saving enabled, and keeping power cycles to a minimum, these bulbs can last for years. Furthermore, it is pretty cool that upon replacement of the bulb, you have peak brightness and almost a new display. I just wish Sony would price the bulb at around 100 Dollars or less. I have no experience with the scores of OEM equivalent bulbs. Some seem to be quite pleased with the performance and the price is certainly right.
I do advocate leaving the set on if say running a quick errands or being away for less than an hour or so.
Cheers,
AD

Hi,

After 2 years and 8 months, my lamp on my KDS-55A2000 "popped" without any warning whatsoever. I had noticed the picture getting slightly dimmer, but didn't access the Service Menu to see the hours on the lamp. I purchased my lamp from Amazon also, and wow, is there ever a difference in brightness!:eek:

I decided to change the "Picture" setting down a little, and turn on the "Power Save" to see if down the line in time it would make a difference. I am guessing iI got between 5000-6000 hours on the old bulb. The painful part was WAITING for the new bulb, as I had to watch TV on my laptop until it arrived!:rolleyes:

Next time, I may order a new bulb after 2 years, hopefully before this one goes.;)

I am still very pleased with my set, it was an excellent investment.:)

GG

Hi, i have just replaced my lamp. The last one which was my original lamp ran for about 5000 hrs. I have just bought a new lamp from:
KDS-50A3000 (http://www.projectorlampsworld.com/bulb/Sony/KDS-50A3000.html). They gave me warranty of 90 days and it seems ok to. Hope it works like the previous one.

Another statistic for the SXRD lamp life time.
I estimate over 8000 hours. We have had the set for 3 1/2 years. I reckon the set is on for about 8 hours every day. 2h in the morning and ~6h in the evening. We are away say 5 weeks a year so (365-35) * 3.5*8 is 9240 hours. So at least 8000 hours or at least 2500 power cycles. I run the SXRD KDSR50xbr1 on the reduced power setting and high altitude fan setting. Cooler bulbs last longer.
Is there a "run-time" clock which one can access to see the actual lamp life time?
Well, when I install the new lamp...... guess I better order one!
I should have changed the lamp when the optical block was changed last April!

Found the answer on how to access the lamp on time....."Search Engine!" that's a nice name

7700+ on my KDS60A2000, still working but occasional flickering. Didn't notice how dim it had become until the new one went in......of course, the ob **** the bed shortly after (55v5100 offered and accepted as replacement) so now I have a virtually unwatchable tv with a 100 hour bulb in it - lcd should be here in the next few days ;)

I so confused right now I need some advice...OK, I always clean my set lke once a week, I even take the lamp with the housing out and I clean where the lamp sits, I clean the dust out.

So here my question, I had over 4000+ hours on my bulb when I check about a few months ago and now I checked again today it read 2112 hours, I don't get it, by me taking out the lam,p to clean the area for dust, does this reset the hours or something. MY set has lost some luster, I have a brand new bulb waiting. So What gives?


I have the KDS-50A2000

I so confused right now I need some advice...OK, I always clean my set lke once a week, I even take the lamp with the housing out and I clean where the lamp sits, I clean the dust out.

So here my question, I had over 4000+ hours on my bulb when I check about a few months ago and now I checked again today it read 2112 hours, I don't get it, by me taking out the lam,p to clean the area for dust, does this reset the hours or something. MY set has lost some luster, I have a brand new bulb waiting. So What gives?


I have the KDS-50A2000

Physically replacing lamp does not reset lamp hours in service menu

Must go into user menu settings under setup and click on Lamp Replacement then Start

Maybe you did that inadvertently?

Physically replacing lamp does not reset lamp hours in service menu

Must go into user menu settings under setup and click on Lamp Replacement then Start

Maybe you did that inadvertently?

Maybe I did hit it inadvertently, I'm just lost what to do, should I wait until it dies, or replace now.

If I read it right, I had 9857 on my original lamp before it blew (that's how many hours service menu says when I put in the new lamp).