My Optoma hd 72 has been terrible for bulbs and now has another problem so I don't think I'll fix it. It has about 1800 hrs ( 3 bulbs) and is 2 1/2 years old.
I'm considering the Epson 6100 but wondering what the normal life of projectors like it are if you are not just upgrading?
I might consider a higher cost projector if I thought it would last.
Thanks

as ive just gotten into the projector hobby, im no authority on the subject of pj longevity. but before i bought my HD65 i did a fair bit of research on several different models, and the HD72 in particular stood out as a bad egg. ive heard many people complain of short bulb life and other issues with it, here and elsewhere, so i wouldnt judge all projectors on your experience with that one. that said, i think its gonna be a bit of a crap shoot with any newer model projector you buy as to how long it will last, the lemons of todays models wont show themselves until a couple years down the road.

My best advice would be purchase a projector with a long warranty. My BQ 7700 had a 3 year. I used the warranty twice, it now is 4 years old and still running strong.

All projectors LCD or DLP have issues......First,are bulb issues,then burnt polarisers come in a close second,followed light tunnel issues,and color wheel bearings, like biztyke says its a crap shoot. THIS IS WHY THE WARRANTY AND DEALER is most important in my book.

Second advice is wait 6 to 8 months let the mfg work out all the bugs in a model.....this also lets you keep track of the mfg on this form and others to see how well they are handling the mess. I don't judge a MFG poorly if it has issues(they all do) I judge how it handles the issue.

Good luck:)

I'll go out on a limb and say LCD projectors with organic panels last for about 5 years of typical use. If they have inorganic panels they should last twice as long. Approximately.

Thanks!! Beginning to wonder why I couldn't get an approximate answer after hundreds of looks. I just wanted a best guess.

been running my pan. ptl500 lcd hd pj for nigh on 5 years (edit-~850 hours) with zero issues. but i only use it 4 or 5 times per month.
onliest reason i'll upgrade is to go to a 1080 pj and better black levels. and it'll be another lcd-probably a mitsubishi.

but i'm fairly happy with the panny and in no hurry to upgrade.

After 4 years you will be praying for it to break so you can justify buying a newer, better, cheaper model. I am my ae900u is still going strong after 4 years I cannot wait until it stops working.

Can anyone chime in who uses their lcd pj for hours on end?

Liverpool, I was saying the same thing about my pj. My venerable IF X1 just died - I loaned it out and it got returned with some rattling inside - I think the light tunnel came apart...<sermon>[takes off hat, bows head] It was a good projector, and served me well for the last six years. Rest in peace, liddle buddy...</sermon>

I'm on the fence now between two dlp pjs (HD 65 or X9) and one lcd pj (Epson 700). The 700 has really cheap lamps - approx $200, and is rated for "4000 hours" (emphasis is mine on the lamp life)...

I think I'll take checklst's advice and wait a few more months to see how the 700 holds up with wear & tear, since it's a newer pj on the market...I'll just have to endure watching things on our old 27" inch tv, despite the strain it will put on my aging eyes...
:D

Unfortunately, just like the Stock market, past performance is no indication of future behavior. Any PJs that are under two years old are not old enough to judge whether they have longevity issues. And PJ technology develops so fast that any PJ older than 2 years is too different from any of the new models today, in general. For LCD PJs, the switch from organic to inorganic panels promises better lifespan, and the switch from 720 to 1080 displays may also affect longevity. Couple that with newer lamp technologies, and all you can do is assume that today's PJs "should" last anywhere from 5 to 10 years, depending on organic vs inorganic tech, and use/abuse.

As others have pointed out, unless you get a true lemon, you will likely want to replace your PJ for better tech before it actually fails (not counting bulbs).

IMHO, YMMV,

shinksma

My LCD projector (Hitachi Home 1) is at 1500 hours and 4 years and going strong. It's ceiling installed in my basement and I clean the filter when the reminder pops up and that's it. I bought a replacement bulb, but I think I'll upgrade before I need it. I rarely run it for more that one movie at a time and usually no more than a few days a week.

I'll go out on a limb and say LCD projectors with organic panels last for about 5 years of typical use. If they have inorganic panels they should last twice as long. Approximately.

TrickMcKaha,

For anyone not familiar with front projectors I'd like to clarify your post. Can you shed some light on what you consider normal usage? Also, do the polarizers on LCD projectors with inorganic panels last longer as well?

...And PJ technology develops so fast that any PJ older than 2 years is too different from any of the new models today, in general. For LCD PJs, the switch from organic to inorganic panels promises better lifespan, and the switch from 720 to 1080 displays may also affect longevity...

Hi shinksma - I'm not up on the lcd inorganic panel technology - so is it safe to say, in general, that lcd pjs made in the last two years probably have inorganic panels?
thanks

^ Not necessarily. Some do and some do not. I've read about a couple of models released in the last year that have organic panels (I can't remember which models), which from my understanding was to cut down on cost.

Hi shinksma - I'm not up on the lcd inorganic panel technology - so is it safe to say, in general, that lcd pjs made in the last two years probably have inorganic panels?
thanks

As TF Ghost mentioned, several of the current "entry level" 1080p models are organic-panel LCDs: the Epson 6100, Sanyo PLV-Z700 (a.k.a. PLV-Z1080) are two I can think of off the top of my head. I'm not sure whether 720p models are typically inorganic or organic.

So you need to check if that is a concern for you. the Owner's Threads usually touch on that topic fairly early on. :)

shinksma

TrickMcKaha,

For anyone not familiar with front projectors I'd like to clarify your post. Can you shed some light on what you consider normal usage? Also, do the polarizers on LCD projectors with inorganic panels last longer as well?


I have not heard of the polarizers being improved along with the inorganic panels, but I think of a polarizer as an easily replaceable part, if it goes. Less than half the cost of a new bulb, on popular models, from what I've read.

You caught me being vague about "ordinary use." Lets say 3 hours a day, average, 1100 hours a year. Five years would be about three bulbs?

I feel really old by reading this thread.
I still have my pt l300 and 500 and theyre both still working w/o issue.

Zombie threading here....

I was also looking at an Epson 6100, but was curious as to how long the panels would last. How long have organic LCD's been in use? are there other models that might help give us an idea of what to expect? My Infocus 4805 has about 1000 hours of use after almost 3 years of service and still looks very good to my eyes (except that I have had to turn up the brightness as the bulb has aged).

Thanks in advance for your thoughts..

MB

I feel really old by reading this thread.
I still have my pt l300 and 500 and theyre both still working w/o issue.

same here with my ptl500. still works great.
don't really use it all that much, tho-~820 hrs in 5 years.

I know many won't agree with me, but for LCD organic projectors, about 1,000 hours. After that, there is noticeable contrast degradation to the point where it bothers me too much. I have had 4 such projectors (AE100, 300, 700, 900), and the 1,000 hours applied in all cases even though I use the low bulb setting.

Inorganic LCD panels are a must - that is assuming that they really have longer life as claimed. Else DLP. IMO there is merit to the Texas Instruments study on LCD panel fading.

After 4 years you will be praying for it to break so you can justify buying a newer, better, cheaper model. I am my ae900u is still going strong after 4 years I cannot wait until it stops working.
My sentiments exactly. Mine's relatively new and already I can see where I'll be thrilled to just go back through the shopping/buying experience again. I was like a kid at Christmas when the pj showed up! I fully expected that with the improvements in the past year and pricing drops in the same time, I'll be chomping at the bit to get a new pj by the time my 2 yr warranty runs out. Not that I'll hope for it to die but I'd love to have one in my office for a computer display and this one would be great! Even if I did RP with it and turned it into a great big monitor.

Now, had I spent $5000 on a pj, I might not be so excited to see it die after 2 years.

I feel really old by reading this thread.
I still have my pt l300 and 500 and theyre both still working w/o issue.

I had my AE500 for 2 years and sold it along with my house 3 years ago with 1500 hrs. on the lamp. I recently talked to the people I sold to and they are still using it...without a new lamp (which I suggested they might consider at least for increased brightness)...damn good PJ.

I replaced it with a 900 and it is going strong after 3+ years and 1600 hrs....bulb #2. I think I HAVE to go with another Panny.

I think I HAVE to go with another Panny.

Ditto here. I've been watching my Panasonic AE900U on a 100" Carada brilliant white 1.78:1 screen for years (approximately 3200 hours on bulb #1) and it never fails to deliver a WOW factor. As of last night, no issues whatsoever. I've got a spare bulb on hand and can't wait until I need to install it because I assume there would be an improvement in brightness, but I honestly cannot say I've noticed a brightness issue with bulb #1.

I did a lot of research and eye-balling other brands and models before I settled on my original Panny (an AE700U, which did have polarizer problems after 3 years and, I think, about 1100 hours but my $300 extended warranty was good for a no charge brand new AE900U replacement and a reinstatement of the extended warranty on day one of the AE900U delivery). Now I can't imagine choosing another brand.

I know what I would get if I were upgrading right now, though. I'm intrigued by the Panasonic PT-AE3000U's "pseudo" anamorphic lens memory feature that allows for a lower cost constant height benefit. I'd replace my 100" 1.78:1 screen with a 120" 2.35:1 screen and rewatch every Cinemascope DVD and blu-ray movie in my collection. At around $2500 street price today, it's only about $400 more than I paid for my original AE700U several years ago! Of course, by the time I'm really ready to upgrade, I'll probably be able to get what the PT-AE3000U offers for quite a bit less than its current street price. The technology-to-price ratio has been very good to the PJ consumer over the past few years.

Those older Panasonic's were good. I had a PT-L300 (the US version of the AE300) that I bought in 2002. It's still going strong in it's 2nd home (on it's original lamp, low power use only). It doesn't get much use though, it's well under 2000 hours.

The biggest factor in any PJ life (lamps included) is the ambient room temperature. LCD panels and, especially the polarizers, are more temperature sensitive than DLP ones (the DMD). I will not run my PJs if my room temperature is over 75-77 degrees (25 C). Depending on lamp power, the internal PJ temperatures can reach 50+ degrees hotter, near the lamp, than the room ambient. Internal heat is the primary cause of any electronic part failures, and the lamp, itself, is running at well over 1000 degrees.

I agree with checklst, I will not buy a PJ until it has had at least 6 months of use by AVS members (it took Epson 4+ months to fix a problem with their 6500UB/7500UB models - originally uncovered by AVS members). I replaced my L300 with a Toshiba MT700 (DLP), and that was a disaster. It had a defective lamp design, which resulted in early lamp failures (200 to 400 hours). What really hurt was that Toshiba would not own up to it (even though the OEM manufacturer, BenQ did and managed to solve the problem). Toshiba's response was to drop the PJ before it's warranty ran out.

I replaced that disaster with a cheap, on sale, Mitsubishi HC3 (<$600). I figured that it should last at least a year. It turned out to be virtually bullet-proof and ran perfectly for over 4 years. I finally replaced it with another LCD Mitsubishi PJ, the HC5500 (1080p), after AVS members had rung it out with almost no problems. I'm a very happy camper. It has inorganic panels, and a 5000 hour low-power lamp life. I've been running it at around 200 hours/month, with the shortest on time of 5 hours, and normally around 6-8 hours. One session it was on for 12+hours (we're both retired and night-owls).

PS -- I always clean my air filters every 40 to 100 hours, if it's needed or not. I've never had a dust blob problem either. I have a dusty house with 2 cats, and live roughly a block from the SP (and commuter) RR tracks and 2 blocks from the US-101 freeway.

The only LCD PJ that I know of that has operating time restrictions are the Panasonic's, from the AE700 on. I think this is more of a CYA reaction, than a hard limit. It also lets them off the hook for some warranty claims.

BTW, Epson is continuing to manufacture organic panels (in both D6 and D7 panel designs). Epson supplies the LCD panels for most of the LCD PJs on the market. The organic panels are used in the lowest cost LCD PJs, including their own 6100 model. Only their C2Fine panels are made exclusively with the inorganic D7 design (it's also used in all of the highest contrast ratio PJs from Epson, Panasonic, Sanyo, Mitsubishi, etc. - the higher priced models).

NOTE: According to Ekkehart (at www.Cine4Home.de), the Epson D6 & D7 panels can be either organic or inorganic. Only the C2Fine panels are exclusively D7 inorganic.

Sorry for the lengthy dissertation, but I thought it might help some of the newer (& younger) AVS members.

hitchfan -- Or wait until Panasonic comes out with their PT-AE4000. In 2 weeks (CEDIA) we should know more about next years models. What's been leaked, so far is that the new models should have improved black levels. Although the AE3000 is one of the 2009 "super contrast" models (along with equivalent Epson, Sanyo, Mitsubishi, etc. models). The AE3000 is the only 2009 model that can do "pseudo" CIH without an external anamorphic lens. Others have the vertical stretch capability but require an external lens to get the 2.35:1 screen picture. Remember, the CIH format will still be only correct for movies that are 2.35:1. The wide-screen (Cinemascope) films can be formatted anywhere from 2.0:1 up to 2.40:1 (and a very few are even wider). So you may still get black bars (although they will be a lot smaller).

Thanks for the info CT and others - this is the stuff I was hoping to find when I resurrected this thread from the dead.

Seems like with all things PJ, there is a wide range of experiences. Though I think, from what I have been reading, that I might lean towards replacing my current DLP with a new DLP

I think I HAVE to go with another Panny.

Panasonic did something stupid - they changed the mount. So in order for me to upgrade to the AE3000 I have to replace the ceiling bracket and refinish the affected part of the ceiling. That is a lot of work. Now that I have to replace the bracket anyways, I find myself investigating non-Panasonic models as well.

The AE3000 is the only 2009 model that can do "pseudo" CIH without an external anamorphic lens.

This feature sounded really attractive at first, but I did the calculations and realize I don't have the screen-to-projector distance to use it. In order to keep the same size for 16x9 that I am currently getting, I will have to mount the projector back quite a ways to maintain the same height for 2.35. So in the end I may end up having to get an anamorphic lens. But for those will the distance to work with, it is a great feature. I do wish I have the option of getting a wide-angle zoom instead of a generic wide-angle-to-telephone zoom.