i agree with mark. and to answer your question, the sp5000 is an lcd projector so it doesn't have a color wheel. if you go with the sp5000, make sure that you can try it with your ht setup and be able to return it if it doesn't meet your standards. or search around a little more here, and you'll see that there are better choices than the sp5000.

try www.projectorcentral.com
at that site there's an article entitled [something like] 'highly recommend projectors for home theater' -- give those a look.

Mark

Mine just started the buzzsaw effect too... what a bummer, going into NFL playoffs, etc. I got the RMA and all, now I just have to ship it.


I just called Infocus today b/c of the dreaded "Buzz Saw" noise, and got my RMA # and will be shipping my 4805 off tomorrow. I agree this indeed sucks with all the playoff games coming on this weekend, i want it back before the Superbowl XL so off it goes. :(

I got a X1a that developed the "buzz" about a month ago. I'm only 18 and living at home with my parents. I haven't even graduated high school yet, so owning a wicked-sick ht system makes people really impressed. My friends say that I'm imagining it (I am a very nuerotic person, and tend to do that sorta thing), and that they can't hear a damn thing unless they lean up agianst it. I noticed that it changes pitch depending on the temperature and how much airfreshner I've been using. I think it devolped as a result of spraying too much of the stuff.

I'm wondering what sorta "tone" other people's are. Mine's definatly not defening and it's more of a whirring-whine, (although different from fan noise) It's very high pitched. I can usually drown it out with the surroundsound, but thats still kinda hard considering it's in my room which is a very confined space (so all audio sources are relativly near to each other). There is not a decernable change in picture quality or anything like that. It does bug me. I put alot of work into this and I'm a total perfectionist, it especialy bothers me that it has less than 400hrs on it.

I'm just gonna accept it for now, cause I don't think it's as loud as yours. I have heard the actual buzzsaw noise ocasionaly and it would go away. I think this is something else. So I'll wait... and worry....

Mine just started the buzzsaw effect too... what a bummer, going into NFL playoffs, etc. I got the RMA and all, now I just have to ship it.

I hope whatever they do to it is a permanant fix... I got my X1 in May, a little under 400 hours on the bulb. But in my basement setup the noise is REAL annoying, and I can't comfortably raise the sound system volume to overcome it... the buzz just bites through everything.

I'm wondering if temperature drops caused this... it seems like all the X1 owners had this happen in December.

Guys, based on the picture of the color wheel and it's motor here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=556431) (second to last picture in first post) it's a brushless CDROM motor. What I mean is that these are the same motors used to spin a CD or DVD and they are dirt cheap. In my other hobby (RC airplanes) we take these things apart and rebuild/rewind them to fly airplanes. They do not use bearings, they use a sintered bushing. But they were never designed to support an axial load like this. So it doesn't suprise me thvenhey are squealing.

I wouldn't e try with that delicate glass color wheel attached to remove it and confirm it, but based on my experience (I've dismantled over 30 dead/old CDROM and/or DVDROM drives) only thr really expensive ones DVD drives mostly ever used a BB and even then it was only 1. There there were a BB or bushing on the otherside to take the load off, things would be better.

Of course what really blows my mind is how open the optics are :eek: Oh well, my LP340 was really loud and I fix it with a HUSH box, I'll just re-enginer it to fit the SP4805.

that's an excellent breakdown of how to get into the case ... and by the looks of the motor it looks a bit lightweight for the job, as well as being too exposed to the crap in the air stream.

I echo the comments about not taking this kind of axial load ... these pictures explain a lot: infocus went cheap on the wheel motor assembly.

my next PJ is going to have a sealed light path.

Just to add another note, when we use these motors on airplanes, we have to be very aware of proper balancing ... looking at the brass hub and glass, and recounting the messages on the squeal ... I can only guess that the wheel could be out of balance. Again, no real way to fix it ourselves.

Despite all of that, I'm still upgrading to a 4805 from my LP340. Infocus has been very good about repairing/replacing the bad ones. Since there are only 50 or so "complaints" that I've found (though there are 5000+ messages) I feel it's safe to assume that it's not widespread. If it is, then I'll keep returning it until it's fixed.

Jay

you might recalculate the complaint / message ratio ... one poster here had an installed base w/ enough units to calculate a failure rate of 15%. admittedly, a commercial installed base but this smells much more than onesies-twosies. not everybody w/ a color wheel failure is an avs member, not all members w/ failures will post ...

and at least for me, no, Infocus didn't take good care of me -- 6 weeks after sending my clean (0 dead pixels) but noisy X1 in for repair, I received the repaired unit back -- quiet but w/ a dead pixel in the DLP. twice I was on-hold to infocus for > 1 hour. don't try this w/o a cordless phone and a headset. At first, nothing would be done for me because 1 dead pixel was "within spec".

Two weeks later, and only due to the behind-the-scenes intervention of a more senior support person who lurks here, I was able to swap straight across for a refurb'd X1 w/ a low-hour lamp. The 'compensation' of the low hour lamp wasn't adequate for the 8-week run-around. The initial communication for this 'deal' came thru an AVS private message. I still have it.

[ and I've been paying infocus back for that low-hour lamp by advising all who will listen to upgrade their lamps ! ]

the larger point -- that final PJ swap was news to the front-line support techs, right up until they got the magic email from higher-up, then, no problem ... Until infocus treats all noisy wheels as they are -- a design deficiency -- you may or may not be treated well.

I question the management integrity of those who price the out-of-warranty repair of the X1 color wheel motor @ $565. you know what these things cost ...

on the other side infocus has cut their response and on-hold times ... but if they're using a too-small motor for the job, it's going to be a problem.

good luck,

Mark

Mark, I hear ya loud and clear. And yes these motors in quantity are pennies and less than $5 if you want to buy 1. I suspect the cost is the glass color wheel, but not $500.

My hands are tied if I want a projector though, hard to pass up a $150 credit for a "dead" PHJ, unless I can find a $274 lamp.

I would think you'd find at least a $150 spread in the price of most of the desirable PJs out there ... call it a 'credit' if that's what works for you (that's what marketing is all about) ... that $150 credit is marketing-speak for discount.

and that shot of the 4805's color wheel+motor has me thinking ... my next PJ is one I'll be keeping for a long time. I may just go LCD to cut down on the moving parts, if I can get the black level I want.

as I said, good luck,

Mark

Just for the record, I too have a buzzing color wheel, darn-it-anyhow.

Not sure yet what I plan to do. I am very reluctant to pony up another $600 for an "upgrade" to an SP-4805 when I am so disgusted with InFocus's customer service/ pricing. I think I should be able to buy a color wheel and fix it myself if I want to try (no warranty to void). Unfortunately that is not an option, and InFocus is to blame for that. According to an email I recently received from InFocus, "independent repair centers are not able to order parts from us at all. Our authorized service center network would need to purchase parts from us however."

Now that just makes me mad! I feel like I bought a lemon and have no recourse, except to pony up for what will likely also turn out to be a lemon.

Class action, anyone? If this were a car, it would be recalled....

I am definitely not excited about buying another IF PJ (despite their best efforts), and I will surely steer anyone I know away from buying one, as well.

I am quite sure that many people have the exact same problem with their X1 projector and never post to this forum. I read through the whole forum and did not intend to post, but then decided to post since the extent of this problem was brought into question by someone (forget who).

mpilon, thank you for raising this topic and for sticking with it.....

if you're technically inclined, follow the disassembly instructions in post # 255 (above, click on the highlighted word 'here') and remove the wheel+motor assembly.

If I were in this pickle, this is how I'd proceed but if you go further than reading this, understand I haven't researched this -- so far, it's entirely theoretical (!).

I'd pull the assembly and look at how the wheel rotates -- look for the sintered bearing. if possible, get some lubricant onto / into it. the trick is to keep the oil off the wheel. while you have it out, w/ a _VERY_ light touch, clean both sides of the wheel -- it's really fragile.

Plan B is to buy an otherwise dead X1 for cheap and take the wheel out of it ...

I hope to get another year out of my X1 ... about that time I'll be looking to upgrade my satellite to hidef and my PJ with it. unfortunately we don't find out about these parts/pricing issues until problems develop.

users have, in other threads, reported problems with sanyo warranty servicing. some pannys seem to have vertical banding issues ... this is not a definitive list of PROBLEMS ... just a couple of things which have strayed across my radar screen.

I take issue w/ the assertion that this isn't a 'problem' because only a few people have complained ... there are whole brands and models I have yet to hear a single problem about. if this weren't a problem w/ infocus and the x1/4800/4805 projectors, this thread would have dried up by now.

how the hell do you research the reliability and parts/service pricing before the damned thing breaks? What we hear about is the problems. Maybe my next PJ will come from a dealer, whether B/M or internet -- someone I can ask a few service questions -- rather than going for rock-bottom pricing. ironically enough I bought my X1 when supplies were thin so I didn't pay a rock-bottom price anyway ! -- and I did buy from an infocus-authorized dealer ...

[ the mitsu xd450/460 looks really interesting -- they seem really under-represented here but they do have great color, faroujda, a sealed light path, and I just read the 460 uses the dark-3 dlp chip ... if I stay w/ 4:3 native format that could be a killer PJ -- mitsu seems to have a lot on the ball. ]


so how to shop for a brand w/ fewer problems: the dog that didn't bark ? we now know infocus' bite is as bad as its bark ...

I am reluctant to add any oil per the guy on the forum who services similar projectors who suggested that the oil may make things work once it gunks up with time and particulates.

I am sorry, I meant to say "make things 'worse'"

<shrug> ... if you have a buzzing wheel it's not going to get better by itself, it's going to get worse. I'd use 'triflow' oil -- comes in a 3-oz. bottle -- contains microparticles of teflon in suspension.

understand that trying this fix is a last resort for when you almost don't care if you fix it or break it.

I could also suggest that if the wheel were dirty or there was a lot of dust in the motor itself, simply blowing compressed air to clean it out, w/o shattering the wheel, could bring the wheel back into balance. that's a less invasive thing to try too ....

I powered up my 4805 this morning that has a tad over 100 hours and now its buzzing as well. Sounds like you are cutting wood on a table saw. It comes and goes. I bought one of the refurbed units on BF. Has anyone had any luck getting warranty work on a refurb? How long is it taking Infocus to turn around the PJ for warranty? Im still within my 90 days for warranty

Dave

Nice to see this thread updated...

Well I only heard the "buzz" once for maybe 2 minutes and man does it ever sound like a table saw. Whoever was saying his buddies couldn't hear it, well believe me you won't be mistaking this sound. Like I said I only heard it once...maybe at 150 hours or so, never heard it again. Now at about 365 hours (I don't put that many hours on this thing, strictly for movies) and I still have not heard a peep. I kept guessing that because it was cool in the room (maybe 15C) that the lubrication was stiff, but I don't really know what was up.

My warrantee expires this summer (2 years) and I think infocus gives you an option to renew it, as long as the original warrantee is still in force. I'm going to look into it and if I gotta shell out a couple of hundred bucks for a couple of years extension, then so be it. Better to have piece of mind than cry at a 500 buck repair job. Besides if it does go for crap, I may be able to trade it in for one of those 100 buck deals on an upgrade :D

Ok guys he is my update. I just checked my repair status and it says.....

"Repaired & Shipped"

I got the tracking info and my pj is already here in Atlanta at the UPS hub! I won't be able to get it until Tuesday since my office is closed on Monday observing MLK holiday. I sent my pj in for repair and they received it on 1-9 and shipped it out on 1-12, that was a quick turn around. So if you have the issue send it in for repair and you have it back before Superbowl XL!

I would think you'd find at least a $150 spread in the price of most of the desirable PJs out there ... call it a 'credit' if that's what works for you (that's what marketing is all about) ... that $150 credit is marketing-speak for discount.

and that shot of the 4805's color wheel+motor has me thinking ... my next PJ is one I'll be keeping for a long time. I may just go LCD to cut down on the moving parts, if I can get the black level I want.

as I said, good luck,

Mark
Mark, somehow I missed this post. Yeah, it's a discount no doubt. But, it didn't work. I'm walking away from Infocus in the future. As it turns out, I will get my LP340 updated to use the "new" bulbs but that's the end. The Optoma H31 looks good, but let's see if this new bulb lasts me 5 years too :). By then, I can't wait to see what the technology is like.

Jay

It's been awhile, but I thought I'd post an update. After having the unit sitting on my floor for a week (getting ready to ship it to InFocus), I plugged it in to watch a movie since the in-laws were coming over. It was a little louder than average, but was no big deal. Within maybe 6 hours of viewing time, the buzz saw sound all but dissappeared. I've been intending on doing the RMA, but now I've used it about 10 hours now, and if I were to rate the projector noise from a 1 to 10 scale, 5 being the average for the projector when new, I don't think it's ever gone above 7 in the last 10 hours. I've been using it a few times a week now too. I'm at a loss, but I love my projector, I think I'm just going to keep it and deal with the noise if/when it comes back.

I'm at a loss, but I love my projector, I think I'm just going to keep it and deal with the noise if/when it comes back.

IMO

If you love your pj send it in, the problem will get worse over time. Also if you are still under warranty get it fix for free while you can. This is one of those things that can come back and bite you in the rear! I got mine back before the 10 business days they quoted me, i'm sure you will get it back just as fast. Think about it a little longer before you pass on fixing it. :)

They really fixed it in 10 days? Or they replaced it with an exact unit? When I called, they quoted me 30 days, or offered to upgrade it to the 4805 (refurb) for $99 more. But you're right, I should just do it and get it over with. I guess the only reason I procrastinate, is that I eventually planned to buy a better one for the theater room, and move this one up to the bedroom, but for the bedroom it's a bit loud (even when it works correctly) so I'd likely have to buy a quieter unit for the bedroom as well.

They really fixed it in 10 days? Or they replaced it with an exact unit? When I called, they quoted me 30 days, or offered to upgrade it to the 4805 (refurb) for $99 more. But you're right, I should just do it and get it over with. I guess the only reason I procrastinate, is that I eventually planned to buy a better one for the theater room, and move this one up to the bedroom, but for the bedroom it's a bit loud (even when it works correctly) so I'd likely have to buy a quieter unit for the bedroom as well.

Infocus had mine back to me with in a week! Since you have a X-1 they might be handling those units differently, i can see why you would put it off since they quoted you 30 days. Get it fix and sell it later when you are ready to upgrade to something better, then you can use the money to put toward the new pj. Hey just a thought.

I'm one of the screwed X1 owners that registered online to get the extended 3 years for a total of 5 year warranty on 3-26-03. Since I registered online, I figured I wouldn't need to prove ownership for online warranty needs. The 5 year warranty was the main reason for purchase, since I bought at the $1500 mark of the price decreases.

I guess that I was wrong as they are now telling me that the 2 year original warranty is all they will honor and now the repair is $595 for the color wheel fix.

I will be buying another PJ and doubt that Infocus will get my money unless someone comes through at a higher level of customer service.

BTW, I also own 3 X1a presentation models at work.

This was posted in another thread asking if all DLP wheels fail this way -- my response about infocus:


Quote:
Originally Posted by Mupi
he still did not answer my question


Right.

and I've heard all about sanyo service.

there's still mitsubishi, optoma, LG ... and it's about more than 'reacting emotionally' -- it's about not rewarding corporate misbehavior and the people at the top making the engineering and service decisions. They have no motivation to change if people keep lapping up the products on the basis of Bob William's promises.

a product defect with more serious consequences was the ford pinto. guess what, -- the ford crown victorias still have some of the same problems. at the time of the ford pintos, ford made the decision that it was cheaper to pay the lawsuits of burn victims than to fix the cars. Ever been really burned?

in one sense it is an emotional response because I have walked thru a childrens' burn ward ... I don't buy ford. It comes down to the decisions that top managers make, and it appears that particular fuel tank -support designs have lived on for about 35 years -- because nobody had the spine to call for a slightly more expensive redesign.

I realize that nobody is going up in flames due to using an infocus PJ [unless a really huge engineering mistake has been made] -- but I can choose to take my business elsewhere. And ford's chickens are coming home to roost.

What I'm surprised about is the desperation to justify buying infocus when there's sanyo-like evidence to the contrary. all it takes is a promise of improvement or a little trade-in rebate [a.k.a 'discount'].


Mark

P.S.

if you want promises from infoucs engineers -- get them from the service end -- what it's going to cost to fix out of warranty ...

or from the manufacturing engineers: once they get their hands on the design and are told (wait for it ... wait for it ....) by management to wring the cost out of the production units -- to see just what CW motor assemblies infocus PJs end up with. that's when lower-cost parts get substituted by the half-bright sharp-pencil types.

infocus engineering can produce wonders ... it's what happens to them down the maufacturing pipeline when the "business decisions" get made. translation: that's when good products get clobbered and the customers get screwed.

-M.

I'm one of the screwed X1 owners that registered online to get the extended 3 years for a total of 5 year warranty on 3-26-03. Since I registered online, I figured I wouldn't need to prove ownership for online warranty needs. The 5 year warranty was the main reason for purchase, since I bought at the $1500 mark of the price decreases.

I guess that I was wrong as they are now telling me that the 2 year original warranty is all they will honor and now the repair is $595 for the color wheel fix.

I will be buying another PJ and doubt that Infocus will get my money unless someone comes through at a higher level of customer service.

BTW, I also own 3 X1a presentation models at work.

there must have been a chuckle or two @ infucus service about that 3 year extended labor warranty -- when you charge $595 for the parts, you can afford to give the labor away.

they just don't get that one low-end home theater customer may be the purchaser for tens or hundreds of business PJs ... or at the very least, make the decision what to buy for their next upgrade.

caveat emptor.

Mark

I got my 4805 early Dec 2005 after 110hrs I heard the buzz. I just spent it to infocus today with 170hrs on it. Man, I can't believe it happen so quickly.

I hope it's returned with no dead pixels.

My 4805 started making noise at 400 hours.. worst yet. my fan stopped working while watching a movie, the bulb went out and the room smelled like burning wires.

damn thing smoked a bit and was extremely hot to the touch.. already sent it in to infocus and it was repaired and sent back (delievered this wednesday)

hopfully its in working order since ive been w/o pj for about 3 weeks and it stinks.

blacklightning,
latntekky,

were these new-from-a-dealer 4805s? gray market (non-official dealer)? refurbished, stolen-from-a-bar ... what?

Mark

blacklightning,
latntekky,

were these new-from-a-dealer 4805s? gray market (non-official dealer)? refurbished, stolen-from-a-bar ... what?

Mark

brand-New from a dealer. The Dealer sent it back for me.

brand-New from a dealer. The Dealer sent it back for me.

Yow. I'd have thought infocus would have learned after the X1 but perhaps there was too much overlap in the development cycles between the X1 and the 4805; i.e. the 4805 was too far along.

but they should have seen this coming ?!

blacklightning,
latntekky,

were these new-from-a-dealer 4805s? gray market (non-official dealer)? refurbished, stolen-from-a-bar ... what?

Mark

mine was purchased new from a authorized dealer.. Dell.com
although when i called dell they asked me to contact the manufacturer directly which i did. Ill know if its in working order when its in my hands tomorrow.. cant wait.

hopefully you'll both be well taken care of. that's one change I did see in the last few years since I had the trouble w/ my X1 -- the service times became shorter and turnaround time was lessened.

Mark

OK guys, how did your repairs go ?

I have the Dukane 7100HC(aka X1) that has a severe "buzzsaw" sound that is now permanent. I supposedly have a five year warranty with dukane on this, but I've read posts where they said they won't fix the problem under the warranty. is this true?

no idea, but if you contact dukane, please post the results here.

thanks,
Mark

OK guys, how did your repairs go ?

Mine is working fine so far, so good! No "BUUUUZZZZZZIIIIINNNNNGGGG" noise when i turn it on now. Below is what they they did on my 4805.

Reapir Notes:

-Replaced Color wheel

-Cleaned Optics

-UPDATE SOFTWARE

-RAN TEST

-RESET TO FACTORY DEFAULTS

-Passed All Test

-SENT TO ONE HOUR BURN IN

good to hear !

it sounds like infocus is doing the work on a replace-the-broken-part basis in-house, rather than shotgunning it by swapping the whole light engine.

can anyone confirm this ?

Mark

sup guys

i read all 10 pages of this post after i disassembled my X1 to see if i could figure out what it was... i did, and now im posting here. heres my story....

purchased x1 10/03 - WIKKED!

got the ceiling mount, and up it went 2 months later.

i travel so i take it with me from time to time. the first time i heard it i was in a hotel room and was sitting on a table. it ground for about 2 mins starting it up, and then right when it shut down. did this twice, never did it again.

im guessing here - maybe 6 months go by, i hear it loud and clear... let it run for a few hours its stopped. it did it again a few weeks later in another hotel room.

since then, it has come on and stayed at least 5 times, for at least 3 or 4 hours before it starts to decrease, then stops altogether.

last night it started so i thought it might be teh cooling fans as i just replaced the fan on my pc last week and it sounded like a buzzsaw.

im going to put it back together and put it back on the ceiling, and if it does it, ill call IF tomarrow. think they will say something about me cracking it open?? :D
i will definately mention this thread as well!

1638 operating hours total

i also just talked to my friend who has a 4805, he says no problems - yet.

UPDATE

so i let it run and after 10 mins it stopped, powered off, powered on.
black and white :eek:

powered off for 2 mins, powered on and the colors back. *whew!*

no noise... go figure...perfect picture.

are IF repairing them even if they dont hear the saw at the shop?

UPDATE


are IF repairing them even if they dont hear the saw at the shop?


Yep!

I have the Dukane 7100HC(aka X1) that has a severe "buzzsaw" sound that is now permanent. I supposedly have a five year warranty with dukane on this, but I've read posts where they said they won't fix the problem under the warranty. is this true?
Tycoonbrad:
My Dukane 7100HC projector (X1 clone) was repaired under warranty after more than 2 years use. They replaced the optical engine because of color wheel noise. I purchased the Dukane because of the 5 year warranty and figured whatever happens at least I'll have a decent projector for 5 years.
The color wheel in the replacement optical engine must have been from some other supplier because the colors were completely wrong, the reds were orange and the yellows were mustard color. I removed the bulb to check the color wheel and it was clean and new but the dyes were not as intense as the old unit. The only other change to the projector was that they updated the software to version 4.2 from version 3.8.
I also had 2 dead pixels (mirrors) in the new optical engine and they were in about 1/3 in from the edge of the screen where I could see them at all times. I complained to Dukane and told them that this repair was not suitable for my home theater use.
Dukane sent me a new projector, a 7300 (X2 clone). This is 26 months after buying the
original projector. The 7300 is fine with a SA8300 HD cable box and DVD through a HTPC using the VGA input.
I do run a Replaytv through the Svideo port and although it has no Faroudja processing, it is still acceptable.
I am completely satisfied with Dukane service.

Bad news for me!

The colors are not right on my 4805, they are dull and the white is yellow! I had to set the color temp to 7500 to make the whites look white. It just dose not have that pop like before. I called Infocus and they said that the color wheel needs to be sync up correctly so the colors will be acciurate, so back to Infocus it goes. :( :mad:

I got my 4805 early Dec 2005 after 110hrs I heard the buzz. I just spent it to infocus today with 170hrs on it. Man, I can't believe it happen so quickly.

I hope it's returned with no dead pixels.

Well good news for me. I just got a call today from my dealer. Infocus is giving me a brand New 4805.

I wonder if I should just buy one of the new ones ( the replacement). I think it's ?72 from Infocus

I have 3750 hours on my X1 and I called the tech line to report tht I had a solid yellow line that ran the entire vertical length of the image from all sources on the left side and that I was hearing the noise from the color wheel and dead pixels. They sent me the RMA on the 7th and my warranty expires on the 26th of this month. Its leaving this Monday 2nd day delivery. I was told that it would take about a month to get my pj back. I said that was fine so hopefully I will get it back sooner and completely repaired. But as I've read in this thread what is so much better about the Infocus 4805 over the X1 you have received???

Man, I'm starting to see more rainbows with my replacement 4805 that I got from Infocus. I wonder if they slowed down the color wheel on this unit?

Is they anyone out there that got a brand new replacement after sending thier PJ back for repair?

3 days now...

still no reply other than the email confirmation

I don't think you should expect to hear anything from them anytime soon. The tech rep I spoke with told me that I was looking at about a month before they could have my pj back to me. I got my reply today that they have received my pj so the countdown begins. But I still think that at least a month is a bit too long to wait on my pj to be repaired. I'm considering calling back and seeing what they can work out for me and at the same time go ahead and purchase the 2yr extended warranty plan.

Mychael101.....your yellow vertical line is caused from the breakdown of the POS light tunnel that is internal to the light engine. It is made up of four small pieces of mirror that are glued to gether with "elmers".

I would be curious to know if they change the whole light engine out as the techs told me that they can't get just the light tunnel. If you can buy the extended warranty I would.

Also...it only took about a week turnaround for them to fix my color wheel.

Cool, the rep did tell me that it looked like my optical engine was toast and that I would more than likely have it replaced. And he noted that I didn't want to know the price of having it replaced out of warranty but that it was much more than the price for the extended warranty. I think my pj just finally died. It would go to the blue screen without warning, there are sparkles in the image, the yellow line, and the dead pixels, and it would get really loud and high pitched randomly. But I'm still pleased with my purchase and Infocus's service and will probably move this pj to my bedroom and upgrade to another Infocus product very soon.

Any updates on those awaiting repairs?

Not sure what they did with my X1 but I got an email today saying my pj is on its way back to me, I'm a bit cincerned because the tech I spoke with made it very clear that they would have to keep my pj for at least a month. I called the tech line again to confirm my suspicions and he told me he didn't see anything in the repair notes. So I guess I will call back tomorrow to see if there are any updates.

I would have preferred to stay out of this thread, but... my X1 has made noises off and on for maybe the past 6-9 months, but it wasn't too bad and didn't really bother me. I replaced the 1st bulb after 2500 hours (it was still working) and put it on the shelf as a spare. The 2nd bulb had about 2500 hours too, so my projector has about 5000 total hours on it. Well, tonight I turned it on to watch TV and... no picture. This has happened a few times before where I just have to power off the projector for a few minutes and then it works. Well, tonight I powered it off, waited a few minutes, turned it back, and it worked for a few minutes. Until it started making a horrible sound and the picture went black and white. I powered it off and took out the bulb. Isn't the color wheel supposed to be round (like a wheel)? not mine... looks like mine cracked and broke off to clink around inside the projector. It's too late to call Infocus tonight, so I'll give it a shot tomorrow...

I called Infocus today and waited on hold for about 20 minutes. Finally, I talked to someone who said they'd email me an RMA # within 24 hours to send my X1 in for repair. I asked if I should include the bulb and he said, "You don't have to." I have about 2500 hours on my bulb. Any thoughts as to whether I should include it or not? If I do include it, would I be likely to get a new bulb out of this?

2,500 hours on the bulb? Heck yes I would send it in. What is the worst that can happen?

Bad news for me!

The colors are not right on my 4805, they are dull and the white is yellow! I had to set the color temp to 7500 to make the whites look white. It just dose not have that pop like before. I called Infocus and they said that the color wheel needs to be sync up correctly so the colors will be acciurate, so back to Infocus it goes. :( :mad:


********UPDATE***********UPDATE***********UPDATE***********

I just got my pj back yesterday, and it's not my pj, its a new 4805! How bout that, and it has the new solfware fix to solve the filcking issue. WOW i'm very happy with Infocus right now. :D

Congrats! I just got a warranty exchange to a refurb 4805 for $99 hope to have it by next Wednesday.

Congrats! I just got a warranty exchange to a refurb 4805 for $99 hope to have it by next Wednesday.

Congrats to you as well!

Well my refurb came in today. And well it stinks. Literally, I took a look at the lamp housing and you can see a nice amount of caked up dust that smells like filthy goat a** on the filter screen and on the fan blades. I cleaned that up and then fired it up to my dvd and satellite receiver. And I'm not overly impressed with the PQ over my X1. And it seems to be a tiny bit more quiet than my X1 and with less light spill from the front cover. Maybe I was expecting too much? Who knows either way I'm putting most of the blame on my old satelitte receiver, but the dvd image wasn't much better either. Does anyone know if the new firmware does anything in regards to enhancing the PQ of this projector?

, I took a look at the lamp housing and you can see a nice amount of caked up dust that smells like filthy goat a** on the filter screen and on the fan blades.

It sounds like you got Osama's used projector from Afghanistan. Seriously, this speaks pretty poorly for Infocus. I mean how much effort would it have been to clean the fan before sending it back out?

I feel the same way. They didn't even bother to clean the lens either it was all smudged and actually the focus rings seem a little loose. And it would have been nice to get the latest firmware on this machine.
From Infocus: "We strive to send our customers a projector free from defect and repaired to the newest specifications."

*Update* After being on hold for over half an hour I ended up speaking with the same tech that has been helping me the entire time. I told him about the condition of my machine and that I was very unhappy. He told me that the refurbs should be in like new condition and cleaned inside and out and have the latest firmware available. He is setting up an exchange and they willl take care of the return shipping for me. They did put a $700 charge on my credit card so they could ship my replacement out asap and when they receive my pj back then the charge will be taken off my credit card. So here we go again. Maybe this time they will get everything right.

I need some professional advice.. but I will settle with yours (WINK).
-MY X1 bulb just blew. About 1600 hours on it. :-(
-I was hugely experiencing the Buzz Saw color wheel, but didn’t know what it really was until I found this forum again.
-The focus was changing on the projector. I have the projector within 6-7 inches of the ceiling and the screen is also at 6-7 inches from the ceiling. Perhaps this was causing the focus difference at the top compared to the bottom.??
-I was also experiencing a color fade to white in the bottom right 20% of the screen that looked like a hair or a rat’s nests… Slowly fading back to normal, I opened up the X1 as much as possible and cleaned it all up with not fix, and I blew lots of air into the no-go zone but didn’t change the fade to white are… right now , before the bulb blew, I didn’t really notice the fade.
-About for the last 2-4 hours before the bulb popped, the lumens were really dropping, I just thought it was due to the brighter March days. Is this normal?
-The projector is about 20 months old.
-I use it about 65% computer use, and 35% DVD movie use.
-I use it in our living room, with 7’ da-lite screen. 12 feet from projector.
-We have black out curtains to make it fairly viewable on sunny days.
-No Cable, no Satellite, just DVD’s and computer

What should I do?
Should I just go and get a new projector, a better one, a brighter one, an XGA one, a quieter one? Only want 4:3?
OR
Should I try to get this X1 repaired and get another bulb? Out of warranty concerns (now or soon)and costs to keep with this X1 (shipping and new bulb) seem to be my Major question.

Thanks for your time and expertise.

for the cost of a new bulb and possibly another big hit for the color wheel i would call it a day and go pickup a new p.j. possibly a sharp 10x for the same money with warrenty.....

Mine has also been making the color wheel noise from hell lately, has no one paid for the color wheel replacement out of warrenty, if so how much they rip you for..

Labor is covered but parts are not.

I actually haven't heard mine buzz in months. I checked the hour counter and we just rolled 3000 hours. So I anticipate the bulb going before the wheel...and with the projector prices now, that means upgrading (if only to a newer cheap 480p projector) instead of buying another bulb.

Mine has also been making the color wheel noise from hell lately, has no one paid for the color wheel replacement out of warrenty, if so how much they rip you for..

Labor is covered but parts are not.

I thought the replacement wasn't just the "color wheel", it was the entire optical engine. This would probably cost $600 or even more. This is totally not worth it! I don't even know if they make these parts anymore, which is why people were being offered refurbed 4805s when their X1 failed during warranty last year.

So my point is, Infocus will rip you off in parts costs, and they might not even have the parts!

Mine had the dreaded buzz for 1/2 hour last summer. Since then, I have heard faint versions of this every once in awhile, especially right when turning on. But this disappears in a few minutes of warmup. Only that one time where is was loud enough to make me think the end was near. Since this time, I watched a ton of movies last winter without problem.

Yeah I too have heard the buzz off and on forever, I've had mine over 3 yrs now. Buts its finally perminate buzz was just wondering options as I'm sure infocus wont even give me a price quote for that specific repair.

I was just curious if anyone had actually repaired theres and had to pay for it. If they offer a upgrade at a fair fee thats fine with me. Just as long as they fix/replace it in a fair manor. Needless to say I wont be holding my breath

Mine has also been making the color wheel noise from hell lately, has no one paid for the color wheel replacement out of warrenty, if so how much they rip you for..

Labor is covered but parts are not.

Infocus quoted me $595 for optical engine replacement. The warranty is a joke, if parts aren't covered. Upgrade replacement was offered for $99 more.

Infocus quoted me $595 for optical engine replacement. The warranty is a joke, if parts aren't covered. Upgrade replacement was offered for $99 more.

You can get brand new, probably better projectors for that price. In fact, I think if you have a 3 year old X1 and you are looking at $300 for a new bulb, it might be better to get a new projector. I say this because you will feel pretty bad if you spend $300 on a new bulb and two months later yours starts with the buzzsaw noise.

"Your repair cost will be $565 + your local sales tax if applicable + $30 return shipping. If you wish to upgrade to an SP4805 “remanufactured unit”, you may, with the Additional $99 charge with the cost of repair. I would not recommend doing this since you can purchase an “new” SP4805 for $799."

So there you have it complete worthless promotion on their part back in the day. Last Infocus product for me. HD72 here I come...

From this thread I gather that most people that have had problems and sent in their X1 under warranty within the last year have gotten back a 4805...

When I got my X1, I got it under the free extended warranty, and then a year or so ago, when the warranty was almost up, I was invited to buy an additional 2 (or maybe it was 3) year FULL (parts & labor) warranty for half price, so I did.

My X1 flickers constantly, and I did have the buzz saw a couple times... I'm thinking of sending it in and seeing if I get back a 4805 or maybe even a IN72.
Any thoughts?

It looks to me like this buzz is a bad cooling fan that is used in the X1. I wonder, do any other InFocus models make a similar noise? I once had a problem with a small(60mm) cooling fan in an old PC(AMD K6), where the bearings wore out and the actual blade assembly would tilt back and forth. The fan in the computer would vibrate and make a very annoying buzz if it started up just the 'right' way. Then when i hit it(I mean wait patiently), it would stop. The X1 uses a 60mm fan to cool the color wheel, according to a service manual, maybe this is common with smaller brushless fans. I don't currently have a projector to experiment with myself, (college is not exactly cheap). Found out about the buzzing issue while researching what kind of projector I should get. If anyone has a spare (bulb or not) laying around, send it over and I could try and fix it, and post results of course :D . I have a feeling that it's a simple matter of replacing the cooling fan. They are not expensive, at $5.00 apiece.

Hundreds, if not thousands of these projectors have had the problem. It is the color wheel that spins at such a high rpm that with the heat generated in that area, the sealed bearings go out making the noise. It resembles the sounds made by a table saw sawing sheets of wood. Very high in pitch.

It isn't a fan, its the color wheel and the main design issue isn't that the bearings go out. The design flaw is that the whole optical engine must be replaced to get a new color wheel.

Oh I see, it sounds like they could somehow heatsink the bearing for the color wheel, it should never have to be replaced at all. Hm, now I'm really interested in looking inside one of these.

Oh I see, it sounds like they could somehow heatsink the bearing for the color wheel, it should never have to be replaced at all. Hm, now I'm really interested in looking inside one of these.
There are several older posts of memebers having opened these up (LP340 LP350) that show what's inside. The bearings are heatsinked as much as possible at the hud is brass ... but I doubt that they are using sealed ball bearings. More likely a brass alloy bushing. These motors are the same ones used in CDROM drives (also called brushless DC or BLDC). The issue is the axial load due to the veritcal orientation of the color disk without any support on the other side of the wheel. It's not a defect per se, just a cheap part selected.

FWIW,
Jay

My replacment X1 got the Buzz sound bad, and it is not going away. This is an out of warrantee replacment unit shipped to me by Infocus after the original was repaired twice. Once for a dead video output and again for a non-functional fan circuit on the board...

I how have a decision to make concerning a second projector purchase in 2.5 years...The X1 has had great performance when it worked, but it may be time to go to another mfg. Any reliable machines out there?

any ideas where to look for a new color wheel motor if one was to replace it himself?

Well, my X1 has the color wheel screaming problem.. For the second time. About 1500 hrs for the first repair (under warranty), and now it's another 2000hrs and the color wheel is history.

I've decided to junk it, and get a new projector in the Spring.. 3-4 months with no projector is going to be hard.

The X1 isn't worth the $600 to repair the optical/color wheel. I just found the Optoma H31 with 5 hours on the bulb for $450 on another forum and couldn't be happier. Faster wheel, 16:9 native, DVI. A minor upgrade for less than the repair of my X1.

Whether or not this PJ will suffer from a similar fate is unknown, but what I do know is that Infocus doesn't deserve my business after refusing to fix my extended warranty PJ for a reasonable cost. I considered the IN72 and IN76 but couldn't lay down $1k-$3k cash for those, with such a bad taste of poor service in my mouth knowing that I could have the same issue on another breakdown with no recourse.

Former Infocus user..................

Hey guys, I'm sure the people from the beginning of this thread are long gone ... heh but I must say reading this entire thread is a VERY valuable resource.

I also want to throw this link in here if no one else has seen it before ...
members.shaw.ca SLASH technut SLASH x1faq

under section 4.3.1 there is a GREAT guide on how the projector is put together.

I have a 4800 which is working perfectly, and a X1 that is having the buzz problem. I got these 2 from a friend for free, so I don't have that "OH I PAID 1g for this projector" feeling like it sounds many of the people in this thread have ...

I have absolutely no qualms about taking this baby apart and TRYING to fix it. If i fail, my X1 didnt work anyway ... if I succeed ... well then thats a good development for this thread ...

now could you guys help me brainstorm some trouble shooting ideas?

-I guess I will check the fan for the noise ... that will be an easy swap out for a computer PC fan if necessary ...
- The color wheel ... can someone specifically describe the issue? I read it on page 11 but its not THAT in depth. I think GREASE is a much better alternative to OIL ... I will prob try this ... i can imagine the color wheel is super fragile ...

WELL WISH ME LUCK!! leaving work now to tackle this job ...

I am looking forward to your results. In case you have not read it, here is a link to how to remove the case cover.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=556431

Three years ago on a HT Cruise, Infocus attended and a 7200 was there for tear down purposes. The colour wheel motor was a floppy drive motor and reliability was given as 60,000 hours. No idea if the 4800 uses the same motor but it may be a lead.

And yes, the colour wheel is fragile.

Actually, the fans they have designed into their projectors are some of the better made ones. The issue is color wheel getting in "beat" with the cooling fan(s).

As for the color wheel motor, the best upgrade would be to replace the brass bushings with high quality ball bearings. Only issue is removing the motor mount, pressing out the bushing, and reasembling it all.

It's cheaper to make a hush box like I did :) despite my rebuilding these cd/dvd rom motorsfor RC airplanes, I still don't advocate anyone trying it. The issue, the root cause is that these motors are not designed to have as much axial load as they do without some support of the other side. Think of a DVD player with it clamp on the top side to help support the disc.

On that note, I just bought a new bulb for my 2001 LP340 and have a new projector for all intents and purposes for $198 that I paid a fellow AVS member for his bulb.

FWIW,
Jay
-I guess I will check the fan for the noise ... that will be an easy swap out for a computer PC fan if necessary ...
- The color wheel ... can someone specifically describe the issue? I read it on page 11 but its not THAT in depth. I think GREASE is a much better alternative to OIL ... I will prob try this ... i can imagine the color wheel is super fragile ...

WELL WISH ME LUCK!! leaving work now to tackle this job ...

hey guys, so following the x1 guide i COMPLETELY disassembled my X1 ... its pretty straightforward to do ... and wow there is a lot of dust everywhere, especially the fans!

anyway while im disassembling i might as well black out 7/8 of the color wheel. what should i use to black it out?

also what do you guys use to clean the color wheel?

i will also load the 4800 firmware ...


but onto the main issue: the color wheel squeak ...

i take it all apart, and now im down to the optical engine. the guide doesnt guide me past here ... the color wheel is pretty fragile, but still workable. the thing is the bearings are pretty sealed ... are they pressed in? i may try to press them out carefully and see whats going on with the brass bushing, maybe clean it up and regrease it ...

i can see that the design of the color wheel is faulty like you mentioned ... the wheel is spinning and is subject to cantilever bending which over time im sure makes it go out of balance and make noise. there isny much you can do to change this though ...

i have pics of everything i will post once im done

I used distilled water and q-tips to clean the color wheel. Don't get the q-tip dripping wet, and swap q-tips VERY frequently. (I used 9 total, both sides of them.) I didn't trust myself trying to open up the wheel assembly, but I got compressed air and blasted the bearings with a vacuum nozzle held behind them. My color wheel is now quietER, but by no means quiet.

the sintered bronze bushings are impregnated and shouldn't/can't be greased per se. If you could post some hi-rez photos (webshots, flickr, etc...) I might be able to see something to help you more.

Jay

umm how do i post a picture? Jay C, can you email me leftychang AT gmail and i can email you some 5MP shots of the color wheel.

colorw.JPG

uhh i tried attaching it to this post

I know you need 5 posts to post something. Is it links or images? IDK.

BTW: Good luck. Scary stuff you're doing there. :eek:

Hey guys, I'm still here and my X1 is in many pieces ... does anyone know a good place to buy a new bulb? I'm waiting on it to put this thing back together. It's pretty much fully disassembled. I have no clue what can be done to make the color wheel bearing servicable though. It is pretty sealed on both sides and hard to mess with. i may just try to put some oil in the little grooves ... who knows if this will work or just mess things up more

I have no clue what can be done to make the color wheel bearing servicable though. It is pretty sealed on both sides and hard to mess with. i may just try to put some oil in the little grooves ... who knows if this will work or just mess things up more

I would bet it will do the latter.

Good luck - The squealing our colorwheel did came and went and seemed to lessen with age. Not a problem at 2700 hrs. But our X1 was replaced by an HD70.

Hey guys, I'm still here and my X1 is in many pieces ... does anyone know a good place to buy a new bulb? I'm waiting on it to put this thing back together. It's pretty much fully disassembled. I have no clue what can be done to make the color wheel bearing servicable though. It is pretty sealed on both sides and hard to mess with. i may just try to put some oil in the little grooves ... who knows if this will work or just mess things up more

A dry lubricant might be "better". Oil may sling out on the optics and cause:
* uneven heating
* blurring/distortion
* smoke and secondary "fogging" of other components

As for the bulb, I found a fellow member to sell me his. Does this forum still have a for sale thread?

Oh, and in case you are wondering what's in that motor, I have one that I cut in 2 from a DVDROM drive. Please note that I first rewired it with fewer winds and thicker wire for use in RC airplanes. The second image shows the bushing replaced with ball bearings. Notice the plastic ring at the top of the tube. You can pull these motors apart as that is the only thing holding them together besides the magnetic field. You may want to practice on on old CD or DVD drive first :)

You never did send me close-ups of the color wheel motor so I could verify for you, so most of this is assumption on my part. The image you did post is too blurry (do you have a macro setting) to see anything of value.

FWIW,
Jay

My X1 has the buzz-saw noise, too. It was intermittent at first as others have experienced. But, after a few months it became permanent. No warranty; so I'll try to fix it myself. I read through this entire thread, but I'm not sure if a reasonably-priced replacement color wheel is available. I don't want the $1000 optical engine either. A <$100 color wheel would be good.

The bulb for a X1 is almost $300. A brand new IN72 is less than $400. Why are people repairing their X1s?

The bulb for a X1 is almost $300. A brand new IN72 is less than $400. Why are people repairing their X1s?

My X1 has a newer bulb in it. Hmmmm... so, I thought - 876 hours. This is my 3rd bulb since I bought the projector in Sep. 2004. So, good point. The bulb may go about the time I get the color wheel fixed.

I haven't done any research into a replacement for the X1. But, if the street price (after rebate??? - I hate dealing with rebates) is indeed $400 for the Infocus IN72, then it's worth taking a look.

I started to get the buzzing noise about 2 weeks ago and it would last for about 5 minutes after turning on the PJ. My warranty expired in August of this year.

On Christmas morning, I turned on the pj and it made an even louder buzzsaw sound and then there was a loud pop. I turned off the pj right away.

I turned it back on later that night and I no longer had any red. It was still making that loud buzzsaw sound.

I took the pj off it's mount and I heard what sounded like some loose pieces inside the case. I took out the buld to look at the color wheel and I only had the yellow and blue left in the color wheel. The red segment and clear segments were gone. The color wheel had shattered.

I submitted an RMA and I was told that becuase it was out of warranty, it would cost $229 to repair plus $30 shipping.

The bulb for a X1 is almost $300. A brand new IN72 is less than $400. Why are people repairing their X1s?
where is thier a liget dealer selling them this cheap?....I just read on the in72 thread a guy was ordering one from one of these $400 dealers and they told him it only comes with a 250hr demo bulb and he would have to purchase either a 2k hr or 4k hr bulbs....at different additional prices of course...all a load of Bull!
I do agree fixing the x1 unless your doing it yourself is a bit like beating a dead horse...anything avialiable now is just sooo much better to begin with...I don't miss my x1 at all ...although I loved it before I knew what I was missing :D

Costco Canada agreed to take my X1 that I bought in 2003. I told them that the the promoted 2 year extended warranty wasn't worth much as it would cost over $600 to fix it.

I'm still debating weither I should return it or not.

My X1 is quietly purring along after 3 yrs and almost 1700 hrs. It's been ceiling mounted all of it's life. Still has a very bright picture.

I've already decided that when it dies, a nice new 720p projector is going in it's place regardless of warranty. :)

I have 2700 hours on my X1. Colors and brightness are still good. Several times I've had the buzzing start, but whenever it did I took out the bulb assembly and blew it out with compressed air, the buzzing went away.

I am just over three years with my X1 & about 2,000 hrs. I am still satisfied with the picture & find it very acceptable with an HD signal. I figure the longer it lasts the better its replacement will be. Perhaps by the time it dies a 1080p unit will be reasonably priced.

I have had the buzz a few times over the years but it never last very long. The buzz seems to come on the next time I use it after a hard shut down. At least 95% of the time I let it cool for 15 minutes or so before shutting it of via the switch on the side. I don't know for sure if the shut down method has anything to do with the buzz, but this has been my observation.

Got a RMA - I am real sorry I don't look at these forums before I bought my InFocus SP4805. I got the noise. Awful expensive machine to go wrong. I pleaded with Shane in their service department to send me a color wheel assembly - now I lose the machine for the Super Bowl. I guess one thing - it is still a few months shy of running warranty out. The dust in all the chambers was amazing - guess I'll start a PM program on "dusting".
I read through the forum - they replace the color wheel motor bearings with something better?

Two months plus now and no update from the person who took it totally apart.... From what I remember you can't black out the white segment on the X1 as its needed for timing. When the buzz gets to bad and doesn't go away its over people. Mine like a few of you would come and go, that went on for a year or more. Then one day I finally couldn't take it and sold it. Today my new Mits hd1000U arrived(in time for super bowl) and I ordered it yesterday, thanks projector people for the GREAT price, hell matter of fact it was $100 cheaper than I even bought my old x1 for....INFOCUS=OWNED....

Sell them for $300 - $400 and come up with the extra $450 and upgrade. That buzz in the end will drive you insane.

Yes as many of you i to have the problem of the loud buzzing... I have took it apart and took out the color wheel ---pretty simple actually--- but when trying to disect the little bugger I just couldn't seem to find a way to open the motor--- to clean, oil or lube--- Anyway I have put it all back and there were no parts left over yipee! but still get'n the noise. Here is the question that I havn't seen... It might be in this thread but havn't found it yet... Is there a source for the color wheel??? anywhere??? I have looked for the part# everywhere on the web but with no luck... somebody has to make these?

hey everyone. very sorry for being so spacey ... didnt know people were anxious in my findings. i took it apart ... the color wheel assembly is tough to mess with. i managed to get it apart though ... and put it back together after applying some dry film lubricant to the bearings / journals in hopes of reducing the whine noise. i put it back together and it sounded a little better, but i may have done ireppairable damage it in taking it apart.

im fascinated by the X1 though, and will surely be tinkering with them for a while. im hogging up all the ones with messed up color wheels on ebay so i can play with them / fix them. i do think it can be fixed. is it worth it? absolutely not (because the bulb is $300) ... but i love to tinker

Got the X1 in 2003 with the free extended 3-year warranty, for a total of 5 years. I've had the color wheel buzz for several months now, but recently it's become quite unbearable. I finally decided to contact InFocus to have it repaired before my warranty expires. Their web-based repair form errors out inexplicably, and emails yielded nothing more than an automated response that they had been received, so I called.

A polite and helpful customer service rep named Ethan eventually informed me that the extended warranty covers only labor, not parts, and he directed me via email to fill out a form with their authorized repair center in Canada, which I did, and well, here's a copy of the email I sent him back after I did that, with a couple of questions:
Hi Ethan,

Thank you for your quick reply. I have followed your instructions and am waiting to hear back from Bigtech.

In the meantime, I have a couple of questions:

With this sort of repair (for a grinding, metallic noise in an X1) how is it usually repaired, and what is the cost of any parts needed, if any, typically?

On the InFocus website, I found an Authorized Service Center in my city, which would save the cost of shipping if I brought it in myself, compared to Bigtech, which appears to be located in Toronto and/or Vancouver.

Duocom Canada Inc. - Montreal
Service Center
10000 Cavendish Blvd
St. Laurent, QC H4M 2V1
514-341-8181
888-338-6266

Is this an option?



Thank you,
[plplplpl]






--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: RE: X1 Warranty Repair
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:33:47 -0800
From:
To:


Hi [plplplpl],





As per the conversation we had earlier I am sending you the link to follow to get your projector repaired through Bigtech. Please follow the link and complete the form as required.



http://clients.bigtech.ca/infocus/customers/RMA.html



If you have any further queries please feel free to call us back.



Thanks and regards.





Ethan Technical Support





PHONE
FAX
800.294.6400
503.685.7239

27500 SW PARKWAY AVE
WILSONVILLE, OREGON 97070-9215

Tell us how we are doing! Please take our customer service survey at www.infocus.com/supportsurvey.

Have you considered extending the warranty on your InFocus Projector? visit us at InFocus Service Plans

Then I read this thread.

Those of you who have been in a similar situation, how did it go and what can I expect?

Status Report:

I just got off the phone with InFocus. BigTech, to which I was given a link above, replied that they no longer service the X1. I emailed InFocus back if their Authorized Service Center in my city, listed on the InFocus website (http://www.infocus.com/support/locate_asc/asc-list.asp?zip=h2x2e5&distance=250&measurement=miles&region=domestic&site_lang=1&site_region=1), would honor the Extended Service Plan and my InFocus RMA number. After a few days with no reply, I decided to call them, and started to get a bit of a scripted runaround. Eventually, I spoke to a supervisor named Shawn, who said he would contact their people in Canada and get back to me by Tuesday with a "solution."

I'll post the results here.

Update:

Well, Tuesday came and went with no word from InFocus so by the following Wednesday (eight days later) I decided to call them. I was told Shawn would call me back within 2 hours, so when I hadn't heard back in 3, I called again, and this time I was assured he would call me back within a half an hour. He didn't.

Finally, around 3AM, I got an email stating:However, I must say that I’m actively working to find a suitable solution to your issue at the earliest. I will have to request you to provide me time until end of day tomorrow before I can come up with a solution. I sincerely apologise for the delay. We will ensure a speedy answer.

I wrote back right away thanking him for his efforts on my behalf and that I was looking forward to hearing from them shortly with a solution.

I'll post updates here. I really hope they can make me a happy customer.

Since I hadn't heard from them since March 12, I called last Friday, the 25th.

I spoke to Robin, who offered to replace my defective X1 by an IN24 for an extra $229. Although I'd rather have my X1 repaired under the extended Service Plan I have for it, I reluctantly agreed, and Robin took my credit card information for the $229. He said that on Monday I would receive shipping labels via email to return my defective X1 to Louisville, Kentucky, and then they would ship me an IN24. It's late Thursday and I haven't received any info or confirmation from InFocus yet.

Opinions?

Via Email? Spam filter?

Time to call again.

I called again today. I spoke to Amy, who, after some checking, emailed me RMA info and address labels, while I was on the phone with her.

Ok, so here we go. Time to pack up the X1 and ship it to InFocus' Louisville KY location. Not that I'll miss the old buzzsaw, but were it not for that infernal noise, I actually liked my X1.

I wonder how the InFocus IN24, which they're sending me, compares to the X1?

I hope I won't be without a projector too long, now that Battlestar Galactica is just starting up.:o

I hope I won't be without a projector too long, now that Battlestar Galactica is just starting up.:o

BSG starts in 3 hours and 5 minutes, but who's counting. :D

Progress(?) Report:

As of May 1st, I had not received my replacement projector and the UPS tracking number InFocus gave me has never worked on the UPS site. I looked again at the pdf Ship Notification attachment InFocus sent me on April 21 and found the following, which I called them to notify them about yesterday.

Hello,
I have not received my replacement projector yet. I would like to draw to your attention a possible explanation. If you look at the attached pdf file you sent me, there are a few mistakes:


My name [is spelled wrong].


My address [has a wrong digit].


The UPS tracking number does not work because it is the wrong format. According to their FAQ (http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/tracking/help/tracking/tnh.html), UPS tracking numbers should be 11 digits, not 10.

Thank you for your attention to this matter,
[plplplpl]


The customer service representative said she would check and call me back today. As of 5:20 EST they hadn't, so I called them again today and emailed them as well. They said they would check and call me back later today.

BTW, my credit card has been charged the $229.