i have the 65inch diomond series TV from mitsibishi (wd65831) and the lamp just went out after 6 months! is this normal? :eek: does anyone know the aproximate lifetime of these lamps? i got the extended warentee so i get 2 free lamp replacements, but does anyone know the part number on this lamp and also some good places to look just so i can start shoppin around for when ill have to buy one on my own. also, is there anyway to increase the life of a lamp? any help would awesome! thanks

No, 6 months is not normal. The extended warranty should not come into play yet since your TV is under the normal warranty, isn't it? Check your owner's manual for how long Mitsu themselves cover the original lamp.

The best source for a lamp as far as quality, shipping speed, and price is... Mitsubishi. Check your owner's manual for how to order or try your luck online at mistuparts.com, their official site.

To protect lamp life, avoid quick on/off cycles. Still, 6 months is just plain wrong IMO. Have you seen the dedicated Mitsu TV thread(s) on this forum? Search around for others with your model.

hmm then i might have jumped the gun a little... i already orederd a replacement lamp from the extended warranty place. i got the idea in my head from the dealer when i got the TV that lamps were not coverd by the warranty, but i just read through it and they are coverd for a year. so im going to call mitsubishi when they open on monday and get them to replace it and then i will just have one as a back up that i can keep in the closet for when its needed i guess.

When you call Mitsu it would not IMO hurt to (VERY diplomatically, gently) mention that 6 months of lamp life is a bit alarming... And yes, just store the other unit. Also, if there is any firmware update available for your unit (again, check the relevant thread for your model here) you might want to have Mitsu send you that too while you're on the line with them.

lamps do certainly have variable lifespan expectancy, 4000, 6000 hours etc. dont know how many hours on your set but it surely is on the short side of average.
mits will cover the first year for the lamp.
my mits dlp lamp blew at 9000 hours, which is above average, was just out of warranty but mits gave me half off a new lamp after very diplomatically :) talking to the customer sevice dept.

sounds like your dealer was trying to push his ext warranty on you.

my local mits dealer loaned me a lamp from a floor model till the new one arrived from mits.