Cipher-

It sounds like your problem may be different than mine. I never looked into the lens to see if there was any light source, but I know my lamp was never striking. I could always see a faint, blue glow in the exhaust vent was about the best way I knew if the projector had not actually shut off and the lamp was still on. I would guess that since you see a gray/light black image on the screen that your lamp is lit. Do you ever see the Mits screen when you power the unit up? I would think that would help narrow it down as to whether it's a lamp or a signal problem.

Sorry for your issues with the unit.

Unfortunately, I don't see the Mits screen or anything else when the unit turns on. When I try to access the TV guide from my remote I see a slight shift in the projected darkness so it looks like something is happening. :confused:

There's also an option to reset the bulb timer when starting up the unit so I'll probably try that too.

I haven't had time, because of work, but I'm going to pull out the bulb and check it this weekend. If it hasn't exploded is there any other way for me to verify if it's broken?

I'm having a strange problem. When the screen is black I see a blob like looking thing that covers about 15% of the screen on the right. It is light gray/green in color. The strange thing is that it moves about 2 or 3 inches to the right and left every second(going back and forth). Is this a dust blob?

...I see a blob ... moves about 2 or 3 inches to the right and left every second(going back and forth). Is this a dust blob?Sounds like it, wobbling with the fan/airflow I suppose.

How can WE get rid of a dust blob or two?

I can see a couple and they annoy me greatly!

How can WE get rid of a dust blob or two?

I can see a couple and they annoy me greatly!

IF you are under warranty then send it to mits and they will clean it for free (you may have to pay to ship it there, they will ship it back at cost).

IF you are out of warranty, you can try this: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12117792#post12117792

The cine4home link on that post may not work, just go to www.cine4home.com and click the link for "Review: LCD Projector Mitsubishi HC-5000"

The 4900 and 5000 will have basically identical innards.
Make sure you have an air cannister that is not compressed GAS but is compressed AIR so as not to leave any residue on the LCD panel. Use something like this: http://digitalinnovations.com/Merchant5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=DI&Product_Code=3010300&Category_Code=Electronics_Cleaning

PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!! GOOD LUCK!!

POWER ON PROBLEM.

Have you guys had any luck with resolving your power on problem? I'm having the same problem. The indicator lights are normal and the lamp lights up but it is very faint. Over the last couple months I was able to get the lamp to light up to 100% after 1 or 2 times of restarting (powering down then powering up again). Now trying a few times does not work at all. I called Mitsubishi and ProjectorPeople.com and they both told me it's likely the lamp. That would really suck since I only have about 200 hrs on the lamp and I did not buy the lamp warranty. I dropped it off at a local certified Mitsubishi repair place on Wed 11/26 so I'll see what they say next week. Note that searching this thread I saw that someone had the same problem and he thought it was due to his power supply being less than 120v. I couldn't find how he resolved his problem. Thanks

Anyone see the price on these at the CC?

Does anyone know how to reset the lamp timer after replacing the lamp? The user's manual does not mention it...

It's on page 36 of your user's manual. Reset of the lamp operation time
Plug in the power cord and reset the lamp operation time by
holding down the <, >, and POWER buttons on the control
panel at the same time about 3 seconds.

I finally had time this weekend to take a look at my bulb and it looked fine. I then tried starting up the projector and it started without any issues! :p However, when I tried to start it today the lamp didn't light up even after starting it 3 times in a row. Therefore, it looks like my lamp is fine but that I have the "lamp strike" issue which has plagued a few people in this thread. :(

At this point I'm starting to think either that:

1) Last months repair job for the LCD Block has caused some other issues
2) I bought a model that had poor QC from the manufacturer
3) Some of the parts in the HC4900 are of mediocre quality and prone to failure

I was very happy up until 2 months ago, as I had reached close to 2000 hours without any issues, but now I've run into two issues that have been previously reported in this thread and this is starting to affect my confidence in the product. At this point my only option is to send it in for repair and hope that these issues are addressed for good.

test

test

d -

Cipher -- Have you been running your HC4900 in the "high power lamp" mode (= "Standard", IIRC)?

If you have run it in the high ("Standard") mode, then your lamp timer has exceeded the "maximum number of hours" limit (2000 hours in "Standard" (high) mode and 5000 hours in "Low" mode). If this is the case, then your only recourse is to either buy a new lamp, or reset your lamp timer (page 36 of the HC4900 manual) and keep your fingers crossed that it won't blow when it actuall stops working.

Hi CT_Wiebe,

I've always run it in Low Power mode except for maybe 2-3 live events where friends have come over and I've put it into High Power mode (10 hours tops).

After trying to power the unit on 6 times yesterday it finally started on the 7th try. The image still looks stunning but the startup issue obviously needs addressing. I read all the related posts in this thread regarding this issue and it seems that the previous model (mits 5000) was susceptible to this and that Mitsubishi had made some changes to the 4900 to address this design flaw. Some have postulated that this might be a motherboard or power supply issue.

I'm waiting for word from the vendor regarding my next step and I'm hoping the next servicing will address the current issues. I'm still floored by the projector's image and near complete silence so I'm really hoping to get a couple of trouble free years out of it before having to upgrade.

I'll post back when I hear more.

Cipher -- With 10 hours in the "Standard" (high) mode, it will add 25 hours to the lamp time (always shows the lamp time based on the "Low" lamp mode - see page 29 of your HC4900 manual). The Standard lamp time will be multiplied by 5/2 and then displayed in the Lamp Time indicator (MENU => INFORMATION) as listed in the chart on manual page 24, it's based on the # of hours in the Low lamp mode.

Also see page 17 of your manual (if you haven't already), item 2, for problems getting the lamp to strike (light up).

NOTE: You should be using the remote to "turn-off" the HC4900. This leaves the HC4900 in the "Standby" mode. Don't unplug the PJ after you get through using it (except when you go on vacation, or trips that will take several days).

CT_Wiebe,

Just checked the menu and I'm at 1946 hours. The projector took 9 attempts before turning on today! :(

Just checked the page 2 note and they say, "The lamp fails to light up on rare occasions. In such a case, wait for a few minutes and then try again." I find it interesting that Mitsubishi included this in the manual as it wasn't a warning with my previous projector. That said, the last one was a DLP so maybe this light strike issue is an LCD based phenomenon?

Yea, I've always left it plugged in and used the remote to turn it on or off. After I turn it off, the red light remains on which I believe means it's in standby mode. The sad part is I've been watching OasisHD and a Blu-Ray movie today and the image looks spectacular. It's going to be a pain sending this back in again as the shipping is around 5 days each way and I still have the repair time to worry about.

I don't know which is worse, waiting for the projector to be sent back or listening to my girlfriend try to tell me that her 27" CRT from 1995 isn't a bad substitute! :eek:

Cipher -- I have the HC5500 model. I do not have any of the problems that you have described (I've owned 3 prior LCD PJs, and never have had your problem). I run my HC5500 100% in the "Low" lamp mode and I'm at just over 200 hours, so it's not a fair comparison.

What you are experiencing is not "an LCD based phenomenon". I've read other posts on DLP PJs where they've had similar problems. Some of these problems have to do with a defective "ballast" supply. The ballast supply provides a voltage boost to provide the necessary higher voltage to the lamp in order to strike the lamp (it's an arc lamp which needs more voltage to fire it, than it does to keep it lit). It sounds like your ballast supply is failing.

If you continue to have problems (after trying several times), I would suggest that instead of waiting a minute or two, you actually unplug the PJ for 15-20 minutes. Then plug it it in again, and try it again. I would contact Mitsubishi Tech Support ASAP, though.

You really do need to contact the Mitsubishi technical support people to see what they have to say. Unfortunately, you may be stuck with sending your HC4900 in for service/repair. I know it sucks to be without a PJ, for any length of time. But you may just have to "bite the bullet" and live without a PJ for 10 days (may be longer due to the Christmas rush). You may want to wait (and suffer) until after the holidays though. Fortunately Mitsubishi has real good customer support, so it should be fixed with a minimum of hassle.

My One PJ Problem: When I got my 720p DLP PJ, I discovered that it had a design flaw which resulted in lamp failure after about 200 to 400 hours (mine failed at ~380 hours). Unfortunately, I discovered that Toshiba (it was OEM to them) refused to accept a transfer of ownership (mine was second hand) and also refused to acknowledge that a problem even existed. It took a full year until I finally got a new design replacement lamp.

After about a month with no PJ, I went out and bought a cheap PJ, on a 1-day sale from my local Fry's Electronics store (a Mitsubishi HC3, LCD, for ~$600). It was low resolution (1/4 HD = 960 x 540) but it worked for over 3 years, until I got my HC5500. I'm keeping it as a backup PJ.

I have to send my 4900 to Mitsubishi for dust blob removal and was wondering what the turnaround time is. How long did it take for most of you guys to get your projector back? Also, did the fix or replace the majority of the projectors?

Power On Problem

I had the same power on problem and took it in for repair. They replaced the mother board and it appears to be starting fine so far. The problem is that my remote no longer works, so it appears the new motherboard is not recognizing the remote. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Gator34 -- Sounds like they forgot to hook up the sensor when they replaced the motherboard. I hope that's not the case. You need to give the service shop (or whoever you contacted to get it repaired) a call.

travis4710 -- Ask them (it should be around a week, or 10 days).

I have to send my 4900 to Mitsubishi for dust blob removal and was wondering what the turnaround time is. How long did it take for most of you guys to get your projector back? Also, did the fix or replace the majority of the projectors?


Me too...how annoying is this.

My projector better come back PERFECT. Before the dust blobs appeared my image was a stunning thing of beauty! :eek:

i was one of persons with the striking issue that you had talked about.I was to the point once that i thought i would have to send my unit in for repair...then for no reason that i know of...the issue has completely gone away.we had not had a problem starting for the last 3 months or so.i could actually hear that mine wasnt going to strike,and then it would go to the cooling down mode before going into standby.we turn ours on without the remote.for awhile,when it wasnt striking,it helped to hold the power button in for a count of 5 and then seemed to light up.

In the shop 12/22 and still not done and they have no answers yet.

I'm getting worried/pissed!

And now my projector is down with what I assume is the failure to strike issue.

I've had my HC4900 since the middle of January. I saw this issue once before, probably 6 months back, but it went away when I tried again a few hours later. This time, no such luck. I can't even tell you how many hours I have, since no number of repeat attempts will get the lamp to turn on. I don't think I have more than 1300-1500, though, and all of those on Low.

I haven't received any kind of warning messages during recent use, either. It just won't start. I go from standby (red power/no status) to normal operation (green power/green status), but where I was getting light output almost immediately, it now goes to a fault mode (red power/flashing green status) for a minute while the fans cool things down, and then back to standby. Rinse and repeat as often as I like, with the same results.

Waiting for the service center to call back, so I can get an RMA.

I may have to something useful around the house until this gets fixed!

--Mike

I had a lcd issue and the PJ not turning on with the blinking status light issue. Shippid it to Cali on 19th Dec ( FedEx) got it back all fixed on 31st Dec

I've joined the dreaded "Dust Blob Club". :(

I'm blaming it on having installed the super-deluxe HC6000 accessory filter a month or two ago--probably should have left the damn thing in a drawer. "Never fix anything that ain't broke!"

Anyway, what is surprising to me is that the dust blob shows as a dim "light spot" on the screen, visible only in darkness w/dark scenes. It must be reflecting light from somewhere else inside I guess. Not a big deal (my wife hasn't commented on it yet--it IS hard to see) but now that I've seen it and know where it is I tend of course to look for it.

Anyway I'm not sending the pj back for this. Since it's likely to happen again in the future, I may as well learn how to dis-assemble this puppy and do it myself.

I've joined the dreaded "Dust Blob Club". :(

I'm blaming it on having installed the super-deluxe HC6000 accessory filter a month or two ago--probably should have left the damn thing in a drawer. "Never fix anything that ain't broke!"

Anyway, what is surprising to me is that the dust blob shows as a dim "light spot" on the screen, visible only in darkness w/dark scenes. It must be reflecting light from somewhere else inside I guess. Not a big deal (my wife hasn't commented on it yet--it IS hard to see) but now that I've seen it and know where it is I tend of course to look for it.

Anyway I'm not sending the pj back for this. Since it's li -0 kely to happen again in the future, I may as well learn how to dis-assemble this puppy and do it myself.

Laserfan - sorry to hear of your troubles. I am a new owner of the HC5500 and I have manged to get 2 blobs as well; one blue and one green at just 75 hours. I say 2 because that's what is visible at normal focus. If I focus in on the blobs (so that the image is out of focus) I can actually see a total of 4.

BTW - my green blob is in the lower left corner and the blue is in the upper right corner.

Good luck Laserfan - post back with any fixes.

Mine is STILL IN THE SHOP!

Now they called me and said the cannot seem to fix it. Are you kidding. What is Mitsu going to do if they cannot fix it?

bgillyjcu -- They should give you a new one (depending on how old it is - at least a refurbished one with a new warranty).

NOW I am pissed. Got the projector back today and they claim they never saw these blobs of color. Instantly come home and just plug it in. I don't even have to connect it to anything. They are CLEARLY VISIBLE even with the "no signal" screen up.

What now?

NOW I am pissed. Got the projector back today and they claim they never saw these blobs of color. Instantly come home and just plug it in. I don't even have to connect it to anything. They are CLEARLY VISIBLE even with the "no signal" screen up.

What now?

I cleaned mine out myself.
It's really not THAT difficult and you don't HAVE to remove anything from the PJ. Take the cover off, take off the metal housing (16 screws), aim an air cannister nozzle into the LCD panel housing (there are 3 panels each with a hole where the ribbon goes through the motherboard which an air nozzle can fit through) and squeeze the trigger. Put it back together and either no dust blobs, they moved around, or more dust blobs. Took me about 5 attempts before there were no dust blobs, this was about 2 months ago and I have been dust blob free since.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15164266#post15164266

BUT this is all at your own risk of course! May void warranty and all that...

EDIT: If you follow Blippy's long list of taking it all apart, you will get good results. Step 4 onwards, however, was a dealbreaker for me in that I did not feel comfortable unclipping the white clips. They scared me. So instead of doing all that I shone a light inside and found that the middle panel was the green one, so if your blob is green then focus the air nozzle down the middle hole. The one on the left was blue i believe and on the right is red (with the lens facing forward away from you looking down at the unit). So just blow the air into the appropriate panel hole. And make sure the air is AIR not GAS. You don't want any residue on the panel. Hold the canister upright so you may have to place the unit facing up on its back... or get someone to help you out. And it will likely take multiple attempts. Take your time.

I don't want to lead you to do something wrong I just want to share what worked for me. I am MUCH happier with no dust blobs. I tried to ignore and live with a huge green one mid screen and it nearly drove me insane. These things are NOT fun or easy to ignore. I feel your pain. And it puzzles me that mits could not/would not fix it. Very strange.

Mitsu is getting a call today. Watched the Dark Knight again with my girl and even she commented on the BOLBS or DOTS of color.

There is one really annoying one that is very very visable during 2:35 movies because of the black bars. A GREEN BLOB just off center on the bottom that is constantly there.

I hate it!

Mitsu is getting a call today. Watched the Dark Knight again with my girl and even she commented on the BOLBS or DOTS of color.

There is one really annoying one that is very very visable during 2:35 movies because of the black bars. A GREEN BLOB just off center on the bottom that is constantly there.

I hate it!

Yeah, once you know they are there it's hard to forget or not notice them. I feel your pain.

Good luck.

Just got my 4900 back from Mitsubishi today for the dust blob repair. They installed the new, thicker filter, but I havent had time to watch a movie to make sure they got all the blobs out

Anyone use a Focupix fixed screen with the HC4900? How do u like it? I am interested in it. Should I go with a high contrast Gray one? Thanks. I am looking at this one here.

http://www.htdepot.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=FF169LT-100GY&CartID=1

If you have any other recommendations, let me know. My budget is less than 500$. Thanks.

I'll be sending my unit to California in the next day or two.

I better get it back in PERFECT working shape!

Anyone use a Focupix fixed screen with the HC4900? How do u like it? I am interested in it. Should I go with a high contrast Gray one? Thanks. I am looking at this one here.

http://www.htdepot.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=FF169LT-100GY&CartID=1

If you have any other recommendations, let me know. My budget is less than 500$. Thanks.First of all, that's a 100" screen (see the box that says that it has a 100" "viewable area" - that's what is supposed to be quoted for screen size). I would shy far away from that one, just because they are committing what I would call false advertising.. Most low cost screens are just plain cheap, and not worth it.

I would recommend an Elite ezFrame screen. They are well within your budget and are the best of the low-cost screens. One source is: http://www.visualapex.com/Projector-Screens/Projector_Screen_Details.asp?chPartNumber=R100H1 - the gray one. Gray screens will give you better black levels and the difference between the Elite CineGray and CineWhite is not that much (gain = 1.0, vs gain = 1.1). You can also get the Elite screens from the AVS Store (at similar, or possibly better, prices), see http://www.avscience.com/contact.htm.

Now, u got me going. Now i am looking at that Elite CineGray and also looking at Carada Precision series. Is Carada so much better than Elite to warrant 350$ difference. Should I stick to Elite or should i go with Carada if i have that money available?

Thanks.

First of all, that's a 100" screen (see the box that says that it has a 100" "viewable area" - that's what is supposed to be quoted for screen size). I would shy far away from that one, just because they are committing what I would call false advertising.. Most low cost screens are just plain cheap, and not worth it.

I would recommend an Elite ezFrame screen. They are well within your budget and are the best of the low-cost screens. One source is: http://www.visualapex.com/Projector-Screens/Projector_Screen_Details.asp?chPartNumber=R100H1 - the gray one. Gray screens will give you better black levels and the difference between the Elite CineGray and CineWhite is not that much (gain = 1.0, vs gain = 1.1). You can also get the Elite screens from the AVS Store (at similar, or possibly better, prices), see http://www.avscience.com/contact.htm.

Now, u got me going. Now i am looking at that Elite CineGray and also looking at Carada Precision series. Is Carada so much better than Elite to warrant 350$ difference. Should I stick to Elite or should i go with Carada if i have that money available?

Thanks.The Carada screen material is better than the Elite material, in that it has better color rendition (truer colors). Also, the Carada frames are more rugged and robust than the Elite ezFrame. This is based on the reviews of these screens by Art at www.projectorreviews, and my own research, mainly here on the AVS Forums.

The bottom line is that, yes, the Carada screens are better than the Elite models (which are designed to be a good, high quality, screen at the lowest cost - helped by the fact that they are available as a manufacturer direct sale, only). They are worth the extra money, if you have it. They will also, probably last longer than the Elite models will (most good screens will last for at least 15 years, or more). The Elite screens are the best of the low cost screens. The Carada screens are the best, and lowest cost, in the quality mid-priced fixed screen market.

To get a significant improvement over the Carada screens means going to the much higher priced Stewart Filmscreen models (which are the Rolls-Royce of screens - or Ferrari, if you prefer).

That does not mean that the Elite screens are bad, they are the "best bang for the buck", and are better than any of the other low cost screens that are available. They provide very good image uniformity and good color and grayscale rendition.

Thanks, Claus for the great info. I am going with the Carada.

indianrider -- You are welcome. BTW, I would recommend the Carada BW (Brilliant White) screen model. It has a gain = 1.4 (advertised - it's actually a little less) and will give you a brighter picture (that way you can use the Low lamp mode and get the 5000 hour lamp life). However, it's your choice.

For a 2:35:1 Movie....would using the SHUTTERS actually help the on screen blacks?

For a 2:35:1 Movie....would using the SHUTTERS actually help the on screen blacks?Why don't you give them a try. When I first got my 4900 a year ago, I tried the shutters and it seems to me it didn't make the black bars noticeably blacker, that there was still some light spillage (then again my black bars spill off my 'scope screen anyway after I've zoomed the movie).

My sense is that the shutters were meant for adapting to a custom screen in a comercial situation (e.g. store or corporate conference or etc.) and they crop-off any/all programming to the dimensions you've set.

For us home users (and Zoomers) the ability to show The Dark Knight BD in 2.40 glory w/the Imax scenes cropped-off with these shutters is the first really good use I've found!

I had to change from the native display of my old projector (800x600) to 1920x1080. My text on desktop and IE plus my menu items in Media Center looked like crap. I right clicked on the desktop, clicked on NVidia display and then the Mits 4900. I then went into advanced timings button on the screen res and refresh rates tab. In the flat panel scaling menu I chose "display adapter scaling" rather than "monitor scaling" to force the video card to do the scaling/de-interlacing as opposed to letting the Mits do it. I also changed the timing standard to CVT-RB and then unchecked the interlaced mode box in the lower left corner. After I did this- the text and anything coming from the PC was absolutely razor sharp, I was really pleased with the results. The thing that ticks me off is that I leave the PC in these settings and never turn it off. When I come back to the PC- it's like the projector resets the video card settings or some da** thing like that. I have to go back and make those changes each time. I'll figure it out....

I suppose now that I went through that whole narrative- no one else will have the NVidia driver and thus the NView application to make display setting changes.. :D


Did you get this resolved - I have the same problem - how did you solve this?

thanks

ariel35@gmail.com

10days without my projector....I'm lonely!

UPDATE....>>Projector is back and FIXED.

A complete cleaning was done and the new filter was added...like on the 5000, 5500 and 6000 models!!

Everything looks great again! HOPE this lasts!

UPDATE....>>Projector is back and FIXED.

A complete cleaning was done and the new filter was added...like on the 5000, 5500 and 6000 models!!

Everything looks great again! HOPE this lasts!

How long of a throw is your setup to a 100" screen?

Just chiming in after a long absence from this forum. I also bought the HC4900 in January 2008 and we'll be watching our 2nd Superbowl on it tonight! With the $500 rebate available back then, this has been an awesome projector value for the stunning picture quality. I too had the lamp strike issue 2 or 3 times last summer, but haven't had the problem since. Suprisingly, no dust blobs either (upgraded to the layered Mits filter back in the summer), since my previous LCD projector, the Panasonic PT-L300 was prone to blobs.

I have had my 4900 for a little over a year now without any problems of any kind. Last night after I turned it on it started up fine. After about 1 minute it went bad and now the colors are way off. It looks like when you plug in component video into the wrong colors but I am using HDMI. I turned it off and on again as well as unplugged it and did the same thing and it did not change. On startup the screen is a yellowish green instead of the bright white and all of the menus are off on all of their colors as well. Is it possible that my blue panel has gone bad? Any ideas on what to do here?

dbldave,

If you search for my posts in this thread you'lll find my similar experience with this. It ended up being a failed LCD Block which needed to be replaced by Mitsubishi. Some others have also encountered the issue and you'll find those by searching for the words "green" or "yellow".

It looks like when you plug in component video into the wrong colors but I am using HDMI.If you know this, then presumably you have tried a Component connection and still have the same problem?

Was hoping for your sake it was a cable problem...

Yeah, I tried other sources but it was the same. Also on the startup screen it used to be bright white but now it is yellowish green. I guess I will have to contact Misubishi and get it repaired. I was hoping there was a setting issue or something but I was pretty sure one of the LCD panels went bad. Since it sounds like it has happened to others I am out of luck. At least I still have my old projector to put up while I have to wait for this one to get serviced.

I'm at about 11ft throw distance

Hey guys, I have a weird one for you. I had 1774 low power hours on my lamp before switching it to high power and proceeding to put another 2000 hours on it for a whopping total of 3774 hours. Now I know my lamp should be long past dead but here is the curious part. After getting to the 2000th hour the projector fails to light at all now. I hit the power, nothing happens, I do not hear a 'striking sound' or fans spinning up, it just sits there. As well, the power and status lights come on green and after about 2 minutes the power light will be a steady red and the status light will blink green. The manual informs me that the 'protection circuit is working or the lamp is in an abnormal condition'. The 2 remedies are to press the power button or replace the lamp.

Curiously though, the manual also states the projector will shut down after 2000 high power hours or 5000 low power hours. Seemingly, whether the lamp is in fine working condition or not. My lamp was working perfectly until I reached the 2000 hour mark, no dimming or any other indication that it was failing and then the above occurred. I tried resetting the lamp hour counter to 'trick' the projector into thinking it had a new lamp. I even tried taking the lamp out, putting it back in and then resetting the lamp counter but still the same issue. I have no problem buying a new lamp if it is indeed dead but it seems a strange coincidence that it would 'happen' to die once it reached the 2000 hour high power mark with no other indication that it was failing. What do you guys think? Have you heard of lamps all of a sudden dying with no warning?

For a 2:35:1 Movie....would using the SHUTTERS actually help the on screen blacks?

I tried this the other day and it does not.

Slooop -- That is one way the lamps fail. They seem to work fine, and then won't strike the next time you try to turn them on. Sometimes they do go out while you are watching a movie or TV. On rare occasions, they can explode, but that is usually because of a flaw in the lamp's glass bulb.

Thanks for the info Claus, is it safe to assume that it's just my lamp that's the issue, and replacing it should do the trick, given the described symptoms? Or do I need to take the projector in to make sure it's not a different issue. It's past warranty so I'd rather not pay a boatload of money for them to just tell me I need to replace the lamp.

So much for the lamp lasting 5000 hrs. in LOW. Mine just went out at 1000 hrs. :eek: But RepairMaster came thru and sending me new lamp Fri. For what its worth CSR said Mitsubishi did'nt have good track record for lamp longevity.

mark

forget it tried 1 hr. later started up. Canceled lamp:)

So much for the lamp lasting 5000 hrs. in LOW. Mine just went out at 1000 hrs. :eek: But RepairMaster came thru and sending me new lamp Fri. For what its worth CSR said Mitsubishi did'nt have good track record for lamp longevity.

mark

forget it tried 1 hr. later started up. Canceled lamp:)


Well it lasted 2 more days. Called Mit. tech. he said 9 out of 10 times its the lamp. He did offer to have me send the pj in and they would check it out but would cost me shipping. There was the possiblity that they might just replace bulb in the housing at a reduced price instead the bulb & housing $200? But seeing I can use RepairMaster I told him I would go with that.

RepairMaster sending new lamp tomarrow.

mark

Please report back with your RepairMaster experience. I don't think that is too off topic for this thread. My lamp wouldn't strike all of a sudden in November after working perfectly earlier in the day. I had about 1,900 hours on it, all but ~20 on low setting. The Mits tech I talked to said if you ever ran it on standard setting, the life was now 2K hours. I had probably 5 conversations with RepairMaster over the next ~8-10 days and they finally came back with "lamp backordered" after they had told me 3 days in a row that it was shipping that day. I then asked if I could order a lamp myself and they would re-imburse me and I got that approved in about 3 days and several more calls. End result though was that they sent me a check (after many more weeks) to cover the lamp. All in all- they did alright by me. I got my new lamp but it was a good thing I had a spare projector and could do without the $320 while I waited for a check. Hope your experience goes well...

Please report back with your RepairMaster experience. I don't think that is too off topic for this thread. My lamp wouldn't strike all of a sudden in November after working perfectly earlier in the day. I had about 1,900 hours on it, all but ~20 on low setting. The Mits tech I talked to said if you ever ran it on standard setting, the life was now 2K hours. I had probably 5 conversations with RepairMaster over the next ~8-10 days and they finally came back with "lamp backordered" after they had told me 3 days in a row that it was shipping that day. I then asked if I could order a lamp myself and they would re-imburse me and I got that approved in about 3 days and several more calls. End result though was that they sent me a check (after many more weeks) to cover the lamp. All in all- they did alright by me. I got my new lamp but it was a good thing I had a spare projector and could do without the $320 while I waited for a check. Hope your experience goes well...

Did'nt have any problems at all. Received lamp yesterday.

mark

welp my 4900 has about 4000 hours in low lamp mode. Didnt think I would burn through that many hours in 14 months but it for sure did.. My girlfriends dang kids just loooove leaving it on all night long when they fall asleep in my theater seating.. I guess they get to pay for the new lamp or they are banned!

Anyhow I guess I will have to order a new lamp. In the mean time how long can I expect this thign to last? The bug message comes on prepare to replace lamp then it goes away and works fine.. Will I get the rest of my hours to 5000? Is there a clock or counter I can reset somewhere to hopefully get a few more hours out of this bad boy?

TIA
Rob

just to be sure my google research comes back as me needing this lamp
VLT-HC5000LP

That sound right to everyone else?

Correct. The VLTHC5000LP fits the HC4900.

Tried 10 times to Reset Lamp. I don't know PJ hanging down maybe 3ft. 10 ft. ceiling. I guess its because its not setting on solid surface. So far I've found it impossible. I dont mind taking it down again but it means trying it again and if that work leaving down waiting hrs. trying again. Sounds simple but not having any luck.


mark

Anybody else reset lamp timer?

Tried 10 times to Reset Lamp. I don't know PJ hanging down maybe 3ft. 10 ft. ceiling. I guess its because its not setting on solid surface. So far I've found it impossible. I dont mind taking it down again but it means trying it again and if that work leaving down waiting hrs. trying again. Sounds simple but not having any luck.


mark

Anybody else reset lamp timer?


I DID IT!!!! :D


mark


So its only about 35hrs. off.

I DID IT!!!! :D


mark


So its only about 35hrs. off.

Well I was doing it wrong to begin with. I was looking for the lights to be green when I was pushing the two < > and power button. And for the STATUS button to flash green after 3 seconds. Not so they are both RED when you hold them down and STATUS flashes red after three seconds.

mark

What price are we seeing for these replacement lamps now a days?

What price are we seeing for these replacement lamps now a days?

Mine was replaced by RepairMaster so it was free but I think I've seen someone selling them for $320.


mark

My HC4900 has also started having issues displaying the image. When you turn it on, there is definitely light coming out of the lens, clearly visible, but there is nothing displayed on screen. If I turn off the projector and then back on again, it starts properly on second attempt without fail. Just annoying.

Is this the lamp strike issue? I do see light from the lens even the first time around, just nothing showing on screen. I assume that if I see light, the lamp may be on and I'm just wearing it out, turning it on-of-on to get any short of image.

Hello fellow 4900 owners! I have a quick question. I recently purchased this unit and have been building/remodeling my living room area to facilitate an HT setup, therefore I don't have the pj set up properly yet, however I have turned it on and played with it a bit just to make sure I didn't get a defective unit. That said, here's my question:

Occasionally I have noticed a slight fluctuation or pulsation of light. It is only intermittently that it does this (or that I notice- perhaps on brighter scenes), but it is certainly there. I have witnessed it regardless of source (360 plugged in via HDMI or just the "no signal" blue screen), so I know it has to be the pj. My wife didn't notice it until I pointed it out, so it's not a major pulsing effect, but if this is not normal I'd like to get it fixed or replaced while under warranty. I don't know if the unit just needs "broken in" (though it's a refurbished model with about 50hrs on the lamp) or if this is a defective unit.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

My HC4900 has also started having issues displaying the image. When you turn it on, there is definitely light coming out of the lens, clearly visible, but there is nothing displayed on screen. If I turn off the projector and then back on again, it starts properly on second attempt without fail. Just annoying.

Is this the lamp strike issue? I do see light from the lens even the first time around, just nothing showing on screen. I assume that if I see light, the lamp may be on and I'm just wearing it out, turning it on-of-on to get any short of image.You may be running your HC4900 in too cold a room (at the PJ location). The minimum operating temperature has to be over 41 degrees F.

A HC5500 owner had a similar problem and he found out that by raising his room temperature (thermostat) to 60 degrees, he solved the problem.

Thanks CT,

Am I killing the lamp doing this? Or is the light source from the lense something else? I'm more concerned about damage, than I am about inconvenience...

Thanks CT,

Am I killing the lamp doing this? Or is the light source from the lense something else? I'm more concerned about damage, than I am about inconvenience...I'm not sure what effect your turning it on and off quickly will have. However, it normally doubles the wear on the lamp. It it definitely not a good idea to continue doing this. You are much better off raising the room temperature to 60 degrees, minimum (if that is the problem).

Thought I'd relate my story: I'm on my 2nd Refurb HC4900 projector. the first started not "striking" within the first week. After I hit "On" it was basically flip a coin to see if it would light.

Mitsubishi sent out another one, and it had the same problem after a week. Basically, it takes 3-4 tries to start the projector from standby. They thought it might be a powerline problem, but that's crazy in my opinion. Tech support refused to send another one out and instead wanted to test it. They have it now and I hope they can reproduce the problem.

Is there a consensus here on the cause of this problem? The bulbs were supposed to be new in each projector and each showed <20 hrs.

--Wayne

i used to have the 4900 but it was the biggest piece of crap. i finally had enough of it never working so i traded it for the Optoma 80 and never had any problems with it.

Update: Mitsubishi (Harry in Tech Support) called and said it was a bad "power board for the lamp" and they replaced it. I asked where the replacement board comes from (hopefully not old projectors), but he didn't know. Hope to have it back Monday.

It seems to be hit and miss with the 4900. I have had my unit for a year and a half with no problems. I had a few dust blobs but was able to dislodge them and installed the updated filter AND used the "sticky spray" on the foam outer filter. No new blobs and never fails to light the first time. Convergence is off a pixel on green and red so it's within spec but annoys me a bit. Why they don't make it adjustable electronically like they do on DLA technology is beyond me.

When you factor in the $1299 I paid after the $500 rebate, I have no regrets. I will spring for the new JVC RS 10/20 in the next 12-15 months and add the HC4900 to my growing collection of projectors.

You may be running your HC4900 in too cold a room (at the PJ location). The minimum operating temperature has to be over 41 degrees F.

A HC5500 owner had a similar problem and he found out that by raising his room temperature (thermostat) to 60 degrees, he solved the problem.

I am having the exact same problem on my HC4900 projector. I got it a few months ago as a gently used unit with low lamp hours. No problems until the last 2 weeks, but now I get a very dim light when first starting it up. If I shut it down, then start up again it will be fine 95% of the time. Sometimes, it takes 2-3 tries.

The room I am using it is definitely 60 degrees or warmer. Does the classic lamp strike issue result in any light coming out of the projector at all? This is some kind of dim bulb issue. Strange...

You may be running your HC4900 in too cold a room (at the PJ location). The minimum operating temperature has to be over 41 degrees F.

A HC5500 owner had a similar problem and he found out that by raising his room temperature (thermostat) to 60 degrees, he solved the problem.

I believe this to be true. I have the same issue. I have found if I dont keep the heat up, I keep it unplugged when not in use and plug it in when I use it, wait 2-3 mins before firing and it hasnt failed to fire doing it that way.

I have had no problem in the past connecting my MacBookPro DVI to my HC4900. But now the computer 'sees' the projector but the projector does not acknowledge any signal from the computer. I just get the 'no signal' message on the screen. I have tried connecting through a DVI/VGA adapter to a VGA/Component cable to the RGB input on the projector but the same problem occurs. Anyone have any advice?

It seems to be hit and miss with the 4900. I have had my unit for a year and a half with no problems. I had a few dust blobs but was able to dislodge them and installed the updated filter AND used the "sticky spray" on the foam outer filter. No new blobs and never fails to light the first time. Convergence is off a pixel on green and red so it's within spec but annoys me a bit. Why they don't make it adjustable electronically like they do on DLA technology is beyond me.

When you factor in the $1299 I paid after the $500 rebate, I have no regrets. I will spring for the new JVC RS 10/20 in the next 12-15 months and add the HC4900 to my growing collection of projectors.

I'm about at the same place as you. I've had mine for about the same amount of time. I've never had a dust blob problem, but I never installed an updated filter, nor used any "sticky spray". I've also not noticed any striking issues, nor any convergence issues.

Actually the only thing that "disappoints" me sometimes is how it plays standard DVD's through my HTPC, or that it can't be run at 48 or 72Hz. Other than that I've been more than thrilled with the unit since owning it, especially when I think of how much I saved in the various rebates offered at the time. In a year's time I may upgrade to something with a better internal scaler, something that could do 120Hz, but otherwise I've been thrilled with this unit.

I recently purchased a PS3 to use as a Blu-ray player with my HC4900. I can't seem to get judder free playback with this combination. I have a few variables in my setup which could be causing the problem.

Setup:
- 40 ft HDMI cable run to projector
- Onkyo TX-SR606 receiver (4 HDMI in / 1 out) - HDMI set to "through"
- Onkyo HDMI output through 1x2 powered HDMI splitter to Plasma & Projector

I have tried 2 movies so far (Bolt and National Treasure). Both show what I think is judder. On some horizontal pans, the picture breaks up slightly as if it was sliced into a few pieces. The individual "pieces" slightly trail each other until the pan stops.

Other than this problem, the picture quality and color overall with blu-ray is very good. I don't see this problem on other HD sources, but they are all 720p or 1080i.

I have tried setting the PS3 blu-ray 1080p/24 output to automatic, on, and off. None seem to make a difference.

Is there any particular menu setting that is important on the HC4900 for this? Does anyone else have this type of problem with 1080p content on the HC4900?

first thing i would try is running the hdmi straight from ps3 to pj. if that is ok, then issue may be with receiver or splitter.

first thing i would try is running the hdmi straight from ps3 to pj. if that is ok, then issue may be with receiver or splitter.

Thanks. I may try that if I have a long enough cable. It won't be easy to try as my projector is ceiling mounted. I did change what I think was called the "Cinema" mode from Automatic to Film. I watched another movie last night and there was no stuttering. I am assuming that this is forcing the projector to do 3:2 pulldown.

I'm a potential owner! I'm weighing the pros and cons of brands and front-projection vs standard flatscreens. I know the technology and pricing is improving every day, but I'm still a newbie to this.

I do research for a living, so the geek that I am I put together ten questions in a survey form so I can look at your rankings of brands. I'll post the results here after I get some responses. This is not SPAM, I promise!

Please take a quick minute:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey.zgi?p=WEB2294RNL6W4C

I'd like to thank you all for this thread. After reading through all of this I took the plunge and bought a 4900 last week. I have to say I am stunned at the picture quality for the price, and I'm a long time CRT devotee, and work in television production. I honestly didn't think it could be this good at this price.

The CRT will now be used for material up to 720p, and I'll use the 4900 for 1080 material. The only downside here in Aust is that the HC6000 air filter is nearly $80.00au.

Thought I would chime in. I love this projector. We use it almost every single day (typically 2-3 hours per night) and it has been rock solid. I have owned it for almost 1.5 years and there has been no issues. No dust blobs, not startup or shutdown issues, excellent PQ, etc. I did buy the upgraded filter about a year ago and do clean the filter regularly. For the price I paid ($1299 after rebate I believe) it has been worth every penny.

I helped my buddy build a dedicated HT room (double drywall, green glue, etc) and he picked up an Epson 1080 UB upon my recommendation. The Epson is an excellent projector. But he paid about $800-1000 more than me and I have to tell you, I did not get upgradeitus :) I am very happy with the 4900.

I have tried 2 movies so far (Bolt and National Treasure). Both show what I think is judder. On some horizontal pans, the picture breaks up slightly as if it was sliced into a few pieces. The individual "pieces" slightly trail each other until the pan stops.

Is there any particular menu setting that is important on the HC4900 for this? Does anyone else have this type of problem with 1080p content on the HC4900?

I had the same exact problem you are describing. Read my previous post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13985823#post13985823) and toggle the vertical sync option. Let me know if it works for you!

Like the previous posts, I've had my 4900 for 1 1/2 years and still lovin' it. I've only put about 500 hours on it but so far no problems. I use the better filter and the filter spray. I feel fortunate that the pixel alignment is not off by even 1/4 pixel anywhere and no dead pixels.

I still use a 10 year old Mits VL2000 LCD projector that is on its original 1300 hr rated lamp life for watching old tv shows. It was a projector ahead of its time; having a 4 x 3 format but with 16x9 stretch mode and three panels each with over 1 million pixels, SVideo, Component, RGB and PC inputs, motorized zoom and focus and just as much video adjustments as the 4900. When it was new it was impressive. Now, the organic panels are filthy, a yellowish tinge from the polarizers; but it keeps on working. It had a $9,999 MSP at the time but I found a dealer willing to part with a demo model for $2500. How could I ever complain about my $1399 4900 now? At my rate of use by the time for an upgrade, it'll be 4k resolution and laser lamps for $500.

As I look back at the first anticipation thread for this pj it's hard to believe it was almost 2 years ago...and soon this main thread appeared and was so hot..hot...hot. Hard to believe how soon it died down and others went on to bigger and better or more expensive things.

Thanks to all on these forums for all their help over the years.

I'm sure this question has been answered somewhere but I'm lazy. I had a dust spot a while back and I sent the PJ in to get cleaned because it was under warranty. Recently, I have gotten another spot and I was wondering how I go about getting rid of it so I don't have to send it in. I'm willing to open it up if needed. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm sure this question has been answered somewhere but I'm lazy....I have gotten another spot and I was wondering how I go about getting rid of it...Looky here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=12117792&postcount=1800), same procedures apply to the 4900.

Hopefully you are not too lazy a.) to attempt the procedure, and b.) to report back here on your results. ;)

Thought I'd relate my story: I'm on my 2nd Refurb HC4900 projector. the first started not "striking" within the first week. After I hit "On" it was basically flip a coin to see if it would light.

Mitsubishi sent out another one, and it had the same problem after a week. Basically, it takes 3-4 tries to start the projector from standby. They thought it might be a powerline problem, but that's crazy in my opinion. Tech support refused to send another one out and instead wanted to test it. They have it now and I hope they can reproduce the problem.

Is there a consensus here on the cause of this problem? The bulbs were supposed to be new in each projector and each showed <20 hrs.

--Wayne

I had exactly the same problem! Just got a new pj from ebay and loved it, till it died yesterday! In the last few weeks, when I hit the power button, I started praying that it would work. Sometimes it just did, the others you got to fuss around with the power button several times. The power led was red then turned green, but the status led blinks (then steady up). It was very frustrating, but somehow bearable b/c it was such a great pj and somehow it managed to turn on eventually. Then it died, refused to turn on. Sending it back was not quite an option as I am living overseas :(

Please help!!!

Wayne, you mentioned you had the power board for the lamp replaced. Did it cure the problem? Is there a part number that I can order? Please please help. Thanks!

I'm at 1500 hours on my bulb, all on econ mode. Has anyone had to change their bulb yet, how many hours?

I'm at 1500 hours on my bulb, all on econ mode. Has anyone had to change their bulb yet, how many hours?

Last Jan. mine died at around 1000 hrs. It was all in econ mode. :(

mark

So far I am at 1800 hours with no problems

Just for accuracy, I have my HTPC running at 1900x1080 just fine.

Does anyone else use the projector primarily for sports?
I connect mine to My Sky HD decoder via HDMI. So far I am enjoying the HD Sports on the projector, the picture is crisp and clear. I attached some pictures.

I project onto a white wall. I find theres no difference picture quality on wall or a projector screen. One advantage I found with the wall is I can set the size to something crazy like 180" (as in the pictures) rather than 100 or 120 with a screen and this does not reduce the picture quality.


What are some of you guys best settings for the HC4900?

The top of my images seem to be cut off. I have the aspect setting on the projector on auto (same problem if set to 16:9). I have the projector connected via hdmi to a PS3, dish network 722 and Toshiba HD DVD player. All seem to have same problem. If I move the image down on the screen it is still cut off at the top.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Ty

tyrell -- How did you try to move the image on the screen? If you tried the "lens shift" option, that will not do the job (if the entire image is already completely on the screen -- zoom to a slightly smaller image to check this out, if you haven't already).

It sounds like your vertical sync is incorrect, for some reason. The problem could be possibly due to a defective HDMI cable or a problem in your AVR. I'm assuming that you are using an AVR to do your HDMI video switching. If so, the HDMI cable from your AVR to your HC4900 could be causing a vertical sync delay, or it could be actually in you AVR.

NOTE: I am assuming that you are using the correctly sized HDMI cables for their length (the longer the length the heavier the gage that has to be used. The smaller the number, the heavier the cable -- 24AWG is a bigger cable than a 28AWG.

See pages 24 & 25 of your HC4900 manual. The Aspect Ratio will not solve the issue (as you noted). With an HDMI connection, your only option is to use: MENU => IMAGE => ADVANCED MENU => OK => VERTICAL LOCATION. The default is "0" but the control is +/- 26. I'm not exactly sure what this control is really supposed to do, but it looks like your only option.

The only other vertical position control (manual pages 24 & 28) is in the MENU => SIGNAL => VERTICAL POSITION. However, this control will not work (grayed out) for the digital video inputs (HDMI or DVI-D), per the notes on page 24.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that if you are using the Zoom1, Zoom2, or Stretch options in the Aspect menu, your picture may also have parts of the image cut off. It sounds like you are not using these, so this should not be the obvious problem.

I will give the vertical location a try. I am running my video components into a monoprice HDMI switch and out to my Onkyo 605. From the 605 I am using a 22AWG monoprice in wall rated HDMI cable into the projector. As for the aspect menu, I have it set to auto but have tried 16:9 with the same results.
Thank you for the help.

Edit
I moved the image with lens shift to make sure the picture was completely on the screen. That is not the problem.

tyrell -- Thanks for the additional information. Go ahead and try the Vertical Location, to see if it works. BTW, the problem could be due to your HDMI switch. It sounds like you are using the best cables, so I don't think that is the cause of the problem.

Some AVS members have had problems with some models of the monoprice switches (it depends on which switch model). You might want to try bypassing the switch with one of your inputs (whichever one is the easiest to use for diagnostics) and go directly into your other TR-SX605 HDMI input. That way you can tell if the problem is being caused by the switch.

EDIT: You also should look at your MENU => SIGNAL => OVER SCAN function setting. You can adjust the "over-scan" between 100% and 90% (actually that is really "under-scan" -- 90% means that you are getting 90% of the image, and 100% means that you are getting 100% of the image). I have my HC5500 set to 97% (= 3% over-scan) -- this is the normal over-scan that is recommended for TV signals (to get rid of the video garbage that shows up on the edges of some TV programs). I don't know if this control is active for HDMI inputs. I'm currently using component inputs - I haven't run my HDMI cables yet (the same ones you have).

Good news, vertical location solved the problem. Now if I could only get rid of the keystone, things would be perfect (suspect my monoprice mount does not keep the projector level).

I have a similar problem with my HC5500 PJ with mono-price ceiling mount. THe issue seems to be with monoprice mount AND the fact that PJ has all the screw positions such that you can never align the mount with COG! COG is in front wrt to the mount. The horizontal screw on the mono-price mount if parallel to the screen, projector can easily droop downwards at the front. I managed to rotate the down metal rod such that the screws on it are no longer parallel but perpendicular to the screen. So, now I went from 10degrees to the 7 degrees but still have to use keystone. I wish I could get rid of the keystone. I would appreciate help from anyone!

That's a bummer. It sounds like you guys need to make an intermediate plate, or fixture (aluminum or 1/4" plexiglass), that mounts to the PJ. Then put holes in it to connect to the monoprice mount, such that the PJ center of gravity is centered on the mounting pole. I don't use a ceiling mount, so I'm just "blue-sky"-ing here. I guess that's the advantage of a shelf mount :p.

If the monoprice mount still doesn't work, they will accept a return and refund your money (provided the mount isn't damaged).

I have had my HC4900 for just over a year and have been extremely pleased with it. However, this past weekend I noticed a thin cyan (red/pink) band of color on the left edge of my screen. It is more visible in white or lighter scenes. I tried different inputs, but it persisted. I also restarted the projector and it was visible on the Mitsubishi splash screen, so it is definitely something with the projector. Has anyone else had this problem. Thanks in advance.

Have seen some good deals at www. AV-Setup .com Sounds reasonable:cool:

I had the "pink" band as well but it slowly moved into the viewing area covering some 15-20% of the screen. I sent it in to Mitsubishi and they replaced the LCD block under warranty and updated the filter. No problem since but in two years I am still under 200 hours.

I have a dust blob and I'm trying to get an RMA # to send it to Mitsu for cleaning. I sent an email to tech support, who redirected me to call 1-800-446-6866. The guy who picked up the phone didn't identify himself or the department -- only as Mitsubishi. I told him I needed to get an RMA and he took my email address to send the form. Guess what? Either nothing was sent or their email is horribly slow.

So does anyone have a copy of the RMA request form?

After mitsubishi failed to send me an RMA I decided to take matters into my own hands. That's where things went terribly wrong-- like the user bayn pointed out earlier in this thread (and now I just found), the plastic retainers for the panel cables are very brittle. I managed to break part of the back off of the green connector on mine (much like he did) and now the picture is VERY goofed up (lots of interference, green problems).

I'm obviously quite sad about this, considering I had probably < 200 hours on the bulb. Any ideas?

...the plastic retainers for the panel cables are very brittle. I managed to break part of the back off of the green connector on mine (much like he did) and now the picture is VERY goofed up...I haven't seen these green connectors myself, but I don't know how a broken "plastic retainer" can affect PQ--I can only imagine instead that the cable became dislodged somehow? And can't be re-seated properly w/o the plastic retainer?

Sorry I can't help, but I do appreciate your post and am taking it into account as I consider servicing my own pj which has a few dusties...

I haven't seen these green connectors myself, but I don't know how a broken "plastic retainer" can affect PQ--I can only imagine instead that the cable became dislodged somehow? And can't be re-seated properly w/o the plastic retainer?

Sorry I can't help, but I do appreciate your post and am taking it into account as I consider servicing my own pj which has a few dusties...

It's not a green connector, it was the connector for the green lcd panel ribbon. Loosening the connector is actually very simple and safe - IF DONE CORRECTLY. The problem I had was the guide I followed (linked elsewhere in this thread) specified to pull out" on the locking white bars for the ribbon connectors. I tried to force this and broke one. Instead of pulling out, the bar should be pulled up (away from board) gently and uniformly. The latch will rotate up around the connector and loosen the ribbon/connection. Perhaps the author really meant "up/away from board" when they specified "out" and I just interpreted it incorrectly.

In any case, I ended up buying an entire new main board because I don't think I'd be able to locate a replacement latch (or really even be able to get it back in without screwing up the connector). My old board will prob go up on ebay with the missing connector latch noted-- I'm sure someone else with more skill than I can fix it as it's just a missing plastic latch.

Had my HC4900 since March 08 and just now had to replace the bulb. Everything was fine after the bulb replacement for about a week and now I am starting to have occasional lamp strike issues where the projector won't come on and I have to wait a few minutes and try again.

Looks like I will have to call Mitsubishi and get it fixed. :(

Has anyone experienced a problem with the 4900 not projecting an image. Unit turns on, lamp is lit, no image but with a slight low level light projected. Cycle the unit on and off and will eventually work. Sometimes will fire up as it is suppose to with no problem, other times like I described. New bulb 300 hours ago with no issues until now. Thanks for any help

Has anyone experienced a problem with the 4900 not projecting an image. Unit turns on, lamp is lit, no image but with a slight low level light projected. Cycle the unit on and off and will eventually work. Sometimes will fire up as it is suppose to with no problem, other times like I described. New bulb 300 hours ago with no issues until now. Thanks for any helpTry removing and re-installing the lamp (and make sure the lamp contacts are clean, in the PJ). It is either a loose lamp (somehow) or a very low room temperature (which I doubt unless you live far South of the Equator).

Brasky -- Could that be your problem too?

Could be.

I love the mitsubishi hc4900!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Agreed, it is great!

HI guys,

I am looking for some serious advice here...
I have had my HC4900 for about 18 months, in march 2010 my 2 year warranty will expire.
Since the 8th month of utilization (I have put at least 1 to 2 hours a day on it) I started noticing a cyan/reddish band on the right hand side of the screen, I tried switching cables, multiple sources, etc.. narrowed the problem down to the projector itself. At the time, I called Mitsubishi support and they gave me an RMA, but at the time, I also read this thread and noticed A LOT of people complaining about their projectors coming back with more issues than when they sent them back... so I decided to suck it up and live with the almost not noticeable band for a while... well its been 10 months since then.... and since my warranty is ending next year, I am thinking of sending it back to Mitsubishi... what do you guys think? I have the form filled up and shouldn't be a a problem to get a new RMA# .. .but still, I am scared to dead with the stories I have read here of the projectors coming back scratched, with parts replaced that didn't need replacement, etc... seems its a lottery, ... any advice?

EDIT: Just wanted to point out that the band is about 2 inches wide... nearly transparent but visible in every color, its clearly Cyan, and its the ONLY issue i have with my projector, no dust bubles, no other type of banding.. its been great to me, probably my favorite thing in my home after my wife (and its a close call :D).

Thanks guys!

I had the same problem (different color) and sent it in. They replaced the LCD block and upgraded the filter. No issues with the unit and it was back in 10 days. They packed it MUCH better than the original packaging but if you want your box, ship it in a different one as they won't be reusing it.

Thanks Servingko, I faxed the form today... lets wait and see what happens :)

Well, my bulb finally went earlier tonight. I've just started looking at ordering a replacement bulb (VLT-HC5000LP) from online vendors and I'm seeing a fairly large price discrepancy.

Any good experiences from members here or any recommended companies for replacing this bulb?

Thank you

Well, my bulb finally went earlier tonight. I've just started looking at ordering a replacement bulb (VLT-HC5000LP) from online vendors and I'm seeing a fairly large price discrepancy.

Any good experiences from members here or any recommended companies for replacing this bulb?

Thank youI would recommend Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824990035. They seem to have close to the best prices and are a reputable company. I've never had any problems with buying from them, and they seem to have a wide selection of lamps for all PJs. There are other sources too, of course.

PS -- I noticed you are in Canada. I don't know what Newegg's policy is on a Canadian shipment.

I would recommend Newegg...I had trouble w/your link but here's another (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824990035&cm_re=lamp-_-24-990-035-_-Product).

I've had only good luck w/Newegg but would never have thought to look there for a lamp. They not only have the HC4900's (HC5000 lamp, actually) but also a cheap replacement for my aging Sony RPTV! Thanks! :)

EDIT: AVS adds something to our links (jdoqocy.com click). Dunno what that's about but that's why it doesn't work for me--I filter all that stuff with a custom HOSTS file. :o

I'm just curious if any other Mitsubishi 4900 owners are tempted to buy the new Panasonic 4000 projector?

I've been very pleased with my 4900, but the 4000's automatic aspect ratio switching (plus better contrast and blacks) has me giving some serious thought to this possibility.

I manually zoom, focus, and shift in order to achieve constant image height.
Being able to achieve this with one button push would be really nice.

What are your thoughts?

Well, my bulb finally went earlier tonight. I've just started looking at ordering a replacement bulb (VLT-HC5000LP) from online vendors and I'm seeing a fairly large price discrepancy.

Any good experiences from members here or any recommended companies for replacing this bulb?

Thank you

I bought mine on ebay from a store out of japan a few months ago. I paid approx $ 240 and its a OEM lamp.

William L Carman -- The AE4000 feature goodies are tempting, indeed. I'm just concerned with the quality of the product (there have been 2 reports of the units failing to turn on after several days of use). I would rather pay a little more and get the better HC6800 (IMHO). It doesn't have quite as good contrast ratio, but is a much better PJ (again IMHO).

However, if you want to stick with the Mitsubishi line (better quality, longer & better warranty, & better customer service), the new HC6800 has the necessary options to do a CIH operation. It's not a one button function, but (after setting it up for a 2.35:1 screen) all that is needed is to change the aspect ratio (4 button pushes -- Menu => Feature => Aspect = 16:9/Auto toggle). Contrary to the reviews, an Anamorphic lens is not needed.

Optionally, it takes a few more button pushes to make the boarders blacker (using the "Shutter" function = adjustable video blanking).

If you are interested, I posted the technique on the HC5500, HC6500 and HC6800 threads. The HC6800 post is here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=17495311&postcount=282. This technique does work and has been verified by, at least, three of us (on the HC5500 and HC6500 models). The HC6800 has the same menu options, per its manual.

I'm tempted to get something with more lumens. My setup does not have great light control (only at night) and light walls and ceiling. With 100" screen Art said in Cinema Mode on Mits. was something like 688 lumens which is what I'm using. Dynamic Mode doesn't look right on Mits. So I was thinking about a Epson 8100. Living Room Mode was 1136 lumens. What do you guys think?

mark

I would recommend Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824990035. They seem to have close to the best prices and are a reputable company. I've never had any problems with buying from them, and they seem to have a wide selection of lamps for all PJs. There are other sources too, of course.

PS -- I noticed you are in Canada. I don't know what Newegg's policy is on a Canadian shipment.

Thanks, Ciebe. I didn't even know NewEgg sold bulbs, but then again what don't they sell! There's actually a Canadian version of NewEgg but much like Amazon.ca they only sell a subset of the products available on the US site and their prices aren't comparable. I ended up ordering through eBay from a recommeded seller from Japan. Has an excellent rating and positive reports from this forum.


I'm just curious if any other Mitsubishi 4900 owners are tempted to buy the new Panasonic 4000 projector?

I've been very pleased with my 4900, but the 4000's automatic aspect ratio switching (plus better contrast and blacks) has me giving some serious thought to this possibility.

I manually zoom, focus, and shift in order to achieve constant image height.
Being able to achieve this with one button push would be really nice.

What are your thoughts?

I was very excited about the release of this projector and become very interested in buying it when my lamp died last week. However, after some careful consideration, I decided that a new lamp would give me at least a year more viewing and then I can look at next year's crop of projectors. That said, I still find myself being constantly drawn to the official AE4000 thread!

sparky7 -- I wouldn't if I were you. The Epson 8100 is a step down from your HC4900 in every way, except for its lumen output (and that's only in its brightest modes).

If you are financially challenged, and can live with the placement constraints, the Mitsubishi HC3800 would be a much better choice. I can't use it because its fixed negative offset won't fit in my setup (no lens shift).

Cipher -- Getting a replacement lamp sounds like a good choice. As is waiting for another model year.

I certainly couldn't recommend the AE4000, until Art (www.projectorreviews.com) has published his review, and more AVS members have wrung out the AE4000 for at least another month or three. Remember there are 2 AE4000 threads, one in each of the 2 main PJ Forums. Some problems are already starting to show up (I'm concerned about their quality control).

After a serious problem I had with a Toshiba PJ, I've resolved to never buy another one until about half way into the model year.

I'm just curious if any other Mitsubishi 4900 owners are tempted to buy the new Panasonic 4000 projector?

I've been very pleased with my 4900, but the 4000's automatic aspect ratio switching (plus better contrast and blacks) has me giving some serious thought to this possibility.

I manually zoom, focus, and shift in order to achieve constant image height.
Being able to achieve this with one button push would be really nice.

What are your thoughts?

As a new 4k owner I just wanted to chime in on this one. I am not one who is terribly picky about PQ and am easily pleased in that area. Each of the 3 other projectors I have owned since 2003 gave me much pleasure and as such I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend the 4K just on the image quality alone....even though it does put up the best picture I have personally experienced. But when we are talking about the auto aspect ratio thing for CIH setups.....well I can only say its in my top 5 of my all time favorite electronic gadgets!! Every time the AR on the screen switches and I hear that faint whir of the lens start and the image perfectly aligns itself....well I just grin from ear to ear!!

KO

I've only had my HC4900 coming-up on two years, and it's still gorgeous so I'm not inclined to replace it, but when I do it will be for a Panny if they're still the only "auto aspect" option.

Y'all will be amused that we fired-up the 4900 and watched on "the big screen" last night for the first time since maybe June! Don't watch much TV or movies here in the summertime! But now that the nights are longer we'll be using the pj again a couple nights a week maybe...

Greets all!

I am about the opposite of you Laser... I am a horrible lamp abuser that has had the 4900 for going on 3 years now. Had my first lamp go out at ~11 months and just shy of 2K hours. It was a hassle getting Warrantech/RepairMaster to get me a new lamp but I persevered. As of last month I had 2K hours on that second lamp- and got them to send me another new one a few weeks ago. I am using the new one they sent me right away and keeping that second- 2K hour one as my spare.

Picture still looks good although I wish black levels were better. No dust blobs or anything. No desire to upgrade anytime soon..

Cheers!

Okay, I am a bad slacker but after a year of construction and modifications, I got my HT up and running last weekend with the HC4900 I bought over a year ago. First impressions is everything is perfect and the image is fantastic.

My main question is: What is the consensus of filter upgrading at this point? Is the upgraded filter still available from Mitsubishi? Are there other options that are better? I'm willing to take on almost any challenge here to protect the unit since I'm already more than halfway out of warranty and would appreciate any advice from those who have been running it for a while.

Thanks.

Hello, all. First post here. Been lurking for a few months.

But now that I finally received my first PJ (the HC4900) yesterday, I felt I should go ahead and join the conversation.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed and happy with the image for the money I spent. Got a refurb from Projector Place, and so far, so good.

My only other "real world" experience has been with a good friend's HC3000 that he's had for about three years or so now. I always loved the look of it, and it sold me on front projection over more "traditional" HDTVs.

I'd have to go back and look at his again to be sure, but the dreaded black levels people speak of with the 4900 didn't look much better/worse than the 3000. They may in fact be better, and I just didn't notice.

Something to consider there though (and in most of my small critiques) is that I bought probably the cheapest screen you can get: The Elite manual pull down, matte white 106". It works for now, but I'll want to upgrade sooner than later, I think.

My buddy's screen is an old, old hand me down from a family friend. I want to say it's a Sony, not sure. But it looks like it came out of a classroom in the mid 80s or something.

I'm new to all this, so forgive my lack of jargon-awareness. But his screen, however old and slightly scuffed, looks much better. The material is sort of textured like sand paper, and is very reflective (almost like that material on reflective road markings or something).

My cheap screen looks like little more than a white painted fabric or something. Does the job for now, but I can't help but imagine that it's not helping the black levels at all.


Tinkered with the settings sporadically for a few hours last night, and couldn't ever get the settings to display "correctly." Put in the THX tests from the T2 DVD, and for the contrast/brightness test (with the THX logo/drop shadow) couldn't see the darker three black bars at all, no matter how high I went with brightness, etc.

And I also can't seem to get the colors quite right. Reds/Yellows look a bit off (with the reds having the slightest purplish hue) and the yellows looking a bit green. Also, browns didn't look good at all. Had a lot of green/sickly look to them. At least, this was when playing Madden. It looked a little better when watching The Dark Knight, but still is screaming for some adjustment in my eyes.

Recommendations for accomplishing this? I know what look I'm going for, but not quite sure which setting to tweak to get which result.

Also noticed a hefty amount of misconvergence, I think. Most white text/etc. on Madden had at least 3 pixels of green at the bottom, and 1-2 pix of blue at the top. Not too noticeable from viewing distance, but very obvious any closer than that. Some spots were worse than others. Keep in mind, these were on screens with lots going on. Haven't checked it with something like, say, credits at the end of a movie.

Whew... sorry for the windy post. I'd appreciate any feedback, suggestions, etc.

Congrats on the pj--from PP it's likely to be in good shape... I can't help w/everything, but here are a few thoughts for you:
...I bought probably the cheapest screen you can get: The Elite manual pull down, matte white 106"...My buddy's screen is an old, old hand me down...The material is sort of textured like sand paper, and is very reflective (almost like that material on reflective road markings or something).
A "beaded" screen is what I would call your buddy's. Not surprising I suppose that it would appear brighter than yours, but are the blacks better too? Have you tried your pj on his screen? You'd really have to use your projector and his-and-your screens side-by-side to do a realistic comparison. I haven't looked at a beaded screen with mine but would guess that sharpness might suffer a bit.

My cheap screen looks like little more than a white painted fabric or something. Does the job for now, but I can't help but imagine that it's not helping the black levels at all.
My screen is little more than "white paper", but I'm very happy with it. Don't get too wound-up about "black levels"; you want instead to get pretty pictures and that should be relatively easy to do. My gatorfoam white screen (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/laserfan/Home%20Theater/)

Tinkered with the settings sporadically for a few hours last night, and couldn't ever get the settings to display "correctly." Put in the THX tests from the T2 DVD, and for the contrast/brightness test (with the THX logo/drop shadow) couldn't see the darker three black bars at all, no matter how high I went with brightness, etc. And I also can't seem to get the colors quite right.
Your DVD player probably has a "black level" or "enhanced black" or some such setting somewhere in the bowels of its menus. Change it to the other setting, whatever it is. You likely have a mismatch twixt player output and pj input.

Also noticed a hefty amount of misconvergence, I think. Most white text/etc. on Madden had at least 3 pixels of green at the bottom, and 1-2 pix of blue at the top. Not too noticeable from viewing distance
Hey this is likely to be a Madden issue and not a pj issue. And if it's hard to see at regular viewing distance, then don't sweat it. How do movies look (and not the credits!)???

I actually DE-focus my pj slightly to give my movies a "film" look, without affecting sharpness/resolution at all. Good luck, and enjoy!

EDIT: Oops just noticed you said "Projector Place" and I was thinking "Projector People" which is where I bought mine. Dunno Projector Place, sorry...

Thanks for the feedback, man.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the projector. I was just going the "constructive" route at first and throwing out stuff.

I should've noted that I'm using a PS3 for my DVD/BluRay player. I know there are some other HDMI/RGB/Color settings. Perhaps it's something in there? Any advice on what settings to use there, anyone?


And re: black levels... yeah, I'm not worried by it. I'm fortunate in that after adjusting, my eyes/brain just sort of accept that "that" is black. Hell, I've grown accustomed to my aforementioned friend watching stuff with his lights on full blast (even at night!). Black becomes a sort of lit up beige at that point. Drives me nuts, and I can't see why he does that.

I've heard a lot of people say they love the way this thing looks out of the box, so I'm going to restore one of the AV settings to factory default and go from there again tonight.


ETA: Anyone know what the proper color input from the PS3 should be? RGB, or Y Pb / Cb Pr / Cr? It's connected via HDMI, btw. If it's RGB (which judging by the color options on the 4900, I'm guessing it is), then is "full" or "limited" (under 'RGB HDMI') the correct option on the PS3? Wondering if this might help/solve the blacks/color issue.

And... after only a few hours use over the holidays... it would appear that I'm now part of the dust blob brigade.

There's a pinkish spot on the lower right side of the image now. Thankfully, it only shows up if there's a very white/light blue area in that spot. Just irksome... as I don't want to send it back already. However, I also don't want to open it up myself until the warranty's gone (still have a year). Since it's not that noticeable, I'll probably wait and send it in when I'm out of town in January. That way, the time spent away from it is more bearable.

I can't be sure if I just didn't notice it at first, but I did take the filter off for 2 seconds to check whether or not the "new" filter had been installed on it (it had). After that was when I noticed the dreaded blob.

Which brings the question... how in the hell do I ever clean the filter without getting more dust in there? This thing (from all I've read) seems extremely fickle at best regarding dust.


Also, does anyone have any pointers on a good "method" to ensure proper perpendicular alignment (since this PJ doesn't have keystone correction)? I've gotten out levels, measure and re-measured what should be dead-center, and on and on ad infinitum. And yet... I cannot for the life of me get the image nice and squared up.

At about hour 3800 on my "original" bulb, the picture my HC4900 was throwing started being "off color". Sometimes it seemed a little too yellow, now it's more of a greenish cast to everything. I went ahead and got a new bulb, installed it tonight, reset the timer..........
Still green!!
Sound familiar to anyone??? :confused:

At about hour 3800 on my "original" bulb, the picture my HC4900 was throwing started being "off color". Sometimes it seemed a little too yellow, now it's more of a greenish cast to everything. I went ahead and got a new bulb, installed it tonight, reset the timer..........
Still green!!
Sound familiar to anyone??? :confused:

It may be in the LCD panel. I has the samiliar issue about 1 year ago and I had to send it back for warranty repair. Have you called the service?

It may be in the LCD panel. I has the samiliar issue about 1 year ago and I had to send it back for warranty repair. Have you called the service?
Not yet. Just tried the new bulb first last night. If they are "in" today I'll be calling. I'm fortunate I have about a month left of warranty.

Not yet. Just tried the new bulb first last night. If they are "in" today I'll be calling. I'm fortunate I have about a month left of warranty.
And thank you for the LCD Panel info. That was enough to get me to STOP fiddling with the color, contrast and brightness levels and to pick up the phone and call service.

My original lamp is about 4200 hours and the power indicator is blinking red. I have a lamp warranty with MACK. Can I apply for a new lamp now or should I wait until the lamp stopping working? Any suggestions in dealing with this kind of warranty is appreciated.

My HC4900 stopped turning on the other day (solid green + blinking red). I tried the lamp reset time trick and still no go. I popped out the bulb and it doesn't look blown like my DLP TV bulb did when it died. Is that normal, or is the bulb still good and it is something else? I think I have 16 days left on the warranty if it falls in the "something else" category.

I've been very happy with this projector. My previous projector was a Panasonic AE900U, and while it had a nice 720p picture, the bulb life was horrible and the picture quality wasn't nearly as sharp as the HC4900.

I've just received the warning on the lamp at 3750 hours, and I have no noticeable reduction in brightness yet. However, I am going to order a replacement bulb to have on hand. I intend to keep this projector until the LED based and possibly 3D enabled projectors become affordable.

So, my question is, has anyone bought a lamp that is manufactured by a third party. Listed as an "OEM equivalent" lamp and housing that is compatible with the HC4900 (and other models).

Model: VLT-HC5000LP

Or better yet, does anyone have a reliable recommendation on getting a replacement lamp for this at a good price?

Sorry if this question has been answered elsewhere or is out of line, I tried a few searches and didn't come up with anything.

Thanks!

I've been very happy with this projector. My previous projector was a Panasonic AE900U, and while it had a nice 720p picture, the bulb life was horrible and the picture quality wasn't nearly as sharp as the HC4900.

I've just received the warning on the lamp at 3750 hours, and I have no noticeable reduction in brightness yet. However, I am going to order a replacement bulb to have on hand. I intend to keep this projector until the LED based and possibly 3D enabled projectors become affordable.

So, my question is, has anyone bought a lamp that is manufactured by a third party. Listed as an "OEM equivalent" lamp and housing that is compatible with the HC4900 (and other models).

Model: VLT-HC5000LP

Or better yet, does anyone have a reliable recommendation on getting a replacement lamp for this at a good price?

Sorry if this question has been answered elsewhere or is out of line, I tried a few searches and didn't come up with anything.

Thanks!

Greetings-

I purchased a 4900 replacement lamp from the company that has the lowest base price (sort by that) if you go to Google shopping and search for the part number above. This was the second lamp I've purchased from them (previous Optoma lamp too) and had good luck. I don't have any experience with equivalent lamps tho, sorry.

Have you tried just resetting your lamp counter to see if that eliminates the warning?

Also- if you order a new lamp- I would suggest putting that one in right away and keeping the "nearly expired" one in the 4900 now as your spare. Any lamp like this only comes with a 90 day warranty that starts the day it shipped to you. If that thing sits on the shelf for a few months, you put it in the projector and it was DOA- you are SOL, no warranty. Your old lamp that you perceive no issues with could then be your spare and will probably function fine if it was pressed back into service as the spare after a reset.

Just a thought... good luck!

Can't believe some of the mileage you guys have on your PJ's. I am at 375 hours, give or take, on the projector and original bulb. Not a heavy user to be sure but I have another projector in the house and 5 other LCD monitors to look at.

I ditched the filter innards early on at 75 hours or so and replaced the two internal filter components with a piece of open cell foam that has been cut to fit the upgraded filter housing from the newer Mitsu projectors. It has been treated with a spray filter enhancer (slightly tacky and doesn't really dry) and I replace the whole thing every 50 hours. No dust blobs and my temps stay at 28-28c for intake and 68-69c for bulb. Fan mode is 9 - 12.

Overall I have really enjoyed this projector but will most likely upgrade this year. I may delay that slightly if LED DLP at 720p is close, but if not I will go back to DLP or move up a bit and get a LYCOS projector. My biggest beefs with 3LCD have been waiting for blobs to appear (so far so good), and the convergence that is off.

Good day everyone. Over 4000 hrs on mine and still going. Still on first bulb with original filter. I live in Yuma AZ. (agriculture= very dusty) Just put a little filter charger spray on it and away we go. No blobs. I use mine just like a tv. Several hours per day. Turn it on/off several times a day. Keeps on ticking. Knock on wood. Later

Does anyone have directions for getting inside this projector for cleaning the LCD lenses for DUST BLOBS?

At 600hrs I had to send it in.....now at 1100hrs and OUT OF WARRANTY I have green dust blobs again and I cannot stand it on dark/black scenes.

If someone can provide me with detailed information on how to open it up and fix this...I would be eternally grateful!

I have an HC4900. The bulb has <1000 hrs. The bottom of the screen has developed a bluish tint. It extends along the whole lower portion of the screen for about 3-4 inches into the picture. I also notice a similar discoloration (red tint) across the top, but it is much smaller, only extending about 1 inch into the picture.

Any ideas? These artifacts were not visible 6 months ago.

--WJP

Question regarding the part I made bold below.

What problems are you talking about ?


I haven't read much of any problems and it's several months after you posted this.


Thanks


sparky7 -- I wouldn't if I were you. The Epson 8100 is a step down from your HC4900 in every way, except for its lumen output (and that's only in its brightest modes).

If you are financially challenged, and can live with the placement constraints, the Mitsubishi HC3800 would be a much better choice. I can't use it because its fixed negative offset won't fit in my setup (no lens shift).

Cipher -- Getting a replacement lamp sounds like a good choice. As is waiting for another model year.

I certainly couldn't recommend the AE4000, until Art (www.projectorreviews.com) has published his review, and more AVS members have wrung out the AE4000 for at least another month or three. Remember there are 2 AE4000 threads, one in each of the 2 main PJ Forums. Some problems are already starting to show up (I'm concerned about their quality control).

After a serious problem I had with a Toshiba PJ, I've resolved to never buy another one until about half way into the model year.

What problems are you talking about ?This is the HC4900 thread--take any questions to the AE4000 thread or to PM please.

Hey CT

Can you post about these problems you mentioned in the Panny ae4000 thread.

I'm buying it next week so all info is welcomed.

Thanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by CT_Wiebe
sparky7 -- I wouldn't if I were you. The Epson 8100 is a step down from your HC4900 in every way, except for its lumen output (and that's only in its brightest modes).

If you are financially challenged, and can live with the placement constraints, the Mitsubishi HC3800 would be a much better choice. I can't use it because its fixed negative offset won't fit in my setup (no lens shift).

Cipher -- Getting a replacement lamp sounds like a good choice. As is waiting for another model year.

I certainly couldn't recommend the AE4000, until Art (www.projectorreviews.com) has published his review, and more AVS members have wrung out the AE4000 for at least another month or three. Remember there are 2 AE4000 threads, one in each of the 2 main PJ Forums. Some problems are already starting to show up (I'm concerned about their quality control).

After a serious problem I had with a Toshiba PJ, I've resolved to never buy another one until about half way into the model year.

This post requesting the remote code is from long ago, but I don't see any response. I'm now trying to set up my HC4900 to work with a Uverse remote. I've tried to use the learning feature in the remote, but that didn't work.

Does anyone know the 4 digit remote code for the HC4900?

Hello, I have an HC-4900 that's about 2 years old. I've got about 500 hours on the bulb. We recently moved the unit from one room, to a dedicated home theater room. The unit now has issues playing 1080p content on hdmi. With 3 different 1080p sources, i get the same results of no video, or lines of black and white "static" scross the screen. I've swapped out cables that tested 100% with the same source units displaying on a 1080P lcd, and plasma. 1080i hdmi content plays fine. xbox 1080p on component plays fine. PS3, a sony blue ray, and a sammy blue ray, all display a broken unwatchable picture. The unit was moved and mounted by me, and i assue you it was handled with the care of a new born baby and then some! I know as far as projectors go, it's on the inexpensive side of the spectrum, but i'd like to avoid getting a new one. I loved the pic it threw, and prior to the move, it was a gem in my house.

Any ideas?

Blue Rain -- You bought an AE4000, so your questions are entirely irrelevant to this thread.

Monoprice has one (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10828&cs_id=1082803&p_id=3874&seq=1&format=2) that I've seen used to mount this projector. 3 different colors.
I tried this one (http://www.mountdirect.com/Projector_Ceiling_Mount_PMS_Series_p/pms.htm) for my 4900 and it works as well.

I know your post is a year and a half old, but I FINALLY got around to ordering a MountDirect PMS mount for my HC4900. I note that some have complained that they had difficulty attaching the mounting brackets to the projector to overcome the front-heavy orientation of the projector and the COG problem. I'm curious to know if you had that problem, if you overcame it, and if you have any pics of the mount attached to your projector.

Many thanks,

Lakeside

Monoprice has one (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10828&cs_id=1082803&p_id=3874&seq=1&format=2) that I've seen used to mount this projector. 3 different colors.
I tried this one (http://www.mountdirect.com/Projector_Ceiling_Mount_PMS_Series_p/pms.htm) for my 4900 and it works as well.

I have a low (7'2") ceiling in my family/multipurpose room in the basement. I used the Mountdirect PMS mount (http://www.mountdirect.com/PMS_Projector_Ceiling_Mount_p/pms.htm) that has the top of the projector about 3" from the ceiling. I have the 4900 almost at max vertical lens shift and have really no separation or convergence issues. I think if I get right up to the screen I can see that my red image is less than a pixel off to the left. This is not noticeable in normal viewing, especially on a smallish (92") screen.

Cheers!!

I know your post is almost two years old; but, I FINALLY got around to ordering the PMS mount for my HC4900. I note that some have complained that they had difficulty attaching the mounting brackets to the projector to overcome the front-heavy orientation of the projector and the COG problem. I'm curious to know if you had that problem, if you overcame it, and if you have any pics of the mount attached to your projector.

Many thanks,

Lakeside

I own the ceiling mount version of this wall mount: http://www.mountdirect.com/PMS_Projector_Wall_Mount_p/pms_w.htm
and have been quite happy with it. It works great with my 4900.

I know your post is a couple of years old; but, I FINALLY got around to ordering the PMS mount for my HC4900. I note that some have complained that they had difficulty attaching the mounting brackets to the projector to overcome the front-heavy orientation of the projector and the COG problem. I'm curious to know if you had that problem, if you overcame it, and if you have any pics of the mount attached to your projector.

Many thanks,

Lakeside

Yeah- I think this pretty much says it all... Thanks for the write up. Good luck selling the 4900 and enjoy your Epson.

I just got mine ceiling mounted for the first time tonight. When I took that extension "arm" to the mounting hole at the back of the projector out of the equation on the Mountdirect PMS mount- it went up pretty solid. I'm happy with it now. It's nice to have 3 1/2" drop from ceiling to top of projector when your ceilings are only a little over 7'. I had been spending the last ~5 evenings when I had time (about 60 hour work week this week :() snaking signal cables behind the front wall sheetrock and all the wall patching and painting that comes with it. Finally done with that. Now I'm waiting for my AT screen material to come in so I can build my new screen- 25% larger than the existing one.:) Saaweeet

Have a great weekend all!!

I know your post is over 2 yrs. old; and, I note that some have already asked you if you have any pics. However, I haven't seen any--takes a LONG time to read all the posts in this forum!

Anyway, I FINALLY got around to ordering the PMS mount for my HC4900. I'm curious to know how you overcame the COG problem with the mount, and how you attached it to the projector without the arm to the back. Do you have any pics I could see?

Many thanks,

Lakeside

Hello, I have an HC-4900 that's about 2 years old. I've got about 500 hours on the bulb. We recently moved the unit from one room, to a dedicated home theater room. The unit now has issues playing 1080p content on hdmi. With 3 different 1080p sources, i get the same results of no video, or lines of black and white "static" scross the screen. I've swapped out cables that tested 100% with the same source units displaying on a 1080P lcd, and plasma. 1080i hdmi content plays fine. xbox 1080p on component plays fine. PS3, a sony blue ray, and a sammy blue ray, all display a broken unwatchable picture. The unit was moved and mounted by me, and i assue you it was handled with the care of a new born baby and then some! I know as far as projectors go, it's on the inexpensive side of the spectrum, but i'd like to avoid getting a new one. I loved the pic it threw, and prior to the move, it was a gem in my house.

Any ideas?

I had a problem similar to that not too long ago when I was switching components and cables around. Turned out to be that the HDMI cable at the source end (my AVR) was not completely seated. I suspect you've already checked that, but it wouldn't hurt to check it again--possibly totally remove it, then reinsert it firmly.

Just an idea!

I understand that the heyday for the Mits HC4900 is about 2 years gone, but mine still works like a champ, with only about 1,100 hours on the lamp. I use it strictly for movies, NOT as a TV set.

Anyway, I've just moved into some new digs. In my old place, I had the projector sitting, inverted, on a suspended shelf. Worked very well for my needs. In my new place, I'm going to HAVE to go with a professional mount of some sort; and, based on the comments of a number of posters, I ordered the MountDirect PMS Universal mount, enabling me to mount it inverted. It seems as if it will do the job nicely, but...I've read comments by others that the COG of the projector is toward the front and lens side. Obviously, if I center the mounting ring and legs over the body of the projector, that will leave the projector front and lens-side heavy.

I'm curious to know how others have overcome this obstacle. One poster commented that he had abandoned the leg to the back and that seemed to solve the problem. However, since there are only 3 mounting holes to begin with, I'm not sure how stable--and secure---that would leave the PJ.

So, if you have any comments--even pictures of the mounting side of your PJ--I would be VERY grateful. Might even be willing to send you a case of Coors (or your favorite) for your trouble.

Best regards to all,

LakesideJim

Hey- I haven't looked in this thread in probably a month, and today when I do- there is a question posed to me (and a few others) within the last day or so. Must have been why my nose was itching yesterday :D

Let me see if I took any pictures when I was attaching that mount. I did have to do a little bit of unorthodox stuff to get the CG as near the center of the projector as possible, and that is the key. I am reluctant to take the thing down for the purposes of pictures for exactly the reason of what Pervert7 experienced on the previous page.

I'll get back to you...

Hey- I haven't looked in this thread in probably a month, and today when I do- there is a question posed to me (and a few others) within the last day or so. Must have been why my nose was itching yesterday :D

Let me see if I took any pictures when I was attaching that mount. I did have to do a little bit of unorthodox stuff to get the CG as near the center of the projector as possible, and that is the key. I am reluctant to take the thing down for the purposes of pictures for exactly the reason of what Pervert7 experienced on the previous page.

I'll get back to you...

Many thanks for your efforts, Gotta. Yes, I read Pervert7's post, and posted a reply to him concerning a somewhat similar experience I had. Happily, I solved mine; and, I hope that maybe my suggestion to him might help him solve his as well.

Now, to the projector mounting: BY ALL MEANS, don't take it down just for pictures for me. I'd hate to have you go through a mess. Perhaps if your projector is not too close to the ceiling, you could take a picture or two a bit above the horizontal to give me an idea or two of how you overcame the COG problem. Of course, if you find old pics, that would be great.

Perhaps you could describe to me what you did. I believe I read in one of your posts that you didn't use the arm to the back screw hole. Did you use only two of the arms, then?

By manipulating the arms around a bit, you can get that "Part G" ring over to the lens side of the PJ, but it is still pretty much centered front-to-back. I had thought of maybe using those "Part H" extension arms on a couple of the "Part I" interface legs to extend their reach toward the front of the PJ; but, that seems to me as if it might be a bit flimsy, or at least shaky. What say you?

Have you used the "quick dismount" feature at all? Seems as if it might work OK, but I worry about proper PJ registration (level and aligned properly) if I take it down and put it back up. Of course, that's not something you do except perhaps for lamp replacement.

I had considered a Chief RPA-U, as it looked to be as rugged and stable a mount as one could find. But, I couldn't use it because the base plate is too big for the space in which I have to mount it. So, as I said, I went with the mount that most users seemed to like.

I even considered the Monoprice mount, as I've NEVER been disappointed with anything I got from them. But, it didn't seem to have the ability to easily remove the PJ without completely losing proper alignment.

OOPS! :-) Sorry, bending your ear (eyes?) too much. Many thanks again for your reply.

Best regards,

Lakeside Jim

Not a problem... glad to help where possible.

I took a quick peek above the projector last night to see if I could tell how I rigged that PMS mount to work. There is not much room up there to take any pics or anything. That is why I selected that mount- to be able to get the projector within a few inches of my low ceilings.

A couple of quick things:
1) I do have a picture (attached) I took when installing the mount, but I'm pretty sure this is not what I went with for the final configuration. It left the right side of the mount as you're looking at it in the picture prone to sagging. The only reason why I included it is so you can see how I went to lengths to get the mount tube as near the COG as possible. It also shows that I did use the rear most mounting hole. It would never be sturdy enough without using all three. I'll try to get a better feel for how I strayed from this when I get home tonight.
2) Yes- I have used the "quick dismount" feature to take the projector down a couple of times, once for lamp, once for basement evacuation when flooding appeared imminent. It goes back up fine, but requires a little patience for no other reason than it's hard to line things up when they are that close to the ceiling and you can't get your head really above it. The extensive placement flexibility of the 4900's lens shift doesn't require that it go back on the mount as exacting as a projector without those goodies.

More tonight...

Thanks for the pics. But, I see what you mean, and I understand that the arrangement in the first picture would indeed let the right side droop a bit. I played around with moving the ring farther to the right, almost directly in line with the lens; but, it would still be too far to the rear of the COG. I didn't finish the mount, or even test it for stability--I was waiting to get your response.

A couple of other questions to ponder, if you have time. Did you lubricate the ball joint in any way? With that crinkle finish, it will not work smoothly at all for PJ adjustments. Also, when I assembled the parts for the ball joint, those hex head screws went into that lower part with GREAT difficulty, almost as if they were cross-threading. They weren't, but they were REALLY tight. Did you have that problem. Also, it appears that they do not seat all the way against the top part of the ball joint system when they are tight. May they're designed that way, but I was puzzled by that.

I'm going to get a picture of my first pass for your review in just a few minutes and post it; but, wifey is yelling "Dinner is ready!" right now. Gotta go!!!!!

OK, here is a pic of my first crack at positioning the mount. As you can see, this puts the ring fairly far to the right/lens side of the PJ, but I think it still may be too far to the rear from the COG. I could probably attach the rear arm to the slot to its left to push the ring forward more; but, that would probably pull it more toward the left, and the center of the PJ.

One other comment, not related to this discussion. MountDirect included two sizes of 4 mm screws for mounting the arms to the PJ. Unfortunately, neither was the ideal length. The longer one was TOO long for the depth of the mounting hole (Max 8 mm). The shorter screw was too short for my comfort. The threaded shank was just 8 mm; and, by the time you put it through a washer and the arm, that would leave only 4 mm or so of thread in the hole. I didn't think that was enough to hold my precious PJ! So, I picked up some screws with 10 mm shanks from Ace Hardware; and, when I use those, I have about 7 mm of thread into the mounting hole--MUCH better to my way of thinking. Also, MountDirect forgot to include the 4 mm washers; but, Ace Hardware came to the rescue.

OK, anxious to hear more from you, and your opinion on my pic!

Ughh... you're really asking a lot from my foggy, old brain considering I did this over two years ago.. :D

Did you lubricate the ball joint in any way? With that crinkle finish, it will not work smoothly at all for PJ adjustments.
I don't recall having any issues with that. When the top piece of the bracket is securely mounted to the ceiling and the bottom to the projector- the weight of the projector is your friend here. It moves a lot easier than if you just have the mount assembled and trying to move that tube that extends up by hand.
Also, when I assembled the parts for the ball joint, those hex head screws went into that lower part with GREAT difficulty, almost as if they were cross-threading. They weren't, but they were REALLY tight. Did you have that problem.
Yes- I seem to recall now that the threading match for the screws was not what I would call ideal. I didn't have any strip or anything like that though. Probably a side effect of the price we paid for the mount. :)
Also, it appears that they do not seat all the way against the top part of the ball joint system when they are tight. May they're designed that way, but I was puzzled by that.
Yeah- that sounds familiar now... I seem to recall that top plate just being pulled down enough to "pinch" the ball and hold it steady.

OK.. I see your pic now... If that will provide you with a shake free, sturdy mount- go for it. It seems to me that the right side of the projector would still droop a little with that config, but I'm not sure.

I honestly don't recall if I picked up aftermarket screws for this mount from Home Depot or if that was my previous projector. It sounds like you're being careful and not risking puncturing anything by just screwing something in to get done. :) The important thing is that the mount arms snug up good and tight or it will never be stable. Then there is always that moment of terror as you're snugging up a little bolt like that wondering if you're cranking on it too much, stripping it and screwing up the whole deal.. :)

Is this going in a basement where people are walking on the floor above it? That was a major consideration for me as the living room/ dining room is right above this with plenty of traffic causing shake if the mount isn't real sturdy. My wife is like 130lbs but can generate an incredible amount of heel pounding force. It's a wonder she has any heels left....

Thanks for dredging up those old memories! Anxious to get your evaluation of how my picture compares to (your memory of) the arrangement of the arms and ring in your rig.

As for my mount location, I'm cursed by being in one of those damn newer houses, which ALL seem to have those cursed 16 ft. cathedral ceilings in the living room. GEEZ, I hate those things! What a total WASTE of space! Fortunately, there is a window from the kitchen to the living room, on the wall opposite my screen. The header (top of the frame) of that window is some 93 inches above the floor, and wood about 4 1/2 inches wide, just right for screwing the mount base to it. I'm going to plan a 12-14 inch drop from the base plate. That will put my PJ almost exactly where it was on the hanging platform in my old digs. AND, the screen is at exactly the same height as it was there. I'm trying not to have to re-engineer the PJ-to-screen placement.

Yes, the lens shift is great on the Mits. However, I understand that horizontal shift is somewhat limited, so I plan to have the lens as near dead-aligned with the center of the screen as I can. I used vertical shift in my old setup, and didn't experience any keystoning. So, I suspect that if I keep the relative height of the PJ and the screen the same as they were before, I will not have any keystoning here.

Note: no second floor here. But, I did have in the previous location.

OK.. I tried to take some pics of the mount last night in that little ~3 inch space between the top of the projector and the ceiling. They came out looking like some kind of sea creature, of absolutely no assistance.

I took the one pic I attached yesterday and just used MS paint to indicate where the arms actually ended up along with where the screws are. I remember now the mount immediately got much more stable when I was able to use two screws in one arm. If there is a way you can maneuver two of the arms to a position which would allow two screws in each one to go through the slotted plate, I think you would be golden.

Hope that helps.. good luck

Got the picture--thanks very much. It appears that the way I currently have my "ring", it is more toward the lens side, but not as far forward, as is your ring. I'll experiment with both positions--and two screws--to see which is best vis a vis the COG.

I've attached a couple of pics of my proposed setup. The first is a picture of that window between my kitchen and living room. I plan to place the base plate of the mount on the header of that window, with the projector pointing toward the screen slightly to the right and behind me; you can probably see where I have a mark indicating a point that is in line with the center of the screen. Obviously, I'll position the base plate such that the PJ lens will be under that mark. In that way, I can minimize the need for horizontal lens shift. Sure, the base plate won't be centered in the window; but, I don't care about that. I just want the lens centered with the screen. (The wire hanging nonchalantly on the left is my HDMI cable, which will eventually be installed in Wiremold covers, painted to match the wall.) In order to align the PJ vertically with the screen, in much the same position as I had it in my old setup, I'll need a 12-14" drop from the top of the window. Fortunately, the MountDirect mount will provide me up to 14" extension from the base plate.

The other pic shows the screen hanging near the wall opposite the proposed PJ position. You get a good look there at these ridiculous HIGH ceilings!

Because of my stupid room layout, I can't get all my equipment on the same side of the room as the projector. Thus, the need for a 45 ft. HDMI cable. I guess I could have drilled holes in the floor and run the cable underneath the house; but, I'm just not too eager to go crawling around in a 2 ft. crawl space. I'd STILL have to run the cable around the edge of the window to reach the PJ.

Now, the third pic shows my old layout in the previous house--well, kind of. I started out with an old Sharp XVS-U55 projector, HUGE, weighing 39 lbs.! I really didn't feel comfortable with a mount for that weight, so I jerry-rigged my own. I suspended a 3/4 inch plywood board, via 4 chains to the corners (and turnbuckles for leveling adjustment). The chains were hooked to S-hooks fed through a couple of 2 inch angle irons lag-bolted to the ceiling joists. I could probably have hung from that rig! When I bought the Mits, I turned it upside down and rested it on felt pads about 3/4 inch thick, to keep the buttons isolated. This arrangement worked, though "kludgy"!

Cool... well let us know how it works out..

So if I'm understanding you correctly- your 4900 is actually going to be hanging in (or slightly in front of) that window to the kitchen? I know my wifee would never go for that, so more power to you. :) Good luck..

You are right! It will be hanging down about 14 inches from the top, pretty close to center of the window. Now, to put things in perspective, that top header is 93 inches from the floor--almost 8 ft.; and, wifey is just 5 ft. tall. So, she'll have to get a ladder to take the lens cap off, or even look into the back of the PJ!

Not only will she allow it, she's bugging the heck out of me because I don't have it up yet! We've been in the house about 10 months, and I've been putting this off all that time--first, to choose a mount; then, dreading the job of putting it up, running the wires, and all that stuff.

I tried your ring placement, but the PJ seemed awfully front-heavy to me. So, I went back (almost) to what I had before, and VOILA! The PJ is almost balanced! Slightly front heavy, but not near as much as it was with my previous placement. AND, it doesn't lean down to the left; seems almost perfectly balanced laterally! Don't understand it, as there's just a slight difference in the placement of the screw to the front of the PJ. The ring looks almost as if it is in the same place. Not going to mess with success; gonna go with it the way it is! (Pic attached, of course.)

Now, I think I am going to do some slight lubrication of the ball-and-socket. Also, when I inserted the ball piece into the ring, those cam-like ears almost wouldn't turn loose when I wanted to remove the ball and shaft. So, I think I will also lightly grease those cam-like pieces; you know, the are those flanges that slide under the raised ears on the ring, for the quick-dismount feature. The dry, crinkle finish just doesn't glide very well. Think I'll try to find some gel-type silicon lube; it doesn't run like WD-40, but it won't be a mess like Vaseline. They have lubricants like that around auto parts stores, for use on door weatherstripping, among other things.

Once I get this up, I'll post a pic of the finished installation. Again, MANY thanks for your help.

Best regards,

Lakeside Jim

Glad to help and that it appears it will work out for you. I am now tempted to take mine down and redo the mount after all this. :)

I really didn't have a need for lubrication or anything on my mount. Maybe the paint job on mine was a bit more smooth, not sure. The only concern I would have is that the lube would require you to crank the screws down so hard to keep it from moving that you would risk stripping one. But that's your call.

Well done and good luck..

I'm having a little problem with my HC4900. I have put in over 2000 hours in the last 2 years with zero problems until now.

But now on the top right section of the screen there is a flickering effect that covers a two foot square. I can only see it during bright scenes such as the grass during a football game. When the screen is black or medium brightness I can't see it at all. Does anyone know what this is?

well, after 200 hours of working, my projector has suddenly stopped. I need to find a repair shop to take this thing to or send it off to, any recommendations? My zip is 61920, but I honestly doubt I'll find anything local to help out.

thanks in advance.

I finally have my cable box going hdmi to my reciever and hdmi out to my 4900.
Only the issue is that when I switch cable channels there is a pause, purple tinted picture another pause and a good picture comes to life.
Stange thing is when I was using component out of the cable box direct to the projector it was fine. My reciever is a Denon 987 why is it causeing a sync issue? I have the CONVERT option enabled on the reciever (to have other devices output to hdmi letting me run 1 cable to the projector) I do have the projector wired for composit,s-video,component, and hdmi I would perfer to have the reciever do all the swithching otherwise wify not happy.
Does anyone know what is going on?

Welcome to the world of HDMI. It can get very finicky with more 'in between' components. ie: receivers, switchers etc..

I finally have my cable box going hdmi to my reciever and hdmi out to my 4900.
Only the issue is that when I switch cable channels there is a pause, purple tinted picture another pause and a good picture comes to life.
Stange thing is when I was using component out of the cable box direct to the projector it was fine. My reciever is a Denon 987 why is it causeing a sync issue? I have the CONVERT option enabled on the reciever (to have other devices output to hdmi letting me run 1 cable to the projector) I do have the projector wired for composit,s-video,component, and hdmi I would perfer to have the reciever do all the swithching otherwise wify not happy.
Does anyone know what is going on?
Dunno exactly, but the symptoms are that of an "AUTO" mode setting somewhere, such that the PJ is examining the signal and deciding how to project it. Start maybe by changing the ASPECT setting on your remote from AUTO to one of the other modes. If no luck, work backwards to the cable box to see if there is an setting for its HDMI output (e.g. 1080i or something) instead of "auto" for *it*.

I'm having a little problem with my HC4900. I have put in over 2000 hours in the last 2 years with zero problems until now.

But now on the top right section of the screen there is a flickering effect that covers a two foot square. I can only see it during bright scenes such as the grass during a football game. When the screen is black or medium brightness I can't see it at all. Does anyone know what this is?

Anyone else had this problem, or know what this is?

well mine is about 2 years and 4 months old. I was out at the beach yesterday and the kid said he was playing ps3 and he heard a pop and that was it lost picture.the lamp was in need of replacement very soon. over 4000 low setting hours..

both green lights are still lit when you try to power it on.. I am going to yank the bulb soon but just wondering if I should expect alot more damage.. I guess it just depends if the bulb fragmented in there.. But what seems odd to me is the two green lights still. It must somehow think that nothing is wrong and its still trying to fire the bulb?? I didnt let it run but 15 seconds I didnt want to worsen the situation..

TIA

Well, after 2 years and over 2500 hours (I think), I heard a faint "pop" when I turned the projector on. I'm guessing the bulb needs replaced. I'm ordering a new one, but is there any chance it's something else?

Thank you for any help.

We just installed a new lamp and followed the instructions to reset the "lamp operation time". It is showing as "low". I can't find anything in these pages or the product docs that says what that means. Does that mean it reset or it didn't?

The reason I'm wondering is that our projector seems to be projecting everything but blue. What I mean is that if I unplug the blue signal cord from the receiver, the colors do not change. (Unplugging red or green cords cause changes.) We tried going direct from DVD to the projector using HDMI and it still is missing blue. The projector, even with a new lamp, seems incapable of producing white- all the whites are very green.

This is why we bought the lamp- to fix the color problem.

Could it just be that our projector is on some protective mode and so won't project blue? I also saw some notes about color wheels but the unit is very quiet.

Any ideas?
Thanks

Thank you for any help.

We just installed a new lamp and followed the instructions to reset the "lamp operation time". It is showing as "low". I can't find anything in these pages or the product docs that says what that means. Does that mean it reset or it didn't?

The reason I'm wondering is that our projector seems to be projecting everything but blue. What I mean is that if I unplug the blue signal cord from the receiver, the colors do not change. (Unplugging red or green cords cause changes.) We tried going direct from DVD to the projector using HDMI and it still is missing blue. The projector, even with a new lamp, seems incapable of producing white- all the whites are very green.

This is why we bought the lamp- to fix the color problem.

Could it just be that our projector is on some protective mode and so won't project blue? I also saw some notes about color wheels but the unit is very quiet.

Any ideas?
Thanks

As I recall, when the ON time is below a certain threshold (300 hours, I believe) the meter will show "LOW". Once your usage goes over that threshold, the actual number will be displayed.

As for the lack of blue, sounds like you have a projector problem; I can't imagine that a lamp would only display red and green. I would suggest that you try Mits Customer Service for an answer to this; or, if you know of a factory-authorized service facility, you might ask them.

These are just my guesses; I am NOT a service person--just someone who has owned a LOT of projectors over the years.

Does anyone have experience with, or knowledge of, the quality of the 3rd party (and much less expensive) OEM equivalent lamps vs the genuine Mitsubishi lamp?

My apologies if this was covered in a prior post, but searching yielded negative results.

I'm trying to research an issue my best friend is having with his HC4900 projector.

Setup:
Mitsubishi HC4900 LCD Projector
ATT U-Verse Digital Cable
Motorola VIP1200 Total Home DVR box

The Issue:
The picture itself is great...he's projecting onto a 100"+ diagonal screen. The issue that's cropped up (I haven't seen this) is let's say he's watching a game on ESPN. When the ESPN update scrolls at the bottom of the screen, the scrolled stuff looks like it has a "ghost image", however whatever game he's watching remains clear and focused.

He took the projector to an authorized Mitsubishi dealer where they ran all sorts of diagnostics and ran the projector for some period of time...they were unable to duplicate the issue described above.

He's had his cable signal tested, and it appears to be clean. I don't know that he's swapped DVR boxes with ATT.

Comments...suggestions? Thanks!

BUMP! Bueller...Bueller....Bueller...class....anyone. :p

My apologies if this was covered in a prior post, but searching yielded negative results.

I'm trying to research an issue my best friend is having with his HC4900 projector.

Setup:
Mitsubishi HC4900 LCD Projector
ATT U-Verse Digital Cable
Motorola VIP1200 Total Home DVR box

The Issue:
The picture itself is great...he's projecting onto a 100"+ diagonal screen. The issue that's cropped up (I haven't seen this) is let's say he's watching a game on ESPN. When the ESPN update scrolls at the bottom of the screen, the scrolled stuff looks like it has a "ghost image", however whatever game he's watching remains clear and focused.

He took the projector to an authorized Mitsubishi dealer where they ran all sorts of diagnostics and ran the projector for some period of time...they were unable to duplicate the issue described above.

He's had his cable signal tested, and it appears to be clean. I don't know that he's swapped DVR boxes with ATT.

Comments...suggestions? Thanks!
You've probably already tried this, but.......

Does routing the SAME signal source to a different TV or projector show the same anomaly?

I should have said "he", not you!

You've probably already tried this, but.......

Does routing the SAME signal source to a different TV or projector show the same anomaly?

I should have said "he", not you!

Thanks for the reply Jim,

They have a TV downstairs that's using the same source. It's only like a 24"-30" Plasma or LCD flat-screen. I'll ask, but I'm 90% sure this only happens on the projector.

Appreciate the input!!!

Oh, one other thought! Does the projector have an "Overscan" setting? Sometimes this might affect the resultant picture. If it does, he might do well to experiment with the various percentages. I think, on my Mits 4900, I have it set around 95-97 percent, but haven't looked at that setting recently.

Oh, one other thought! Does the projector have an "Overscan" setting? Sometimes this might affect the resultant picture. If it does, he might do well to experiment with the various percentages. I think, on my Mits 4900, I have it set around 95-97 percent, but haven't looked at that setting recently.

I'll forward this on to my bud...thanks again!!!

Hey Guys,

I'm hoping to dig this thread out of the grave one more time for a little help. I purchased an HC4900 from ebay for about the cost of a lamp in hopes of fixing it, and using it, while saving about a thousand bucks. The issue is not new to this forum, the image displays a permanent green tint. I made sure no settings or sources were the cause before disassembling. I'm pretty sure I found the defective part.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dLV8_xAPW5rxTMYDoH-uml09k0T3-sqWoR6Thw8n3Kc?feat=directlink

It is the Blue LCD Panel, the ribbon has a burned out wire. I'm having a tough time getting a hold of a replacement Blue LCD Panel. Any help would be appreciated!

The info I've gathered up is as follows:

Mitsubishi HC4900 Projector

Part from manufacturer: Epson D7 Panel with C2 Fine technology
Part #: L3C07U-75G00
Part s/n: 1-JE0859B7

Here's hoping someone out there can be my hero!

Couple of days ago, I got the message to replace the lamp. I am probably around 1200 hours or so in my lamp. Is this normal? Anyone know the lamp life? I don't see any difference in the PQ. Just the same as when it was new. Is there a way to reset the lamp without requiring a replacement and running it until it actually dies?

Couple of days ago, I got the message to replace the lamp. I am probably around 1200 hours or so in my lamp. Is this normal? Anyone know the lamp life? I don't see any difference in the PQ. Just the same as when it was new. Is there a way to reset the lamp without requiring a replacement and running it until it actually dies?
I don't know what that message looks like, but you should check for certain exactly how many hours it's logged.

Pricing out replacement lamps...

I can spend $150 on a third party replacement lamp with 90-day manufacturers warranty

or

I can spend $315 on one from the manufacturer itself with a 90-day warranty.

Any advice on which may be the better course of action? What would the overall advantage be of going with the Mitsubishi package and it that benefit worth over twice the cost?

You can get generic lamps with generic housings but if you read up on non-OEM lamps it doesn't sound like a good idea. However, it seems like there are companies selling OEM lamps with generic housings for $145. I am planning on going this route myself.

In another thread here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=21145143#post21145143) it was suggested by member Bohanna to extend PJ life by increasing fan speed. Unfortunately the HC4900 does not appear to have a "high altitude" setting to do this easily, but I wonder if anyone here has a Service Manual, and/or has poked-around the service menus and found any fan speed controls therein?

My lamp is always set to Low, and my fan has never been audible in operation, so I feel I could bump-up the speed w/o affecting the movie experience.

TIA for any feedback on this.

Bittersweet, but I sold my HC4900 today. Was a rock solid projector and served up years of enjoyment. Still going strong and the new owner is going to enjoy it with his family.

Bittersweet, but I sold my HC4900 today. Was a rock solid projector and served up years of enjoyment. Still going strong and the new owner is going to enjoy it with his family.

What did you replace it with. I still have one hanging in my basement HT and it still looks great. I'm wondering if I can get much better PQ with something else or if I should just ride this out as long as it lasts.

Just last Saturday I replaced the original Lamp with about 7700 hours based on the number displayed on the menu. I set the lamp to standard and I think that the real hours used was about half. The original lamp was about 4 years and I reset the lamp timer once when it was 3900 hours displayed.

I brought a replacement lamp at $90 from eBay with 90-day warranty and also brough a one year warranty offered by Buyshield fpr $7. I kept my original lamp just in case that the new lamp fails and needs to be sent to BuySHield for warranty check.

As soon as I started PJ with the new lamp, I immediately shout out 'wwwwwoh...' becasue it is so much brighter than the original lamp with about 3900 hours. So I regret not replacing the lamp much earlier. I thought that as long as the lamp is working there is no need to change it. Now I know I was wrong. So for this lamp I will just replace it after one year of use. $97 for one year of enjoyment is fine with me.

I am happy again now just as I installed the 4900 four years ago. Now I know how much enjoyment I missed by using the original lamp too long. You don't know the difference until you compare.

I still have one hanging in my basement HT and it still looks great. I'm wondering if I can get much better PQ with something else or if I should just ride this out as long as it lasts.
I love my HC4900 and will likely replace the lamp when it fails-or-degrades i.e. I will keep it til it stops making great pictures.

When it craps-out, I will replace it with an LCOS or SXRD or some-such with better blacks. I might even do a 3d projector, who knows.

So unless you have $ burning a hole in your pocket, I say "ride it out"! :)