Official Panasonic PT-AE3000U OWNERS Thread. - Page 159

Got my bulb installed, man....I didn't realize how dim my bulb had gotten. Image looks superb again. Hope to get another 3000 hours out of this one.

Thanks for posting your thoughts youthman...

I am three months away from hitting 3000 hours so I better be on the look out for a new bulb!

Yeah, one day, it just didn't turn on at all and I figured it might be a good idea to order a new bulb. LOL Highly recommend ProAdvantage. Fast shipping, and the picture looks like the day I bought it. One day I need to disassemble the unit and try and clean out my two dust blobs. Just not sure it's worth tackling.

I just got an ET-LAE1000 replacement bulb from lampedia.com

They claim to sell OEM bulbs in generic housings, for only modestly more than your typical aftermarket junk ($169 w/ free shipping via eBay).

The bulb is indeed labelled as an OSRAM unit, with part number P-VIP 180-230/1.0 e19.5

Unfortunately, I bought my projector used with an aftermarket bulb in it, so I don't have any way to verify that the new lamp is indeed OEM.

Could somebody with a PT-AE1000/2000/3000 check their OEM bulb and verify the OSRAM part number for me before I try it in my projector?

I would be forever grateful,

-jj

Panasonic makes their own bulbs, anything else is a clone. OSRAM makes a good quality clone but it's still a clone.

If you want the real deal go to Provantage (~$300).

http://www.provantage.com/panasonic-et-lae1000~7PANP07V.htm

- G

I just received my buld from Provantage....looks like a brand new machine. Definitely recommend them.

I'm afraid Panasonic does not make their own bulbs any more than they make their own capacitors or resistors. For the relatively few lamp units required each year, it would not make sense to invest in the immense infrastructure required. Therefore, they contract their lamps from one of the major manufacturers (Philips/Osram/Ushio, who own all the patents), contract the housings from somebody else and maybe, just maybe, assemble the lamps into the housings themselves.

Several years ago when you purchased an OEM lamp assembly, the bulb had the OSRAM label. It now seems the manufacturers are sometimes paid to not put their label on the lamps, to obscure the outsourcing.

This is for the 4000 pj but I doubt that makes a big difference in answering if they "make their own lamps?" [although it is a different bulb with "rich red", or whatever.] If they already have the infrastructure to make this bulb I don't see why the 3000 would be any different.

I bought this Panasonic bulb this year from B&H in NY. Besides the giant "Panasonic" logo the give away I got a genuine Pansonic bulb is that they throw in a free new air filter assembly in the box. Not just the foam square but the entire slide in/out tray with the foam and HEPA assembly.

I buy generic almost everything but THIS category is the exception. I only buy and only recommend genuine Panasonic bulbs to ensure correct color temperature, white field uniformity, heat dissapation, longevity, expected light loss curve over time, protection from shattering and destroying the polarizers/panels, etc.
Edited by m. zillch - 10/26/12 at 11:29pm

Thank you very much m. zillch, that's exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

Unfortunately, the lamp WAS changed between the 3000 and the 4000 (as you mentioned, a newer technology that produces more light in the red part of the spectrum).

The lamp ID I'm looking for was used in the 1000/2000/3000. It was probably used in other models as well, but since the housing would be different the complete modules (lamp+housing) have different part numbers. So there's no way I can cross check them...until I know the actual lamp part number.

I think it's also interesting that your lamp has actual Panasonic branding. From what understand, that's an even newer addition, since I've seen reports that the lamps that came in the projectors originally didn't have any branding at all. I wonder how much more that costs Panasonic (and ultimately, the consumer)? With all the knockoffs out there, and the misconceptions about even OSRAM being one of them, I can see the justification to pay for it. Because I agree with you, and will only buy genuine lamps...

...but I don't mind a generic housing and rinsing the air filter if it saves me $200

Which is probably another reason for the Panasonic branding and part number. It prevents folks like me or business like Lampedia from using the OSRAM part number to order the lamp directly.

Hmmm, I wonder if the 4000 lamp would fit in the 3000 housing, and thereby allow me get the additional reds as well? Of course the reflector (burner+reflector=lamp) would also have to give the same light dispersion properties. And the lamp power supply would need to be compatible...I'll need to check if they are the same part number. It's not totally implausible, since the 3000 is 165W and the 4000 is 170W, though the new lamp technology likely changes the strike and operating voltages.
Edited by RupertJAJ - 10/27/12 at 11:44am

Just to follow up, here are the lamp ballast (B-module) part numbers for the PT-AE projectors:

1000: TXANP03VKD4
2000: TXANP03VKF5
3000: TXANP03VKJ8
4000: TXANP03REGZ

The 1/2/3000 projectors all use the same ET-LAE1000 lamp, so the ballasts are interchangeable from the lamp's point of view. The last two digits of the ballast part number that changed are probably just a revision code.

Specifically, between the 1000 and 2000 the ballast schematics show the following changes:
___1) a connector got additional pins so that a temp sensor could be added (making the ballasts not interchangeable between projectors)
___2) a switch (interlock?) was removed
___3) one inductor (EMI filter) was added and one changed
___4) a couple capacitor and resistor values changed
___5) all but one of the diodes changed to new part numbers
___6) two transistor part numbers changed
___7) the output transformer part number changed slightly
but otherwise the circuits are the same.

Between 2000 and 3000:
___1) all of one diode part number changed
___2) the same transistors again changed
but otherwise the circuits are the same (because the ballast connects to other elements of the projector to report health, etc., and there’s no info on form factor, I am not making any claim as to their actual interchangeability).

So between the first three ballasts, I see what amounts to little more that the addition of the temp sensor, plus some minor refinements to optimize performance, reduce costs, increase reliability, and/or account for component availability.

Once we get to the 4000, the bigger difference in part number would certainly suggest that the red-rich lamp indeed requires a significantly different ballast. HOWEVER, upon comparing its ballast schematic with the 3000 I find ZERO differences electrically. So either there is a change in form factor, the schematics are not correct, or the two ballasts are actually interchangeable and Panasonic is just trying to confuse folks with the new part number.

My feeling is the 4000’s red-rich lamp will run just fine with a 1/2/3000 ballast. But as stated initially, the reflector could be different and not provide the same end-to-end optical performance such as illumination uniformity, etc. There is also a chance that the red-rich lamp could have electrical characteristics (current, voltage) that are different enough to trigger a fault condition in a projector that was programmed for the 1/2/3000 lamp. And I don’t know anything about the form factor of the 4000 lamp module to say whether it would plug directly into a 1/2/3000, or if the lamp would need to be swapped into the correct housing, and whether or not that would be physically possible.

Anyway, I hope somebody finds this interesting besides me, and I’ll report if I happen to experiment with this further. I suppose if anybody has an ET-LAE4000 lamp, working or not, that they would send me for a reasonable price, I’ll at least compare form factors of the complete module and the individual lamp. If the module does fit, or if the lamp can be swapped, I’ll try powering it up. (I'm in Pasadena CA, if you have a lamp and want to tinker)

FYI, here is a free source of Service Manuals: http://servicemanuals.pro/servicemanuals/panasonic/projector.html

Cheers

The color filter which is inserted into the light path in certain modes (such as Cinema 1) is specifically tailored to work with the color temperature and balance of the particular bulb they are selling with that unit, that year. Even if it may happen to work electrically to swap different year production bulbs with different year color filters, it will compromise the pj's color balance from how they intended it (and I think is a bad move).
Edited by m. zillch - 11/12/12 at 8:47pm

Good point m. zillch. I had meant to mention the color balance issue, though I had been thinking it would just require some recalibration, and didn’t consider the hardware aspect.

Here are the part numbers for the cinema filter assemblies for the various PT-AE projectors:

1000: TXZEC03VKD4
2000: TXZEC03VKF5
3000: TXZEC03VKJ8
4000: TXZEC03REGZ

You'll probably notice that the last few digits match the ballast, so there could certainly be some correlation between ballast/lamp output and the optimal filter. Those last few digits also correlate with a bunch of other parts such as cables and wires, the optical and analysis blocks, A (main) and K (power in) circuit boards, iris unit, lens and cover, AC inlet assy, air filter and fan duct. So it definitely designates a revision level of related components…but just as the ballast didn’t change electrically between the 3000 and the 4000, there’s a chance the cinema filter didn’t actually change optically (manufacturing changes are both expensive and increase replacement part inventories, and are avoided when possible…especially if the correct color balance could be reestablished through a potentially less costly programming change).

There could be other differences in the optical chain as well, such as the color splitting filters. I suppose cut-off wavelengths might need to change to maintain the color isolation, but there is no specific part number information available. As for the polarizers, they are unchanged from the 3000 to the 4000:

1000: TEEC0048/49/50 (R/G/B Polarizing Plate/In); TEEC0051/52/53 (R/G/B Phase Difference Plate)
2000: TEEC0048/49/50 (R/G/B Polarizing Plate/In); TEEC0059/60 (Normal/Reverse Phase Difference Plate)
3000: TEEC0048/50, TENC0172 (R/B, G Polarizing Plate/In); No Phase Difference Plates
4000: TEEC0048/50, TENC0172 (R/B, G Polarizing Plate/In); No Phase Difference Plates

And one more thing I forgot to consider is that the ballast is actually controlled by the projector to vary lamp output for the different cinema modes. So even though the ballast is the same as in the 3000, the 4000 could command it differently for the red-rich lamp.

So you’re almost certainly right that putting a red-rich lamp into a 3000 is going to mess up the color calibration, and the lumen output would not match the 4000. This might all be correctable with enough picture adjustments, or it might not. And there could still be other deleterious effects as well.

Even if the lamp module was a direct plug in, it cost <$100 to swap in the correct cinema filter assy, and minimal picture adjustments were required, it is definitely a questionable investment for a little more red light.

But still, wouldn’t it be interesting to try? (especially since the ~50% increase in red allows associated increases in blue and green, contributing to the 42% brighter image in Cinema 1 as reported by projectorcentral.com)

If the red-rich lamps become significantly cheaper, then it could really be worth further investigation…

Cheers
Edited by RupertJAJ - 11/13/12 at 3:06pm

I have decided to purchase a new projector instead of a new lamp!

The Panasonic 8000 is a big step up in 2D performance and 3D is very cool with the right source/movie. I know some of this is the new lamp in the 8000 but I am very happy with the upgrade. As the prices begin to fall this year, this projector becomes even more attractive to 3000 owners...

I suggest you read this thread : http://www.avsforum.com/t/1453289/pt-ae3000-blotches-on-colors-and-white

Dave, that is dust on the lcd panels- probably the green panel. I have the same projector - into my 4th year but have low hours on it. Early on I had some dust blobs & did clean the panels successfully. I was actually able to clean the panels without taking it down from the ceiling. If you are not mechanically inclined ( like taking things apart) it is not recomended to try & clean them. There is a good link on here somewhere on how to access them & clean them. Once you have access to the lcd panels- I used a can air & keeping the can upright & pointing the extension up to each panel I shot air & at the same time had a vacuum in the other hand sucking up any dust debris that comes out- in your case it is pretty severe & I would expect to physically see the dust fly when you shoot it in there. Do the panels (both sides) a few times. When done there is an area between the "lcd cube" & the actual lens. Dust gets on those surfaces & creates "clear" dust blobs. Blow that area out too. Now the bad news. You may not get them all but you will get most of them. I used to repair the self contained rear projection tv's so have some knowledge of these. What you are seeing is the one major "con" of lcd projectors. Good luck!

Gerry

hi everyone,

let me see if someone could help me

i've a panasonic pt-ae3000e

after 1200 hours of use the bulb has gone starting with flashing image and finishing without turning on the projector with the lamp led still red and on.

i've bought a replacing lamp unit of course.

i've installed it. now after 30-40 minutes of use the projector is going to shutt off and the lamp led is flashing.

i may disconnect the power cord and it will be back to work for other 30-40 minutes and than is the same thing, shutting down with red led "lamp" flashing.

i've tried also another bulb and it's same thing.

what could it be? lamp circuit failure?

thanks in advance.

benny

Check your filter. It may be clogged.

thanks for your reply

i've checked the filter (it seems this projector has only one filter) and it looks good

i've tried also the projector without the filter and it's same thing.

after 30-40 minutes of use the red light appears.

Hi Longa83
You can, turn on the PJ and go to the hidden menu:
1. When the projector is power ON, press "POWER" button on the main unit or remote control unit to display "POWER OFF" confirmation screen.
2. Press the right-arrow button to select "CANCEL" in the "POWER OFF" confirmation screen.
3. On the main unit or remote control unit, press the buttons in order of up-arrow, down-arrow, up-arrow, down-arrow and "ENTER".
When the "ENTER" button is pressed, hidden menu is displayed.
Go to the a sub-menu named something like Self Check, and see if something (lamp, iris, fans, etc) is not OK or in red.

I bought a used AE4000 off eBay and think it was bounced around during shipping. The lens shift wheels feel...off. I had an AE3000 and it was smooth to scroll back and forth, up and down. On this AE4000 I bought the vertical feels OK, not perfect, but the horizontal is clearly screwed, feels like it's not grabbing properly and instead of going straight across, it goes across but also up on a slight diagonal. Will this be an easy fix do you think? I have to open the projector up regardless to blow out a couple dust blobs. If I'm unable to remedy these issues, I'm sending it back for a replacement.

The lens shift works in a circular fashion, you cannot use full H&V shift at the same time (if that is what you are attempting to do).

Jason

I am not.

I turned the projector back on and was messing about with the menu and settings and what not, and focused in on the one or two dust blobs that I had and when I focused in more...it looked like the solar system. This must mean the lenses are coated in dust right? Or does this happen when you try and focus in on the dust?

EVERYONE has a solar system if they focus up close, the question is does the largest planet seen, Jupiter, cause a green (or other color) blob on a black screen when focused for actual use.

glad everyone has a solar system. it's been a while since i've used a projector, but yes, the largest planet is a green blob when focused for actual use. i bought a dust blower from a photography store so i'll give it a whirl tonight.

but my original questions still stands, does anyone have any experience with crooked lens shift wheels or know if they're easy to realign? i can't seem to find any info about this when googling.

Lots of people set up their pj casually and haphazardly, under the incorrect assumption that they can "fix it in post" by adjusting the H and V wheels. This is not true. There are rules to be met:

1. Firstly, try to set the projector down such that the front lens cap is perfectly parallel to the projection screen. NO TILTING OR SWAYING. There will be a natural tendency to "aim the pj like a flashlight", especially if addressing the screen from off to the side. BIG MISTAKE.The rotary H and V knobs are how you aim, NOT the chassis of the pj itself..

2. Try to initially position the pj such that you will need to use only the H or V wheel knobs, but not both. [Tiny corrections using both together should be OK, but don't use both at their extreme settings. Otherwise it causes skewing at the image corners.]

3. Try to use the H and V as little as possible. Their flaws show up especially if you max them out.

4. These rules are amplified if setting up for a CIH theater, plus, you can't project from beyond the limitations of the front screen's top (or lower) edge at all. [The zoomed image gets mucked up.]

i'm not aiming it at a screen, i just opened it up and took it out of the box and aimed it at the wall to make sure everything was working. when i turned it on the horizontal was skewed waaaaaay to the left, so i adjusted it to make it centred with the projector and that's when i noticed the lens shift dial wasn't turning smoothly and it started moving on a diagonal rather than left to right.

If once both are centered, you notice the H and/or V move the image diagonally, then your unit is broken. Sorry.

Hello,
Rather than create a new thread, I figured I would post my question in this one. I ran a search and couldn't come up with a solution
I just got a Panasonic PT-3000U and I am already having problems with it.

The bulb has 165 hours on it, and all the menus and calibration screens display fine, so I don't think it is a lamp issue. The problem is, none of the HD inputs are displaying anything. I have tried 3 different HDMI cables (all between 3' and 6' long) on all 3 HDMI inputs using different devices and the projector never recognizes inputs on any of the HD interfaces. I tried hooking up a bluray player via component video and that was not recognized either.
I tried connecting my computer via HDMI and nothing, I tried connecting via VGA and managed to get the projector to recognize that there was a signal... but the image appears to be horribly off timing, appearing very distorted. I tried multiple refresh rates and resolutions and messed with the clock settings on the projector some... but no luck. The closest I got to visible was at 720p but it was still pretty distorted. I tried a 480i connection using a DVD player with a simple yellow RCA wire... that works. It actually works pretty good... considering the horrible quality that goes with it.

I am running out of options on things to try. I only have a few days to decide to keep it or not, or else I will lose out on the ability to return it. I would love to get this thing working properly... but I need some help in doing so.
Edited by IronCactuar - 4/4/13 at 7:56pm

^Sorry, it seems broken. There's nothing in its normal operation which would cause the symptoms you are seeing. The fact that the component video also has issues proves it is not just some HDMI handshake quirk.