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*Official* Epson Home Cinema 8100 owners thread! - Page 63

post #1861 of 1906
3/26/12 at 8:23am
Man. You gotta love Epson customer service. My 8100 is 18 months old and has 1900 hours on it. Over the past couple of days the bulb started to get very dim. I knew it was going to be a problem. This morning the bulb is so dim that the PJ is unwatchable even in a fully dark room. I called Epson not expecting to get any help. I mean almost 2000 hours on the bulb. 5 Minutes later they are sending me a new bulb. All of my previous PJ's were BenQ's and their customer service compared to what I just got is non-existent. Epson just sold me. I will never buy any other PJ. When you stand behind your product like this. I am with you for life.

In response to Galvatron: I have never owned a PJ that didnt have some kind of issue. I have had 5 of them and they all broke or had premature bulb issues at some point. When a company is willing to at least stand behind their product I am sold. And Epson stepped up big time as far as I'm concerned. Not a chance BenQ would have helped me in this case.
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post #1862 of 1906
3/26/12 at 8:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GalvatronType_R View Post

I think I might be done with Epson. Here's my history:

-Bought 8100 from Amazon on June 2010

-Ordered a replacement bulb under warranty in March 2011 because it failed at 1800 hours

-Replaced original projector with a refurb on August 2011 because the HDMI board failed

-As of March 2012, there are 950 hours on the refurb and the bulb is very dim and is indicative of impending failure

Don't get me wrong, Epson has been excellent every time I've called them for service but this is getting ridiculous. I've now gone through two 8100s and two bulbs and all of them have had problems.

If only Epson's QC was as good as their customer service.

Before blaming Epson maybe you should see why you're having these problems because if it's due to air circulation, short cycles or some other type of problem then your new projector will also develop problems.

I've ensured that my projector has an abundance of air circulation and is never turned on for less than 2 hours along with never being turned back on within 2 hours of being shut off. This means that we sometimes blank the screen and leave it on if we're going to use it again that day. Bulbs and electronics last far longer being left on rather than being cycled on and off.

I run the bulb at a lower brightness to increase life. My setup is maximized to increase brightness (HP screen and PJ placed close to screen) so that I don't have to do "bright" with the bulb. I get well over 2000 hours (into the low 3000's) on a bulb.

I also don't expect these projectors to last as long as TV's do. I sell mine every two years and get the current discounted, closeout or refurb for usually a few hundred or so more then what I get for my old one. I do this because of Epson's exceptional 2-year warranty.

BTW, our PJ gets over 2500 hours per year because someone's home almost all the time and the theater is everyone's favorite room.
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post #1863 of 1906
3/26/12 at 1:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg_63 View Post

Before blaming Epson maybe you should see why you're having these problems because if it's due to air circulation, short cycles or some other type of problem then your new projector will also develop problems.

I've ensured that my projector has an abundance of air circulation and is never turned on for less than 2 hours along with never being turned back on within 2 hours of being shut off. This means that we sometimes blank the screen and leave it on if we're going to use it again that day. Bulbs and electronics last far longer being left on rather than being cycled on and off.

I run the bulb at a lower brightness to increase life. My setup is maximized to increase brightness (HP screen and PJ placed close to screen) so that I don't have to do "bright" with the bulb. I get well over 2000 hours (into the low 3000's) on a bulb.

I also don't expect these projectors to last as long as TV's do. I sell mine every two years and get the current discounted, closeout or refurb for usually a few hundred or so more then what I get for my old one. I do this because of Epson's exceptional 2-year warranty.

BTW, our PJ gets over 2500 hours per year because someone's home almost all the time and the theater is everyone's favorite room.

Before blaming me, maybe you ought to see the 8100 problem threads here and on other sites that mention the same issues. Are all of these threads the results of abuse or user error? Probably not.

The two 8100s I've had problems with were installed in two different places (in two houses, the first table mounted, the second ceiling mounted). Both times, there is nothing around them to impend air flow and they are operated at or a bit below room temperature. I am well aware of the bulb cycling issue and I have not powered on and off the projector on an irregular basis. Also, please keep your tinfoil hat on and keep believing in the "electronics must be constantly on or they will break" Easter Bunny myth, it is quite amusing.

Epson customer service has been outstanding; their quality control has been atrocious. Why would I give my business again to a company that cannot get it right the first (or second or third) time?
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post #1864 of 1906
3/26/12 at 4:46pm
Customer service is exactly why I decided to pick up an 8100. I had a BenQ projector for about 3 years and this winter marked the 3rd time it wasn't working properly. Half of the screen had vertical lines, the other half was fine. I knew I was going to have to send it in.

I started by emailing them. I still had their email address from previous problems. No reply after two emails.
I filled out a service request form on their website explaining the problem. No reply.
Called them, no answer so I left a message.
6 days later they returned my call and said that I would need to fill out a form explaining what is wrong with my projector (even though I just told him on the phone), they would then get me an RMA number so that I could send it in for repair.
I never received the form from BenQ so I called them back, left another message, and waited...and waited...

That was over a month ago and I'm still waiting for the form, or a phone call, or some sign that they appreciate me as a customer. Each of the 3 times I have had problems with my BenQ projector it has been a similar story with their customer service.

I researched the Epson projectors for my friend around Christmas. I was concerned about some of the bulb issues I read about, but I was reassured by the overwhelmingly positive customer service that Epson customers were posting here on avs. He has seen my set up and liked the picture that my BenQ projector gave, but he was very concerned about dealing with customer service so he went with the Epson. I have replaced my projector with an 8100 and I am very happy with it. I also don't dread any bulb issues in the future because I know I will be taken care of.
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post #1865 of 1906
3/26/12 at 5:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GalvatronType_R View Post

Before blaming me,

I wasn't blaming you, just trying to offer some information that you may or may not have known. You know, everyone has to go through a learning curve. How is anyone suppose to know where you are on that curve?

Quote:
Originally Posted by GalvatronType_R View Post

maybe you ought to see the 8100 problem threads here and on other sites that mention the same issues. Are all of these threads the results of abuse or user error? Probably not.

I'd be willing to bet that close to half of them are. My projectors haven't been perfect, none are, but Epson has been extremely good at taking care of things. I don't mind changing out a unit that they replace because the replacement comes with a NEW bulb! So not only do they take care of me they more than compensate me for my time with a NEW bulb.

Quote:
Originally Posted by GalvatronType_R View Post

The two 8100s I've had problems with were installed in two different places (in two houses, the first table mounted, the second ceiling mounted). Both times, there is nothing around them to impend air flow and they are operated at or a bit below room temperature. I am well aware of the bulb cycling issue and I have not powered on and off the projector on an irregular basis.

Well see, now I have an idea of where you are on that learning curve. You'd be surprised how many people don't know those simple things that help keep bulbs and electronics running longer.

Quote:
Originally Posted by GalvatronType_R View Post

Also, please keep your tinfoil hat on and keep believing in the "electronics must be constantly on or they will break" Easter Bunny myth, it is quite amusing.

See you were quite pleasant up to this. Now you're just showing yourself for who you really are. I didn't say they had to be kept on. I said that on off cycles will reduce the life of the unit, especially the bulb. It will affect the electronics but not nearly as much as the bulb.

Quote:
Originally Posted by GalvatronType_R View Post

Epson customer service has been outstanding; their quality control has been atrocious. Why would I give my business again to a company that cannot get it right the first (or second or third) time?

See this logic, for projectors, is backwards. A projector is a device that's not going to be perfect and one that you're more likely to have problems with than not. I'm going with the company with the best customer service. Nothing in home electronics is made like they use to be made. They simply don't last as long as they use too.
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post #1866 of 1906
3/28/12 at 7:59am
My two cents:

I've spent more time with Epson CS than is reasonable. I went through sixteen (!) projectors - all of varying crapness - before they gave up and paid me off. I had a sweet 6100 which I loved for 1.5 years, and then the polarizer went and I was upgraded to an 8100, then an 8350, etc. All of them had glaring issues, some so bad it was scary to think that it was someone's job to allow it!

Although their "customer service" might have been patient and attentive - their QC staff is a joke. I took the money they gave me and got another brand. I've never been happier.
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post #1867 of 1906
3/28/12 at 2:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tommyv2 View Post

My two cents:

I've spent more time with Epson CS than is reasonable. I went through sixteen (!) projectors - all of varying crapness - before they gave up and paid me off. I had a sweet 6100 which I loved for 1.5 years, and then the polarizer went and I was upgraded to an 8100, then an 8350, etc. All of them had glaring issues, some so bad it was scary to think that it was someone's job to allow it!

Although their "customer service" might have been patient and attentive - their QC staff is a joke. I took the money they gave me and got another brand. I've never been happier.



Epson probably "paid you off" since they realized you'd never be happy.

To go through 16 projectors, you are either extremely querulous or you have abused your projectors to no end.

You probably complained about a smudge on the casing. SMH..
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post #1868 of 1906
3/28/12 at 3:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mackeysasser1981 View Post

Epson probably "paid you off" since they realized you'd never be happy.

To go through 16 projectors, you are either extremely querulous or you have abused your projectors to no end.

You probably complained about a smudge on the casing. SMH..

+1
I was thinking the same thing.
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post #1869 of 1906
3/29/12 at 12:25pm
Nah, but nice try!

What's to abuse, anyway? I only did 700-ish hours in a year and a half, always on at least 2 hours, always off at least 2 hours between uses.

If you saw the things I saw, you'd understand. Noisy fans, polarizers dying, green lines, abysmal uniformity, stuck focus assemblies, DOA units, wretched panel alignment, defocusing problems, etc.

Just because you got a decent one doesn't mean the rest of us do. Once you get into the Epson warranty hell, it's no fun. I'm picky, yes, but these are the worst QC'ed products I've seen in my life.
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post #1870 of 1906
3/29/12 at 12:34pm
Hope their new products (3010, 5010, 6010) are better in quality.
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post #1871 of 1906
3/31/12 at 11:41am
Bought mine in June 2010. I've been through three bulbs now, each lasting about 1000 hours. My last replacement came in Nov. 2011. I was told that the past batches of bulbs wre defective and that the one I'd be getting this time wouldn't have the defect.

Well, it's at 750h now and so dim it's barely viewable in a totally dark room on dynamic.

I called Epson and they again insisted there was a problem with bulbs, etc, etc, let us send you another one. I said that would be fine, but that's what I was told last time and the same thing has happened, it's ceiling mounted and there a lot of airflow around the PJ and I clean the filter once every couple of months. Will it still be covered by the warranty in, say, August or September if it happens again. They said no, the warranty will expire in June. I asked for a replacement projectors and they agreed to it. Hopefully that will solve the problem.
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post #1872 of 1906
4/1/12 at 6:48am
Got a question. I have a chance to get a Sony ChromaVue for under $100. Would this be a good screen to use in my living room for my 8100? My pj would be 15.5' from the screen with a SE facing patio door.
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post #1873 of 1906
4/2/12 at 3:40pm
thinking about picking this projector up from frys refurbished for $600?
refurb projector a good idea?
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post #1874 of 1906
4/2/12 at 3:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BradSut6 View Post

thinking about picking this projector up from frys refurbished for $600?
refurb projector a good idea?

Sure, you should still have a warranty, buy it with a CC that adds another year of coverage and you have a great deal on a still, very good projector!
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post #1875 of 1906
4/2/12 at 3:51pm
its comes with a 2 year warranty and a 90 day bulb replacement? idk if i can get anything other than that
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post #1876 of 1906
4/9/12 at 9:06am
If anyone is interested in pushing the Epson 8100 to its limits, then I would recommend watching Rango and A Christmas Carol (the one with Jim Carrey). Blu-ray is a must, obviously.

Both look incredible. I didn't take any photos but I might rent them again and take high-res screenshots.

Next up for the projector is Kick-Ass, Daybreakers and Hot Tub Time Machine.
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post #1877 of 1906
5/7/12 at 6:02am
I just picked one of these units up. I don't want to spend a lot of time/money calibrating the projector. So I'm wondering if there are some standard settings or simple tweaks that can improve the picture. I am currently running the pj in eco mode on theater black 1. I have an old dalite screen that was used in a college classroom (about 105 inches) -- so I'm not sure about the gain.

It seems like people either spend a lot of time (or need a lot of expertise) to calibrate, or they do nothing. Is there some sort of happy medium between these two?
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post #1878 of 1906
5/7/12 at 7:01am
If you don't have a calibration disc, you can start with these and tweak to your preference and viewing area/screen:

http://www.projectorreviews.com/epso...alibration.php
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post #1879 of 1906
5/8/12 at 7:33pm
5th bulb just died and Epson is refusing to replace the bulb.
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post #1880 of 1906
5/8/12 at 9:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mitchell2038 View Post

5th bulb just died and Epson is refusing to replace the bulb.

How many hours on each bulb?
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post #1881 of 1906
5/10/12 at 5:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg_63 View Post

How many hours on each bulb?

Anywhere from 400-800 hours. Turns out I went through 6 technically 5 died on me as the 6th one I shipped back when they replaced the projector.

1st Bulb - First came with Projector 420 hours?
2nd Bub - Installed bulb then projector had red line. - Shipped it back with Projector
3rd Bulb - Came with replacement projector - 600 Hours?
4th bulb - About 540 hours
5th Bulb - About 720 hours
6th bulb - About 830 hours.
7th bulb - Coming with replacement projector.

Above are rough numbers from memory. I averaged a bulb every 5 months. Monthly usage appears to be around 120hours a month that sounds high since I got a 65" 3D HDTV in the bedroom now and use my DLP in my office to watch training material and let the kids play on it at times. I use high altitude setting so fan either runs faster or longer and that seems to have made an improvement on the last two. I also take the once its on its on and wait 1-2 hours after shutting off before turning back on.

I was told today a large batch of the wrong bulbs were being put into the 8100 bulb housing and that's why they were blowing so quickly. I guess the bulbs were meant for another projector and somehow they were making into the housing of this series of projectors. They insist the issue should be resolved and they shouldn't have any more problematic bulbs I just got lucky.

In the end Im happy to say Epson realized my experience has been really bad after all its well documents in their system and has offered to replace the unit/bulb which exceeded my expectations but still leaves me worried. They tell me I must have somehow gotten a bad bulb even when they should be past that.

I really hope they are right and I would be happy to have just one bulb last 1500+ hours which is over a year of use. If this replacement does last a year I will buy another Epson but if its dead after 500 hours I will have to switch brands despite the excellent customer service. I just cant justify $300.00 bulb every 5-6 months.

I even looked to find a knockoff and while they are cheap I couldn't find one with more than a 2 star rating on amazon so you have to buy OEM and I would gladly do that if they lasted close to their expected rating.

I dont think Epson stands to make money and possibly lost money in my scenario nor do they want to ruin their reputation so I have faith they most likely have corrected the problem I was just very unlucky and may be a rare case.
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post #1882 of 1906
5/10/12 at 6:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mitchell2038 View Post

Anywhere from 400-800 hours. Turns out I went through 6 technically 5 died on me as the 6th one I shipped back when they replaced the projector.

1st Bulb - First came with Projector 420 hours?
2nd Bub - Installed bulb then projector had red line. - Shipped it back with Projector
3rd Bulb - Came with replacement projector - 600 Hours?
4th bulb - About 540 hours
5th Bulb - About 720 hours
6th bulb - About 830 hours.
7th bulb - Coming with replacement projector.

Above are rough numbers from memory. I averaged a bulb every 5 months. Monthly usage appears to be around 120hours a month that sounds high since I got a 65" 3D HDTV in the bedroom now and use my DLP in my office to watch training material and let the kids play on it at times. I use high altitude setting so fan either runs faster or longer and that seems to have made an improvement on the last two. I also take the once its on its on and wait 1-2 hours after shutting off before turning back on.

I was told today a large batch of the wrong bulbs were being put into the 8100 bulb housing and that's why they were blowing so quickly. I guess the bulbs were meant for another projector and somehow they were making into the housing of this series of projectors. They insist the issue should be resolved and they shouldn't have any more problematic bulbs I just got lucky.

In the end Im happy to say Epson realized my experience has been really bad after all its well documents in their system and has offered to replace the unit/bulb which exceeded my expectations but still leaves me worried. They tell me I must have somehow gotten a bad bulb even when they should be past that.

I really hope they are right and I would be happy to have just one bulb last 1500+ hours which is over a year of use. If this replacement does last a year I will buy another Epson but if its dead after 500 hours I will have to switch brands despite the excellent customer service. I just cant justify $300.00 bulb every 5-6 months.

I even looked to find a knockoff and while they are cheap I couldn't find one with more than a 2 star rating on amazon so you have to buy OEM and I would gladly do that if they lasted close to their expected rating.

I dont think Epson stands to make money and possibly lost money in my scenario nor do they want to ruin their reputation so I have faith they most likely have corrected the problem I was just very unlucky and may be a rare case.

No projector is perfect but Epson's customer service beats them all !!!
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post #1883 of 1906
5/10/12 at 7:50pm
I have had nothing but enjoyment from mine for 2 1/2 years now. Sorry to hear you have not, but sounds like they made good, so that's good news. Good luck with the new one.
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post #1884 of 1906
5/10/12 at 8:17pm
Id like to hear if anyone feels they are out of the woods and their bulbs are passing the 1500 hour mark. Most people will only post if they are having an issue but if anyone out there has an 8100 not having bulb issues Id like to hear it so I can feel a little more confident I was just a fluke.
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post #1885 of 1906
5/19/12 at 11:43am
I got my replacement 8100 and just watched it in fully dark room a few nights ago. there's a faint green hue to the entire left 1/4 of the screen. All the lights have to be out for me to see it though.

This units fan also rattles when it's being turned off. Guess ill have to call Epson again.
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post #1886 of 1906
8/13/12 at 10:34pm
I've had my 8100 for 28 months and have recently encountered odd coloration at the top of my picture. I've got a band across the top that starts magenta and eventually fades into a greenish gold. I was told by CS that it was an issue with the lcd. I was given the information for several repair centers and was told I could get a discount on buying a new projector. That didn't exactly fill me with confidence that a repair would be possible, or economically justifiable if I was told to consider buying a new projector.

A few pages back there was someone with a similar issue and the diagnosis was that the polarizers were shot. Does anyone have any idea what the repair cost would be? I'm four months past warranty, unfortunately, but perhaps there is wiggle room. Is there any chance this could have been caused by the two prematurely blown bulbs I've experienced?
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post #1887 of 1906
8/13/12 at 10:40pm
That would be me who had that issue. Most likely it's a polarizer that went out, I too was given the number to several repair places. They told me it would cost $900+ to fix it, which was $200 more than buying another refurbed at the time LOL. So yeah I'd start looking at new projectors.

Personally I use the Epson as a secondary projector for tv shows and video games, I have an extra bulb, I'm using mine until I'm out of bulbs. Least the problem isn't getting any worse. I was a month out of warranty when I called, they didn't offer me jack ****.
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post #1888 of 1906
8/15/12 at 11:51pm
Thanks for the speedy reply. It wasn't what I wanted to read, but it is what I needed to hear. I am usually pretty obsessive about everything looking perfect, but I think I could handle this for a while if it doesn't get worse. It's not particularly noticeable during most programming, but it might stand out more when I watch hockey. Thanks again.
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post #1889 of 1906
8/16/12 at 12:49am
Your welcome, bad as I hate being the bearer of bad news. Sadly I have a bit more. The problem started off more subtle than it is. Originally it was a sliver, now the problem extends about 6 inches on the top and bottom(red on top, blue one bottom), I have a 147in screen FYI. But it hasn't gotten any worse than that in the last 1000 hours or so.
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post #1890 of 1906
8/19/12 at 2:55pm
double post
Edited by whizzz - 8/19/12 at 3:04pm
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