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Help me: Strange 1080UB projector problem

post #1 of 8
5/11/10 at 1:35am
Thread Starter 
I have an Epson PowerLite 1080UB projector, which has been working well for me for a year and a half.

Recently, the bulb (2nd or 3rd one since projector new) started getting dim, and finally so dim there wasn't a picture to see. I replaced the bulb.
Brightness is back to normal.

But somehow I picked up a new problem that I can't believe is the bulb.
The picture has somewhat different color on the top half from the bottom half!

The dividing line is *exactly* dead center, as can be seen if I push the "alignment" button on the remote, or display a test pattern.

The bottom half has stronger reds and yellows, and somewhat on greens, but is almost the same on blues. Grey patterns have a different tint to them top vs bottom.

It seems like it's a problem with the color processing in the projector, or perhaps a loose wire somewhere. But that's a guess. Any idea what this might be? Or anything worth trying to fix it?

Changing color mode doesn't fix things (although the problem is most noticable on "dynamic" and least noticable on "Theater black 2").

I've done a full reset on the projector (settings and bulb hours both).
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post #2 of 8
5/11/10 at 9:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck_McDevitt View Post

I have an Epson PowerLite 1080UB projector, which has been working well for me for a year and a half.

Recently, the bulb (2nd or 3rd one since projector new) started getting dim, and finally so dim there wasn't a picture to see. I replaced the bulb.
Brightness is back to normal.

But somehow I picked up a new problem that I can't believe is the bulb.
The picture has somewhat different color on the top half from the bottom half!

The dividing line is *exactly* dead center, as can be seen if I push the "alignment" button on the remote, or display a test pattern.

The bottom half has stronger reds and yellows, and somewhat on greens, but is almost the same on blues. Grey patterns have a different tint to them top vs bottom.

It seems like it's a problem with the color processing in the projector, or perhaps a loose wire somewhere. But that's a guess. Any idea what this might be? Or anything worth trying to fix it?

Changing color mode doesn't fix things (although the problem is most noticable on "dynamic" and least noticable on "Theater black 2").

I've done a full reset on the projector (settings and bulb hours both).

Maybe because the PJ was dim you did not see the problem till now. One wild guess is that this color non-uniformity is caused by some sort of image retention in the LCDs. You can try to leave the PJ on with a white signal for a couple of hours and see if gets better.
One question: did your lamps last the 4000 hours that everybody is talking about?
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post #3 of 8
5/11/10 at 10:58am
Thread Starter 
The bulb that just failed lasted just under 2000 hours.
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post #4 of 8
5/11/10 at 10:59am
Thread Starter 
If it was some kind of image retention, I don't think I'd see two uniform fields separated exactly at the mid-screen line.
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post #5 of 8
5/12/10 at 7:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck_McDevitt View Post

It seems like it's a problem with the color processing in the projector

Agreed. Have you opened up the projector and done any DIY repairs/cleaning? Maybe the ribbon connectors for the green and red LCD's are loose? If not it's probably going to be a main board issue, which wouldn't be worth fixing.

I would take the cover off, make sure everything's properly seated, and take a look at the LCD panels and polarizers while you're in there. I suppose it's also possible that you may be seeing the symptoms of delamination of the panels and/or polarizers. It's unlikely that's the cause given the uniformity of the issue, but worth taking a look at if you open it up.
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post #6 of 8
5/12/10 at 11:39am
Thread Starter 
Yes, the more I look the more it seems like a bad connection on one of the ribbon cables.
The fix is probably trivial, but I'm in an even better place: I found I still have a month or so left on the warrenty, so Epson will send me a replacement,

I'm worried a refurb won't be as good as this one would be with a simple cable fix, but it is possible the problem is more serious, and opening up the projector at home probably voids the warranty.

So, hopefully I'll see a new projector soon.
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post #7 of 8
10/7/11 at 3:06am
I too have the problem of a horizontal split screen with my Epson 1080ub projector after replacing the bulb. The lower screen is a bit darker than the top of the screen. I've not found any solutions to this problem beyond sending the projector back to Epson for a replacement. I suspect my projector is out of warranty, plus the bulb that I used as a replacement was shipped with the projector (part of an Epson deal for a free bulb with purchase) so it's long past 90 days. Any help is appreciated.
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post #8 of 8
10/30/11 at 11:38am
I thought that I'd post here, since this came up at the top of the search results when I had the same problem. My bulb blew up. I replaced it with an Epson bulb. I had the horizontal split screen with two tones as others have. After searching the forum and googling, I thought that I was out of luck. I was going to try to get my money back for the bulb and start researching new projectors.

However, I had to go on a business trip. I returned 4 days later, and my family had used the projector while I was gone, and it cured itself! I'd guess that it was anywhere from 2 - 8 hours of use. (the kids didn't mind 2 tone cartoons, I guess) A month later, it's still good.

The cure was just as mysterious as the problem. I'm hoping I get another 3 years out of this one. So, if you have the same problem, and are out of warranty, you might try letting it run for a while.
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