AVS › AVS Forum › Display Devices › Digital Projectors - Under $3,000 USD MSRP › Epson 6100, 8100, 6500ub, 8500ub, 7500ub, 9500ub Post Pre-Mature Lamp Failure here
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Epson 6100, 8100, 6500ub, 8500ub, 7500ub, 9500ub Post Pre-Mature Lamp Failure here - Page 8

post #211 of 227
12/6/12 at 7:49pm
EPSON 8500UB here:

3/15/2010 Purchased.
Approx 6/2010, first bulb burns out with 767 hours. EPSON sends replacement bulb.
9/1/2010 - second bulb burns out with approx 400 hours on it. EPSON sends refurbushed projector (wait - how much did I pay for a scratched unit again? . . . uh . . . hmmm . . .)
1/5/2011 - third bulb (now in refurbished projector) goes out with 1022 hours on it.
EPSON claims there was a manufacturing defect that is now solved.
9/15/2011 - fourth bulb burns out after 1785 hours - halfway (kind of) to the stated 4000!
7/20/2012 - fifth bulb burns out after 1405 hours. I am now out of warrantee, so pay $300 something for a new bulb.
9/15/2012 - sixth bulb is showing massive red shift in image. EPSON customer service is all gone - they think the unit is now defective, and that my recently purchased bulb is still fine! Had I any idea that the EPSON bulbs would only last 1,000 hours, I would have never purchased from this company.
12/5/2012 - sixth bulb burns out with 893 hours on it.

My projector is in a basement - typically very cool room - about 10 inches from a drop ceiling. Regular modes, no additional fans on the unit. I think that EPSON just does not understand how to correctly cool their bulbs is all, and I don't think that they care too much either. Too bad - I spent some time doing research and figured short life bulbs was a fluke, but no more. I wish I knew what percent of owners have longer life bulbs, and whether there is a defect with my unit or what, but EPSON never bothered to get back on me with my new projector they replaced with a refurbished one, so I really feel like I was taken to the wood shed on this whole thing. I mean, does ANYONE get 3,000 hours? What percent? 25? 50? 75? Am I one of just 2% of users? If I buy a new one will I likely get 2,000 hours?

EPSON is certainly not forthcoming with any imformation like this, which leads me to believe that this is more common than not. They basically ask one thing: "Are you in warrantee?" If yes, here is a new bulb, if no - have a nice day.

They are quick to point out that the bulbs last "up to" 4,000 hours and that there is no guarantee (except for a 30 day one!) I foolishly did the math at half capacity and figured since I would SURELY get 2,000 hours, I would be fine with that, but I have never gotten 2,000 hours. Heck, I felt good when I broke 1,500 hours - that is a THIRD of what they inidicate the bulbs will do.

Oh well - live and learn. I will just probably NOT do business with this company ever again. Kind of turns me off on their printers, too, by the way . . . .
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #212 of 227
12/8/12 at 9:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mnmvick View Post

EPSON 8500UB here:
3/15/2010 Purchased.
Approx 6/2010, first bulb burns out with 767 hours. EPSON sends replacement bulb.
9/1/2010 - second bulb burns out with approx 400 hours on it. EPSON sends refurbushed projector (wait - how much did I pay for a scratched unit again? . . . uh . . . hmmm . . .)
1/5/2011 - third bulb (now in refurbished projector) goes out with 1022 hours on it.
EPSON claims there was a manufacturing defect that is now solved.
9/15/2011 - fourth bulb burns out after 1785 hours - halfway (kind of) to the stated 4000!
7/20/2012 - fifth bulb burns out after 1405 hours. I am now out of warrantee, so pay $300 something for a new bulb.
9/15/2012 - sixth bulb is showing massive red shift in image. EPSON customer service is all gone - they think the unit is now defective, and that my recently purchased bulb is still fine! Had I any idea that the EPSON bulbs would only last 1,000 hours, I would have never purchased from this company.
12/5/2012 - sixth bulb burns out with 893 hours on it.
My projector is in a basement - typically very cool room - about 10 inches from a drop ceiling. Regular modes, no additional fans on the unit. I think that EPSON just does not understand how to correctly cool their bulbs is all, and I don't think that they care too much either. Too bad - I spent some time doing research and figured short life bulbs was a fluke, but no more. I wish I knew what percent of owners have longer life bulbs, and whether there is a defect with my unit or what, but EPSON never bothered to get back on me with my new projector they replaced with a refurbished one, so I really feel like I was taken to the wood shed on this whole thing. I mean, does ANYONE get 3,000 hours? What percent? 25? 50? 75? Am I one of just 2% of users? If I buy a new one will I likely get 2,000 hours?
EPSON is certainly not forthcoming with any imformation like this, which leads me to believe that this is more common than not. They basically ask one thing: "Are you in warrantee?" If yes, here is a new bulb, if no - have a nice day.
They are quick to point out that the bulbs last "up to" 4,000 hours and that there is no guarantee (except for a 30 day one!) I foolishly did the math at half capacity and figured since I would SURELY get 2,000 hours, I would be fine with that, but I have never gotten 2,000 hours. Heck, I felt good when I broke 1,500 hours - that is a THIRD of what they inidicate the bulbs will do.
Oh well - live and learn. I will just probably NOT do business with this company ever again. Kind of turns me off on their printers, too, by the way . . . .

I'm with you. Three bulbs blew at less than 1k hours. All at ecco until the bulb was too dim (problem in itself) at around 750 hours.

Epson lost me as advocate with the bulb issue. The 4k bulb claim was one of my factor in choosing the 8500. Consistently getting 1/4 of that claim is a big miss for Epson and trashes the "price/value" of the product. If I had known upfront the bulb would only last 1k hours, I would have calculated the lifetime value differently and likely chosen a different brand/model.

Speaking of lifetime value, I am one of the many dealing with the "pink band". Basically, the unit is worthless at less than 3 years. I've gone from being an Epson advocate to a "detractor". I advise everyone to stay away from the brand. A shame, because when it worked, the picture was great. Not worth the price, though, in the big picture.

Now I need to start looking toward my next brand of projector. Panny, JVC, Sony?
Reply
Reply
post #213 of 227
1/4/13 at 2:46am
Epson TW2000 same as the 8500UB,Purchased new Feb 2009 here in Australia.Unit has been a great projector replaced first lamp under warranty at 2700hrs around 2 years due to image blur hadn't blown but was getting dim.Sent unit in for a check over got a firmware upgrade.Came back from Epson with a new bulb installed.Second bulb lasted to 2200hrs and popped.On third bulb now after market OME replacement 10 hours, Epson was out of lamps for my model so got after market a bit cheaper picture quality on new lamp sharp like first lamp no lamp smell possibly Chinese not sure.See how it goes 2000 hour or 6 months warranty same as Epson Lamp.

First bulb had a bad acrid smell for about 600 hrs picture quality perfect for 2000 hours.Second bulb acrid smell for about 100 hours picture quality not as sharp as the first lamp picture quality dropped off around 1800 hours and a little blurry.Blame myself for reduced life on second lamp would turn off projector and turn it back on without letting it cool down correctly often.A few power failures.

Overall very happy getting 4900 hours out of two lamps and not having to fork out for a new lamp for nearly 4 years.Projector is main unit gets about 3.5 hours usage per day, gaming, movies, TV.Room average size high ceilings, mounted on a wall shelf gets air filter replaced every 6 months.Will use this unit for another year and upgrade to a new Epson will of course do my home work and buy a run out model with the best reviews don't need the latest and greatest.

I will say I do believe a lot of issues with projector lamps failing early has a lot to do with bad batches of Chinese lamps made at the lowest cost.Like a lot of manufactures trying to ride the yellow brick road to riches they have all been caught with inferior quality products and burnt.Sign of the times.I also do think letting the unit heat up and cool down correctly does extend bulb life.
Reply
Reply
post #214 of 227
4/15/13 at 5:30pm
Pop. 8100. 1200hrs. First bulb. Out of warranty.
Reply
Reply
post #215 of 227
4/26/13 at 11:48pm
Is there any point of getting used epson projector without warranty?
I mean if lamps pop around 1000h...

I`ve been looking for 6500ub/8500ub and now i ran into opportunity to purchase a dirt-cheap 7500ub with low hours, but then i saw this thread...

Has anyone ever clocked over 3000h on their lamps with epson pj`s?
Edited by Donhou - 4/27/13 at 4:45am
Reply
Reply
post #216 of 227
4/27/13 at 7:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Donhou View Post

Is there any point of getting used epson projector without warranty?
I mean if lamps pop around 1000h...

I`ve been looking for 6500ub/8500ub and now i ran into opportunity to purchase a dirt-cheap 7500ub with low hours, but then i saw this thread...

Has anyone ever clocked over 3000h on their lamps with epson pj`s?

I'm on my 4th bulb on an 8500. First bulb to make to 1000 even with eco!! This one made it to 1,300.

To make matter worse, I started getting the red/pink band of death last year and with new bulb it is horrible. I also now have a blue band on the bottom.

I've tried everything (overscan, overshoot) to hide the bands, but they are still there. Unwatchable.

I was hopping to wait another year to get a trickle down 4k projector, but looks like I'll need to get a replacement this year. I'll probably buy a Sony or JVC.

Lesson learned: Never buy Epson.
Edited by Java - 4/27/13 at 8:04am
Reply
Reply
post #217 of 227
5/11/13 at 1:20am
my fourth bulb blew and I'm out of warranty. Epson always told me " don't worry, we got a bad batch of bulbs, your projector is fine, we are sending you a new bulb for free." when my 4th bulb blew they told me it was a hardware issue and I will have to pay to have my projector fixed. I believe this was their plan all along, replace bulbs until warranty was up. I filed a complaint with bbb and they haven't responded to it after bbb tried to get a hold of them twice. I am now fishing in forums for a lawyer to file a class action lawsuit; there are hundreds of people who had the same problem that I'm sure will sign on.
Reply
Reply
post #218 of 227
6/3/13 at 5:35pm
Well I have same story:

Room 65-78, filter cleaned every month, THX Mode, calibrated with Home Theater Essentials.

MAR 2010 purchased projector, bulb out by Jun 2011 bought replacement from Projector people (EPSON OEM)
then bulb got super dim, no indicator light, purchased Bulb from Epson.com March 2012. Now April 2013
bulb out, not more than 600hr/bulb. I only watch movies (Blu-ray), about 10hr/week.
Epson - " out of warranty" send to repair facility. Been in the shop since End of April. Shop tells me that I need
new ballast, and 4 cooling fans $500 parts and $200 in labor. After all this still need to get a $300 bulb.
Am very disappointed, when the new bulb used, picture is remarkable, however less then 1000hr/bulb utterly unacceptable.

Sad, I didn't want to go and get a Panny, but am left with no choice. Will never ever purchase Epson for anything again.

mad.gif
Reply
Reply
post #219 of 227
6/4/13 at 5:10pm
My bulb id dead at 1650 hours.

epson 6100

just got off the phone with customer support and they wont do anything because its out of warranty .


anyone have luck getting free bulbs out of warranty? any tips?
Reply
Reply
post #220 of 227
6/5/13 at 11:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhansen View Post

My bulb id dead at 1650 hours.

epson 6100

just got off the phone with customer support and they wont do anything because its out of warranty .


anyone have luck getting free bulbs out of warranty? any tips?

I was sent my second out-of-warranty lamp last week. (I'm 14 months out of warranty.) The representative didn't want to do anything because it is out of warranty. I repeatedly told him I wanted them to replace my projector with a new one since this has been a recurring problem since the projector was a year old. He said he couldn't do that and that mine needs to be sent in for service. I told him I wanted to speak with his supervisor, and after being on hold for about 10 minutes, he said he was sending me a new lamp. He said his supervisor was busy and couldn't talk.

So, maybe try asking for a supervisor. Last year, when I called seven months out of warranty, the representative offered a replacement lamp immediately, without my even asking. It just depends on who you talk to. Try calling multiple times. Good luck.
Reply
Reply
post #221 of 227
6/5/13 at 6:00pm
I will try again tomorrow.

I emailed them and they told me to bad.


Is anyone finding out about a class action lawsuit?
Reply
Reply
post #222 of 227
6/6/13 at 6:25am
I have the Epson 8700. I'm currently going through BBB service and Epson is just ignoring my complaint. My only action left is to spread the word on the internet about how bad Epson products are; forums & store reviews.
Reply
Reply
post #223 of 227
6/6/13 at 7:27am
I'm going to call them again today and tell them I plan on filing a complaint with the bbb.
Reply
Reply
post #224 of 227
6/6/13 at 3:59pm
i have a refurbished 6500 ub with 1500 hours on the bulb. It is the second bulb i have used. The first one had about 3700 hours before it got a little dim and i replaced it.
I have owned 3 Epson projectors in the past and all have worked flawlessly so this thread is a shocker too me!
Reply
Reply
post #225 of 227
6/6/13 at 7:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhansen View Post

I will try again tomorrow.

I emailed them and they told me to bad.


Is anyone finding out about a class action lawsuit?

I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think you'd be able to file suit against Epson. The lamps have a 90-day warranty and are advertised to last "up to 4000 hours." There is also a disclaimer that says, "Lamp life will vary depending upon mode selected, environmental conditions and usage. Lamp brightness decreases over time."

Legally, they're protected from lawsuits regarding lamp life with this wording. You'd have to prove that there is an inherent problem in all of the projectors, not the lamps, and that would require getting access to a large number of projectors and having a professional look at each unit to see if such a defect exists.

Like I said, I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know for sure if it could or couldn't be done. I don't even know what the problem is. It could be bad lamps, a problem with the projector, or a heat issue.

I suspect that it is a heat issue, but I don't know if it is something with my setup or if something is wrong with the design of the projector. Epson told me that if it was a heat issue the projector should shut off before allowing the lamp to get hot enough to start drooping the way it did, but my projector has never shut off due to heat. Perhaps that is the problem, it isn't shutting down when it should.

What I do know is that newer models don't have these complaints about premature lamp failure, and the design of the new projectors has radically changed.
Edited by Lava Lamp Freak - 6/6/13 at 7:48pm
Reply
Reply
post #226 of 227
6/7/13 at 7:26am
Shity.

Looks like I will throw it on eBay. I can't justify spending $300 every 1500 hours.
Reply
Reply
post #227 of 227
6/19/13 at 8:42am
I ended up buying a $65 lamp on ebay, I doubt it will last as long as the original but I can get 3 of these for the price of one original.

I am getting a red tint at the top of the image. It was there before with the original bulb and I was hoping the new one would fix it.

Is there something I can do to fix that?
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Display Devices › Digital Projectors - Under $3,000 USD MSRP › Epson 6100, 8100, 6500ub, 8500ub, 7500ub, 9500ub Post Pre-Mature Lamp Failure here