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Bulb Life 2006: All Microdisplay owners please vote

post #1 of 129
1/10/06 at 11:28am
Thread Starter 
I originally posted a poll on this back in March '05. I figure now a lot of people have put more hours on their sets and I figured I'd re-poll.

Here's last years poll http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=516125

CCourtney

EDIT: Corrected URL to point to last years poll instead of a picture of my TV

EDIT: Adding information about Service Menu's so users can find their lamp usage.

Most people can find the hours on their bulb by going into their Service Menu (SM). If people send me a PM I'll post links threads indicating how to get into the SM of various sets.

Instructions for entering the SM of various HDTVs
Samsung DLP Sets: With power off, using the remote Mute, 1, 8, 2, Power will get you into your service menu.

Caution: Before changing settings in the SM it is strongly advised that you write down all the settings in the SM. There have been reports of people damaging sets by making changes in the SM, so if you're not comfortable don't do it. Browsing the SM to find the bulb usage does not require the changing of SM settings.

SM Picturers:
JVC D-ILA
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post6454176

Mitsu 1080p
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post6201460

Panasonic
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post5677129

Hitachi LCD
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post5144531

Samsung DLP
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post3841704

Toshiba DLP
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post4864441

Owner Threads:
HP Pavilion DLP
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=592933

Qualia 006
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=498008

RCA HDxxLPW162
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=474836

Toshiba xxMX195
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=597364

Sony SXRD xxBR1
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=584936

Toshiba 1080p
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=541611

Hitachi LCD V500
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=351829

Samsung 1080p
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=559872

Thanks go out to Videobruce for most of the links here.

CCourtney
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post #2 of 129
1/10/06 at 11:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by c1courtney View Post

I originally posted a poll on this back in March '05. I figure now a lot of people have put more hours on their sets and I figured I'd re-poll.

Here's last years poll http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attac...chmentid=32310

CCourtney

the url is a picture.....no results
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post #3 of 129
1/11/06 at 6:01am
Thread Starter 
Need to bump this back up to the top
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post #4 of 129
1/11/06 at 6:59am
Needs to be a 'sticky'! Request submitted to the 'powers to be'.
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post #5 of 129
1/11/06 at 8:01am
This is an excellent poll. Can administrators sticky is to always be on top?

A sister poll would be to ask average daily viewing hours or length of time before bulb pops.
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post #6 of 129
1/11/06 at 8:06am
There also needs the be the ability to change your vote or at the least vote again. Say, for example, I vote that my lamp is still working on the original from 2-4K at 2500 hours and I vote accordingly. Six months later it goes out at 3500 hours. I would want to change my vote or add an additional one. Just a thought.
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post #7 of 129
1/11/06 at 8:51pm
Quote:


This is an excellent poll. Can administrators sticky is to always be on top?

I tried and it was shot down..............
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post #8 of 129
1/11/06 at 10:48pm
Wish this poll was more granular because the ranges are too large to be real meaningful. Big difference between 2000 hours and 3999.
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post #9 of 129
1/12/06 at 5:48am
Thread Starter 
I think we all have lots of wish's for this poll. But with the restrictions of 'vote once - no update', 10 questions maximum, and the potential for abuse if you use the 'multiple choice' option. This was the best I could come up with.

CCourtney
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post #10 of 129
1/12/06 at 7:50am
Your choices were fine. Too bad more don't vote.

Possible solution is to post 'How Tos' for the SM for the more popular sets.
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post #11 of 129
1/12/06 at 8:52am
I just voted; 6K+ on orignal lamp. I've held off fearful that I'd be jinxing myself. (Tomorrow is Friday the 13th afterall).


Anyway, I ordered my replacement lamp already and expect to be swapping it in this weekend. My strategy is to use the new one within its 90 warranty and store the new one, that I am hoping will still work, as a backup should I have bulb failure.

YMMV

EDIT: I have a 42 inch GWIII RP that was purchased in October 2003.

Finally did it with 6,488 hours on the original. Placed it in box and stored it as a spare just in case.
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post #12 of 129
1/12/06 at 9:00am
Is there a serial number ot a date code on these lamps??

IOW's how can anyone tell when it was bought' made and installed?
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post #13 of 129
1/12/06 at 10:49am
I find this strange, maybe I'm trolling...

With 52 votes in only 4 of them have replaced their bulb. That's 7.7%. With all the complaining about having to replace our bulbs and the cost and the short life span and 'only people with problems read these forums' and related talk on this board you would think it would be much higher. I also figure 4K-6K hours is reasonable life for these bulbs, I know I don't always treat my bulb well. So less than 4% (so far) have had an early failure, and likely replace under warranty.

Not bad - so far.
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post #14 of 129
1/12/06 at 11:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stoopid37 View Post

I find this strange, maybe I'm trolling...

With 52 votes in only 4 of them have replaced their bulb. That's 7.7%. With all the complaining about having to replace our bulbs and the cost and the short life span and 'only people with problems read these forums' and related talk on this board you would think it would be much higher. I also figure 4K-6K hours is reasonable life for these bulbs, I know I don't always treat my bulb well. So less than 4% (so far) have had an early failure, and likely replace under warranty.

Not bad - so far.

Your assessment is fair, and consistent from what I've read on other forums. However, both Sony and Sammy, and others to some extent, had bulb and ballast problems, early on. But I would say 2005 was break in that pattern with those sets being repaired and others acquiring displays since late 2004. Still, not one failure in less than 2000 hours. I am sure there have been a few, but mostly attributed to what I said previously.
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post #15 of 129
1/12/06 at 11:27am
Got less than 3500 on the first bulb, less than half that on the second. Not sure about the third one ... still going ....
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post #16 of 129
1/12/06 at 12:46pm
Um how do people know how many hours are on their bulbs.Do the sets have some counter in there you can reset or something?I can't imagine the average guy would log his hours.I sure don't.And if no counter in the tv then these are all just best guess data and might be very off.
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post #17 of 129
1/12/06 at 12:50pm
Most TV's do log the bulb time, but is usually accessable from the service menu. My number was a guess. Based on 3-5 hours of use per day. Some days are more others are less, but that is pretty close. Works out to about 1275hr a year, for me.
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post #18 of 129
1/13/06 at 5:54am
Maybe the owner of the thread could edit his 1st post to include mentioning the SM and thread links to some of the more popular models.
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post #19 of 129
1/13/06 at 6:21am
Thread Starter 
videobruce,

If you got the links send me a PM, and I'll post them. I'm sorry but I don't have the time at the moment to do the searching
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post #20 of 129
1/13/06 at 8:12am
Since I don't have a set to watch , I guess I can take a look..............
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post #21 of 129
1/13/06 at 10:20am
I voted 4-6K original bulb, but to clarify, I had gotten 4-6k out of my original bulb. Then I only got about 1800 hours on the second bulb at failure. I will also toss out my personal opinion...no projection TV set ever again...has since been replaced with a Hitachi 55" Plasma. I love it.

Good Luck,
Mark
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post #22 of 129
1/13/06 at 2:19pm
Have just under 3000 hrs on my Sony 55WF655 and still going strong....hope I didn't just jinx myself.
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post #23 of 129
1/14/06 at 6:56am
I updated the Samsung link for entering the SM, since it wasn't there orginally.
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post #24 of 129
1/15/06 at 9:03am
Over 5000 hours on the original bulb. I need to be proactive and purchase a spare.
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post #25 of 129
1/15/06 at 11:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mattbugz View Post

Over 5000 hours on the original bulb. I need to be proactive and purchase a spare.

Buy a new one, and save the original for a spare. Never buy 'spares' . Warranties are typically only 90 days on replacement lamps.
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post #26 of 129
1/15/06 at 2:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lynns_rich View Post

Have just under 3000 hrs on my Sony 55WF655 and still going strong....hope I didn't just jinx myself.

I put my 60WF655 on low power mode from day one. I have 3500 hrs on it so far.

However, I just picked up a spare off ebay the other day just in case.
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post #27 of 129
1/15/06 at 10:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jschner View Post

I put my 60WF655 on low power mode from day one. I have 3500 hrs on it so far.

However, I just picked up a spare off ebay the other day just in case.

And if your old bulb goes out at 91 days, the new one would be out of it's 90 day warranty.
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post #28 of 129
1/15/06 at 10:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by videoaddikt View Post

And if your old bulb goes out at 91 days, the new one would be out of it's 90 day warranty.

Seeing how it's an "unused" ebay bulb from a private party, I seriously doubt the word "warranty" even applies here. Got an excellent price on it though so hopefully it works out.
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post #29 of 129
1/16/06 at 7:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jschner View Post

Seeing how it's an "unused" ebay bulb from a private party, I seriously doubt the word "warranty" even applies here. Got an excellent price on it though so hopefully it works out.

You did not explain that before. Good luck with that!
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post #30 of 129
1/17/06 at 5:08am
bump
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