Official Panasonic AE2000 thread - Page 127

I've had a AE2000U for a few years now (great projector!), but tonight it started shutting itself off after just a few minutes of use. The lamp is at 2468 hours, and the "replace lamp" indicator has been on for a while now, so I guess it's trying to tell me something.

The thing is, before it shuts down, the picture quality is beautiful and bright -- same as the day I bought it. Is the lamp simply shutting off because the lamp hours counter is reaching some preset limit, or is the unit sensing a bad lamp somehow and proactively shutting it down?

Also, if anyone can recommend a good source for a replacement, I'd appreciate it (I can probably install it myself unless special tools are needed).

its funny that it's only started shutting off now as that behavior is supposed to begin happening after 2000 hrs. it's a built in indicator to change the lamp. there's nothing to stop you from resetting the lamp runtime and just continuing to use the old lamp, but this behavior is "not recommended".

frankly, I wish I had a lamp last 2400 hours. I've had three and they've all died within 1200.

Maybe, this is because he has switched the lamp power from normal to eco and/or viceversa, then the 2000 hours limit will differ.

I think that the issue is if the lamp goes all the way to failure while in the projector the results can be "bad" what bad means I am not sure and this may simply be Panasonic's way of moving forward bulb sales however I could conceive that the bulb could implode/explode and get glass everywhere inside the projector.

I would be curious to hear any comments from those more knowledgeable.....

That's my question exactly.

One more datapoint: I think I hear a faint very high frequency sound coming from the projector when I'm sitting under it. Maybe this is the bulb (ready to explode?)... or maybe just my ears (also ready to explode after too much loud music over the years).

I got a bulb from this place at an attractive price: http://www.hovanfue.com/store/

A question on 2.35:1 vs. 1.78:1... When I switch between 16:9 and zoomed 2.35:1, the image is centered for one or the other, not both. I didn't have this issue w/the AE3000. Maybe I did something to center both before, but don't recall. Any of you guys having this issue with your 2.35:1 screen setup?

jimsfield,

I didn't see a AE2000U bulb on their site. Is this what you purchased?

Can you share the % in price difference (landed cost) compared to what you found vs US supply?

This is the part# I purchased: ET-LAE1000

I ended up getting a replacement from PurelandSupply -- free shipping if ordered through ebay (although my wife couldn't wait and did the overnight!). :-) Trivial to replace, and the new bulb has eliminated the high-pitched noise I was hearing.

Could someone tell me how would this PJ would compare to the HD20 in terms of brightness and PQ .. Thanks

Heard my bulb go pop last night...the sound of $300+...1st bulb to go bad in my 3rd projector EVER! all this at about 1600 hours?

Now shopping for a new one...

Are you guys running your fan on high? My seller V.A. sugested bumping up the speed on the fan to extend the life of the bulb. At first i was reluctant being the extra noise and all, but now i don't even notice.

I've owned 5 Panasonic PJs (L300, L500, AE900, AE2000 & AE3000). All were set on hi-fan and low-power lamp. Never a broken lamp (fingers crossing )

ok so anyone know WTF is going on here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHMyACQlqcs

it's a crappy quality vid I shot with my iPhone but you can pretty clearly see the issue. the green flickering bottom middle is what I'm looking at. is this a malfunctioning LCD?

anyone have any ideas?

Thats a good suggestion...I do not prowl the forums as much as I should and probably did not run my fan on high, or clean the filter as I should...

Just ordered from PureLand Supply...was about to do the Japan Direct (Hovanfue) but PureLand is in my backyard and I might be able to just pick it up tomorrow...

I just got back from picking up my new bulb...the transaction with Pureland was smooth. They cancelled my shipping and refunded my card. The new bulb, while not an exact match in every detail, is close. I did remove the paper heat shield (bronze in color) from the old bulb and placed it over the new unit. The one other thing was a metal screen about 1" X .75" is not on the new unit, instead there is a plastic screen in the same location.

Where exactly is the Fan Setting?

There is not an specific Fan Setting. To set the fan to high speed:
MENU --> OPTION --> ALTITUDE --> HIGH
I had the AE2000 and now the AE3000 set with Lamp Power = ECO and Altitude = HIGH.

I have had my my PT-AE2000 for nearly 2 years and have somehow racked up over 4500hrs on a single bulb! Please don't do the maths.

I have had to reset the lamp hours twice now and while the image is discernibly dimmer than on day 1, using the adjustments (Normal/Dynamic Pic Mode + Increase Gamma + Expanded HDMI range) I can get very acceptable results, especially in a dark room.

The fan has become more noticeable but given that my PC is louder and located near it it has not bothered me.

I would also like to add that the projector and bulb was shipped across the Atlantic at about 2000 hours, so in my experience this in a excellent projector/bulb combination.

Wow 4500hrs. Do you ever shut that thing off? I was thinking 1000hrs in one year was alot and I use the 2000 for basic broadcast every night.

I go back and look at normal, but never find it as clear as color1,cinama1.

It is used as a TV/Internet/Movie display so I guess it is on more than most peoples. I have left it on all day a couple of times and I sometimes forget to put it on Sleep so it stays on all night.

I have had a flickering issue for the last 1000 hours or so but it stops after about 30 mins. The brightness has dimmed to the point where I need to have brightness up to 30 and only normal/dynamic is enough, Color1/Cinema1 do provide a nicer RGB but its a little too dark unless the room is pitch black.

Heres hoping for another 1000 hours

That isn't too good of an idea. You don't want the bulb to blow up. The mercury is apparently much more deadly these days than when I was in Jr. High and our teacher let us roll balls of Mercury around in our hands.
I would just get a new one and keep that old one for a spare.
Warren.

I agree treat yourself to a new bulb for the holliday. If your like me you won't want to have it out of service for even one day.

Besides you won the award for most hrs. on a single bulb!

Rob

I'm still on my first bulb and getting more hours (on "High" or "Normal" the entire time) than I have EVER gotten on a bulb in any projector (out of several). Almost 2000. Anyway, I do have that flipping back and forth every so often of the brightness. You guys probably call it "flicker" but the connotation of that is too fast. I've been ignoring it for quite a while. I was afraid of it from the beginning so I never have used the dynamic iris much. But I am so dumb, I bought the 4000 expecting they have finally addressed and remedied that problem. Hope the problem has been resolved.

I've had this issue crop up three times, basically every six months... and switching between Eco and Normal fixed it all three times. Someone explained the reasons to me once but I forget why. Something about current, temperature and the shape of the bulb...

When I first got the projector, I set it to Eco, switched to Normal about six months later, back to Eco about six after that and back to Normal again now.

And you're right... calling it flicker doesn't seem like an appropriate descriptor, since it's not a constant or repeating thing.

Thanks, DV, good tip. I'll give that a shot.

Thanks.. I am getting that "slow flicker" too so will try the eco flick.

About people suggesting I get a new bulb, I will be doing so in the new year but is it really true that it can blow up and spew mercury over me?

on the "slow flicker". the technical reason I have read has to do with the arc jumping around on the filament of the lamp. the problem being that once it starts doing this, the lamp has essentially been "programmed" to allow arcing to that point on the filament. ie, it will never completely go away. the 5 lamps I've had in my unit over a year and a half would seem to confirm this. the first 4 all started doing it anywhere from 700 to 1200 hours and never stopped. fingers crossed on #5 now.

I have had flicker on my old Benq 7700 and switching eco modes for a while permanently fixed it. It doesn't get permanently programmed. The other mode will wear the filament down differently erasing the "programming."

I really don't see how the bulb could blow up, and there isn't really that much mercury, but of course the fan is blowing heat from the bulb out into your theater. I really think that is an overstated fear. Still new bulbs are prettier.

In a few years we will all have laser projectors and laugh at how silly the old bulb projectors were. Kinda like when you switch your house over to cfl bulbs. The easy bake oven uses an incandesent bulb to bake cookies. So before cfl's you had dozens of ovens lighting up your house. Silly.