[James W. Johnson]

I am in the market for an older LCD or DLP projector in the $1000-$1500 range, I have spent alot of time looking around and have found projectors that retailed for as much as $10,000 a few years ago can be had today in my price range.


What can go wrong with these units? How long can I expect a well maintained machine to last? Can they be repaired? Do companys offer parts for their older machines?




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James' DIY Speakers

 

[Gary McCoy]

James,

There are relatively few reports of any failures whatsoever in the archives of the Forum. These units appear to be as reliable as you might expect for modern electro-mechanical devices, and the manufacturers seem to be (on the whole) delivering the expected level of service.


Of more concern than failure rates may be obsolescence. Three to five years after you purchase a projector, it could be that projector bulbs (which are actually precision optical assemblies) for a particular model may become impossible to find. I plan on buying a spare bulb later this year and another next year. I also plan on retaining the old assemblies - it may be possible to get them re-bulbed at some point (there are already a few such experiments in the Forum archives). The spare bulbs stike me a a good investment - If I decide to upgrade and sell my projector, the prospective buyer would be assured of 2000 hours of viewing per bulb.


Gary