From a standpoint of cost, is it better to buy a lamp/bulb for a projector early in the lifecycle of the projector, or is it better to buy it when you actually need the bulb?
I have an Boxlight CD-455M. I know the stories of the bulbs blowing out on these units, but luckily, it hasn't happened to me yet. I know that eventually, I have to get a new bulb. Logic tells me to wait till the projector is discontinued and therefore is cheaper. If the unit as a whole is cheaper, then possibly the parts for it will be cheaper. Makes sense to me. But by doing this, do I risk the unit becomeing so old that parts for it are hard to come by? Making the bulbs a rarity? The skeptic in me knows the high price of rarity.
I ask this because at the rate I am going at, I won't need a new bulb for another 2 1/2 years (if the CD-455M doesn't blow up on me prematurely). $300-$400 invested in a bulb that may not get used until then, when it may cost significantly less, is quite a costly price for a being prepared with a replacement bulb in hand.
So veteran owners of projectors, when it comes to buying bulbs, is it your experience that "sooner is better then later?"
I have an Boxlight CD-455M. I know the stories of the bulbs blowing out on these units, but luckily, it hasn't happened to me yet. I know that eventually, I have to get a new bulb. Logic tells me to wait till the projector is discontinued and therefore is cheaper. If the unit as a whole is cheaper, then possibly the parts for it will be cheaper. Makes sense to me. But by doing this, do I risk the unit becomeing so old that parts for it are hard to come by? Making the bulbs a rarity? The skeptic in me knows the high price of rarity.
I ask this because at the rate I am going at, I won't need a new bulb for another 2 1/2 years (if the CD-455M doesn't blow up on me prematurely). $300-$400 invested in a bulb that may not get used until then, when it may cost significantly less, is quite a costly price for a being prepared with a replacement bulb in hand.
So veteran owners of projectors, when it comes to buying bulbs, is it your experience that "sooner is better then later?"