[olePigeon]

I found the Sharp XR30X. Under $600 at some places with no tax + free shipping. 1024x768 and has DVI-D (HDCP). I thought that was pretty good, but after looking at projectors (any type, any price range) all of them have bulbs that are at least $250.

What the hell? 2000 to 3000 hours? Maybe 6 months worth of viewing, and you have to spend almost half the price of the projector for a LIGHT BULB?! There's a flood light I installed on my mom's garage that's been there for years. Cost me $20. Brighter than any projector. Why the hell does the bulb cost $250?

That alone has completely put me off of ever owning a projection system (unless I win the lottery or something.)

[residentEvil]

i have a sanyo PLV-Z4 i use in my theater. cost new was around $2000 (2005). used for all TV watching and movies the first 2 years, now just movies as i have several HD tvs in the house for day to day watching. haven't changed the bulb yet. replacements are around $270. expected life: 2000 hours. it has several economy bulb settings and i have chosen the "longest life" option if you will. i now have over 3100 hours and still "okay". it is time for a new bulb though but i'm prolonging it as much as i can. will probably get one in time for superbowl XLIII; didn't use it for XLII as i went to a party this year.

prior to that, i had an epson powerlite 7250. cost new was around $6500 (1999). used it for all TV watching and movies and replaced the bulb every 8 months or so. replacements were around $480. expected life: 2000 hours. no economy bulb setting.

i have found 2 things:

first; if you can control the ambient light, setting the bulb to the "longest life setting" is perfectly fine for movie watching and most tv. sports/live action i would set it back to normal. this will help prolong the life of the bulb.

second; if you have a day to day tv or HD tv, using that and saving the projector for movies makes the experience that much more exciting. and again, prolongs the life of the bulb.

i have no problem justifying another projector for the theater, specially when my blu-ray collection gets bigger. i'll want to have 1080p in the theater too, not just my living room where my PS3 is. i'll more than likely end up with a sanyo again. their new PLV-Z2000 is top notch.

my tv habits are 4-6 hours each night during the week and 10+ on saturday and sunday.

[- - e r i k - -]

It doesn't really explain the price of bulbs though.

[residentEvil]

wasn't trying; just showing the OP you can make them last

[Jawbone54]

What about if you want the picture to be so bright that it practically burns your eyes out?

Additionally, if I had a massive projector, I'd be watching EVERYTHING on it.

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

What about if you want the picture to be so bright that it practically burns your eyes out?

Additionally, if I had a massive projector, I'd be watching EVERYTHING on it.

well, if you were to turn and look directly at the bulb, even one at 800 - 900 lumens, for any length of the time you would burn your eyes out.

oh trust me, i like watching everything on 110". but since i have other tvs, why not use them and save the theater for movies? like i said it makes it more of an event. if i get in PPV fights or for special sporting events, most coming over will find their way to the theater to watch it on the big screen as it unique for them. now that more and more HD content is available though, i will watch those in the theater if it is a program i enjoy. and seeing Get Out or Everyday Italian in all of their HD glory in the theater...

*orgasmic* ha!

[mduell]

1. The bulb has more light output than an random $20 floodlight.
2. The bulb has the correct color temperature.
3. At reasonable viewing volumes (a couple hours a day), 2000-3000 hours lasts years.

[Eug]

Yup. A standard floodlamp is basically totally useless for any sort of projection system obviously.

$250 for a projector lamp is pretty good actually. The lamp for my Panasonic PT-AX200U is $400. (The projector costs $1300.)

P.S. My projector is 2000 lumens. However, I watch a small fraction of that, since the best colour balance and contrast are with the ambient room lights turned down with the brightness of the projector at a fairly low setting.

[ghporter]

The bulb is the hard part. It has to be VERY bright, VERY consistent, VERY clear, properly focused and completely even across the whole envelope, not use too much current, not get too hot, etc. Yes, they're expensive buggers. The projectors I used 10 years ago (suitcase-sized Panasonics) used $500 lamps. But as I say, the lamp is the heart of the projector, and almost everything else is relatively trivial.

[olePigeon]

Guess I'll have to wait for the LED projectors. 50,000 to 100,000 hours. Seems more reasonable.

[The Godfather]

1. 1024x768 is not a future-proof investment.
2. Get store warranty.
3. Wait for a Luxim LiFi projector.

The $20 Metal-Halide or whatever on your mom's garage might be bright enough or white enough, but it is not a point light source like a projector lamp. MR16 halogens are point sources, but they don't come in 250W.

[DeathToWindows]

It may not suit your needs, but Mitsubishi's PK10/PK20 units are LED-illuminated miniprojectors. They should run around $400.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

The bulb is the hard part. It has to be VERY bright, VERY consistent, VERY clear, properly focused and completely even across the whole envelope, not use too much current, not get too hot, etc. Yes, they're expensive buggers. The projectors I used 10 years ago (suitcase-sized Panasonics) used $500 lamps. But as I say, the lamp is the heart of the projector, and almost everything else is relatively trivial.

Thanks for the explanation. I sympathise a bit more with the excessive pricing now

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by DeathToWindows 

It may not suit your needs, but Mitsubishi's PK10/PK20 units are LED-illuminated miniprojectors. They should run around $400.

Yeah, but only 20 lumens and you can't replace the LED. You'd need a pretty dark room for that to work.

[turtle777]

$250 ? This is outrageous. I can get light bulbs at the Dollar Store for $ 1.

WTF ?

-t