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Why don't LCD displays have replaceable bulbs?
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Landos Mustache
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Aug 14, 2006, 01:22 PM
 
It drives me nuts.

You buy an expensive display and watch it slowly yellow and fade over the years. A cheap $20 bulb and you can be back to day one.

Why do manufacturers not do this? Other then the obvious of they want to sell you a new display.

On my LCD rear projection TV the bulb burns out in 5000 hours or so and all you have to do is pop in a new one and it is like the day you bought it.

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turtle777
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Aug 14, 2006, 01:31 PM
 
So, the bulbs are hard-wired into the display ?

Given that you are able to get the replacement bulb, soldering shouldn't be to hard.
But of course, it's gonna be hard to get your hand on such a replacement bulb.

Why ? Because the manufacturer makes more money with selling a whole new panel.

Btw, how much TV do you watch ?
5000 hours should last you a while. By then, a new comparable model shouldn't cost a lot.

-t
     
CMYKid
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Aug 14, 2006, 01:56 PM
 
not at all the same thing...or the same type of "bulb" for that matter.

assuming you're referring to display panels.
     
itai195
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Aug 14, 2006, 02:00 PM
 
Might have something to do with your computer LCD not being a projection display.
     
MaxPower2k3
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Aug 14, 2006, 02:04 PM
 
An LCD rear projector uses something akin to a high-powered halogen bulb. Fairly easy to handle and install. LCD panels use long, thin, delecate CCFL fluorescent bulbs that run the length of the edge of the display. They're built into the display panel and not easy to remove. Additionally, the bulb and inverter board run on extremely high voltage (600+ volts) that makes them potentially dangerous. The bulbs can be replaced by technicians, so it is possible, but it's not something companies want to go suggesting to Joe Blow consumer only to have him break his display or hurt himself.

edit: plus, the CCFL bulbs last much longer than rear projection bulbs. The lifespan is long enough that they should outlast the laptop (with some degradation in quality) so it's not really worth the effort to make it user replaceable.

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Aug 14, 2006, 02:12 PM
 
http://www.prad.de/new/monitore/shownews_faq23.html

According to "Prad – the TFT experts" the backlight is replaceable.
     
Landos Mustache  (op)
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Aug 14, 2006, 02:15 PM
 
Originally Posted by itai195
Might have something to do with your computer LCD not being a projection display.

No really?

Guess it wasn't clear enough for ya.

People buy LCD TV's that cost $4000. The bulbs burn out. If you are smart enough you can hack them open and replace the bulb yourself.

Same goes for desktop LCD's.

With my TV being a LCD and rear projection they use a different bulb that can be replaced.

There is no technical reason this can't be done on non-rear projection LCD's.

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itai195
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Aug 14, 2006, 02:19 PM
 


There is no technical reason, but read what MaxPower wrote. The physical differences make changing the bulb in most direct view LCDs much more difficult than replacing a projection bulb.
     
Landos Mustache  (op)
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Aug 14, 2006, 02:24 PM
 
Originally Posted by itai195


There is no technical reason, but read what MaxPower wrote. The physical differences make changing the bulb in most direct view LCDs much more difficult than replacing a projection bulb.
So, you think with a tiny bit of research they can make bulbs that slide in or pop out the back.

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itai195
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Aug 14, 2006, 02:27 PM
 
Well to that point, there just isn't much reason to change the bulbs, as MaxPower also pointed out. It could be done with enough demand from consumers, but I don't think there is much demand.

Consumers view the economics of projection televisions differently -- they're used to TVs that work for decades, so a technology that needs servicing by a technician every couple years would never have survived in the market.
     
Landos Mustache  (op)
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Aug 14, 2006, 02:31 PM
 
Originally Posted by itai195
Consumers view the economics of projection televisions differently -- they're used to TVs that work for decades, so a technology that needs servicing by a technician every couple years would never have survived in the market.
Keep in mind people are buying EXPENSIVE LCD TV's that they expect to last for years.

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itai195
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Aug 14, 2006, 02:33 PM
 
Yeah well, I don't understand those people
     
Zeeb
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Aug 14, 2006, 02:52 PM
 
Originally Posted by Landos Mustache
So, you think with a tiny bit of research they can make bulbs that slide in or pop out the back.
Why don't you write to whomever makes the LCD your bitching about and ask them? Or start own company manufacturing LCD's with replaceable bulbs? really, who cares?
     
IceEnclosure
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Aug 14, 2006, 02:56 PM
 
buy our $280 BenQ 20" widescreen, and replace the bulb in a few years for $60!! That'll get sales of new displays BOOMING!


ice
     
Landos Mustache  (op)
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Aug 14, 2006, 02:58 PM
 
Originally Posted by Zeeb
Why don't you write to whomever makes the LCD your bitching about and ask them? Or start own company manufacturing LCD's with replaceable bulbs? really, who cares?

I'm rather surprised anyone would defend this but what the hell

And for who cares? People with $2500 Apple displays that they use for colour work and have them turn yellow after a few years.

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Zeeb
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Aug 14, 2006, 03:04 PM
 
Originally Posted by Landos Mustache
I'm rather surprised anyone would defend this but what the hell

And for who cares? People with $2500 Apple displays that they use for colour work and have them turn yellow after a few years.
If you're wearing out a $2500 Apple display to the point that you're burning it out within a few years it probably means you're in front of the computer far too long. Stop using manhunt.net and get a life.
     
Landos Mustache  (op)
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Aug 14, 2006, 03:06 PM
 
Originally Posted by Zeeb
Why don't you write to whomever makes the LCD your bitching about and ask them? Or start own company manufacturing LCD's with replaceable bulbs? really, who cares?
Next time you complain anything about Apple I'll be sure to tell you to start your own computer company

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Zeeb
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Aug 14, 2006, 03:09 PM
 
Originally Posted by Landos Mustache
Next time you complain anything about Apple I'll be sure to tell you to start your own computer company
If I start complaining about something like wanting a replaceable scroll wheel on an Ipod I've used for 10 years then please do.
     
Landos Mustache  (op)
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Aug 14, 2006, 03:14 PM
 
Originally Posted by Zeeb
If I start complaining about something like wanting a replaceable scroll wheel on an Ipod I've used for 10 years then please do.
Wow 10 years eh. You own a delorean or something?

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imitchellg5
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Aug 14, 2006, 03:21 PM
 
How do you own a 10 year old iPod when the oldest iPod is just under 5 years old?
     
IceEnclosure
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Aug 14, 2006, 03:23 PM
 
there should be a "duh" face. Zeeb is trying to illustrate that it'd be silly to do something like that.. five years from now.
ice
     
Zeeb
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Aug 14, 2006, 03:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by imitchellg5
How do you own a 10 year old iPod when the oldest iPod is just under 5 years old?
I didn't say I had an Ipod for ten years. If I had an Ipod for ten years.
     
Landos Mustache  (op)
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Aug 14, 2006, 03:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by IceEnclosure
there should be a "duh" face. Zeeb is trying to illustrate that it'd be silly to do something like that.. five years from now.
iPods cost a couple hundred and gets lots of physical abuse and still work.

LCD's cost up to $4000 and start to yellow after a couple years.

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imitchellg5
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Aug 14, 2006, 03:28 PM
 
Originally Posted by IceEnclosure
there should be a "duh" face. Zeeb is trying to illustrate that it'd be silly to do something like that.. five years from now.
There is a duh face.
     
Zeeb
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Aug 14, 2006, 03:32 PM
 
Originally Posted by Landos Mustache
iPods cost a couple hundred and gets lots of physical abuse and still work.

LCD's cost up to $4000 and start to yellow after a couple years.
Perhaps LCD's can't be made with replaceable bulbs for the same reason Ipod's don't have easily replaceable batteries--design considerations.
     
Zeeb
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Aug 14, 2006, 03:33 PM
 
Originally Posted by imitchellg5
There is a duh face.
That's disbelief.
     
imitchellg5
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Aug 14, 2006, 03:36 PM
 
Originally Posted by Zeeb
That's disbelief.
Dadgummit, it looks like duh to me.
     
ghporter
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Aug 14, 2006, 05:04 PM
 
Lando, what kind of lamp is in your TV? Most LCDs use cold cathode tube which shouldn't "wear out." They can fail for a number of reasons, including vibration, poor heat management, and so on, but they are not like incandescant lamps that actually use up part of the lamp.

If you saw the image yellow over time, it could be that the inverter that produces the high voltage AC to run the lamps was failing. That should be a replacable part.

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Landos Mustache  (op)
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Aug 14, 2006, 05:10 PM
 
Originally Posted by ghporter
Lando, what kind of lamp is in your TV? Most LCDs use cold cathode tube which shouldn't "wear out." They can fail for a number of reasons, including vibration, poor heat management, and so on, but they are not like incandescant lamps that actually use up part of the lamp.

If you saw the image yellow over time, it could be that the inverter that produces the high voltage AC to run the lamps was failing. That should be a replacable part.
My TV isn't the one i have an issue with, it uses some sort of mercury bulb.

My issue is with ALL flat panel LCD's are they ALL yellow over time.

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imitchellg5
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Aug 14, 2006, 06:55 PM
 
They do?
     
tooki
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Aug 16, 2006, 03:16 PM
 
Originally Posted by ghporter
Lando, what kind of lamp is in your TV? Most LCDs use cold cathode tube which shouldn't "wear out." They can fail for a number of reasons, including vibration, poor heat management, and so on, but they are not like incandescant lamps that actually use up part of the lamp.

If you saw the image yellow over time, it could be that the inverter that produces the high voltage AC to run the lamps was failing. That should be a replacable part.
CCFL tubes are fluorescent lamps. They do wear out. It's well known that phosphors wear out, and the filaments can die, too.

An inverter failing wouldn't cause a color shift -- it causes flickering or simple dimming. The color shift with age is due to the fact that blue phosphors are less stable than red and green ones. Take the blue out of white and you get... yellow. This problem has plagued plasma TV makers (though it's largely fixed now), and it's still what's holding back OLED displays.

A few very high-end LCDs (as well as pretty much all the LCDs in small gadgets like iPods, PDAs and cellphones) are backlit with LEDs. Those should have no trouble with aging -- LEDs do wear out (they start to dim after about 5 years of cumulative illumination) but they do so very, very slowly. Chances are the unit would be obsolete -- or another part will have failed -- before the LEDs get too dim to be useful.

tooki
     
   
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