Bulb life when not in use query

18-11-2007, 5:06 PM

I'm new to projectors, but I've recently got myself an Optoma DV11, and the bulb life is quoted as being about 2000 hours. It's great so far, with dvds and the laptop on it... though it couldnt really cope with football on sky.. it seemed to show long shots in slow motion...

anyway, if i stock-piled 1 or 2 bulbs for use in 2000 projector hours time, would the un-used ones still have that 2000 hour life?

the bulbs are around £100 at the moment, which i think comparatively is quite cheap for projector bulbs. is it likely that in 1 year they'll be easy to find and any cheaper than £100? or should i save that 200 quid from the bulbs and upgrade projectors in 2000 projector hours time?

thanks

coolman · 18-11-2007, 5:14 PM

2000 Hours use can be a year or so, even with a lot of daily use, so you may want to upgrade by then,
The 2000 hours refers to 2000 hours of use, its not a shelf life, so you can store the unused bulb, just keep it in a dry place(not in the garden shed).
It may be worth having a single spare bulb as the ocasional bulb may blow early, and its nice not having to wait for a new one, also a good selling point if you can give someone a spare bulb if you decide to sell

JagoPlasma · 18-11-2007, 7:21 PM

this is one of my bugs with projectors.

lets face it, at some point that bulb is going to go. the real question is. in 5 years time can you still get a new one? if you want to keep it or sell it, your going to need to have a bulb or it becomes a big doorstop.

could you imagine spending 3k on a HD1 to find out the bulbs are no longer made in 2yrs time and so you cant sell it or use it?

makes me feel sick to my stomach.

on the bright side people are looking at LED bulbs and im sure some bright spark with make a universal one sooner or later

18-11-2007, 8:28 PM

thanks for the input, i think i'll get one just to be able to swap it instantly when this one does go; or if i decide to sell in 2 years time then i can sell with the new lamp and put whatever i make into buying a better projector.
i guess i've got to consider whether DVDs will still be popular in 2 years time too; as the DV11 has a built in dvd player...
i guess with projectors the trick is to sell it at the right time so you can upgrade at a minimum cost, and keep upgrading every couple of years.

18-11-2007, 5:06 PM	#1
rpuddingdrop Guest Posts: n/a	Bulb life when not in use query Advertisement Want to Advertise? I'm new to projectors, but I've recently got myself an Optoma DV11, and the bulb life is quoted as being about 2000 hours. It's great so far, with dvds and the laptop on it... though it couldnt really cope with football on sky.. it seemed to show long shots in slow motion... anyway, if i stock-piled 1 or 2 bulbs for use in 2000 projector hours time, would the un-used ones still have that 2000 hour life? the bulbs are around £100 at the moment, which i think comparatively is quite cheap for projector bulbs. is it likely that in 1 year they'll be easy to find and any cheaper than £100? or should i save that 200 quid from the bulbs and upgrade projectors in 2000 projector hours time? thanks
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18-11-2007, 8:28 PM	#4
rpuddingdrop Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Bulb life when not in use query thanks for the input, i think i'll get one just to be able to swap it instantly when this one does go; or if i decide to sell in 2 years time then i can sell with the new lamp and put whatever i make into buying a better projector. i guess i've got to consider whether DVDs will still be popular in 2 years time too; as the DV11 has a built in dvd player... i guess with projectors the trick is to sell it at the right time so you can upgrade at a minimum cost, and keep upgrading every couple of years.
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