Optoma HD70 flickering

[RichKS]

Guys,

I've had my Optoma HD70 for nearly a year and in the last two weeks or so the picture's started flickering. It's most noticeable in the top left corner of the screen, the PJ is ceiling mounted. The flicker tends to start about 30 mins into watching something. It sometimes flickers when in normal mode, that's the setting I usually have ti in because Bright Mode is really loud. If I switch to Bright Mode it stops flickering for a bit, but then starts flickering again after a while. Eventually the flicker goes away again. Haven't had any marathon sessions lately, so I guess it might come back later, but maybe not.

Switching on Image AI doesn't seem to have much effect, except that it often puts the thing in bright mode.

Re-Syncing has no effect. This happens on all sources and all inputs.

Could this be the bulb's on it's way out? It's had just shy of 400 hours. I thought they were supposed to last 1000? Anyone else seen this?

[Bacus]

Rich, not any help to you mate but i thought and was told from Optoma that the bulb can last up to 3000 hours if used in eco mode !!

Originally Posted by RichKS

Guys,

I've had my Optoma HD70 for nearly a year and in the last two weeks or so the picture's started flickering. It's most noticeable in the top left corner of the screen, the PJ is ceiling mounted. The flicker tends to start about 30 mins into watching something. It sometimes flickers when in normal mode, that's the setting I usually have ti in because Bright Mode is really loud. If I switch to Bright Mode it stops flickering for a bit, but then starts flickering again after a while. Eventually the flicker goes away again. Haven't had any marathon sessions lately, so I guess it might come back later, but maybe not.

Switching on Image AI doesn't seem to have much effect, except that it often puts the thing in bright mode.

Re-Syncing has no effect. This happens on all sources and all inputs.

Could this be the bulb's on it's way out? It's had just shy of 400 hours. I thought they were supposed to last 1000? Anyone else seen this?

[RichKS]

Sure, it ought to last longer than 400 hours at any rate...

[pablored]

I posted on here when my HD65 was flickering in the top left corner.

I rang Optoma after I confirmed it wasn't my eyes, told them what was going on and they took it away for warranty repair. Apparantly it had a dodgy colour wheel, but also ended up getting a new lamp as well. Whatever it was, it is fixed now and I'm happy.

I'd recommend asking for a free hot swap... so you can have a stop gap projector whilst it is away (mine was gone for over two weeks).

[RichKS]

Cheers for that mate, I think I'll give them a shout in the morning.

Going to be a right pain getting the bugger off the bracket if it needs to go for repair. Ah well, small price to pay.

[CogPaul]

181 Hours on my bulb and exactlty the same flickering problem has appeared -looks like a call to Optoma tomorrow for me too!

[sparkymarky]

ah yea me too on my hd65!

[RichKS]

Just to update:

I reported this to Optoma last Tuesday. They said I needed to send the PJ in to them for assessment.

I boxed it up and their courier collected it late Wednesday. They didn't offer me a spare and said it would be 5-7 working days before I got it back. This was a bit worrying: 6 working days would put the delivery date as Friday, which is a bank holiday and would leave me without my PJ for easter weekend.

Friday they called to say that the PJ was fixed, there had been a mainboard fault and it was not fixed. It would be with me on Monday, if that was a good day to drop it off.

It's Monday now and it's just arrived.

Assuming that it is indeed fixed (and I have no reason to think it's not), I'm pretty happy with the service. Only one weekend without my PJ and I'm set for an Easter gaming/HD DVD session.

[RichKS]

So now I'm more than a bit miffed about this.

I set the PJ up on Monday night. The service guys have reset everything to factory settings, which means the bulb counter is reset. Fair enough, no big deal, I assume they needed to replace something. So I put it back on the ceiling and connected it up, tested it a bit and it seemed fine.

This morning it's flickering again exactly like it did before the repair!

So obviously:

1) It's not actually fixed.
2) I can't even call Optoma until Tuesday because it's Easter weekend.
3) It's going to have to go away for another bunch of days and hopefully actually get repaired this time!

[CogPaul]

Sorry to hear this ( I always thought Optoma had a good reputation for service )- mine was RMA'd last friday so not expecting to hear anything until early next week.

[gromit4x4]

My HD70 went back too on thursday, It also has a flicker but the whole image seemed to flash fast lossing colour, soon after the lamp went out and the bulb fail LED came on and there was a noise like the colour wheel motor being slowed down to a rapid stop and the unit stopped responding.

I bought an HD65 on thursday night (I wasn't offerd a loan unit either) the HD65 was rubbish, the lamp fail led came on straight out of the box with no image being projected, I turned it off and tried again later and when it did work the image flickered and was not of the quality i'm used to from the HD70.

I took it back this morning and got a refund.

I would like another projector as I don't have a tv anymore and I will miss the grand prix, but my recent experience might make me reconsidder to avoid the ceheaper models, maybe a HD73 will be better.

[RichKS]

Optoma's customer service goes from bad to worse:

So, not only did they not offer mo a loan unit when the projector originally failed, they also didn't fix the fault. This left me without my projector and essentially unable to use any of my kit for over a week and didn't resolve the issue.

So I called them and explained that it was still flickering just as badly as before. They said it must be fixed, they'd identified a fault on the main board and replaced that. I suggested that maybe they had, but it was still flickering just as badly as before. This suggests to me that they didn't actually test the thing before shipping it back.

So the guy eventually says they'll have to take another look, again, no offer of a loan unit. He'll email me the forms. Next day, no form, nothing, so I call again and explain the situation and the guy I speak to says it's basically the same form as last time but with a new RMA number. So I just edit the form, print it again and email it to him. I get a reply with a new RMA number and a collection date: 4/4/8, Friday.

So I package the thing up and take it to work, which is the pick up address. I wait for City link and at 5.20 when they haven't picked it up I call Optoma and explain and they say "well, City Link collect right up until 5.30, so I can't really chase it until after then". I know this is crap, but I realise that I'm not going to get anywhere until after 5.30 and it's only 10 minutes, so I confirm that there's going to be someone there ("Oh yes, I'll make sure my phone is on and I'm here to take your call until 5.40") and agree to call back.

5.32 I call back, and guess what? Recorded message on the switchboard telling me that working hours are 9-5, monday to friday!

So I take the projector home and take it back to the office on Monday, explain that they failed to get it collected etc etc and I'm assured they'll have it collected before close of play that after noon.

Guess what? It was still on my desk when I left at 5.30

So far this means three failed attempts to repair this projector. I'm not happy at all.

[CogPaul]

Well ,my unit has been returned, No fault found in respect of the flickering but software upated, new fan fitted, and a new lamp driver and lamp were also fitted based on the reported problem as a precaution. It has taken several weeks to sort out but overall I am very happy with the level of service and communications from Optoma.

However as the original problem was not found I am still a little nervous....

[amalarul]

Hey Rich, how did everything go did you get your pj back and if so how is it functioning? I seem to be having some sort lof ight leakage problem with my pj and planning on sending it in for repairs. Did you have to pay for the courier and any repairs?

Anyway hope everything has worked out for you and now enjoying the pj.

[RichKS]

Sorry for not noticing these replies earlier.

I had a bit of a merry dance. After the initial failed repair attempt and then two failed collections, I was pretty miffed. Optoma finally collected the PJ on the 8th, a Tuesday, and 4 days after they were supposed to collect it originally.

I waited just over a week and didn't hear anything. the following Wednesday (the 16th and 12 days after they were originally supposed to collect), I got impatient and called them for an update. I was told by a customer services guy that the engineers had looked at it and failed to find the fault. He wasn't forthcoming with when they had done this and how long the PJ had been sitting there with nobody bothering to contact me. I explained to him that the PJ was definitely flickering, it was an intermittent fault although hard to miss and if they'd just tested it when they first had it they'd have seen that it wasn't fixed. He said he'd set it up and test it himself and call me back that afternoon.

I didn't hear anything back from him, so I called the next morning (Thurs 17th, day 13) and was told that yes, he'd been able to see the flickering. Although the engineers still had no idea what was causing it. So they were going to replace another whole bunch of parts and ship it back to me. He asked if I needed it far the weekend and I explained that it would be nice to have it by the weekend, but I'd rather it was fixed and tested to make sure it was actually fixed this time than rusted out to me. He assured me it was going to be looked at that day.

The next day (Friday 18th, day 14) I get a call and told that the engineers have replaced the lamp and driver, and that the PJ will be sent specially for a Sat AM delivery. I give the guy my home address, because obviously I wasn't going to be at the office (where all the other collections/deliveries went) and Saturday.

Saturday morning comes and I wait in. Nothing.

The following Monday (21st, day 17) I call them again and I'm told that City Link will attempt delivery again. I ask exactly what he means by "again" since that implies that they actually executed their responsibility and even made the effort to deliver on the day they were contracted to, which they failed to do. He said, ah, well, then they'll try to deliver it today. I explain, rather frustratedly that this is no use at all because it's now Monday and I'm back at work and not at home to take deliveries. He explains that the courier will need to return the package to them so that it can be re shipped out to me at the right address. He also says repeatedly that it's not his/their fault, and that it's the courier's cock up. I point out that this is the same courier who failed to collect the package twice already, and why is he trusting them again with it and surprised when they failed a third time? Eventually I get frustrated and ask for the name of the person in charge and call her.

She's very polite and arranges for the PJ to be sent to me via UPS, rather than the hopeless City Link. It finally turns up on Weds 23rd, which is 19 days after the initial collection date.

So far it seems to actually be fixed, but I don't trust it. As in, I can't enjoy watching movies on it because I keep looking for the flicker. So far it's not there and I'm starting to relax about it. A 4 hour GTA sesh last night turned out well and I guess it's OK.

So there you are. If you have to deal with a return and repair:
1 expect it to take a while
2 don't expect a hot swap/spare to be sent to you
3 ask them what courier they're going to use and if it's City Link, tell them you've had bad experiences with them and could they use a different courier please?