Question PJ - replace just bulb or entire module?

C&C

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It's coming to the point where i need to replace the lamp in my projector - Benq W1210ST, although I suspect the model isn't particularly relevant to the question.

There appear to be several different options, ranked in decreasing price order:

Replacement lamp and housing - OEM lamp inside OEM housing (£200+)
Replacement lamp and housing - OEM lamp inside 3rd party housing (£130-£150)
Replacement lamp and housing - 3rd party lamp inside 3rd party housing.
Replacement bulb - OEM (£80)
Replacement bulb - 3rd party.

I'm only interested in options using an OEM bulb and am minded to stay with OEM housing.

Given an OEM lamp and housing seems to be around £200+ with limited supplies and an OEM bulb around £80 I'm leaning towards just getting the replacement bulb and fitting it to the existing housing. Having seen a few general lamp replacement videos it doesn't look that hard, but is there anything I'm missing? I have a reasonable level of competence with tools/mechanical/electronic stuff.

Is it just a case of taking apart the existing housing, replace the lamp and re-assembly is the reverse of disassembly, or are there any other considerations when doing this (for example do other parts of the housing age, does the reflector in the housing degrade over time)?

The projector is 2 years old and the bulb has 4500 hours on it.

What do people on here do when their bulb needs replacing?

I'm very happy with the projector, and even my man maths cannot justify the other option of "get a new 4k laser projector"!
Any advice gratefully received.
 
In case the above post is too long...

New bulb needed for Benq W1210ST

Buy just OEM bulb and re-use old module (£80), or buy OEM bulb and module (£200+)?

Any thoughts on the approach generally for other projectors (not necessarily the same model)?
 
This topic has been covered as nauseam. It’s simple. Buy a genuine lamp and be guaranteed the performance of the projector.

Or buy a non genuine lamp and get nowhere near the original performance for colour, lumens, and life before failure. Also potentially increase risk of ballast board damage. This compromise you might be fine with, in which case it’s a bargain.

No, the lamps are not the same before you ask. Regardless of what these lamp suppliers tell you. It’s a con.
 
Thanks for a response JamesBaby.

I'd tried searching previous posts and checked out the FAQs, so if it's been covered previously, I apologise, but think this is a topic surely ripe for adding to an FAQ?

If I might try your patience a little more, are you saying that buying just the supposedly OEM bulb, the bulb is not the same as the OEM provided item?

I can certainly understand those selling non OEM bulbs and modules would involve compromises, but are you saying that buying what is supposed to be an OEM bulb alone is not the same as the actual OEM bulb?

Apologies for what seems to be asking an oft-asked question, but nothing on this forum seemed to provide the answer despite a fair bit of searching.
 
I can certainly understand those selling non OEM bulbs and modules would involve compromises, but are you saying that buying what is supposed to be an OEM bulb alone is not the same as the actual OEM bulb?

I dont know if into valves for hifi. bulbs are a little similar in that. with valves, amp makers buy a graded variety from the valve maker to meet their amp spec. the valve maker has a whole host that dont meet amp makers spec and they offload those which are sold through various channels... all the same item and meeting their spec but not say the amp manufacturers spec. think the valve makers spec being quite broad and amp makers spec being a narrow subset of that.

with projectors similar happens. you can buy say the exact bare bulb... it might be down on say what the manufactures spec is. and hence the cheaper price. you can buy these in a housing that adds additionally to price. there are also not the exact same bulb but another generic variety that can be bought bare or in housing. they are a complete gamble.

or buy the manufacturer supplied in housing and will cost what it does as its graded to their spec, being in a housing you pay more and you pay for costs for them to hold (think of their overheads they shed on all spares)

so take your pick keeping in mind the considerations raised by james baby in the post above :)
 
I think part of the confusion for non-expert like me is the fairly free way many websites use the terms original, OEM and generic.... So one site I have looked at (for my JVC-DLA HD350) charges £400 for an original 'lamp' + housing, while also offering an original 'bulb' in a generic case... But the description for the latter describes the build as from an OEM, so this suggests it is not up to the standards alebonau describes. It also offers an original 'lamp' without housing but this is also from an OEM, so not the same as the original 'lamp' in the original housing.

Clearly you get what you pay for and the high cost makes it clear which is the one you should be buying, but it makes it does make things confusing when looking. The sage advice is 'buy original' but even that may not be up to standard and you need to read and choose very carefully.

I find myself torn as it is going to cost likely more than the projector is worth to replace the bulb with a suitable lamp and housing, but I am also not keen to do anything that might damage the unit as I may want to try selling it on this year.
 
Clearly you get what you pay for and the high cost makes it clear which is the one you should be buying, but it makes it does make things confusing when looking. The sage advice is 'buy original' but even that may not be up to standard and you need to read and choose very carefully.

its a tough one. I was given a spare bulb with my JVC and way am going through about 400 or so hours a year its going to be some years before I need to buy a bulb. if i were buying though given cost of my projector and life i want out the bulb i just can see myself buying anything but original

it has to be balanced in advice though with the fact i know friend of mine has been running his jvc hd1 since new as a TV just keeps popping ebay lamps in one after other year after year and it keeps going.... no doubt there are better lamps out there will work, probably have 80% of output or something but do the job, and starting at 80% you are a bit shorter in life and pay less. its matter of finding a good source and product though. i saw a recent example from, beamer in germany i beleive. one person said perfect. another got a sample and it even looked shocking nothing like the original. so definitely a mine field !
 
its a tough one. I was given a spare bulb with my JVC and way am going through about 400 or so hours a year its going to be some years before I need to buy a bulb. if i were buying though given cost of my projector and life i want out the bulb i just can see myself buying anything but original

it has to be balanced in advice though with the fact i know friend of mine has been running his jvc hd1 since new as a TV just keeps popping ebay lamps in one after other year after year and it keeps going.... no doubt there are better lamps out there will work, probably have 80% of output or something but do the job, and starting at 80% you are a bit shorter in life and pay less. its matter of finding a good source and product though. i saw a recent example from, beamer in germany i beleive. one person said perfect. another got a sample and it even looked shocking nothing like the original. so definitely a mine field !

Yeah if the bulb wasn't worth double what the projector was then I'd be buying the £400 bulb, but when it is sooo old, it seems an expensive investment... Perhaps I just need to buy a new projector.... 😁😁😁
 
You are facing the same issue nearly all projector owners face. The cost of a new lamp vs putting that money towards a new one. It's getting less of an issue in the newer models as some lamps come with a 3000 or even 5000 hour life. That means 6-10 years on one lamp based on my viewing history.

Personally if you like the projector, and don't have the funds for a new one, get a genuine lamp. Enjoy it until you can upgrade.

Website terms such as genuine, original and OEM are all non-sense. If you were selling something to JVC spec, trust me the JVC logo would be everywhere and they'd make a song and dance about it. If there is any doubt, there is no doubt.

What Alebonau says above about making to a specification is correct. I used to work for GE Lighting division a while ago. Not all lamps are the same. It's not just the lumen output at new that matters, it's how it drops off after 100 hours, and then how long it stays consistent at that lower level, before finally dropping off rapidly. Then there is the colour rendition, just exactly how much R,G, and B does the lamp produce over those useful hours. Whole host of other things as well.
 
Yeah, they don't make it easy for the less knowledgeable!

I am seesawing at the moment between an upgrade to 4k (faux) or sticking with the HD350 and getting a new bulb and doing a prism clean - the current bulb is at about 1750 hours but still gives an impressive picture in my dark room.

But....shiny....4k :)
 
I dont know if into valves for hifi. bulbs are a little similar in that. with valves, amp makers buy a graded variety from the valve maker to meet their amp spec. the valve maker has a whole host that dont meet amp makers spec and they offload those which are sold through various channels... all the same item and meeting their spec but not say the amp manufacturers spec. think the valve makers spec being quite broad and amp makers spec being a narrow subset of that.

with projectors similar happens. you can buy say the exact bare bulb... it might be down on say what the manufactures spec is. and hence the cheaper price. you can buy these in a housing that adds additionally to price. there are also not the exact same bulb but another generic variety that can be bought bare or in housing. they are a complete gamble.

or buy the manufacturer supplied in housing and will cost what it does as its graded to their spec, being in a housing you pay more and you pay for costs for them to hold (think of their overheads they shed on all spares)

so take your pick keeping in mind the considerations raised by james baby in the post above :)

Thanks Alebonau for your explanation - you couldn't have picked a better example as I have both a valve amp and valve DAC and am aware of "tube rolling", so it makes complete sense.

Thanks also to everyone else who's replied - I can now see exactly what the issue is and with far more open eyes am now looking at the original lamp and housing. To be honest, if the replacement lasts the same length of time as the original that came with the projector (4000 hours+ so far - it gets used for films, tv, and gaming), then cost per hour is pretty low.

I also apologise for asking what is obviously a pretty basic question and one which I'm guessing all projector owners face at some time.

I DID search on here for an answer before posting the question but found nothing. Is there some way to add this subject to the "Video Projectors and Screens Wiki" thread which is a sticky at the top of this forum so others who will inevitably come along with the same question can find an answer without posting the same question, and people on here thinking, "not again". :)
 
I have swapped out lamp units several times for diamond lamp versions and never had a problem. In low lamp brightness i get about 2000 hours which matched what i got out of the oem one.

I have just bought 2 x happy lamp versions via aliexpress for £25 delivered. Against £90+ for one uk supplied lamp.

Took a week to arrive, boxing and packing is better than diamond lamp but no instructions, its pretty obvious what to do when you get stuck in.

As long as the lamp doesn't go bang on power on i think its a low risk venture.

The chinese market is huge and the chinese buyers expect reliability as much as we do, chinese manufacturing
quality has improved in leaps and bounds in recent years
 
C&C I’m in exactly the same position. Have you done the change and it’s worked and if so where did you source the lamp?
BTW no-one has said whether a bare bulb swap is an easy job- the one thing I have got lots of at the moment with lockdown and golf courses shut is time. I was even on the roof clearing gutters and replacing broken tiles last week 😳
 
I have swapped bare bones maps out several times, it is very very easy, if you can wire a plug you can swapout a lamp. The most difficult part for me was getting the projector off and on the ceiling.

I bought happybate ( not happy lamp sorry) from ali express


 
C&C I’m in exactly the same position. Have you done the change and it’s worked and if so where did you source the lamp?
BTW no-one has said whether a bare bulb swap is an easy job- the one thing I have got lots of at the moment with lockdown and golf courses shut is time. I was even on the roof clearing gutters and replacing broken tiles last week 😳

I actually placed an order for the "original" bare bulb just before getting the helpful replies about the fact that an "original" bare bulb isn't likely to be the same as an "original bulb in original module".

So after ordering the bare bulb, I was convinced that I should be going for the original bulb in original module.

I've decided that I'll give it a go with the bare bulb seeing as I have it but may well go for the whole thing ultimately.

The bulb which came with the PJ hasn't expired yet, so I haven't changed it - I was being pro-active in looking to source a bulb in advance of it failing (and having noticed the prices rising).

Looking in more detail at the current settings, the PJ will run in Normal, Economic, or SmartEco modes. I'd settled on the middle one as it's more than bright enough for me and doesn't run the fan so hard. According to the PJ spec, there are a few hundred hours left of the expected 5000 in this mode, so I haven't replaced it yet. Having said that, it doesn't look very difficult, so am pretty confident swapping it out will not be an issue as long as reasonable care is taken.

I sourced it from
projectorparts.co.uk,
which turns out to be the same as
beamer-parts.eu

It ended up costing £76 including delivery, although for some reason VAT wasn't charged at source, and the courier delivered it without asking for a VAT payment, so I can only assume this may have got lost with the very recent change with us leaving the EU?

The bulb arrived quickly and was actually sent from the Czeck Republic.
The bulb is marked as Osram, but as was previously mentioned, there are likely to be different quality Osram bulbs with the same spec and model numbers.

So not a lot of help to you I'm afraid, but that's the update.
 
@C&C that’s very helpful- exactly what a forum should do so thanks.
I’ve found both websites since posting. I can’t though find a YouTube show and tell for changing a bare bulb - did you find one?
projector now sitting on kitchen table - first time off mounting position for about ten years- and I’ve decided to give it a deep clean so all a bit scary!
 
Ianfromnotts thanks for your input too- aliexpress cant deliver for 20-40 days though and who knows what we’ll be doing then!
you say it’s easy as- same question did you find a YouTube video
 
@C&C that’s very helpful- exactly what a forum should do so thanks.
I’ve found both websites since posting. I can’t though find a YouTube show and tell for changing a bare bulb - did you find one?
projector now sitting on kitchen table - first time off mounting position for about ten years- and I’ve decided to give it a deep clean so all a bit scary!

Bare bulb replacement for a Benq 1070 (which looks similar to my W1210ST).
I can't see one for an HD-350 though, but the principle should be the same.
Ensure to know which lead is which, and take photos with your phone as you take out the mounting screws etc..

I guess really important not to touch (and leave grease on) the inside. Cotton gloves might be a good idea?
 
@C&C Thanks again. Misread the posts and see Marky1973 was the Hd350 reference.
In the meantime I‘ve cleaned it out- who knew the filter needed regular cleaning😳. Anyway is cleaned, and used Mrs Doccam’s new hand held dyson to suck up ten years of dust from every accessible crevice (with much grumbling about “that’s not what it’s for”!), and lens carefully polished as well.
red warning light out, so must have been an overheating issue, and picture loads better with just that.
I still need to replace the lamp but it’s working now so I have a bit more time to consider and will keep an eye on how this thread develops.
thanks again to all.
 
Just as an aside I’ve looked up my first post for the projector when I was seeking advice on av and speakers to pair it with- date was 13th January 2011!
 
@C&C Thanks again. Misread the posts and see Marky1973 was the Hd350 reference.
In the meantime I‘ve cleaned it out- who knew the filter needed regular cleaning😳. Anyway is cleaned, and used Mrs Doccam’s new hand held dyson to suck up ten years of dust from every accessible crevice (with much grumbling about “that’s not what it’s for”!), and lens carefully polished as well.
red warning light out, so must have been an overheating issue, and picture loads better with just that.
I still need to replace the lamp but it’s working now so I have a bit more time to consider and will keep an eye on how this thread develops.
thanks again to all.

That was me - so do you have the 350 as well? Did you do a prism clean - that is something I am thinking about as it is supposed to be a good way to boost the picture.....I am still torn between a new lamp unit for the 350 or a new projector! :) I am strugglng to justify buying a £400 unit for a PJ that is probably now worth half that! I too have had mine since 2011! :) At 1700+ hours the picture is still impressive and seems to have improved a bit since I replced the Ps$ for a Panny820 to spin discs, so it is tempting to get an "original bulb" to tide me over until I decide for definite to upgrade....I'd love a new JVC, but they are quite pricey! :)
 
there are likely to be different quality Osram bulbs with the same spec and model numbers.
I strongly suspect that, if the part numbers are the same, the bulbs are the same.

It's not as though you can actually test what each individual bulb is like with 1000 hours on it, and grade them into 'good' and 'bad' piles on that basis. If there are different parts made to different specifications, then at the very least the part numbers would have an 'A' or 'B' suffix so the warehouse staff can tell which is which.

Car manufacturers and dealers have been trumpeting the whole "geniune parts" thing for years. They live in a little world of their own, where a part in their own branded box is somehow elevated to a higher level - and correspondingly higher cost - than a completely identical part made by the same OEM on the same production line but sold under the OEM's part number.

Personally I wouldnt't touch a "happy lamp" unless the existing bulb had already failed and it just wasn't economic to put in a branded bulb. On the other hand, my Sony 590ES will be getting a new OEM lamp and housing from a Sony dealer if it needs one while it's under warranty - but more than likely it'll just get OEM bulbs thereafter.
 
That's the way I am thinking.... A 10 year old PJ that is waaaay out of warranty and worth a couple of hundred... Is it worth spending twice that much on a bulb? If it was new and in warranty then I don't think I'd risk it....
 
@Marky1973 no didn’t go into the box in the end.
The way I look at it is it’s still an amazing PJ and to replace it with something similar - specifically with an aspect ratio that would suit my room- would be £2000+ new, and who is selling at £200 second hand anyway? Probably would be just buying some one else’s problems.
I’ve dealt with the rainbow effect by doing a 2.5% keystone so thats fine.
that said I’m not up for anOEM housing and bulb so might go down the halfway route of OEM bulb with generic housing- unless you do the bare bulb change successfully- keep me posted!
 

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