Sony VPL-HW45ES high/low lamp mode

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On what occasions (if any) do you guys run pj in High lamp mode?
 
Whenever the bulb flickers. An evening television watching sorts it out and it's back to low lamp.
 
But are there any specific occasions when you guys use High Lamp mode or do you always use in ECO mode?
 
On what occasions (if any) do you guys run pj in High lamp mode?
3D usage is calibrated for High Lamp mode too.
 
3D usage is calibrated for High Lamp mode too.
What about watching 2D movies in High lamp?
What I am trying to get to is that although ECO mode on my pj (I have a new Sony 45) looks good most of the time, when watching that new movie that I was waiting months for it to come out, or when going back to watch an older title I really love, or when having a fun 'Movie Night" with my family, it seems as though High Lamp mode just provides a more vibrant picture and consequently a more exciting movie experience.
On the other hand, I am worried that if I start using high lamp mode more frequently that it will become detrimental to the lamp lifespan and the picture will dim out much quicker over a short period of time
 
On my old lamp I used low-lamp almost exclusively - to prolong the life. Used high-lamp for daytime viewing.

However the lamp developed a flickering issue, and after a few hundred (600?) hours was dead :( Someone on here mentioned it might help to run it in High mode for the first hundred hours or so am trying that with the replacement.
 
There's no 'issue' with using high lamp that I am aware of - it just shortens the life (although the reverse may have been true for me).
 
There's no 'issue' with using high lamp that I am aware of - it just shortens the life (although the reverse may have been true for me).
"it just shortens the life" is a bit broad:)
Shortens the life by how much? 25%? 50%? I dont know if i want to gamble with the lamp lifespan hehehe. But the genre of movies I like (Marvel mostly) almost beg for lamp to be on high:)
 
"it just shortens the life" is a bit broad:)
Shortens the life by how much? 25%? 50%? I dont know if i want to gamble with the lamp lifespan hehehe. But the genre of movies I like (Marvel mostly) almost beg for lamp to be on high:)


Sure it states it on the Sony site somewhere. Projector Reviews quote 5000 hours in low and 2000 in high.

Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review - Performance 1 - Projector Reviews

Is that specific enough? :)

Edit: Didn't realise you were in the wrong thread - the above is for the 40, obvs. I'm sure you can google the 45 :)
 
Damn, who would have thought I'd found you in here too:)
My model is pretty new and not very popular thus far, so I have better chance to get feedback in here. Asking Sony is useless as they will always tell you what you want to hear

Okay well for mine Sony state 5K hours - I got 600 in low mode. Hope this helps.
 
Okay well for mine Sony state 5K hours - I got 600 in low mode. Hope this helps.
I think what I might just do is use eco for casual content like sports, tv shows, Netflix, and use high lamp for feature films on bluray where quality is more of a factor
 
I think what I might just do is use eco for casual content like sports, tv shows, Netflix, and use high lamp for feature films on bluray where quality is more of a factor
That seems a sensible approach. Have you had your PJ calibrated? As the Contrast setting in Low & High mode is determining the highest white levels for you. You could run Low with Higher Contrast settings, or run High Mode with lower........

I personally don't run the High Mode - higher fan speeds/temps and shorter lamp life - plus, my room is dedicated, very dark, so doesn't need it.

Did you match the gain of your screen for your room/ambient light ?
 
That seems a sensible approach. Have you had your PJ calibrated? As the Contrast setting in Low & High mode is determining the highest white levels for you. You could run Low with Higher Contrast settings, or run High Mode with lower........

I personally don't run the High Mode - higher fan speeds/temps and shorter lamp life - plus, my room is dedicated, very dark, so doesn't need it.

Did you match the gain of your screen for your room/ambient light ?
My room is uncalibrated, but the 45 has a very linear greyscale out of the box. Contrast, brightness, contrast all need very minimal changes if any. Reference mode is very accurate and any changes are mostly by personal preference.
I have white walls and ceiling so that doesnt help much, but like I said, ECO mode is not bad, I just am the type who likes a very popping, vivid picture. Even on my Oled TV (I own a C6) I use Oled Light 100, which by most Oled users is too much. Back when I used to have a LED TV, also used to crank up the backlight to maximum
 
Seemed like you where after quite a 'specific' answer... but yes the lamp running time do vary quite dramatically between different models.
Reagrdless of model we each own, do you find yourself running lamp always in ECO mode?
I previously owned Optoma and Vivitek projectors, and it was always the same, high lamp mode always made movies look more exciting to watch and always used ECO for sports, news, random TV stuff that I wouldnt care too much for or DVDs. These I use the projector for about 4 hours a day, and out of those 4 hours 3 hours are always in ECO mode and 1 hour in High mode
 
The only time I would use High lamp mode would be for watching something like TV during the day with the blinds open.

The HW40 is a very bright projector and I imagine the HW45 is brighter still - judging by the size of your room high lamp mode would be far too bright and fade the blacks in your room when watching films.... but then you've never really struck me as striving for fidelity.
 
but then you've never really struck me as striving for fidelity.
Lamp mode does not affect blacks at all...Only Brightness will affect black level.
 
.... and you don't think high lamp mode is increasing the brightness of the picture?
 
I found low lamp fine for all my night viewing - including Marvel movies :)
 
.... and you don't think high lamp mode is increasing the brightness of the picture?
I'll answer your question with another question...Do you think that gamma affects brightness? If I use a lower gamma do I run the risk of affecting blacks?
 
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Not trolling at all, I am no pro calibrator but you saying that lamp mode can affect blacks is totally incorrect.
You can use 2.0 gamma with lamp on high and contrast 100 and blacks wont be affected at all
 
If you increase the about of light on the screen beyond what is necessery - particularly in an untreated room - then logically you're going to get an increase in reflected light washing out your blacks....
 
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Not trolling at all, I am no pro calibrator but you saying that lamp mode can affect blacks is totally incorrect.
You can use 2.0 gamma with lamp on high and contrast 100 and blacks wont be affected at all

Using high lamp means you have more light output, so that in turn means that your black level is higher. Try it; put up an all black pattern then change the lamp power while watching. If you have ambient light then the difference may be harder to see, but it is there. If you get 30% more light in high lamp, then your black level will be 30% higher.

Usually the overall contrast will remain the same, though sometimes high lamp requires different greyscale settings to eco lamp, so that can make a small difference in contrast if you have two calibrated settings for each lamp mode.
 
Using high lamp means you have more light output, so that in turn means that your black level is higher. Try it; put up an all black pattern then change the lamp power while watching. If you have ambient light then the difference may be harder to see, but it is there. If you get 30% more light in high lamp, then your black level will be 30% higher.

Usually the overall contrast will remain the same, though sometimes high lamp requires different greyscale settings to eco lamp, so that can make a small difference in contrast if you have two calibrated settings for each lamp mode.
I was of the idea that only Brightness can affect black levels.
So in order not to lose pure black, high lamp mode will require further adjustments to Brightness and to Contrast-to a lesser degree?
 

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