Could projector buzzing be a dying bulb or something worse? (1 Viewer)

[Jason Charlton]

My 9 year old Mitsubishi HD1000u projector has been making a somewhat loud buzzing noise for as much as 25-30 seconds after startup for several months now. The noise has always died down and never returns even if the projector is left on for several hours.

I just started getting the alert that my bulb is "Approaching to Shut Down" (lol). I checked and the bulb has about 2300 hours on it, so it's due (I previously replaced the bulb in Jan. 2012).

I've felt for some time that the most likely cause of the noise was the color wheel showing its age (not sure if that's a DIY replacement or not), but now I'm wondering (hopefully) that there's a chance it was just an early symptom of the bulb?

What do you think the chances are that a new bulb will solve the buzzing noise? I'd hate to shell out $320 bucks for a new bulb only to have the projector die in a few months. I'm not really itching to be in the market for a new projector (though I've got one picked out, lol) but if the consensus is that there are bigger problems on the horizon, I'd like to at least have time to prepare.

Thoughts? Thanks.

 

[Jim517]

It doesn't sound like a bulb problem. It sounds like the color wheel. I had the HD1000 until the color wheel went bad.

 

[Jason Charlton]

That's kind of what I feared. From the looks of it, even if I did want to try a color wheel replacement (which I really don't), the part alone might be upwards of $200 (and I can't even seem to reliably source the part). The projector itself isn't even worth $500 which is the minimum I'd be putting into it between bulb and wheel with no guarantee that it would ever work again.

I suppose I should find a way to break it to my wife that we may need another projector before too long. Drat.

 

[Jim517]

That's kind of what I feared. From the looks of it, even if I did want to try a color wheel replacement (which I really don't), the part alone might be upwards of $200 (and I can't even seem to reliably source the part). The projector itself isn't even worth $500 which is the minimum I'd be putting into it between bulb and wheel with no guarantee that it would ever work again.

I suppose I should find a way to break it to my wife that we may need another projector before too long. Drat.

It is a shame. I doubt it's even worth $300.

 

[Jason Charlton]

Well, after discussing this with my wife last night, we've decided to go ahead and replace the projector.

I've got my eye on the Sony VPL-HW40ES (a popular choice around here) and one that, according to the projector calculator at ProjectorCentral will work at my current throw distance (slightly less than 12 feet) and screen size (96"). My universal mount should also work with the new projector, too.

However, I'm wondering if I should be concerned that according to the calculator, I'm likely to be producing 26 ftL on the screen. That seems almost TOO bright. Of course, if the calculator is basing its results on the published lumen output of the projector, then when properly calibrated and in eco mode it should be noticeably less, right?

I'll probably call the good folks at ProjectorPeople.com later today and talk to them - maybe they'll have some solid input, too.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think DaveF just picked up that same model last week.

I've got an Epson 5030 so I can't really speak to the Sony specifically, but I did have a similar result with the projector calculator when I was checking out the specs. The calculator said it would be about that bright in my room. However, when the projector was actually set up, switched to eco mode instead of high, the brightness was what it was supposed to be.

If the calculator was having it come in way under brightness, I'd worry, but having it be a little over doesn't concern me as much. I don't think it's something you'll have to worry about.

 

[Jason Charlton]

Thanks for the input. That's pretty much what Kirk at ProjectorPeople told me as well. I pulled the trigger and it'll be here on Friday.

I've had my eye on that projector for some time, and followed Dave's thread with interest. His reasons for choosing the Sony over the Epson pretty much mirrored my thinking as well.

Once again, the customer service at Projector People blows me away. I can't recommend them enough. No tax, free shipping (expedited to boot!) , and knowledgeable sales staff.

Looks like I'll have a fun project to work on this weekend while the in-laws are visiting (extra bonus!)

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I haven't been very successful at throwing Epson any business this year, but Dave should get some commission from Sony

Congratulations on your purchase - hope you love it!

 

[Jim517]

Projector People is a great company to deal with. I bought my last 2 projectors from them.

The calculator at Projectorcentral.com is for the bulb set to high power, unless stated otherwise. I Emailed them a couple years ago and that's what I was told.

 

[Jason Charlton]

So far I am extremely pleased with the new projector and had an easy time setting it up and getting it dialed in.

The thing is a beast in size compared to my relatively tiny Mitsubishi 1000, but despite the lower ceiling in the basement the projector's placement is such that it's not in the way at all, and I can still easily reach the power button until I get around to reprogramming the remote control.

I was a bit annoyed that there was absolutely NOTHING in the quick start guide or the CD-ROM manual about ceiling mounting the projector - in particular the size and type of screws needed. The screws for the Mitsubishi were too small, and if my universal mount came with extra screws they were long gone.

After some googling, I ran to the hardware store and picked up some M5 screws, 10mm in length and they worked perfectly. My Chief universal mount worked flawlessly, and in less than 30 minutes I had it mounted and level.

Thank goodness for lens shift! My old projector had none and I had resorted to angling it up and using a couple clicks of keystoning to keep the image off the floor. No need for that with this one. I did notice a lot of "play" in the lens shift controls - but tiny steps got me where I needed to be.

The brightness does not seem to be a problem - the picture is vibrant and crystal clear. I really do notice the difference in pixel density between this and the 720p Mits. Really no discernible pixel structure even with my nose up to the screen.

And OMG is this thing SILENT. I pressed "mute" and barely heard anything, and we're practically sitting underneath it (just slightly forward)!

Have yet to watch a full length movie (company and all), but counting the days to watching The Force Awakens at home next week.

So to sum up:
Old and busted sucks compared to new hotness.

Pros:
- Easy as pie to set up - literally a swap with the old one.
- Stunning picture in Cinema 1 mode out of the box, I see no reason at this point to delve into image calibration at least for several weeks.
- No pixel structure and crisp, clear picture. In addition, where I would frequently notice color banding with the Mits, I have yet to notice any on the Sony. It's still early, but so far I have no complaints in the picture department.
- Whisper quiet. I would have a hard time knowing the thing is on were it not for the tiny green light.

Cons:
- Mystifying lack of information for mounting hardware - note to others: M5 screws, 10mm long (16mm is too long).
- A bit of "play" with the lens shift dials: go too far and need to bring it back down, there's a noticeable amount of dial rotation before the image starts moving back down.
- It is a bit large - were it ceiling mounted over a "traffic lane", taller folks might need to watch their heads. My ceilings are less than 8' and I have the projector mounted "close to flush" with about 3-4" between projector and ceiling tile.

 

[Jim517]

Sounds nice. That's why a lot of people mount large projectors with lens shift on a rear shelf.