Replacement bulb cost$$$ (1 Viewer)

[MartinFG]

I am looking into replacing my old Hitachi Ultravision with a new unit, and a front projector would work out much better than a rear projection unit. My biggest stumbling point (for the LCD/DLP units) is the cost of the replacement bulbs (at around $400 for 2000 hours). Will the price or lifespan of these bulbs inprove signicicantly in the future, or is this just an accepted cost of operation? Over 10years, this would add serveral thousand $$ to the cost of the unit. CRT projectors seem to be rated well over 10K hours, and may cost the same as a LCD/DLP in the long run. Opinions?? Thanks

MartinFG

 

[Joseph Bolus]

In many cases the bulbs are actually "streeting" at around $200-$250 from some of the vendors available on the internet. (Check out Projectorcentral.com).
In any event, we simply put aside $10.00/month for bulb costs at our house. Considering all the enjoyment that we derive from our digital projector/DVD Player combo, we consider this a very small price to pay.
As for CRT projectors, don't forget that they are very large and cumbersome compared to the digital projectors and need to be recalibrated at regular intervals in order to maintain good picture quality.
We have our digital projector installed on a shelf in our downstairs den, but will often haul it upstairs to the living room when needed. Try doing that with a CRT projector!

 

[Terry Wysocki]

Finding a source for a bulb is frustrating. Let alone a cheap source. I went to ProjectorCentral and did a search for a bulb for my Sanyo XP21N. It came up with 5 sites. Only one of those sites actually listed a Sanyo bulb and it was $600 -- list price! Does anyone KNOW of a site where I can find a bulb cheaper? Is it a good idea to buy a spare for that day when I have my HT filled with people and the bulb blows or should I wait to see if prices start falling in the near future?