Projector bulb - real v fake

Flashgordon1982

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Hi all,
Has anyone compared a genuine Epson bulb to a none genuine bulb?
Thanks
Al
 
Bulbs - you stick those in the ground to grow plants from :)

Lamps - we find the OEM Lamps are more consistent and reliable than the non-original parts.

Joe
 
Bulbs - you stick those in the ground to grow plants from :)

Lamps - we find the OEM Lamps are more consistent and reliable than the non-original parts.

Joe

Yes that would explain my difficulty in finding a bulb 😂 thanks for that.
Do they make much difference to the picture ? My Epson one wants replacing. 260 v 100.
 
When the price of an Epson bulb/lamp is so cheap compared to others like Sony/JVC why would anyone even consider a non-OEM one?
 
Because I’d rather save 150 quid if i can! But obvious really.
however I don’t want to impede the picture.

Not sure if the lamp in the TW9400 is their dearest but it’s probably up there. If you intend to save £150 on it then the person you are getting them from must be giving you the lamp for free along with £45 in you hand.

Direct from Epson this lamp is only £105.50

 
Not sure if the lamp in the TW9400 is their dearest but it’s probably up there. If you intend to save £150 on it then the person you are getting them from must be giving you the lamp for free along with £45 in you hand.

Direct from Epson this lamp is only £105.50

 

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wow so they price hike up the older bulbs? guess if new owners should stock up :D
 
Because I’d rather save 150 quid if i can! But obvious really.
however I don’t want to impede the picture.

Buying non original lamps is like gambling. A bad bulb could damage the projector, be dimmer from the start, and/or dim quicker. The glass in the lamp casing can also wear out over time and the "bulb" is not the only thing that needs replacing.
So do you feel lucky?
 
mines a 6100 it’s a few years old. Its £258 on the epson site.

I see, in that case I do understand your question. I’ve read enough on other forums regarding JVC lamp replacements that the most important thing about a non-OEM bulb is that it uses the same bulb brand as the original.

I must admit on my £2.5K projector I would be willing to pay the difference if only for the added assurance but if the difference between OEM lamp and value of projector wasn’t hugely different then I too would be considering the cheaper option.
 
For comparison, i spent £15 on a replacement lamp from China from my Optoma and it's been going strong for 6 months already. If they only last 6 months then it's still cheaper than buying crazy priced OEM lamps.

Didn't notice any change in picture
 
Last time I looked, an official replacement lamp for my Epson TW3600 cost near £300. This wasn't my first projector and I knew the pain of buying lamps (which aren't guaranteed to last the 'guesstimate' age anyway). I spotted compatible lamps on Amazon for <£40. The one I bought first in fact lasted much longer than the original (think it was around 4000hrs) without a noticeable steep brightness decline -and I paid around £28 for it if I remember correctly. I've gone through around 4 more since and the price is now closer to £45-$50 each ...and consistency in brightness has been mixed, but 'good' I would say... ALL have been perfect when first fitted (afterall, the only thing they do is give brightness). One lasted around 100 hours before it dimmed markedly. Another lasted around 1000 hours. The current one has around 100 hours on it and is very good. ...The way I look at it, I've spent around the same price (or less) as a single OEM lamp over the last 4 years (or whatever it's been) on 5 lamps and gotten waaaaaayyyy more hours for around the same price (spread over that length of time). No contest.
 
My current Epson projector is the Tw-2000 from 2006. at 14 years old I have replaced the lamp a number of times and have used both OEM and non name brands. The OEM always lasted longer. One non brand popped after 11 months. Epson's are cheap enough that the extra money is worth it to me.
 
What I am finding is it’s making my projector beep - like a siren. Anyone else has this?
It’s making me close to selling it’s driving me mad.
 
What I am finding is it’s making my projector beep - like a siren. Anyone else has this?
It’s making me close to selling it’s driving me mad.

Do you mean a high-pitched low-volume whining sound on and off? I've heard that on occasion from some lamps. I think some do it, some don't. Not sure if it's a warm-up thing. If you leave it on for an hour with a bright light onscreen, that might 'cure' it. ?
 
For comparison, i spent £15 on a replacement lamp from China from my Optoma and it's been going strong for 6 months already. If they only last 6 months then it's still cheaper than buying crazy priced OEM lamps.

Didn't notice any change in picture

Just to follow up, my cheap-o projector lamp just gave up ... 1 months for £15 nae bad :smashin:
 
Not sure if the lamp in the TW9400 is their dearest but it’s probably up there. If you intend to save £150 on it then the person you are getting them from must be giving you the lamp for free along with £45 in you hand.

Direct from Epson this lamp is only £105.50

I see, in that case I do understand your question. I’ve read enough on other forums regarding JVC lamp replacements that the most important thing about a non-OEM bulb is that it uses the same bulb brand as the original.

I must admit on my £2.5K projector I would be willing to pay the difference if only for the added assurance but if the difference between OEM lamp and value of projector wasn’t hugely different then I too would be considering the cheaper option.

Do you know of anywhere the Epson bulbs are available for 9400? I want to try and stock up with one.
 
After two seperate purchases I gave up on non-OEM lamps. The real thing lasts longer and produces a better picture. I found the fake ones only lasted about 1500 hours at best and at more than half the price of OEM I wasn't saving anything in the long run.
 
My tw9400 just started to show the flashing red/ orange light on startup one day without any warning or indication that the lamp is running low. The fan goes into overdrive and starts to work loudly and the projector is then unresponsive. Front door opens up and then closes.

Been trying to get a replacement lamp for the TW9400 for 2/3 months now. It is still out of stock at Epson. I tried to contact them via online chat a few times and they couldn't say when they would be back in stock !
I have then purchased 2 'compatible' lamps from 2 separate suppliers now. First one didn't fit and now the second - received on Friday has the same problem with the front metal clip on the lamp coming into contact with the housing of the projector. ( Apparently both used the the same original lamp internally as the Epson lamp) . The original one has the same clip set well back from the lamp housing itself.Both were about the same price as the original at around £100. Both don't fit into the housing for the lamp. Both were supposed to be a direct replacement for the ELPLP89 in the 9400. I suspect that both suppliers are using the same supplier themselves for these hence the issue.

The warranty runs out in November but I have been told that it may be a problem requiring a repair and not the bulb....but don't know unless I get an authentic bulb to try out . Can't find one anywhere so may try to get it booked in for repair as the warranty will run out at this rate .... even though it seems like a lamp replacement issue .

Any suggestions anyone or similar experiences with these ?

Btw, I contacted the dealer late on Friday afternoon and will see what he comes back with after speaking with Epson but any advice in the meantime would be helpful.

I have only had it since November last year and used it at the weekends only. I bought it to replace a JVC x3 and bought it as Epson were claiming extended lamp life and cheap replacement lamps.

Can't say I am particularly impressed so far with Epson, first time I'd not bought a JVC which had always been pretty reliable.

Thanks.
 
The thing I found was there are two parts - the housing and the bulb.
You can buy:

OEM housing + OEM bulb
Non OEM housing + OEM bulb
Non OEM housing + Non OEM bulb

I find the middle one is the safest and cheaper than both OEM.

I wouldn't trust a non OEM bulb (not that the bulb is actually made by Epson/Sony either - they are all something like General Electric bulbs).
 
My tw9400 just started to show the flashing red/ orange light on startup one day without any warning or indication that the lamp is running low. The fan goes into overdrive and starts to work loudly and the projector is then unresponsive. Front door opens up and then closes.

Been trying to get a replacement lamp for the TW9400 for 2/3 months now. It is still out of stock at Epson. I tried to contact them via online chat a few times and they couldn't say when they would be back in stock !
I have then purchased 2 'compatible' lamps from 2 separate suppliers now. First one didn't fit and now the second - received on Friday has the same problem with the front metal clip on the lamp coming into contact with the housing of the projector. ( Apparently both used the the same original lamp internally as the Epson lamp) . The original one has the same clip set well back from the lamp housing itself.Both were about the same price as the original at around £100. Both don't fit into the housing for the lamp. Both were supposed to be a direct replacement for the ELPLP89 in the 9400. I suspect that both suppliers are using the same supplier themselves for these hence the issue.

The warranty runs out in November but I have been told that it may be a problem requiring a repair and not the bulb....but don't know unless I get an authentic bulb to try out . Can't find one anywhere so may try to get it booked in for repair as the warranty will run out at this rate .... even though it seems like a lamp replacement issue .

Any suggestions anyone or similar experiences with these ?

Btw, I contacted the dealer late on Friday afternoon and will see what he comes back with after speaking with Epson but any advice in the meantime would be helpful.

I have only had it since November last year and used it at the weekends only. I bought it to replace a JVC x3 and bought it as Epson were claiming extended lamp life and cheap replacement lamps.

Can't say I am particularly impressed so far with Epson, first time I'd not bought a JVC which had always been pretty reliable.

Thanks.


Had the same issue 17 days into purchase but got a refund instead. I feared a year or two down the line I might be in the same position you are the moment.

I emailed Epson about a potential replacement bulb and they were MUCH more helpful.
 
I ordered a few not OEM bulbs for the TW9100. They worked out at about £15 each. They were bare bulbs, so you put them in the old housing. Picture wise, they are pretty decent, as bight at the original to me, but probably last less. But at £15, who cares!

My only issue is the it makes the projector do this high pitch siren noise often. It's pretty annoying and very noticeable in ECO mode. I have seen this is a common problem for people getting not Epson bulbs, but some seem to fix but putting in original lamp housing, hasn't worked for me.

It's annoying, as apart from the buzzing/siren noise, they are great.

Does anyone know how to just physically stop the buzzer. I'd be happy to open the projector and just cut a wire!!!
 

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