How long do the bulbs last in general for the overhead projector tellys, a friend has one and says the bulbs are like £300! anyone got one? I like the idea of being able to use the whole living room wall as the screen, LCD ones look tiny in comparison.

you want a tiny LCD?
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/lg/100inch-lcd-from-lg-196765.php

and yes, the bulbs are about £300...
http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=2448

!!

whats wrong with a £10 car headlamp bulb?!?! bonkers price

i don't even think they're the buld for tv projectors...
go locost and make your own :L

First time i watched kill bill was at my house via my mates work projector. There was something ever so impressive with the screen being over 6' wide across the bottom edge (not diagonal).

Always hankered after a projector ever since but things like the cost of the bulb puts me off.

If you consider that the average bulb life should be somewhere around 1500 hours.....

Provided you dont leave the projector switched on all the time, and make sure its allowed to cool properly before you move it, its going to last a while isnt it!

quote:

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Originally posted by tegwin
If you consider that the average bulb life should be somewhere around 1500 hours.....

Provided you dont leave the projector switched on all the time, and make sure its allowed to cool properly before you move it, its going to last a while isnt it!

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No....1500-2000 hours is roughly the norm for a projector bulb....


12 hours a day is a bit extreme!...LOL!

Put simply, 1500 hours at £300 pounds is 20 pence per hour. Worth it? I decided it wasn't when I was considering a projector.

Probably OK if you only use it to watch films and stuff, but if you do all your telly watching on it it's pretty pricey to watch crap!

I have dealings with all sorts of projection systems through my second hat at work looking after the Briefing centre and other conference rooms (as well as providing all the photography and supporting video production) in the agency.

Rear projection TV's are... old technology, huge, dim, and tend to be low resolution.
If had to project i would use one of the small projectors.
The concensus seems to be LCD upto 37 inch Plasma over that

I've had two rear projection TVs (which are more or less similar technology)

Never, ever again - they lasted a few years then one 'bulb' blew but it was impossible to replace on its own due to calibration issues, so THREE of the blighters had to be replaced. I complained so much to Sony that they gave me a replacement which lasted another few years and the whole story started again

50" Plasma now - God know how much THAT is going to cost when something goes pop!

As someone's said build one yourself... I found a really good guide not so long ago but can't find the link... This is the best Google had to offer!

Clickety_Click

Projectors can be had for around £3-400, its the power on off cylcle that kills them, I work in a school and sometimes the projector can be left on fro a week or 2 constantly during the holidays, Hitachi panasonic.. Some of them are 3 years old and have never had a bulb changed. Optoma are good and the bulbs very reasonably priced. We have a £750 3500 ansi lumen optoma onto a 4x4m (yes meter) electric screen and the picture is awsome for the size. We have a few epson new ones and they are excellent and a new bulb can be had for £80 via RM if you work in a school. In 3 years time prices will have dropped massivly and it'll be cheaper to get a new projector than to buy a new bulb. DLP are less hassle than LCD but LCD gives better picture. There are filters to clean regularly with the LCD projectors. Have seen projector tv's and the picture quality is awful.
HD projectors are a little on expensive side.
Ta

Allan

I've got an Epson projector in my back room mounted upside down on the ceiling. Pretty cool driving round The Ring on a 8 foot screen!

I use it for films, playstation, digital telly and the Wii. I broadcast the signal to the projector wirelessly using a box I bought from Maplin for £50.

Not looking forward to a bulb going, however it has a shut down cycle and automatically shuts off if it gets too hot.

The further back you position it the bigger the picture, but you need the curtains shut during the day.

http://www.lumenlab.com/S15_PDF/Lumenlab_DIY_projector_guide_v2.0.pdf

Looks interesting!

I have a Phillps LCD HD projector, the picture is /was amazing but the bulb has just gone, £500 ish for a new one F***k me, it'll have to wait as the summer is coming and the car needs finishing.