Buy new or replace bulb (Epson 8350)

[Stridulent]

So I'm currently sitting at approximately 700 hours used of the 4000 bulb lifetime of my Epson 8350. I can't decide if I should sell it before too much of the bulb life is used, or if I should keep it for years and years and just replace the bulb for about $300 when it expires.

I have enjoyed the projector for the most part. It gets the common iris error every now and then which makes me worry some.

I do want to upgrade to 4k eventually, once the projectors fall below $2000. I realize that will be 5 years at least still.

So my options would be:

1. Keep projector -> buy bulb -> sell projector for very little -> buy 4k

2. sell projector around 2000 hours for decent return -> buy new -> sell new for decent return -> buy 4k

Thoughts? What is everyone else planning to do with their current projectors?

[bluman1981]

Originally Posted by Stridulent

So I'm currently sitting at approximately 700 hours used of the 4000 bulb lifetime of my Epson 8350. I can't decide if I should sell it before too much of the bulb life is used, or if I should keep it for years and years and just replace the bulb for about $300 when it expires.

I have enjoyed the projector for the most part. It gets the common iris error every now and then which makes me worry some.

I do want to upgrade to 4k eventually, once the projectors fall below $2000. I realize that will be 5 years at least still.

So my options would be:

1. Keep projector -> buy bulb -> sell projector for very little -> buy 4k

2. sell projector around 2000 hours for decent return -> buy new -> sell new for decent return -> buy 4k

Thoughts? What is everyone else planning to do with their current projectors?

4k will not be under $2k anytime soon. Not even in the next 5 years. So Id forget that idea. Now $5k-7k you may get a 4k projector in the next couple of years.

[Stridulent]

Originally Posted by bluman1981

4k will not be under $2k anytime soon. Not even in the next 5 years. So Id forget that idea. Now $5k-7k you may get a 4k projector in the next couple of years.

Ok, thanks. Still my question stands though. Do you prefer to sell before bulb gets close to burning out and then buy a new projector, or do you use every minute out of your bulb and then replace it?

[bluman1981]

Originally Posted by Stridulent

Ok, thanks. Still my question stands though. Do you prefer to sell before bulb gets close to burning out and then buy a new projector, or do you use every minute out of your bulb and then replace it?

What would be your budget for a new projector? Your not going to get much for the 8350. Getting a new bulb would be cheaper. Are you happy with the performance of the 8350?

[MovieFanatic2010]

Originally Posted by Stridulent

So I'm currently sitting at approximately 700 hours used of the 4000 bulb lifetime of my Epson 8350. I can't decide if I should sell it before too much of the bulb life is used, or if I should keep it for years and years and just replace the bulb for about $300 when it expires.

I have enjoyed the projector for the most part. It gets the common iris error every now and then which makes me worry some.

I do want to upgrade to 4k eventually, once the projectors fall below $2000. I realize that will be 5 years at least still.

So my options would be:

1. Keep projector -> buy bulb -> sell projector for very little -> buy 4k

2. sell projector around 2000 hours for decent return -> buy new -> sell new for decent return -> buy 4k

Thoughts? What is everyone else planning to do with their current projectors?

If you are still under warranty then the Bulbs are covered.... My brother has an 8350 and he uses it A LOT and has gone through 4 Bulbs in under a year and it cost him nothing.... So just call them up if you are under warranty and say you are having a problem with your bulb and they will send you a brand new one for free... A friend of mine has the 3010 and he called Epson and got a free bulb as well with no questions asked....

[Trogdor2010]

Originally Posted by Stridulent

Ok, thanks. Still my question stands though. Do you prefer to sell before bulb gets close to burning out and then buy a new projector, or do you use every minute out of your bulb and then replace it?

Using the bulb does detract the value of the projector, unless you of course replace it with a new bulb. The bulbs for the Epson 8350 should be cheaper than some mercury bulbs from DLP projectors. Also, you have to take in consideration of the warranty, which isn't necessarily determined by usage unless you count Panasonic's stupid warranty policy.

Also, while bulbs can last longer than 2000 like many UHP lamps, they aren't necessarily going to last as long as 4000 hours. I remember when my dad's older X3 projector blew out when it was at 2000 hours, when it was rated at 4000.

The nice thing about Epson's projectors is that you can remove the bulb without removing the ceiling mount since the bulb cover is on top of the projector.

From the 3 years I had my Infocus X10 since 2009, I used about 1600 hours on it, although I had to return the things at least 3 times on warranty because of color wheel and motherboard problems, and now with the warranty gone, I have to pony up to fix these problems (I think it's broken due to an overheating problem, but I can watch a 2 hour movie if I don't use it for a while, for some reason); I rather just get a new one. I don't think I had any problems with the bulbs, and it seems to reach close to it's rated 2000 hours. I tend to use my bulbs up, although I know the picture isn't as crisp and bright as when I bought it. I still think it looks good even after prolonged use.

I'd say if you want a brighter picture with better PQ without getting a new projector, and got money to burn, buy a new bulb. Get a new projector if you want one with better performance, or in my case, it's broken.

[ozzsoad]

Like said, forget about 4K for now. It won't happen in that price range for a long time.

Hold onto your 8350 and take advantage of the 2 year warranty. If anything goes wrong with it, they'll either send you a new bulb or a whole new unit. They ask very few questions and send stuff out right away, arriving in a day or two.

And while you're enjoying the 8350, save up for a 4K a few years down the road...

[Taygan315]

Originally Posted by Stridulent

Ok, thanks. Still my question stands though. Do you prefer to sell before bulb gets close to burning out and then buy a new projector, or do you use every minute out of your bulb and then replace it?

I use every minute of my bulb and get a new bulb when I need it. Would not spend more $$$ on a new projector just because the bulb is burned out.

[i007spectre]

1600 hours on my bulb. Love the projector, so I will be buying a new buld in the next 500-1000 hours

[Taygan315]

Originally Posted by i007spectre

1600 hours on my bulb. Love the projector, so I will be buying a new buld in the next 500-1000 hours

Spec..arent you still under your 2 year warranty?? I need to check to see how many hours I have on mine. I would be surprised if I'm at 100 hours,lol. Got the projector the week of Thanksgiving. I use my projector twice a week, one movie each night (I work alot and its third shift. Sleep is my friend during the day and anytime I can get some,lol).

[Taygan315]

Got 120 hours on the bulb,lol. Got the projector the week of Thanksgiving. Gives you an idea how much I use it,lol

[Flatnate]

I would hold on for now, unless you have "upgraditis" and you really want to improve your black level performance with a more expensive model. That's just me.

[slimdude]

Geez! If projection bulbs require that many replacements, that alone, will deter me immensely from investing in one. I'll stick with HDTVs!

[Trogdor2010]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Geez! If projection bulbs require that many replacements, that alone, will deter me immensely from investing in one. I'll stick with HDTVs!

Not really. How many movies do you watch in a year? How much TV do you watch and video games you play. I had my projector for over 3 years, and used about 1600 hours, half and half of which I think went to video games and movies.

If you run 8 hour a day sessions, you'll like blow the bulb within a year. Most conservative users watching a 2 hour film once a week should last longer than 7-8 years on one bulb rated at 2000 hours. A 2 hour film a day should be 2-3 years. Anything else is likely due to the environment, engineering defects, and lack of maintenance. Hardware failure should be taken into account just like TVs.

The real problem is lumen loss over use. You can lose half of your projector's rated brightness within 1000 of it's lifetime. Now lumen loss is gradual, and it's hardly noticeable to most people until you switch your projector's bulb, and many people are perfectly fine.

However, videophiles should aim for brightness that exceeds the target brightness of footlamberts (fLs), which is about 12-16fLs. Starting with 20fLs or so should be enough to allow a decrease in brightness to not be bothersome over use IMO. You can go with a projector that brightens up a large screen at 12-14fL and end up at 6-8fL 1000 hours later, and be fine with it. I say this because brightness is a preference rather than a standard, but staying in the 12-22fL range is considered the ideal rated level of brightness for a dark front projection set up.

Read reviews on projectors on their rated brightness before buying a screen too large. There is alot of helpful and detailed info on websites to help guide you.

[stevo4264]

If your happy with the picture quality of your Epson then I would keep it, even replace that bulb in time if you have to. In the meantime I would be saving for that new 4k projector, imagine how much money you will be able to save in the next 4 years or so.

[Stridulent]

Thanks for all the feedback and opinions. I'll probably keep the projector. I need to take a look at the warranty to see what they say about the auto iris error as well as new bulbs.