Stay away from Mitsubishi DLP's

[BlueAngelDad]

i have the 65" and i am totally pissed. 2 months after the warranty expired the freakin bulb blows, i was like wtf?

let me say this, do you have any idea how many 25" zenith console tv's are still working? they are at least what, 25 year old tv's? and i had to replace the bulb on this tv 14 months later? at $250 a bulb? all i can say is i will no longer be purchasing any of their products.

every so often i keep getting the amber light signal, and a message on screen that something is blocking the intake vent. i have never been so pissed in my life, when i first bought this tv i raved about it. the picture quality was awesome. my friends and family were impressed. but no more Mitsubishi for me.
one of my coworkers asked for advice, i told him mitsubishi dlp was the way to go, he bought a 50" dlp. guess what? not even ayear after he had his he had to replace his bulb. but it was under warranty so he got new bulb replacement for free. this kind of coincedence with their bulbs is a little upsetting to say the least.
i really find it hard to believe that i have to pay $250 a year to watch tv( replacing freakin bulbs) when there are litterally thousands of people with their trusty 25" console tv's still working after 25 years or more......

so no thank you mitsubishi, anyone reading this and contemplating getting one of their tv's, better rethink their decision,

feel free to contact me

[buckshot]

wow, thats really lame. my samsung just went out after 3 years of solid use. and its $150 for a new bulb/housing. but to anyone else looking at DLPs i love them, the led engine ones look really shiny and nice.

[slaizer2000]

thats why i went with samsungs led dlp's. Bulbs are very fragile and can blow at any given time. With the LED DLP there is no bulb to replace. Although the TV has had some issues covered under warranty it does solve the problem of not having to spend money on replacement bulbs

[BlueAngelDad]

well,
i am definetly gonna do some serious research before i make another purchase

but anyone reading this post consider this, they are seriously overcharging bigtime for a freakin bulb replacement in a small plastic housing, $250 ?

i will look at LCD's next time, goodbye to you mitsubishi s.o.b.

[supersix4]

they were a thing of the past .... plasma + lcd = now

[MuG]

DLP is the way to go.... the only thing that goes out on them is the bulb, and its cheap. Picture is beautiful. I dislike ths thread

[rdodolak]

Yep, that's just a fact of life with any RPTV. Bulbs can and do last for years however they are affected by a number of factors to include how much you watch TV, the number of power cycles on the bulb (turning TV on/off), whether the bulb is allowed to properly cool, etc.

When I purchased my RPTV I was aware that the bulb would have to be replace at some point (no guarentee on how long it would last) and accepted that as a risk. The bulb in my Sony is 2.5 years old and still works.

Originally Posted by BlueAngelDad

every so often i keep getting the amber light signal, and a message on screen that something is blocking the intake vent.

This very well could have been the downfall to the bulb falling. How many hours did you have on the bulb and does the TV have proper ventilation?

In any event I'd look into this issue and if the ventilation is fine I'd recommend getting the TV looked at to make sure it doesn't have other issues (such as the fans).

Did you buy an extended warrranty plan? Most plans come with at least one free bulb replacement.

EDIT: 99% of the time you'll end up buying a new bulb through the manufacturer for MSRP. I'd recommend shopping around for a replacement bulb.

A number of RPTV owners have recommended this site in the past.

http://www.rivervalleyelectronics.net/category_s/38.htm

[theokbadguy]

I purchased a 65" Mitsubishi DLP and absolutely LOVE IT! The picture is sick and its out performs my plasmas and LCDs by a mile (IMO). I heard about bulb problems before I bought it (even from the salesman), but given the fact theres virtually nothing else that can ever go wrong with them, Ill gladly pay the $100 for the replace,ent bulb when its needed. Just my 2 cents of course

[TVguy86]

My extended warranty covers the bulb replacement for 4 years. It also covers anything else that goes wrong with it for that matter.

Dlp is not a bad technology you just need to do research and understand what you are purchasing.

Ie blub will go out 250 dollars. That price covers my extended warranty. Ie extended warranty free in a sence.

Plus i purchased a 56 inch tv for the same price as another 1080p lcd and that was only 46 inches. Hmm win again.

Ohh but i forgot if its not flat is not cool????

[TVguy86]

And its not just mitsubishi Dlp that has bulbs.

Samsungs have bulbs. Even rear projection lcd tvs like sonys have bulbs.

Cant condemn a whole brand of tv because something that goes bad went bad.

Thats like saying i will never buy a honda because the alternator in my honda went bad after 2 years and it was supposed to last 4. Or i will never buy firestone tires because my 60000 mile tires only got 50000 miles on them.

There are soooooooo many other factors that effect bulb life. But im sure it was just the simple fact that your tv said mitsubishi that made the whole DLP technology crappy????

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by BlueAngelDad

i will look at LCD's next time

That's a shame, I'd recommend Samsung, Pioneer or Panasonic plasma's.

As it goes, bulb replacement is pretty normal on DLP's and most minor research would have informed you of this. 14 months is pretty short, but not unheard of. I would not presume it to be simply due to the fact it's a Mitsubishi.

[obiwopkenobi62]

Originally Posted by theokbadguy

I purchased a 65" Mitsubishi DLP and absolutely LOVE IT! The picture is sick and its out performs my plasmas and LCDs by a mile (IMO). I heard about bulb problems before I bought it (even from the salesman), but given the fact theres virtually nothing else that can ever go wrong with them, Ill gladly pay the $100 for the replace,ent bulb when its needed. Just my 2 cents of course

I totally agree. I have the Mits 73" DLP and love it. My buddy has the same 73" as me except he has the one from 5 years ago when the cabinet was much bigger and guess what, no problems. He runs his for like 10-12 hours a day and no bulb problems after 5 years.
Now when I bought mine I had already checked around the web for replacement bulbs and found more than a few websites that have them reasonably priced. I alway tell people to do their research.

To the OP, Don't get me wrong, but if you didn't know the cost of a replacement bulb then you didn't do the research. A couple hundred bucks for a replacement bulb is actually reasonable compared to buying a whole new TV. As for the zenith TV's you speak of that lasted for years, that's a completely different type of television. Your talking about CRT's(Cathode Ray Tubes) that could go for like 20 years or more. Another thing is companies used to build quality products that would last a long time. Companies mentality changed unfortunately and now a lot of the time things are made to break, be thrown away and replaced. It's sad but true. That's not to say you can't get a quality product as long as you do the research. I have had electronics from Sony, Samsung, Hitachi etc. There were good and bad in all of them. I had a Sony Betmax that I bought in 1981 and it didn't crap out on me until 1993.
I don't think you can just say Mitsubishi TV's are crap because they are not. There could be many reasons why you had a problem with it. I feel your pain but don't just say Mitsubishi's are lousy because you can probably find someone out there for every brand of TV that's had a problem. Just my 2 cents

[Sheekdude]

I've had my LG DLP tv for 4 years (February will be 5 years) and i bought it as a display model... No bulb issues yet, and the picture is just as the first day when i got it.

I'll buy your Mitsu if you're willing to ship it, lmk.

[BlueAngelDad]

ok,
i totally understood about replacing the bulbs, but only after 14 months? look, i only watch tv on sundays, that is the part that i cant understand. my tv does not come on during the weekdays unlees i am off from work, then usually i am on my pc most times and i reserve sundays as my tv watching day. Yes, the picture this thing put outs is incredible, Discovery HD is by far the best channel, my brother said it looks like an aquarium.
but i am becoming more frustrated with this thing, i even removed the back of the set which worked at the tiime, but every once in a while it keeps giving me the tv gonna shut down message. so i shut it off and use a can of air and spray the back of the set, which works.
again, i am just getting frustrated with this thing

oh, and Theokbadguy, the replacement bulb is $250, not $100

[gatorlangman]

I thought it was a known fact that you go for a DLP TV fully expecting to pay for a bulb after a year or so... DLP's are a lot cheaper for the size and even with the price of he bulb replacement it still ends up cheaper.

$1400 for a 65" DLP, say 3 bulbs need to be replaced in its life time.. thats still around $2000 still far less than an LCD or Plasma of similar size.

You should of known before buying a DLP that bulbs would of been an issue. Even the HDTV tips on all of the stores websites say that.

You should of known that bulb replacement was inevitable and you really shouldn't be this surprised or pissed about it. That is of course if you did even a little bit of research.

I'm sorry to hear that your bulb went out after your warranty.. but its to be expected..

[SDBlu]

I agree with the OP. Screw this high-maintenance, bulb having to be replaced yearly garbage. So what...every time you turn on your tv you have to be worried about if the bulb is going to go out on you in the middle of a blu-ray?

Better yet, let me create a scenario "You are hosting a super-bowl party, you invite all of your friends, everyone's eating chips and dip, drinking having a good time watching the game and then BAM!!! Your TV's bulb died Everyone in your house is gonna be like WTF!" Not cool!

No thanks...I'll stick with LCD

[gatorlangman]

Okay I agree it is kind of lame that you have to replace bulbs often. But you can complain all you want.. This is the way it is. This is what happens. This is what is known to happen. This is simply how it is. With that said, you should of known the issues with this kind of TV before making the purchase. Whether or not you think its wrong, it is simply what is known to happen.

You can't get upset about something that is known to happen. If I knew that my milk was gonna go bad before the 1st but I purchased it anyways, you can't get mad when you go into your fridge to make a bowl of cereal. If you knew it was gonna happen, then is it Kemp's fault for making the milk with less preservatives so it doesn't last as long?

It is a known problem that is pointed out all the time by a lot of sources.. its pretty close to common knowledge. So if you know the bulbs are go out.. then why are you mad?

The whole point of getting a DLP is getting a cheap alternative, knowing about the bulb replacement and dealing with the bulb replacement. You buy a used car fully expecting to fix something in a few years simply because its a lot cheaper, You know it is still gonna be cheaper even after you fix it.. and you know about the hassle of getting it fixed. It is the same with DLP's. You know that you are gonna have to go through the hassle.. you have to ask yourself before getting a DLP whether or not its worth the hassle. To a lot of people it is worth the hassle to a lot of people it isnt. Obviously it's not worth the hassle with you. So if you would of done research and if you would of asked yourself that question. Then you wouldnt be in the spot you are today.

[GodofBlu]

Originally Posted by gatorlangman

The whole point of getting a DLP is getting a cheap alternative,

Bull. I have DLP front projection in my theater room, plasma in the living room and LCD in (2) bedrooms. DLP is not a cheap alternative. In the long run, DLP is more expensive than either of the other technologies. And when it comes to big screens, the picture is spectacular. It's in no way inferior to plasma.

To the OP, you have a problem. The bulb should last about 5000 hours. Your bulb blew in a little over a year and your getting ventilation warnings. Either you have a fan problem, blocked airway or some other issue causing the bulb to over heat. You need to fix your problem or your new bulb will blow in a similiar amount of time.

Lastly, if the credit card you purchased that TV with is a platinum card, it adds an additional year of warranty. Check over the booklet of info the credit card company sends you each year.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by GodofBlu

Bull. I have DLP front projection in my theater room, plasma in the living room and LCD in (2) bedrooms. DLP is not a cheap alternative. In the long run, DLP is more expensive than either of the other technologies. And when it comes to big screens, the picture is spectacular. It's in no way inferior to plasma.

To the OP, you have a problem. The bulb should last about 5000 hours. Your bulb blew in a little over a year and your getting ventilation warnings. Either you have a fan problem, blocked airway or some other issue causing the bulb to over heat. You need to fix your problem or your new bulb will blow in a similiar amount of time.

Lastly, if the credit card you purchased that TV with is a platinum card, it adds an additional year of warranty. Check over the booklet of info the credit card company sends you each year.

I agree with everything in your post but the bolded part. If you're referring to Vizio plasma I agree, but if you're referring to the Panasonic TH-65PZ850U or Pioneer Signature 60" Kuro then I strongly disagree, the top of the line plasmas are superior in just about every measurable aspect regarding picture quality.

[KINGOFPAIN]

Heres a little bit of information I will pass on to Mitsubishi DLP TV owners. I own the Mitsubishi 65" DLP TV, My bulb blew after 13 months from purchase.
Yeah I was a little bit mad to pay the $275.00 bill that my Mitsubishi service
Tech charged me, But he gave me some information that he is telling all his customers about the lamp. There is a screened vent on the lamp housing itself that had dust and dirt built up on it, He told me this why the lamp blew because it became over heated. So he told me with the new bulb he just replaced to take it out every 3 months and vacuum the screen and that the bulb would last alot longer. I asked him why that information was not listed in the owners manual. He said it should be, Just thought I would pass this info on to Mitsubishi owners, Not sure about other brand DLP if they have the same type lamp. I love my Mitsubishi TV and will buy one again in the near future. Hope this helps!