What Makes a Projector? -LCD

Last time we spoke I talked about what a DLP Video Projector is.  How it works as well as its Pros and Cons.  From this point forward, I will be discussing what makes another large segment of the projector market, LCD Projectors.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is a subtraction display technology versus DLP, additive display technology.  DLP Adds layers of colors to make an image where as LCD blocks pixels to take away color for dark area.  One is not better than the other. One of the main advantages of LCD is the lack of a color wheel.  This means one of DLP's main detriments(rainbowing) is not a concern.  LCD uses 3 colored filters to break the light into Red, Green and Blue.  These are then re-combined before final projection.

LCD Projectors were the first projectors on the market.  They quickly replaced the older and antiquated CRT (cathode ray tube) Projectors.  Their portable size and surprisingly bright image( for the time) was a welcome change.
You would think this type of technology was rather new, but in reality its almost 35 years old.  The first 'Light Valve' was pioneered in 1968 at RCA by John van Raalte.  It took until 1984 for him to work out the issues such as being able to control the 'light valves' in a meaningful way for a projector.  Since each pixel is arranged in a grid pattern, there needs to be a way to address each pixel.  This also showed the first use of negating the 'screen door affect' of each pixel being too obvious and looking like a grid of color.

It wasn't until the mid to late 1990s that LCD computer projectors became more common place. Before then, the most common form of LCD projector was a flat panel that was set atop a common overhead projector.

Once the LCD digital projector became common place it rapidly advanced.  At first the contrast was an issue at low brightness's.  The implementation of an auto iris resolved that.  This Iris physically blocks the lamps light beam at a specific level to balance the light needed to display the color required by the video.

Both LCD and DLP Projectors use lamps and lenses. Everything in between is quite different.
The lamp in an LCD projector starts off by focusing its light through a lens in the front of the lamp. This lens ensures the maximum amount of light hits the first lens of the projector.  The lens ' job is to focus the lamp light onto the the next piece of glass which is a color prism.  This prism reduces the light to its core colors of Red, Green and Blue.  The now filtered light is passed through a set of mirrors and multiple Dichroic filters.

The 3 filters further filter the lights to single color channels. Each of the 3 core colors have their own light path and their own LCD panel. Directly prior to passing through the LCD panel the light is balanced by 2 polarized glass panels.  These are adjusted in the factory so that each color is of equal intensity. This is critical because once the light passes through the LCD panel it is now 1/3 of the picture.  It is combined with the other 2 colors to form the full color image.  If any of the 3 colors are more dim or bright than each other, the image will look out of balance and not vivid.
The Lamp in an LCD projector is different as well.  The lamps usually have an optical lens rather than a filter lens as in a DLP lamp.  There is no need to block the UV and IR as it leaved the lamp.  The UV is already blocked by the glass, but the IR is not going to affect a color wheel so it can be filtered out after it leaves the lamp.

At one point around 2010 DLP projectors were surpassing LCD in quality but now the differences can be minuscule in the image quality.  LCD is still quite popular and posses a slightly large part of the home theater market but only barely.

Either projector can serve you well for most purposes.  Once type of lamp is not necessarily more expensive either.  Ideally you want to look at the picture.

If the image looks how you want it to look then LCD is the right technology for your home theater.  Maybe DLP looks better since it does have slightly deeper colors?  At that point it is up to your personal preference.   Be sure to follow us for our next post where I will discuss the other types of display technology such as LCOS and DiLA.

No matter which you choose you can get your lamp from us with the confidence that you are purchasing from a company who knows lamps.

What Makes a Projector? -DLP

Projectors have come a long way over the years.  At first they used film to feed through a mechanical shutter with the 2 large reels holding the film. Now they have become stand alone display devices.  More similar to a TV screen than a slide projector.

What makes them what they are today? There are essentially two answers to that question.  One is LCD technology and the other is DLP technology.  They both use replaceable lamps, but how they use those lamps to create the image is what sets them apart.

This begins a short series on Projector display technology.  This post we will cover DLP Projectors.

DLP is an acronym for Digital Light Processing. Invented in 1987 by Larry Hornbeck of Texas Instruments the digital mirrored device chip(DMD).

The first video projector to use this technology was built by Digital Projection in 1997.  Both Digital Projection and Texas Instruments won an Emmy Award for the use of DLP technology.

A DMD chip(pictured above) is made up of microscopic mirrors arranged in an array on the chip surface.  The mirrors are controlled via small electrostatic pulses to adjust their angle.  The angle causes them to either reflect the light out the lens onto the screen or away from the lens to create black or lack of light.  Each mirror is made up a microscopic yoke, torsion spring, and the electrostatic pads that affect the memory cells that set the position.


The diagram to the right shows the construction of each pixel.  Depending on the resolutions the amount of pixels changes. For instance an 800 x 600 DMD has (800*600 pixels= 480,000) pixels or mirrors that are controlled.  However some chips use a method of oscillating the mirrors to have them act double duty, halving the amount of mirror elements needed in a DMD chip.  

DLP Chips are monochrome or single colored. They can only turn light on and off and adjust its brightness. It cannot color the light.  This is where the next most important device of a DLP projector comes into play.

The Color wheel is a glass wheel made up of multiple segments all with a different color glass light filter.  On average they use 4 segments: red, blue, green and clear. Some models have multiples of the same color.  Others use 6 segments colors red, purple, blue, light blue, green and yellow.  The projector syncs the rotation of the color wheel and the color needs of the DMD while the image is being projected. DLP uses optical persistence to "fool" our eyes into seeing a mix of colors when in reality the projector is only projecting one color at a time for a fraction of a second.  If you blink your eyes quickly while looking at the DLP projected image, you can see the colors by themselves.

These 2 devices more than any other set the DLP projector apart from LCD.  Other differences are in the electronics.  There are a whole set of electronics that only are there to support and control the DMD chip.  These electronics are not as physically obvious but are no less important. These chips are for driving the electrostatic control signals to the DMD, as well as the video processing chips that prepare the signal to the DMD controller.  There is a motor control chip that keeps the color wheel in sync so that why the DMD is projecting the red portion of the image, the red color wheel segment is in position.  These all work together to ensure a pleasant and vibrant image.  

The main benefit of DLP over LCD(at the time) was the contrast ratio. Contrast ratio is the difference between a full white and full black image. When using a lamp to create an image there is almost no chance of having true black as black is the absence of light.  Turning off the lamp for the black portions of the picture is not practical.  Rather the pixels that require black merely point their light away from the main lens creating black on the screen.  Since the mirrors are only pointing away, there is some minor light leakage so the "blacks" are not as black as they could be.  The higher the ratio, the darker the blacks and brighter the white bits of the image will be. This was more of an issue with DLP first came to market as LCD had abysmal contrast.  These days they are pretty much the same contrast ratio-wise.

The last and most obvious difference is the lamp used in DLP.  Both DLP and LCD use Short ARC Mercury vapor lamps but only DLP uses this particular arrangement.

DLP Lamps commonly use a non-optical lens. Meaning there is no focusing or change in direction of the light beam.  Rather they have lenses inside the optics that do any light adjustment needed.  The lamps do have a special coating on the lens(ND filter lens). That coating prevents UV(ultraviolet) and IR(infrared) light from being injected into the light path.

These can harm your eyes and the optics due to heat and radiation.  This coating is a big reason why we do not recommend replacing only the bare bulb. If that coating fails or fails just a little it can cause your color wheel problems and possibly even melt some of the lenses.

Here is a picture of the internals from a Polyvision PJ905 that uses a 2002031-00 Lamp that has the proper coating.

This about sums up the DLP video projector.  They are a reliable and well proven piece of technology.  Pureland Supply takes a lot of pride in our lamps and we make sure every lamp that is used in a DLP projector(as well as LCD) is configured correctly to perform as well as possible for you.  Check our selection of lamps here. 

Stay tuned for next week when we discuss LCD projectors. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-800-664-6671 or Sales@purelandsupply.com

Tips to Identify Your Projector Lamp

There are thousands of different projector lamps. If you don't believe me, look at our Website in the Epson Section, as an example.  Epson alone has around 100 different lamps. Last count we had about 3100 unique items with close to 20,000 associated Model numbers. That is a lot of info.

Occasionally we get a call or email asking for a lamp but the customer is not sure of the brand or model.  When you are not the one replacing the lamp and you have to buy the lamp, it can be stressful and difficult without that info.

There are a few tips that I can share that will help. 

First and foremost ask your tech / installer for as much info as possible.  The ideal info is the model number off the projector.  All projectors have a data plate.  Its the sticker or metal plate that has all of the units pertinent info such as the model, serial number, power rating and any certifications.  That plate is usually located on the underside of a projector.  The underside if its sitting on a table. When that is the case, getting that info is easy.

Now say the projector is mounted 30 feet in the air, and you have to rent a lift to get the old lamp out?

The data plate might be blocked by the mount.  It may also have faded from years of sunlight on the sticker.  What can you do?

We have a lot of info at our fingertips.  While we prefer the proper info such as the model number or lamp number, we can usually identify a lamp pretty precisely.

What I am going to teach you is a last ditch option.  After you have exhausted all other options see how this goes.

I'll start with the useless info.  All housings have numbers on them.  Sometimes they mean things.  Many times they don't.

Most lamps will list the type of plastic they are made from. This is one of two types.  PPS and LCP.

PPS is Polyphenylene Sulfide. Its a higher temp thermoplastic that usually has some glass fiber re-enforcing.  Commonly listed as PPS-GF40 (Polyphenylene Sulfide Glass fiber 40%).  You can visually tell by the look of the plastic.  It will be glossy and hard.

The other kind of plastic used is LCP (liquid Crystal Polymer).  It is no better or worse.  I can only speculate on why one would be used over another as they compare almost the same with only negligible differences.

If you see PPS-GF40/GF30 or LCP-GF40, you can ignore those numbers.  They are only useful to the plastic recycling center.

There may also be a 2 digit number. That is usually a mold ID.  When the lamp housing was molded it was done so in a mold that had a number in it. That is for quality tracking.  Also not much help for finding your mystery lamp.

There may be other random letters and numbers. Most of them will be useless.

Here is what you WANT to look for.

Flip the lamp over and look at the back of your bulb.  Most lamps will have markings on the bulb unless its a cheap knock off.  You know how I feel about those.

That bulb will have some numbers.  Those will be helpful. They may not ID the lamp entirely but it will narrow it down immensely.

Refer to this chart:

Ushio:  Look for NSHxxxY(x= numbers, y= letter suffix)  or NSHAxxxY.  NSH refers to a DC (direct current bulb) and should have at least one wire physically attached. NSHA is for AC(alternating current bulb) and will have 2-3 terminals that can have a connector attached via screws. Many Ushio bulbs are purpose made for a specific manufacturer.  For instance, NSH200EDC is a 200W DC lamp made for Eiki with 3 terminals instead of 2.

Philips:  The first number on the sticker is the part number.  In this image the 636 is the part #.  The 90 indicates that this is an aftermarket bulb for Original Inside lamps.

We can match that info to a handful of lamps.

Osram:  There will be a sticker on the reflector or text on the read of the ceramic. You are looking for the "PVIP" data.  It will say P-VIP xxx(x= wattage) then the arc gap(1.0 or 0.9 or 0.8) which is the spacing in millimeters inside the arc-tube.  Then the reflector size which will be a P (for parabolic) or E( for elliptical) and a number.

Phoenix: This is the most difficult but fortunately its also rare.  There will be a short number such as SHPxx on an OEM.  The aftermarket lamps are harder.  They use a 3 character listing such as GX4 or SX5.  They have the wires permanently attached and usually are in older lamps.  Even so, if we know you need a lamp with a Phoenix bulb it will still eliminate a lot of variables.

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Knowing the brand of the projector will then get us even closer if not to the exact model.

Lastly take a picture for us.  We look at lamps all day long. Whether in our Quality Control Department or by our warehouse staff, some of us can ID a lamp by just seeing it.

Set the lamp on a nice clear background.  White table or solid lighter colored surface.  Put a piece of paper under it if you aren't sure.  Then take a picture looking straight down. Make sure to get the connector in the shot.  Then take another from the bottom with the lamp flipped over.

Refer to the image below. The first two pictures show a POA-LMP94 from a PLV-Z4 /PLV-Z5.  The third picture is the same lamp but while its a 'nice' picture, its not recognizable as easily.

Ideally of course, get the model number.  Even if you have what you believe is the proper Lamp ID , use the Model number.  It is the best way to guarantee you are sent exactly what you need and nothing less.


We can ID most lamps the same day as our staff is highly trained and well versed in finding the lamp you need. Contact us Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm via phone or Chat or anytime at Sales@Purelandsupply.com and we will reply the following business day.

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles..and your Projector!

Congratulations to the 2018 Super Bowl winners, the Philadelphia Eagles! 

Being a company based out of the Philadelphia area, we have a lot of Eagles fans who work here.

While New England played hard, it was nice to see the Eagles play a little harder.  The same can be said for your video projector.  Each projector is an engineering marvel that balances cost with function.

Think of your lamp like the Quarterback.  The lamps job is to pass light through the optics to the end-zone/screen.  Your lamp is constantly at odds with elements looking to make it fail.

Heat and dust are working hard to chip away at your lamp life, but the supporting members of your projector team work to protect it. The cooling fans are the Lamp's Guards, while the filter is the Lamp's Fullback. The rest of the team has its own purposes to ensure long life and clear pictures of your projector.

With the Football Season over for now, its a great time to start planning for next season.  4K projectors are becoming more reasonably priced and their lamps are some of the brightest to be made yet for the price range.

You can use the next few months to decide the best course of action to install your new projector or put your old projector into "pre season training" by making sure its been cleaned and replacing your lamp if its nearing the end of its life or starting to look dim. Its better to change your lamp before it fails.  You can save the old one as a back up and return the unit to its original brightness.

If you are looking to upgrade a good example is the BenQ HT2550 projector.

This is a true 4K (3840x2160)model rather than an enhanced 1080p (1920 x 1080)Projector like the Home Cinema 4000 .  The BenQ HT2550 retails for around $1,500.  Unlike the Sim2 Crystal 4 UHD which is 10x the price.

The BenQ projector has almost the same specs as the Sim2.  While Sim2 is a fantastic brand, it is not the most affordable and is not an entry level of average consumer level unit.

Pureland Supply offers a lamp for each of these unit.  You can search for this BenQ or your model BenQ via our Manufacturers page.  It lists every model and lamp for you to browse through, or you can use the search function to find your specific model or lamp number.

Of course if you are unable to find the model you are looking for or have any questions at all, our team at PurelandSupply is ready to help you with any of your projector lamp questions.

Give us a chance to support your projector for the rest of 2018. Contact us at 1-800-664-6671 via Phone or Online Chat Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm Est. We can also be contacted via email 24/7 at Sales@purelandsupply.com.  

GO EAGLES!!

High School students can apply now for new Scholarship at Pureland Supply

Are you getting ready to head to an accredited Vocational School, Trade School or Community College this fall?

Here is an excerpt from our website describing the scholarship:

Pureland Supply sells high quality replacement projector lamps to various Universities, Schools, and Government entities.  We understand the importance of skilled trades in our society and appreciate those who learn and perform specific occupational trades. 

The $1000.00 Pureland Supply Scholarship is open for students who have been accepted to an accredited Community College, Vocational College, Technical School, or Trade School.  Recipients are chosen on their ability to describe how their chosen trade or field plays an important role in today’s world and how the student expects to play a part in the future of their trade or field.

If you plan on attending a school that fits into the above description, you should click on THIS LINK to head over to our scholarship page.  Its also well recommended to visit our Facebook page for updates and of course the usual specials or coupons we offer there. 

Pureland Supply plays a large roll in the technical fields of AV Presentation, Simulators of all kinds and all of the other areas Projector lamps are used in aside from the usual home theater use.  

The fact that we are able to give back to help others move ahead in that area means a lot to this blog writer personally.   For years the trades were being forgotten. College is a wonderful option for a lot of people, but there are a lot of professions that College is not the answer for.  As this article states, its time to show people that Trades are a well respected and well paying option.


You can download the application HERE or from the Scholarship page itself. 


We will announce the recipient of the Scholarship via our Facebook page July 1, 2018.

Is My Lamp Failing?

How to tell if the Lamp in your Projector or Rear Projection TV has Failed or is About to Fail

Most problems on these TV's are due to lamp problems.  For brand-specific help, just click the appropriate link for your Hitachi, JVC, Mitsubishi, Sony, or Toshiba TV.

Projector lamps from Pureland Supply are only used in Projectors or TVs that use LCD, DLP, D-ILA and LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) display chips. These utilize patented Short Arc technology utilized by Philips, Ushio, Phoenix and Osram.

Projector lamps can easily be replaced by a customer commonly needing nothing more than a screwdriver.  If a special tool is required, it comes packaged with the new lamp.  We stock all popular projection lamps for sale for all brands with Original Bulbs Inside.  There are no replaceable lamps in flat panel TV's (plasma, LCD, and LED TV's), traditional direct view TV's, and the old floor-standing CRT rear projection TV's.

An On Screen Menu is a pattern of text on the screen that the TV generates internally, like the TV menu you get by using the TV remote.  This is the volume display, channel display, input display, etc. If you can see an ON SCREEN MENU, the lamp is not bad.

Usually, a dead lamp can be confirmed by looking at it.  Each lamp contains a thin glass tube.  If this tube is shattered or has a hole melted in it, then it is bad.  Often, people watching the set when the lamp fails will hear a "pop."  A lamp with a crack, blister, or discoloration in the glass tube (down the center) may also indicate failure. 

Occasionally, a lamp will go bad with no visible internal damage.  This can only be confirmed by substituting a good lamp.  Using an Ohm meter or multi-meter won’t work here as these lamps use Short Arc technology.

When a lamp fails to light, the lamp power supply may make a buzzing or sparking noise caused by the excess high voltage being bled off.  On sets that restart several times, this buzzing may be heard on each restart.  This noise is also an indication of a bad lamp.

Bad lamps usually fail to light when the set is powered on, but weak lamps can also blank out while the set is running.  The set may detect this and attempt to restart the lamp.  If the picture and On Screen Menu  go out intermittently, the lamp is the likely culprit.

Here are some common Failure Modes by manufacturer. Your issue may not be listed here specifically but most of these can apply to multiple models/manufacturers. 

Call our well-trained staff at 1-800-664-6671 or email us at Support@Purelandsupply.com or Sales@PurelandSupply.com if you are not sure if you need a lamp.

 Hitachi: 

TV starts up with a dark screen, no picture, and no On Screen Menu .  After a few minutes, the LAMP light on the front of the set stays on constantly.

JVC: 

TV starts up with a dark screen, no picture, and no On Screen Menu .  After a few minutes, the blue and orange lights on the front panel blink simultaneously and continuously twice per second.

Mitsubishi:

Failure Mode 1:  Projector starts up, attempts to light the lamp. Possibly hearing the ballast 'tick' as it tried to light. Then the Status and power light turn red and the unit shuts down.

Failure Mode 2: (Some models) TV works, but the LAMP lights lights a constant yellow/amber.  This is a warning that the lamp has been used for a certain number of hours and may fail soon.  When you replace the lamp, an on-screen message will ask you to reset the lamp timer, so this warning light turns off.  This must be done using the original TV remote. Set top box remote may not work.

Failure Mode 3: (Some models) Picture flashes, flickers, and/or changes color.  After a few minutes, the set may shutdown.  This may be due to a copy lamp being used.  Make sure the bulb in your lamp is made by Osram of Philips. No-name lamps may cause this issue.

Failure Mode 4:  No fans start when power is pressed. Only the status and power LED flash back and forth.  This indicates the lamp timer as run out and put the unit in protection mode. Refer the manual for proper reset, however most units are reset by holding down the Left and Right directional arrows and Power button on the projector simultaneously for a few seconds to force a timer reset. 

NEC:

Failure Mode 1: Status Indicator will flash Six times before pausing and then continuing to flash until power is removed. The lamp indicator will also flash on and off until power is removed.

Failure Mode 2: Status light will be off and the lamp indicator will light solid red indicting the lamp has run past 2100 hours and is now in protection mode. This must be reset using the factory remote.  by pressing Help and holding it for about 10 seconds until the Lamp indicator turns off.

Sony:

Failure Mode 1:  The green POWER light flashes once per second (the normal start-up indication), but the screen is dark with no picture and no On Screen Menu .  The set tries to restart 3 more times, and then the red LAMP light starts blinking.

Failure Mode 2:  The set works OK, but the screen goes dark with no picture or On Screen Menu .  After a few minutes, the picture comes back on by itself but continues to go on and off by itself.  The green POWER light blinks continuously while the picture is out, and there may or may not be sound.

Failure Mode 3:  The set works, but a lamp warning message appears on the screen each time it is turned on. 

SmartBoard:

Failure Mode 1:  Lamp will remain lit but display a message “Lamp Failure” before shutting down.

Failure Mode 2: No image at all, and the Red lamp indictor will be lit.

Some models will warn you of imminent failure as the lamp nears its 2000-hour life limit.

Toshiba: 

Failure Mode 1: Lamp Indicator will flash red with standby indicator steady red.

Failure Mode 2: Lamp indicator will be lit steadily as will the power indicator. 

Failure Mode for TVs.  The red light on the front panel comes on constant, and the green light blinks 3 times per second (the normal start-up indication), but the screen is dark with no picture and no On Screen Menu .  The set shuts down and resets itself 8 times.  Then, the green and red lights blink simultaneously and continuously once per second.

Vivitek:

Upon start up the fans will run for a few minutes. You will hear the color wheel spin up and the ballast attempting to start. This will repeat three times until the unit confirms the lamp failure. At that point the indicator for the lamp(s) will flash red instead of green. Some models will flash six times before pausing and then flashing again until the power is removed.

6 Steps to Change Your Projector Lamp

                                                   

Here are 6 Basic Steps for Lamp Replacement. 

You should always refer to the owners manual for the proper specific steps but if you have a pretty basic Projector or Rear Projection TV, these steps should get you back up and running.

    1. Preparing the Projector to Be Opened

Before attempting to open the projector, users should turn off and unplug the device. They should also allow the device to cool down. It could take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes for the projector to cool down completely. Then remove any dust on the outside casing with a soft, dry, and clean cloth. This will ensure that dust does not enter into the machine and get onto the vulnerable interior parts.

2. Remove Lamp Access Door

Some projectors may have covers that come off completely while other models just have a smaller compartment door that gives users access to the lamp housing unit. Projector owners can determine what kind of opening they have by looking at the projector and consulting the manual. 

No matter what the cover or the compartment door must be opened.  You will most likely need a screwdriver to remove the screws that keep the cover or door closed. Once the screws have been removed, you can carefully remove the panel or door. You should also take the time to unscrew any screws that may be keeping the housing unit of the lamp in place before attempting to remove it.

3. Taking Out the Old Projector Lamp 

This is a step that users must take care to complete properly. Doing otherwise may cause the old projector lamp to burst, which is dangerous for both the projector and the user. Because projector Bulbs inside the lamps are very fragile.  They can burst after starting because they have come into contact with the natural oils that are present on fingers.  this causes the glass of the bulb to expand at different rates when it heats.  For this reason you should always use the handle on the lamp to pull it out.  As an example the Christie 003-120507-01 

lamp has two points on the bottom to grab the lamp for removal.

4. Putting In the New Lamp

Once the old lamp is removed, the user can then place the new lamp housing unit inside of the Projector/TV. Users should make sure to slide the housing unit fully into the projector, with the new lamp in the same position that the old one was in. Certain projectors may require that power cables be reconnected to the new lamp. If this is the case, users should follow the manuals for specific instructions on how to do this.

5. Getting the Projector Ready to Run Again

   When the switch has been made, you can screw the new lamp housing unit into place and then re-attach the lamp access panel. Be sure to not over-tighten the screws.  At this point, the users can reconnect the projector to the electrical outlet and turn on the project to see if the new lamp works. If the projector still does not work after the lamp replacement has been made, there may be a larger issue that is causing the problem. In this case, users should seek the help of professionals specializing in projector repair in order to determine the right course of action.

6. Resetting the Lamp timer

If the projector is working properly, then the user will need to reset the lamp counter so that it can begin tracking time for the new lamp that has just been installed. Some projectors might reset lamp counters automatically, but for those that do not, users may need to do this manually through the projector menu. After completing all of these steps, the projector should be ready to provide hours and hours of entertainment once again.

If at any point you are uncomfortable or unable to perform these steps, please do not hesitate to contact our world class customer service department for assistance.  We have one of if not the best trained representatives to help you with your problems.

We can be reaching by calling our office at 1-800-664-6671. You can also email us at Sales@PurelandSupply.com 

5 Tips on How to Maintain your Video Projector

 

  Projectors are fragile, expensive pieces of equipment that can perform for years if treated properly. Performing routine maintenance to the various parts of your projector (i.e. the filters, lamp, etc) will help to ensure that you are creating the best environment for your projector to operate. There are certain precautions you can take when using your projector on a regular basis that will improve your the lifespan and protect your investment.

1. ARM (Always Read the Manual)

   Yes, the manual.  That plastic bag with the paper booklet that you toss in the drawer after pulling the remote batteries out of the bag. That manual is the best resource you have at your fingertips.  Every projector being sold today will have an operating manual in either hard copy or electronic format. Taking the time to read through the operating manual in detail before using the projector is the best way to begin. It will instruct you on the correct way to operate your projector. Your operating manual can also provide helpful maintenance tips that are just for your projector model, i.e. how to remove your projector’s filter cover. Even if you have experience running projectors, each model has their own unique settings and features that might be different than what you are used to. Familiarizing yourself with how that particular piece of equipment works will allow you to tell when something is wrong, and maybe advise on how to take preventative measures to stop things from going wrong in the first place.  

2. Choose your Projector Location Wisely.

   There is more to positioning your projector than just finding out where the image will look the best. Its imperative to leave at least 6-12 inches of space around the unit to allow for proper heat ventilation. Without proper ventilation the heat that builds up in your projector cannot escape, which can cause damage to the projector’s internal parts and drastically shorten your lamp life.

Know the temperature your projector operates at. If you think the unit produces a lot of heat, it would be best to avoid placing the projector directly in the path of sunlight or directly next to a heat source(heating vent, wood stove etc). If you have the projector mounted on the ceiling check to make sure that the projector is not directly next to an outgoing vent. The last thing you want is more heat around the projector than it is already producing itself.

It’s also a good idea to not use the projector in smoke filled rooms. This can increase the chance of damaging the projector optics. Smoke will build up on the internal lenses.  That causes the image to dim and in some cases it can cause the lenses inside to fail.

Keeping your projector’s environment as dust and dirt free as possible will help as well. Electronics attract more dust than other objects due to the static electricity they create while in use. Dust causes problems for the projector’s filters, and other components if the dust particles get further into the projector.  Routinely clean the air vents if you can. Clean projectors are cool and happy projectors.

3. Storing your Projector  

   Hopefully you use it regularly but for people who use them for presentations primary, this tip is for you.  

Projectors have many parts that need precise alignment to function correctly. Improper transportation or storage of the projector may cause adverse affects for the performance of the projector. The following are a few guidelines for storing your projector:

• Allow the projector to completely cool down before moving it.
• Use the original box and packing materials to store the projector if possible. If the original packaging materials are not an option, use a strong box to hold the projector securely and at least 2 inches of a soft material (i.e. cloth, foam, etc) all the way around the projector.
• Remove the batteries from the remote control.
• When storing the projector make sure that the storage area will not be subjected to extreme temperatures (hot or cold) that could affect the projector.
• If you move a projector from one temperature extreme to the other, let it sit for 30minute or so until it rises or lowers to room temperature. This prevents moisture problems.

4. Clean your Projector Filters

Projectors produce large amounts of heat during use, and this heat needs to be vented to keep the projector from overheating. Projectors have fans that push air around the projector’s operating parts to cool them down, but the air contains dust and other particles that need to be filtered before it cools these components. The filters prevent the buildup of dust that, if left unchecked, would actually insulate the projector. This would keep the heat inside the projector unit which could be very damaging to many of the projector’s components like the lamp, LCD panels, or other internal optics.

To ensure that these filters keep performing well, they must be maintained regularly. This is very important since damage to the projector caused by dirty filters may not be covered by the projector warranty.

Generally, it is suggested to clean the filters once every 3-4 months(Now is always a good time),.  Always check the projector’s manual first to see if there is a recommended maintenance cycle for your projector. You should clean or replace your filters whenever you notice an excessive build up of dust on the projector’s fan exhaust vent, or if you have been using the projector on a frequent basis. Most projectors will also have a temperature warning LED. If you notice this warning LED occurring, it may be time to clean your filter.

The two preferred ways to clean the filter are either to use a small vacuum cleaner attachment to pull the dust out from the filter, or to use a can of compressed air to blow the dust away. Washing the filter with a cleaning solution, or soap and water is generally not recommended as the chemicals in them could harm the filter membranes. 

5. Cleaning the Projector's Compartments

  Before you re-install the clean filters or new replacement lamp, make sure to remove all the dust and dirt from the compartments they are housed in. Using the same vacuum cleaner attachment or can of compressed air you used to clean the filters you can remove the excess dust from the compartments as well. It is also time to check the vent fan area for debris buildup. If the fans compartment contains dust and debris it could prevent the fan from operating at the correct speed needed to ventilate the heat that is being produced. 

Occasionally the old lamp will burst leaving bits of quartz glass scattered throughout the projector.  That debris can clog fans, preventing cooling.  I have seen that more often than I expected.

Keeping the fans clear of dust and debris is the best first live of defense against early lamp failure.

These 5 tips will keep your projector working between lamp changes.  When its time for a lamp, give us a call at 1-800-664-6671 or visit out website www.PurelandSupply.com

Happy New Year from Pureland Supply!

From all of us at Pureland Supply, We wish you a happy and prosperous New Year!

2017 was a fantastic year for Pureland Supply.  We continued to improve our quality and enhance our competitive pricing to ensure maximum value to our customers.  

We plan to make 2018 even better yet.  Keep an eye on our blog and Facebook page for upcoming specials.  We are giving back even more than ever.  2018 is the year for Kindness and Prosperity. 

Until January 15th, we are donating One dollar ($1)for every Facebook Page follow we receive to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to help fund the Adolescent Initiative program.

This program assists with clinical opportunities, education, and provides a safe family gathering event for young adults in high risk HIV environments.

Join us in kicking off the New Year by helping the children.  You do not have to purchase anything.  Head on over via the link to our Facebook page and click the Follow Button. That's it!

We look forward to sharing more information on Projector Lamp tips, tricks and best practices. 

As always, thank you for using PurelandSupply.com for your Projector Lamp needs as we are 

Your Source For Replacement Projector Lamps

Why its NOT Time to buy LED Projectors

LED (Light Emitting Diode) Projectors are on the market.  They have been for a few years now.  At first they were waffling between LED and Laser(which uses LED) and have settled on LED for the most part.  

LED is touted as "No more lamps!" which is the biggest selling point.

Is this true?  Its true that there is no lamp to replace in an LED projector.  They have no removable user parts that can be replaced. Its a sealed unit and you are at the mercy of the manufacturer.

Is this a good thing?  In my opinion, as it stands now, I say its not a good thing.  There is a lot of promise in LEDs.  They are not the lifetime lamp they claim to be.  

Being someone who works inside projectors, its been my experience that LEDs are not there yet. 

I will explain my thought and will be interested to see if my thoughts hold true in a few years.

LEDs themselves are fine. For general lighting, indicator lights and even low lumen, low cost projectors.  

Inside a projector, the LED light engine is made up of 3 chips(In most cases). I'll be referring to LEDs as Chips since they are semiconductors.

They use a Red, Green and Blue High output chip mounted to a large heat-sink arrangement.  Those Chips are then powered by a special lamp driver made to run those Chips .

Current LEDs suffer from a problem that cause them to have a severe drop off in brightness after a certain point.  That energy then becomes heat.   The average short arc (current technology)projector is 3000-5000 lumens at 250-300watt.


For instance, the Optoma UHD60 uses a 240W Osram bulb that puts out 3000 lumens to the screen.  This means the unit uses 240W of lamp power(not 240W total power) to drive the lamp.

An LED for the same unit would need to be at least 50W per color.  That would then add up to 150W total (for RGB). The problem here is that at 50W the Chip is going to generate a lot of heat and put a lot of stress on the lamp driver.  In most cases when an LED light of any type(even incandescent replacements in your home) fails, its because of the lamp driver rather than the LED element itself.

The amount of thermal stress increases greatly as the wattage increases.  Most of the time the voltage is constant and the amperage is increased. 

Over a few amps, the thermal reliability begins to drop off significantly.  The diagram below shows the drop off of a high power Blue Chip that could be used in a projector.


Short Arc Mercury lamps such as the BL-FP240E for the above mentioned Optoma UHD60 and UHD65 on the other hand are tried and true technology.  When the lamp fails in this model you can change it.  That lamp usually lasts 2 years(with normal use). Then for a few hundred bucks you are back in operation and have a nice bright image.

If you want to use a long throw projector in an auditorium you are definitely better off with the current type of projector technology over LED. Even Laser which is advertised as effective will not give you the clarity and color rendering that a Short Arc lamp can currently deliver.

With the average LED projector warranty only being 2 years, you are then stuck with a multi-thousand dollar paperweight when the lamp driver fails or the LED overheats.  There is no reset or simple bloated capacitor fix.  It is going to need a new lamp driver module and probably a new LED module.  In my experience those parts can be much higher costing than a plain old short-arc lamp.

Last projector I worked on with LEDs, would have cost $300 for three 25 watt red, green and blue chips.  It still needed a lamp driver which was $150.  For the low-low price of $450, the customer would then have had their $315 LED projector back in operation.  Lesson learned.

Those lamp drivers and Chips are not user replaceable. There is no door you can open and pull a cartridge out and then pop in a new one.  You have to take the projector down, ship it to a repair center and wait for it to be sent back. Inevitably it will fail again.  Rinse and repeat.

With LEDs now starting to grow up, I fully believe they will be the light source of the future.

However as it stands now, they are not there yet.  Don't let yourself be part of the manufacturers experiments.  Wait until you see a 4K 3000 lumen projector under $1000.

Until then buy an Optoma UHD60 or UHD65 and then in 2 years check back to see how BL-FP240E is going for and let me know if I was right about LEDs.








Happy Holidays from Pureland Supply! Have a Safe and Pleasant Holiday Season!

10 Tips to Prolong Lamp Life from Pureland Supply

Projector lamps are most important to your projector. Prolong their life with these tips.

1.  Handle the Projector Lamp with gloves. Oils and deposits from hands and fingers can cause hot spots on face of the Projector Lamp, which may result in premature Lamp failure.  Gloves also insure against any smudges that could get on the glass lenses or the projector or the lamp itself.

2.  Operate your projector in a clean, cool, and well ventilated area. A dust free environment would be ideal.  It may be advantageous to look into a ventilation system or air filtration system in the area that the projector will be operating in.

3.  Keep the projector air filters and air vents clean. Clogged filters/vents will not remove heat effectively. This can cause the projector to overheat with an early lamp failure.  During routine maintenance it is recommended to vacuum any loose debris and dust from the projector.  You can also get a can of sealed air to blast out any small particles and dust from the air vents and filter.

4.  Do not place anything on top of the projector or in front of the intake or exhaust vents. This will cause the projector lamp to overheat and fail. Refer to your manual for safe placement of the projector and the accessories.  The vents should be operating in an unrestricted environment that has strong air circulation.

5.  If the projector is built into a compartment, wall, ceiling, or shelf mount, the minimum distance requirement is usually at least 2 feet.  This allows enough space to dissipate any heat that will build up.  Refer to your owner’s manual for specific recommendations.

6.  When you replace the projector lamp make sure the new housing is seated completely and securely. Pureland Supply continually gets phone calls and inquiries from customers that think they have a defective lamp when in actuality they simply didn’t push the lamp in far enough.  Pay attention to the old lamp. Re-install and remove the old lamp a few times to get familiar with the how it fit into your projector. When you install the new lamp you can seat it firmly but without too much pressure.  Use the screws to tighten the lamp into its final position.

7.  Hot Projector Lamps are fragile. Do not move or shake the projector until the Projector Lamp has completely cooled. Shock and vibration applied to hot projector lamps may cause the lamp to break or shorten its effective lifespan.  It is recommended that after operation you let the lamp cool at least an hour before handling the projector or lamp.

8.  Do not unplug the projector until the Lamp has properly cooled. After the projector has been shut off, the fan will remain on for a period. This is required for proper cooling of the lamp.  If the lamp is not cooled properly it will cause the life of the lamp to be shortened drastically.  This is a critical point where many people unplug their projector during use in order to turn it off.  By doing this the lamp is extremely hot and has no air circulation resulting in damage or shortened life of the lamp.

9.  Do not turn the projector on and off frequently during presentations. Each time the projector is switched on, the inrush of power causes stress on the Projector Lamp as does the thermal cycles (heating cooling). Try to minimize your on/ off cycles by not frequently turning on and off. If you are not using the unit for less than 30minutes, use a screen saver or video mute option that some models offer.

10.   Wait until the fans stop running before attempting to turn a projector back on after use. Forcing the Projector Lamp to start before it is adequately cool will cause a thermal and electrical shock to the bulb causing the life to be shortened.

It is recommended that you have your projector serviced and maintained approximately every 2 years.

Preferably have the projector cleaned for dust buildup seasonally.

Insist on high quality projector lamps with the original manufacturer’s bulb inside (Made by Philips, Ushio, Phoenix, or Osram).  All lamps are available for sale at PurelandSupply

Call or Visit Pureland Supply at 1-800-664-6671 to get additional information on any type of Projector Lamp.

Pureland Supply

210 Gale Lane

Kennett Square PA  19348

sales@purelandsupply.com

www.purelandsupply.com

Phone: 800-664-6671

Fax: 888-880-8874