DLP TV Question

[bratch]

I bought a "new" DLP television a couple months ago.  So far everything has been going good.  I watched a movie last night and it seemed fine but today the picture seemed darker than normal. I played with all the settings and couldn't get it any brighter.  Is this how they behave when the bulbs start going out?

[Firethorn]

I bought a "new" DLP television a couple months ago.  So far everything has been going good.  I watched a movie last night and it seemed fine but today the picture seemed darker than normal. I played with all the settings and couldn't get it any brighter.  Is this how they behave when the bulbs start going out?

Generally no.

Does the room have any windows?  Were you outside before going to watch the tv?  Brightness can vary depending upon the media and the adaption of your eyes.  If there's any windows, it can indeed seem dimmer because the ambient light is higher during the day.

[Brad Johnson]

Check your cables. I had the same problem on my system and it turned out to be a loose connection. A simple tug on the cable was all it took to restore the connection.

Also make sure your TV hasn't been accidently set to a different mode - TV, Theatre, Sports, etc. Some remotes have a single-button function to toggle between modes and it's easy to change without realizing it.

Brad

[aguyindallas]

I have a Toshiba 62" that has gone through two bulbs in 5 months. Its a real pain in the neck. My bulbs blow, no slow going down hill. Its a problem that Toshiba has and is working with. Sometimes the lamp on mine just turns off and power cycles 2-3 times and comes back on. Nobody can figure that out as of yet.

So far, I hate this $3000.00 boat anchor, I hope whatever one you have serves you better.

[mfree]

aguyindallas, have you checked your mains power feed for noise or transients, bad grounds, crosstalk, etc?

I've seen some modern electronics that would take it all in stride (including a computer PS that didn't complain at all about having no ground and a semi-shorting neutral, though *I* complained rather frickin' loudly when I bent down on the damp carpet (recent clear-water flood) to move the machine and got ~70 volts or so) and I've seen some that freak out when voltage drops below 100 for a quarter second or so.

[AJ Dual]

An inexpensive computer UPS is just about the ultimate surge supressor/line conditioner you can get without going through the expense of a dedicated system.

That might help. With high-end bulbs, the funky halogen chemistries are sometimes just as supceptible to undervoltage as over.

[bratch]

Still have a dark screen.  I've switched from HDMI to component cables with no improvment  I've also tried all of the adjustments. I'm probably going to give in and try Best Buy for help through my warrenty.

[aguyindallas]

I have given some real thought to a UPS just to be sure the power is constant and clean. One TV tech told me that sometimes the TV will power cycle itself if the video signal is weak. There isnt anything I can do to make it better, so I am kind of stuck with it.

Like I said, I have considered the UPS because I know all electronics function at their best with a smooth, clean power supply.

[aguyindallas]

I have given some real thought to a UPS just to be sure the power is constant and clean. One TV tech told me that sometimes the TV will power cycle itself if the video signal is weak. There isnt anything I can do to make it better, so I am kind of stuck with it.

Like I said, I have considered the UPS because I know all electronics function at their best with a smooth, clean power supply.

[bratch]

Blew my first bulb last night.  Turned the TV on and heard a pop.  Called Toshiba and they are shipping a new one.  The old one had glass rattling around in the lamp from where it blew.  The TV was purchased 5/24 but was a floor model so hopefully that was part of the problem but we'll see.

[aguyindallas]

Blew my first bulb last night.  Turned the TV on and heard a pop.  Called Toshiba and they are shipping a new one.  The old one had glass rattling around in the lamp from where it blew.  The TV was purchased 5/24 but was a floor model so hopefully that was part of the problem but we'll see.

Pay close attention to the MFR date of the bulb they send you. If you have a TV that has a batch of bad bulbs, you may be in the same boat as me. The new bulb should have a small blue or purple dot on the item label. IIRC the lamps made after 3-1-06 are the updated, better ones.

My tech called me the other day to see if anything was going on with my TV and I told him it sill power cycles the lamp. This time, they ordered a new light engine for it. We will see how this goes.

[bratch]

Pay close attention to the MFR date of the bulb they send you. If you have a TV that has a batch of bad bulbs, you may be in the same boat as me. The new bulb should have a small blue or purple dot on the item label. IIRC the lamps made after 3-1-06 are the updated, better ones.

My tech called me the other day to see if anything was going on with my TV and I told him it sill power cycles the lamp. This time, they ordered a new light engine for it. We will see how this goes.

Atleast it sounds like your getting decent service.

[aguyindallas]

We still have ongoing problems. This week, they are bringing a new light engine out for the TV. Major surgery this time.

Piece of crap.

[bratch]

I received my replacement bulb and mine appears to be working again.  The dark screen was fixxed by the new bulb.  Hopefully it last. Best of luck with yours.

[Firethorn]

Blew my first bulb last night.  Turned the TV on and heard a pop.  Called Toshiba and they are shipping a new one.  The old one had glass rattling around in the lamp from where it blew.  The TV was purchased 5/24 but was a floor model so hopefully that was part of the problem but we'll see.

You were lucky.  I remember reading that those bulbs can literally blow up when they fail.  Of course, the ones prone to doing that go into projectors that keep track of bulb 'life' and refuse to power it if it's within XX hourse of failing.

And bratch, the fact that you got a floor model probably meant that there was a lot of hours on the bulb. 16 hours/day, 7 days a week?

[bratch]

And bratch, the fact that you got a floor model probably meant that there was a lot of hours on the bulb. 16 hours/day, 7 days a week?

Thats kind of what I'm thinking too.

[ilbob]

I have given some real thought to a UPS just to be sure the power is constant and clean. [...]Like I said, I have considered the UPS because I know all electronics function at their best with a smooth, clean power supply.

This is generally not true. Even a cheap modern power supply will clean up the power far better than any UPS will. In fact, most UPSs do not change the power at all. They just pass the input to the output unless the input goes out of spec, then it switches to batteries. The wave form coming out of the UPS when it is running off the batteries is not very clean at all, and in fact often has a lot of harmonics and a fair amount of noise.

This is a lot like the old "bad ground" myths. Much of what is commonly believed about grounding of these type of signals is just plain wrong.