HDTV Forum

Hello everyone,

I'm hoping someone can help me answer this. I attempted to turn on my Toshiba 56MX195 this morning and got audio but no picture. The flashing LED's indicate that the lamp has failed (per the user manual). I unplugged the set and plugged it back in just to see if this would correct the problem, however it did not. I removed the lamp and took a look at it, and to my admittedly untrained eye it still looks ok. I've only had one other lamp failure, and that one was spectacular due to the TV being turned off and on several times in succession. When I removed that bulb it was shattered. Like I said, this one really looks intact (no shattered glass, the metal wire is in one piece, and the glass tube appears to be as well). Even though the LED indicators are saying this is a lamp failure, could it be something else? I don't want to spend $200 on a new bulb and find out that it's not the problem. This TV has had a few other issues, but they've been relatively minor so far. I wasn't ready to replace it yet, but if this is more than a bulb problem then I'm prepared to do that.

Thanks in advance for any help!

In most cases the lamp simply fails to fire and there is no visual indication from the lamp that there is a problem. Your situation is common. In nearly all cases a new lamp cartridge will resolve your problem.

You could choose to call a service center. Some will tell you to order the lamp cartridge and call them if you still have a problem. Some go the bare lamp replacement route and will be happy to sell you a bare lamp or change it for you and ask you to call them if that does not work. If a bare lamp shop comes out to replace the bare lamp you will end up paying as much or more of what you would have paid for the lamp cartridge. Some will come out with a lamp cartridge in which case you will end up paying far more than ordering and replacing the lamp yourself.

Either way, the TV is telling you to replace the lamp and no matter what, the next step is to install a known quality replacement to confirm if that is the problem. That is the next step before anybody will concern themselves that your problem might be something else.

HDTV TLC: Projection Lamp Failure and Replacement
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/20 ... cement.php

Good Luck!