HDTV Forum

I recently heard a rumor that TV projection bulb prices are expected to drop dramatically within the next 8-10 months (I was told by a local electronics store rep). Instead of $200-350, the prices should drop to around $50-$60. I know that the manufacturing processes for these precision bulbs requires a lot of manual processes and specialized skills/environments (contributing to the high prices). I also read a couple years ago that the cost to build an automated plant would be so expensive that such a facility would be built only once there was enough demand for the bulbs.

Given that old CRT tube TVs are going the way of the dodo bird, it would make sense that an automated plant would be in the works, and thus bring the prices down dramatically (especially since nearly all mfrs currently have lawsuits pending against them for short bulb life problems).

Has anyone heard anything about this in the industry? I've search the web extensively and have found nothing about bulb prices expecting to decline. Is there any truth about the expected price drop in the near future?

Bulb prices are the only thing preventing me from buying a RPTV today. I've read far too many horror stories about bulbs lasting only a few months. I'll buy a CRT RPTV before I buy a TV that requires buying $300 bulbs on a regular basis. However, I wouldn't mind buying a $60 replacement bulb every couple years.

Note: I'm also considering plasma, but I still don't trust the expected lifespan, increased cost, and current lack of 1080P monitors.

Everybody and every technology has a horror story attached and more often than not it is a wives tale blown out of perspective.

Plasma has a short lifespan...
Well, if your history was commercial applications where the product worked 24/7 I guess it might have a short lifespan from that perspective. For the average shmoe it will likely get replaced before it ever burns out so to speak... It's a wives tale as far as consumers are concerned!

Nobody is sure what will happen with lamp based products as the industry is already working on eliminating the lamp part of them using lasers and diodes for the light source. That will directly affect aftermarket support. A huge problem with aftermarket anything is meeting standards. Expecting a $60 lamp to have the same performance and lifespan envelope of the $200+ original is not realistic unless the volume is high enough to accomplish that but if that were the case then the prices would already be dropping. Bear in mind that part of the lamp problems have been a manufacturing attempt to reduce the typical $400+ lamp at the time to $200+ and for the most part that has had success but not without casualties along the way. Another huge problem is that the lamps keep constantly changing either in electrical properties or in the housing that holds them directly affecting the volume capability deeded to reduce price.

One huge benefit of lamp based displays is that you can return it to new performance by replacing a $200+ lamp. You can't do that with any other technology that is not lamp based. If you are into performance that is a huge plus. If a deteriorating image is OK, which it is for most people, then I agree that lamp based products are more expensize to maintain for the common 10-15 year lifespan of a display.

I have a Samsung with about 7000 hours on the lamp and another with about 750 hours. No premature failure in my experience but of course I have serviced clients who have just like I have serviced many products for failures that so many others never had.

I added some more info to the following thread...

Lamp Failures and Repairs
viewtopic.php?t=6077

Richard-- Thanks for your thoughts. I'm actually starting to feel pretty confident about the latest plasma tvs since I know the technology has improved considerably since the first generation models. The prices have dropped quite a bit as well.

I'm also waiting to see how the new diode and laser light-source technology plays out. Currently, these models are about as expensive as plasma though. Hopefully that will change as more manufacturers start using these light sources.

I'm glad to hear you've have long bulb life with your RPTV. 7,000 hours is a long time.