LCD projection TV: deteriorating picture quality?

[hvarma2008]

Has anyone experienced deteriorating picture quality over time with LCD projection TV. I have a 42 inch SONY LCD projection TV I bought 4.5 years ago. I have recently felt that the picture quality has started to deteriorate. I am not sure if it is the DISH DVR that is causing it or the HDMI cable or the TV.
Does any one know what is the expected lifespan of such TVs? Or the lifespan of the HDMI cable ( this one is less than 3 years old and a good quality one).


-Hemant

 

[jayn_j]

Has anyone experienced deteriorating picture quality over time with LCD projection TV. I have a 42 inch SONY LCD projection TV I bought 4.5 years ago. I have recently felt that the picture quality has started to deteriorate. I am not sure if it is the DISH DVR that is causing it or the HDMI cable or the TV.
Does any one know what is the expected lifespan of such TVs? Or the lifespan of the HDMI cable ( this one is less than 3 years old and a good quality one).


-Hemant

I'm not sure what you mean by 'deteriorating quality', but LCD projectors have a bulb that dims over time, and which has a definite lifecycle. The bulb is not cheap, but replacing it will greatly improve brightness, contrast and color purity. It generally won't do much with focus, or resolution though.

 

[mike123abc]

They use florescent light bulbs for the back light. The lights change color over time, causing your picture to shift colors and dim.

It is all an evil plot to make you buy a new TV every 5 years.

 

[jayn_j]

They use florescent light bulbs for the back light. The lights change color over time, causing your picture to shift colors and dim.

It is all an evil plot to make you buy a new TV every 5 years.

Uh, he said LCD projector, not flat panel. That will be a $200 +/- lamp that is replaceable. Brings it back nearly to new.

 

[hvarma2008]

Thanks, I guess I need a new bulb soon. Anyhow, I said LCD projection, because technically, Sony's are not DLP, but similar technology right? Yes, the TV is flat panel but DLP like from SONY. I should probably order a bulb before they stop making it.

 

[mike123abc]

Uh, he said LCD projector, not flat panel. That will be a $200 +/- lamp that is replaceable. Brings it back nearly to new.

Ooops you are right, I read old sony LCD and missed the projection part.

 

[Ilya]

I have a 42 inch SONY LCD projection TV I bought 4.5 years ago.

If you watch it, say 5 hours a day on average, that's more than 8000 hours already! Definitely due for a lamp replacement in the near future.
Lamp replacement in Sony RPTVs is not too difficult. You should be able to do it yourself. Just follow instructions in the manual.

 

[Stargazer]

This is why I went with an LED light in a DLP television, no constant replacement of bulbs and no half-life (picture does not get dimmer) as time goes on. You get around 60,000 hours. The television is also lighter and cheaper than the flat panels equal in size.