The horrors of counterfeit projector lamps

What did that lamp do to my projector??

Counterfeit lamps may seem like a bargain but they can be a nightmare to deal with. Avoid turning your projector into a zombie and install an authentic projector lamp. Don’t let the horrors of a counterfeit projector lamp haunt you

Scenario 1: New projector lamp explodes

Projector lamps don’t have a filament like regular light bulbs. Light in projector lamps is created the ballast (two electrodes) igniting the gases in the arc.

Generics often have filaments that are unable to light the gases in the arc so the lamp continues to heat up. The unlit arc tube will get so hot that is shatters inside the projector.  You’ll hear the loud pop and smoke may come pouring out of your projector. When that happens,  follow these steps:

1. Turn the projector off immediately. Unplug the AC cord.
2. Wait for the projector/RPTV to cool down.
3. Open a window to ventilate the room. Avoid breathing in any dust from the lamp
4. Check there are no broken shards or pieces of glass around the projector or coming out from the cooling air circulation vents. Check the interior of the RPTV.
5. Use rubber gloves to pick up any shards or broken bits of lamp coming out of the projector. These lamps contain mercury so don’t handle any shards with bare hands.
6. Place shards in closed containers to avoid generating dust and mercury vapor. Don’t put the container into the regular garbage or down the drain. Send the remains to a hazardous waste facility near you.
7. Don’t attempt to clean up the inside of the projector.
8. Take the projector into an authorized service station. They will clean the inside of the projector thoroughly with a mercury vacuum cleaner. Never use a regular vacuum cleaner to do this.
9. Ask the service technician to do a thorough check of the unit paying attention to the ballast and color wheel.

Scenario 2: The picture is bad

Unfortunately counterfeit projector lamps are not made with the same materials as OEM lamps so they can’t perform as well or deliver a quality picture. You’ll have to install an authentic lamp to keep your projector working at its optimum level.

You’ll know you’ve installed a counterfeit projector lamp when your onscreen are not  as vivid, your blacks not as rich and the whole look of the picture is off. Counterfeits simply can’t deliver good picture quality — they haven’t been made with the proper materials to work with the sophisticated optics in your projector

Scenario 3: You feel bad

After years of research, PHILIPS developed a revolutionary arc tube filled with a mercury-argon mixture creating intense light but less heat. This new technology allowed both the projector lamp and projector to become smaller and the so new 1080p projector was born.

This is a patented PHILIPS technology is not available to non-OEM counterfeit manufacturers. Without the proper materials and equipment, copycat manufacturers resort to using Krypton-85 for the same effect as genuine OEM projector lamps.

This radioactive gas is created during the nuclear fission between uranium and plutonium. While safe in a controlled environment, it’s dangerous in a business or school setting. There are some disturbing side effects. Short-term effects of Krypton-85 exposure are:

• dizziness
• nausea
• vomiting
• loss of consciousness

Scenario 4: Your eyes hurt

PHILIPS lamps are manufactured with an UV coated reflectors allowing for a brighter and more vibrant picture. These reflectors reduce the harmful UV rays so you don’t damage your eyes looking into the projector. Counterfeit lamps don’t have any protective coating and so looking into these lamps is similar to looking directly into the sun.

Prolonged UV exposure eventually damages the retina causing macular degeneration, eventually resulting in permanent blindness. Operating your projector with a generic compatible lamp means putting your eyesight at risk.

However, if you did get possessed by the spell of zombie counterfeits, reclaim your projector by installing an authentic lamp. Don’t let the horrors of a counterfeit projector lamp haunt you. Buy authentic today.