Generally we do not encourage this…but we’ve seen too many people email about lamp failures…about bad color wheels…about defective ballasts…and even the light engines!  We know it’s difficult to justify buying another projection DLP TV if you’ve gone through a few lamps…a new ballast…or surely at least a color wheel.  RCA’s are prone to these failures, unfortunately…and they can become a money pit!

 RCA’s are emphasis for the loud “whining noise” the color wheel makes when its bearings start to give out.  Even if you still have experienced a distored picture, whether it be discoloration or flickering on the screen, if you heard the color wheel “whine,” you will see those symptoms soon.

For color wheels and ballast issues, it seems like you’ve got no choice other than the factory.

 For that reason, here’s RCA’s contact details:
In Warranty TVs (purchased within the last year): 800-338-0376

Out of Warranty TVs (TV sets older than 1 year): 866-723-6486

For lamp replacement, we suggest Discount-Merchant.com.  If you have a TYPE B lamp, you most likely have a OSRAM lamp inside your TV.  Type A lamps should be fitted with Philips lamps.  Per our experience and feedback, we only recommend replacing your old lamp with a Philips brand lamp, regardless if it was fitted with an OSRAM or a Philips originally.

The Philips lamps tend to last longer, per our datalogging, nearly 2,000 hours longer on average!  Don’t settle for the inferior lamp…purchase the Philips brand replacement bulb.

GENERAL Disclaimer: Never purchase an LTI, APO, or third-party aftermarket brand lamp.  If we had it our way, we would get rid of UHP lamps all together and install the new LED Based Light Engines.  But since we cannot do that, the next best thing is to go with the innovator in UHP technology: Philips.

Good luck!

Well…instead of writing individual pages for various “How-To” guides, we have created a single page.  We will update this page as more guides are made available.  If you have a request for a specific enclosure, please let us know!

 http://www.fixyourdlp.com/lampguides/guides.html

I’m sorry I do not have the whole model number. We took the TV in for repairs as there was a buzzing noise. The thing that was buzzing was directly above the projection bulb and alittle towards the front. This sound was consistant with the sound my computer has when the fan gets bad. The repair shop said the color wheel was bad and there were other issues that needed repaired. Some “engine” thing. The Tv worked good the picture was fine. I have the same Tv in a 61″ too and they appeared to have the same quality of picture just bigger. The part that was buzzing appeared to be a fan. Does this sound like the problem is the color wheel? why didn’t the video quality go down?

Thanks Scott 

After three weeks of intense testing, we can confirm that our lamp adapter is just about ready for sale.  Here are the latest pictures…let us know what you think.

It’s a terrible feeling…it sucks when you’re anticipating watching your favorite program and “pop,” the lamp in your projection TV fails :(  Why did it happen?  You were just watching TV, it’s not like you were wrestling with it!  Why?!?In our experience, there are a number of factors that can contribute to a premature lamp failure.  Keep in mind that there is no fail-safe course of action you can take…these lamps are consumable products…they are designed to need replacing.  Nevertheless, there are a few things you can do to insure your lamp has a healthy and long life.

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I’ve owned my RCA HD50LPW175 for just over a year now. Kicking myself for not buying any extended warranty. A few weeks ago the DLP lamp blew. We replaced it within one week for $180, so it was not TOO bad.

Last night we turned the TV on and there’s a beeping sound on startup. There’s a picture, but it flickers and the color is “off” — images almost look like you are watching through night vision goggles. Usually when you turn this unit off it goes to a bright blue screen which fades to black after several seconds. Now there appears to be no blue (picture is mostly green and pink) and when you turn it off it cycles through a bunch of colors (no blue) before going black.

Could this be the color wheel that has busted? Is this something that someone such as myself — no expert, but handy at fixing things — might try replacing?

Thanks in advance for all input! Gus

Well, we’ve been talking about this for the last month or so…now the project is at production! Here are some rendered pictures:
(Click To Enlarge)

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If you need a lamp for your RCA Scenium, part number: 265866, 265919, 269343, 270414, 271326, 260962, or any other RCA DLP TV lamp, visit Discount-Merchant.com for the best price online or click on this link.

In most cases, your RCA Scenium is powered by a 120W UHP (Ultra High Performance) lamp manufactured by Philips. There is a chance that you have an OSRAM lamp if your enclosure says “Type-B” on it. It is FixYourDLP.com’s suggestion to replace your lamp with Philips branded bulbs only. Philips is the innovator of UHP technology and these lamps are the most sophisticated and reliable lamps available on the marketplace. If you have an OSRAM lamp and it is less than two years old, you’re probably already know the OSRAM lamp are not so great.

Trust Philips, UHP innovators and worldwide leader in the R&D and production of UHP Lamps…it doesn’t make sense to use a cheap aftermarket brand as they always cost you more in the long run! If your lamp is Philips, do not replace it
with a OSRAM, LTI, or other generic manufactured units. Now for your viewing pleasure, here is what your ORIGINAL TV lamp looks like Click on each image for a high resolution photo.

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Do you have a RCA TV and need a replacement lamp, part number: 265866, 265919, 269343, or 270414? Click here for the best price online!

  Did that RCA DLP lamp go out on you? It’s a simple fix. Don’t throw that TV away or go with an expensive TV repairman. Often times it’s cheaper to first change the lamp than to call a service technician for $150+. Always buy an OEM part.

To replace your lamp, all you need is:

An OEM RCA DLP lamp,

A flat-head screwdriver,

A T-10 & T-15 Torx driver

A pair of plyiers.

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