1. it's not OEM
2. it's not a mercury vapor lamp
3. it's not the right kind
4. it fails continuity tests with a multimeter
FAIL.
1. Check to see if the company you've purchased from is an authorized dealer. If they use a company's logo and they aren't authorized, they'll be in big trouble. Tell the company you're going to call the manufacturer to check. If they're authorized, you can then call the manufacturer of your television to see what's OEM. Or research online to see what's OEM, what's not... Google "Lamp Research"
2. I've heard this from techs who don't know what the hell they're talking about. I just laugh when I hear from people that say the tech has told them it's not a mercury vapor lamp. Obviously they didn't go to tech school long enough to learn that Philips lamps are mercury vapor lamps. I read a wikipedia article about it and it said it's a metal halide lamp--I laughed. Don't believe everything you read from non-primary sources. I've talked to Philips--they use mercury vapor in their lamps. Dispose of the lamps properly.
3. It's not the right kind? Check with the supplier. They should know, but if they don't.. ask another supplier. Get second or third opinions. This will help you get the right part and help you save money down the line.
4. If a tech knows what they are doing, they'll know UHP lamps will fail continuity tests. Why? Here's another nifty graphic I've found:
- arc-gap.jpg (24.28 KiB) Viewed 26114 times
These UHP lamps don't have filaments. They have a "burner" that ignites gas in a quartz tube. It's not a complete circuit and if someone tells you different, they're lying to you.
