DLP Bulb dying?

[SpanishFry]

I have a 50" Samsung DLP TV that is coming up on 5 yrs. The picture is red on all inputs. Is the bulb dying, or something else going on?

 

[aphex]

When a DLP bulb is on its way out, the image gets dim. If your stuck on red its either your Color Wheel or your Video Board. My bet would be on your color wheel.

 

[erwos]

I agree with aphex. Not a bulb problem.

 

[sdifox]

sounds like you need a new tv.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: erwos
I agree with aphex. Not a bulb problem.

Also agreed, and I'd still replace the bulb along with the color wheel while you're right there at it.

 

[s44]

If you got a 5 year warranty, you're in luck...

 

[bruceb]

It is most certainly not the DLP bulb. I presume this is a projection set and as such there are 3 color projectors that merge the colors as needed to properly render the colors. Each of these use a small CRT, one for each color Red / Green / Blue .. It is highly unlikely that 2 crts or their assemblies (Green and Blue) would both fail at the same time. I would suggest checking the color processing circuit board or the driver board that sends the color signal to each of the crt units. One of those is defective.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: bruceb
It is most certainly not the DLP bulb. I presume this is a projection set and as such there are 3 color projectors that merge the colors as needed to properly render the colors. Each of these use a small CRT, one for each color Red / Green / Blue .. It is highly unlikely that 2 crts or their assemblies (Green and Blue) would both fail at the same time. I would suggest checking the color processing circuit board or the driver board that sends the color signal to each of the crt units. One of those is defective.

... it's a DLP

 

[bruceb]

I know the OP said it is a DLP set. I stand by what I said earlier, the problem is not the lamp. If the lamp was dying then the picture brightness would be down, but all the colors present. He is missing Green and Blue. Therefore, in my view, having serviced many tv sets, this is s problem in the color processing / color drive circuits in the set.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: bruceb
I know the OP said it is a DLP set. I stand by what I said earlier, the problem is not the lamp. If the lamp was dying then the picture brightness would be down, but all the colors present. He is missing Green and Blue. Therefore, in my view, having serviced many tv sets, this is s problem in the color processing / color drive circuits in the set.

I agree that it's not the bulb. I don't understand how any of the rest of it makes any sense at all.

A 5 year old DLP is going to have a single DLP chip with a single light path that passes through a spinning color wheel (probably 3 segments). There are no CRTs in a DLP set. It's a set of DMD mirrors that reflect light to make a grayscale image that passes through the color wheel timed so the colors match the desired image.

 

[cheesehead]

Are color wheels user-servicable parts? If not, what's involved in replacing one, and if that's not possible, how much of the TV need be replaced if it goes wrong?

I love DLP TVs. I do not so much like how the pre-LED models had so many parts prone to burning out.

 

[bruceb]

It does not matter if it has one DLP chip or 3 of them. My point is the problem is in the color processing / color drive circuits. It is possible to be a problem with the color wheel. Perhaps it is not turning, in which case either the motor or the circuit that drives the motor.

 

[s44]

It doesn't really matter WHAT the problem is. It's not the bulb, and therefore not any user-serviceable part. I hope you got the 5 year extended warranty (as everyone who bought DLP should).

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: bruceb
It does not matter if it has one DLP chip or 3 of them. My point is the problem is in the color processing / color drive circuits. It is possible to be a problem with the color wheel. Perhaps it is not turning, in which case either the motor or the circuit that drives the motor.

This is the last post I'm making in this thread regarding what we've been talking about bruceb. I'm sorry if I offended you at all with what I've been saying, but my intention was to let you look up DLP tech vs. CRT rear projection and realize the difference.

I think Aphex hit the nail on the head in the first reply of the thread. I only posted after yours to point out that your diagnosis of the problem reflected a complete lack of knowledge of how a DLP television functions.

"It is most certainly not the DLP bulb. I presume this is a projection set" is as much of your post that was applicable to DLP sets. I pointed out that it was a single light path for a 5 year old set to differentiate its function from a 3 CRT based rear projection TV that you were describing. There are indeed 3 chip DLP sets where your diagnosis would make more sense, but definitely not on a consumer level 5 year old set.

Cheesehead, you were asking about cost of replacement.

When I had a DLP projector, I got some estimates of cost of replacement of my color wheel that had developed a high-pitched whine. It was a major cost for replacing it and was definitely not user-serviceable. Luckily I ended up buying from CostCo, so I was able to return the unit and use that credit toward a projector upgrade from them that has been working well.

Projectors depreciate pretty darn quickly, but after just a couple years, it didn't make sense to me to pay the amount of money to repair the color wheel (and the eventual bulb replacement that would be coming up) vs. the value of the current projector. Taking into account how much the technology had improved over the couple years and how much prices had come down, I thought it made more sense to do a replacement. Even if I had not been able to do what I did through CostCo, I would have replaced it.

I would recommend that SpanishFry get a quote for cost of color wheel replacement or any other major repair that it might be (video processing board, etc.) including labor and the personal cost of not having a TV for X weeks and then weigh that cost vs. the cost of getting a replacement set. Depending on the quality of the initial set, I would assume that it's not likely worth the cost to do this repair on it.

I'm reminded of the people on Craigslist who try to sell their 5 year old DLP sets for 75% of what they paid for it initially ($4000 new selling for $3000?). It's ridiculous when someone can go out to any electronics store and buy a larger new set with much better image quality and longevity along with a real warranty for cheaper.

Although it's not as bad as it is with computer upgrades / repairs for depreciation and pace of technological improvements, but I would still assume at this point that on a 5 year old TV that this is probably a TV ending repair unless it's under warranty or it's a high end set that makes sense paying that much to repair.

 

[bruceb]

YOyoYOhowsDAjello,

You did not offend me in any way.
No offense taken or meant in regards to your view of the issue with his set either.

 

[aphex]

If it turns out to be the color wheel, you can get them relatively cheap at TSM - http://www.tristatemodule.com/...s/ViewDept-253886.aspx

But as YYYHDJ noted, fixing a TV can often be nearly the cost of replacing the TV. <Toshiba Rant> I ran into this first hand with my shit Toshiba DLP. It bit the dust a few months back and just this past week I gutted it, sold the Light Engine for $50, chucked the TV shell in the trash and walked away. Fixing it would have likely been $400+, which I would much rather put into a more reliable, newer technology TV. I know many don't like to spend the money, but I personally will never buy another TV without an extended warranty. Toshiba was a nightmare to deal when the issues started during the warranty period and wouldn't fix my TV properly, my set was almost 3 years old when it finally died. In all likelihood my next TV will be fine and won't be a lemon, but for $175-$200 extra, I'd rather just suck it up and not have to worry.</end Toshiba Rant>

Best of luck in whatever the outcome is. 5 years though ain't bad at all for a DLP, ESPECIALLY if your still on the original bulb. If so, I'm envious.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

That's quite a reasonable price if the procedure isn't too bad for a DIY kind of guy. I didn't mess with my color wheel when I was fixing my dust blob issue with my projector, but I know the color wheel was readily accessible in my case.

 

[Muadib]

You should do a search for your model at Avsforum. I've been following the thread for my model, and color wheel failure are quite common.