Common Projector Issues

You have replaced your lamp and the projector is going but have no picture.

Most projectors require the user to re set the lamp hours – basically you need to tell your projector that there is a new lamp in there so that it can start counting the hours of the new lamp from zero. Some projectors require you to do this by selecting the option in the on screen menu section. However if the projector is not going there may be a way to re set the lamp hours by selecting buttons either on the projector or its remote control, instructions for this will be in your projector manual.

You were using your projector and then there was a loud pop and your picture disappeared.

It is highly likely that your lamp has blown in your projector. This can be caused by a number of reasons, the most common is that the glass part of the lamp was slightly weak in an area and has not been able to withstand the heat or pressure from the projector when being used. You need to be very careful when removing the lamp, ideally place it over a large piece of paper and make sure the paper catches everything when you remove the lamp. Alternatively take the lamp into a projector service technician and have them remove the lamp, if the lamp is fairly new and still under warranty or even just out of warranty it would be best to take the projector in to where you purchased the lamp from and have them remove the lamp.

Your projector is running as normal but there is no light / picture.

This could be occurring for a few different reasons. One might be that you need to replace your lamp. If you have not replaced your lamp before or have not replaced it for a year or more you may need a new lamp. If your lamp is fairly new or has not done many hours it may be that your projector filter needs replacing or cleaning. If your lamp and filter are not at fault then it is recommended you have your projector assessed or serviced to determine if there is a fault. As projectors are very sensitive it is not uncommon for faults to occur especially if they are running for long periods of time, are running in a poorly ventilated area or if they are bumped or shaken during use.

My projector / rear projection television has inaccurate colour.

This is caused by the LCD panels in your projector or rear projection television wearing unevenly and therefore makes the colour balance uneven. The most common panel to wear is the Blue panel which can lead to a Yellowy to Green image. If you have a DLP projector it will likely be your colour wheel. Colour shifts in general affect DLP projectors less as the DLP chip that produces the image does not generally wear out and is less effected by heat. Colour wheels can usually be replaced by a technician and are reasonably affordable. LCD panels however are much more difficult to replace and are not a cost effective solution. Putting a new lamp into your projector or rear projection television will not fix this problem.