Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Osram Xtreme Lamps

This is topic Osram Xtreme Lamps in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Darren Ward (Member # 4394) on 11-24-2009, 01:26 AM:

Hi. Is anyone else noticing a downward trend in the Osram Xtreme life lamps? We use 2k, 3k and 7k and we're getting a lot less life out of them all. Two are being replaced under warranty, and a 7k exploded upon installation, all of this within the past 6 months. I'd like to switch to Ushio's though management bureaucracy dictates we are stuck with Osram for the time being despite the apparent issues. Is anyone using their "classic line" lamps? I figure they can't possibly perform worse than the Xtremes, and at least they're cheaper.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-24-2009, 03:15 AM:

Prob why your management uppers say were "stuck with Osram" is that they struck a great deal to use them by a supplier or rep of sorts..or, should say, they've been "sold" to use them.

Osram is Osram-had my flare of problems with them . .why we use Christies (Ushios)...

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 11-24-2009, 04:11 AM:

Ushios are the best. Over many years of servicing and installing Ushios, I never had a bulb fail or blow.
Demetris

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 11-24-2009, 07:09 AM:

Sadly, Osram seems to have gone south on quality control the past few years. It's getting to be, if a theatre gets a hundred hours out of one, they're lucky. About half of my service territory are digital screens, and the majority of those are using Ushios with very good luck. Of those screens, I know of only one Ushio that has exploded - within 100 hrs of warranty - to six or seven Osram explosions.

It's too bad, Osram used to have a good thing going. They were my favorite bulb for many years.

Posted by Matt Skilton (Member # 5288) on 11-24-2009, 09:02 AM:

Just this week we've had to replace two Osram XL xenon lamps. One a 4k and the other a 3k. This was due to flickering, each were about half-way through their guaranteed hours. In May, I had a 4k exploade on me during a busy Friday night show of Star trek, which wasn't much fun. And we've had to replace a fair few other 4 and 3k these past 12 months.

I've lost my confidence in them. Not sure if we're allowed to switch to another manufacture either.

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 11-25-2009, 10:02 AM:

Our vendor had recommended we try the OSRAM XBO's when
we were putting together a big spare bulb order last year.
We got extremely poor performance/life out of the first
OSRAM we installed. At first we thought that maybe we
just 'got a bad one'. But when the 2nd bulb turned out
to perform equally bad, we sent the rest of them back.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-25-2009, 11:52 AM:

Its sad so many corporate chains make "deals" (some probably under-the-counter) and end up forcing their employees to work with an inferior and in the end, more costly product to operate. The Ushio/Christie vs. Osram warning has been discussed here quite a bit for some time now.

You really do get what you pay for.

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 11-25-2009, 04:26 PM:

Amen to that! I have a Christie 2k right now that is at 4500hrs, stable, bright, and ignites on the first strike. And its only at 75amps. I wasn't even getting close to that with Osram XBO's. Averaged 2500hrs before they became unstable, though I never had one explode.

Posted by Darren Ward (Member # 4394) on 11-27-2009, 05:47 AM:

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Will pass on to management who by now are a bit tired of me whining about dodgy lamps! Incidentally, I'm off in a few weeks, taking up a new career in teaching. Suspect it will be the last time I ever touch a projector, which is an ususual thought after doing this on and off for 12 years. I've only made a few posts since finding out aboout this site; I am extremely grateful for all the positive responses I have received for issues encountered during this time. Thanks very much and all the best.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 11-27-2009, 05:55 AM:

Hey Darren

If you ever get 'the itch' to do a shift here or there or even just a regular one every week...drop me a line.

Good luck with the teaching. [thumbsup]

John

Posted by Tony Gallimore (Member # 5358) on 11-27-2009, 08:55 PM:

While you guys that use a lot of zenons in a years time are rating bulbs, anyone else had any experience with Superior Quartz? I've been using one in my home system and have had really good performance so far, although the hours are somewhat less per week than would be the case in a commercial application. When I worked the cinema, we used ushio most of the time. When I purchased this console and installed it in my home theatre, the previous owners were using Superior Quartz, so that's what I replaced the old one with. As I said, I have no complaints so far... but then I only have a hundred or so hours on it? I also backed the amps off a little too.

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 11-28-2009, 09:51 AM:

quote: Tony Gallimore
anyone else had any experience with Superior Quartz?

We used them for awhile.
Never had any real problems with them.
"we got what we paid for"

I think the reason stopped using them was more a
matter of supply than of quality. And that bottleneck
was a result of our supply chain, and not any fault
of the bulb manufacturer.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 11-28-2009, 10:45 AM:

Bulbs are a commodity that often is included in part of a theatres buying expendables and price is part of the issue as well as maintaining a link with suppliers that also provide other services

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-28-2009, 10:59 AM:

I have used Superior Quartz and they have been very good for me.
It's a good product for a good price and I have had zero problems from Superior. [thumbsup]

Posted by Joseph Matteo (Member # 4096) on 11-28-2009, 12:18 PM:

we have been getting good results with osram lamps most importantly is the high volume air flow we have. Keeping the heat out is a key factor in long life. High air flow will help lamps go the distance.On he other hand the digital don't not last as long mostly because they don't have sufficient air flow in the small containment.

Posted by Tony Gallimore (Member # 5358) on 11-28-2009, 05:18 PM:

Thanks for the reply's! As said previously, I have had great service from the old Superior Quartz bulb that came with the console, don't know how many hours it had on it; and the new one operates just smooth as silk.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 11-29-2009, 10:08 AM:

Actually I have had good results with the extreme life bulbs, especially the smaller wattages (under 4k). The larger ones seems to suffer in freight. The larger elements have great mass, which causes fractures in the quartz when dropped. In the last several months, this has been addressed and the problem seems to be reduced or eliminated. My only frustration is the lack of speed in addressing the problem and the supposed need to just barely fix the problem.

I am a "belt and suspenders" kind of guy, myself. Louis

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-29-2009, 10:56 AM:

I'm not super-impressed with the current generation of 2kw Osrams (XBO 2000 W/H). The old ones (circa 2003) would regularly go for 3500+ hours; the current ones (circa 2008-9) are lucky to go for 2500 hours before flickering (though there are exceptions).

They are still way, way better than LTI, which I never liked.

Superior Quartz seems fine, but I don't have as much long-term experience with that brand.

I've never used Christie bulbs, except for Eiki 16mm projectors, which use Ushio xenons.

Posted by Michael Voiland (Member # 5386) on 11-29-2009, 08:36 PM:

We use superior bulbs. They are good well packaged I think a lot better then most bulbs. The 2ks come in a large box the 1600s box is a little on the small side. In all they do the job but they don't play well with high heat. We had one achieve orbit due to a failed fan in our super highlight.

Posted by Jon P. Inghram (Member # 4125) on 11-29-2009, 08:45 PM:

When our theater first opened we were running Osram 4K bulbs which lasted on average around 4000 hours, with a few making it over 6000 before starting to flicker or get noticeably dim. Over time however their life span got shorter and shorter until we had multiple ones die under warranty, including one that exploded.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-04-2009, 08:52 AM:

The Xtremes do really well and the only ones I've ever seen fail before warranty are the 6Ks.

Mark

Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 12-05-2009, 04:40 PM:

We have the Xtreme lamps as well, 2K. We have had excellent performance out of them.

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 12-06-2009, 10:54 AM:

I had a 1000 hour old Osram XBO go to air last Friday. My blowers and exhaust are all working properly, and the amperage and voltage are correct.

My theatre tech told me that we will be going back to Christie lamps shortly, and I am glad for this. I'm surprised when I get 3000 hours from a xenon anymore!!!

Now, if we can get away from using those damn Phillips LTI lamps in the digital Roadrunner projectors! Aaraugh!!!