Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Sony's lamp warranty isn't so good

This is topic Sony's lamp warranty isn't so good in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 02-15-2009, 12:15 PM:

Anyone notice that Sony offers both Ushio and Osram lamps for their Cinema series "CineAlta" projectors.

Check out the pdf here: Sony/Ushio DXL series lamps

The Ushio lamp looks pretty much identical to the Christie version (which is made by Ushio) but with a Christie badge (or perhaps if sold by someone other than Sony) they come with much longer warranted hours.

Imagine a 4.2KW lamp that is only 100% warranted for 250 hours and prorated up to a whopping 500 hours! Pretty shabby on the Sony/Ushio thing.

Any word when the newer "T" series projectors are going to make it to the DCinema line? They are required for HDCP compliance.

Steve

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-15-2009, 06:23 PM:

Thats ok... Sony's projector isn't so good either!

As for lamps thats par for the course! The CDXL-60 warranty is similar. 0-300 hours 100% and 301 to 600 pro rated. Seems to be the way things are headed in lampland these days. A customer of ours just had a CDXL-60 blow at 546 hours and needless to say it did alot of damage including taking out the Dolby Filter Wheel. That could also have been easily prevented... it's location to the heat filter and poor heat filter design leaves it open for obliteration! It can be easily prevented too! That Filter Wheel is about USD $12,000.00 by itself! Yes your preference to have the filtration in the light path is ludicrously expensive. Can you imagine the look on your customers face when you give him the price when that filter deteriorates from use and age? Those of you running CDXL-60's and other large D-Cinema lamps regardless of brand be sure to yank em right at 600 hrs or rated waranty... no more!!

Mark

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 02-15-2009, 06:27 PM:

..have one also notice that bulbs from Ushio/Christie are now made in the Philippines - if that makes any difference?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-15-2009, 06:40 PM:

Monte,

As long as they don't come from China! Where ever they are making them today they still are the best by a long shot.

Mark

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 02-15-2009, 07:02 PM:

Yep, don't want any of those 'charlie' bulbs.

A representative of an unknown company from FLA came around our company last year showing us some of them bulbs and I noticed how horribly manufactured they were (they were asking for seal failures..)..and stamped "Made in China".

Granted, the price was a steal - but you pay for what you get.

I'll stay with Christies..and sorry to drift this a bit off the Sony topic.

-Monte

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-15-2009, 07:23 PM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
and sorry to drift this a bit off the Sony topic

I don't think Sony is a legitimate topic any longer... but lamps certainly are.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 02-15-2009, 08:12 PM:

Sony hasn't been a legitimate topic since they came out with SDDS. [Big Grin]

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 02-15-2009, 09:31 PM:

Christie actually changed their lamp policy across the board on the CXL and CDXL lamps...they no longer pro-rate...they are full warranty up to the published hours! (this took place last fall).

So a CDXL-60 is rated at full warranty up to 600-hours though Christie claims it averages 900-hours.

Steve

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-15-2009, 10:02 PM:

Well with the number of those lamps they are probably selling thats a good thing. I've seen CDXL-60's go all different hours even though all of them have 1000 cfm on them which is what Christie recommended we run them at. The manual says 800 cfm. The ones I service have gone anywhere from about 480 hours to just over 1000 hours but only one has lasted that long. The lamp that just blew went at 564 hours. The anode typically starts to get really ugly looking at about 500 hours but that doesn't necessarily mean the light is bad or there is flicker.

Mark