Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: NEC 1200 programmed not to light

This is topic NEC 1200 programmed not to light in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 01-24-2013, 07:28 AM:

Is this true? The NEC 1200 projector lamp can be or is programmed not to ignite after a certain number of hours are reached.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-24-2013, 08:24 AM:

Not to the best of my knowledge. I have a customer that routinely runs their lamps way past warranty...over double even. They only get pulled on demonstrated need (flicker, not enough light...etc).

Now there may have been a time when projectors would refuse to light lamps that were over their time but at some point, the software was changed so that no longer occurs. No exhibitor wants the machine to refuse to run a lamp that the exhibitor thinks is fine.

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 01-24-2013, 08:37 AM:

Thanks Steve. That's what I thought. One of my theaters is getting close to the preset warning hours. They were told by the installer that the lamp would not restrike for the show after the hours had expired.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 01-24-2013, 10:56 AM:

I've never understood that mindset. I would never dream of running a lamp past its warranty hours, ever. While not cheap, a new lamp is a damn sight cheaper than having your projector repaired after an explosion. Plus there is less chance that you will have a theatre full of people on a Friday night and the lamp quits before or during the show.

I'll buy a new lamp when I need one and avoid both of those issues, thankyouverymuch.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-24-2013, 11:22 AM:

If you do the math and can extend the lamp life by 25%-100%...the cost of the a catastrophic failure, in the rare case it happens (unless you buy crappy lamps), is more than offset in the cost of the additional lamps.

An exception may be Christie where the failure could involve the integrating rod since it is exposed to a direct line of fire if the lamp explodes.

What I can't understand is deliberately buying crappy lamps because they are cheaper...that is deliberately underlamping and then putting out compromised shows.

So far, almost without exception, when I see "cinema" lamps used in place of digital, the light output is below SMPTE spec, the fit of the lamp is often a compromise too. I'm also seeing a lot of simply underspeced projectors...the new S2K or the baby projectors being used on screens that need more light.

Posted by Bajsic Bojan (Member # 4928) on 01-24-2013, 11:58 AM:

Do all projectors allow you to run the lamps beyond specced warranty hours?

I was under the impression that this was NOT the case with most machines, heck i was told that our Barco B series will not start up after the warranty hours, by the installer.

Not that I would be going to extra lengths to get 100% more hours out of my lamps, but still, nice to know what would happen if a skilled tech is not there in the hour when the lamp is to pass the warranty, and if some projectors exist, that dont have that limitation, which ones they are.

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 01-24-2013, 02:55 PM:

quote: Bajsic Bojan
I was under the impression that this was NOT the case with most machines, heck i was told that our Barco B series will not start up after the warranty hours, by the installer.

False.

Perhaps there was some miscommunication here. All projectors will display some form of warning when the lamp reaches warranty hours. But the lamp will continue to strike, unless it is so degraded that it simply cannot strike.

quote: Bajsic Bojan
if some projectors exist, that dont have that limitation, which ones they are.

All of them.

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 01-24-2013, 05:14 PM:

I don't think it's miscommunication. I think it's the installer taking advantage of some theaters. I just called another theater I service. They were told the same thing that you cant run past the warranty hours. So unless it's true that the lamps will not run after the warranty hours, the installers are full of shit and taking advantage of the owners.

I totally agree with regards to leaving the lamps in longer. There has been very little sign of wear on the lamps. With good ventilation, why not run them a little longer. Most of the screens around here are so small that light degradation is not a problem. As long as there is no flicker they should be fine for a while longer.