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[Baron Aloha]

Jesus. I was this close to buying an awesome Sony 55' LCD tv today for $2,700 and then the guy procedes to tell me that the bulb only lasts 8,000 hours until it needs to be replaced and sometimes its even less than that. I calculated that I would need to replace the bulb every 3 years. To top it off the bulbs for this particular model cost $600.

WTF? Are all of these new TVs (Plasma, LCD, DLP) junk? Whatever happened to just buying something and having it last? Are rear projections the only option out there for a large screen size that lasts? I'd buy one of those but I really wanted something smaller height-wise and not as deep. I've got a Mitsubishi Diamond in my basement that's great but I wouldn't want a TV like that in my bedroom.

Am I basically screwed? When are these stinking nanotube tvs coming out? Its been so long since I first heard about them that I'm starting to think they are an urban legend. Will they have issues too? I heard they were like a regular tv just thinner.

 

[PS2 KID]

8,000 hours is pretty good. Yes, these new or old LCD and DLP projection systems require a bulb. These things are usually very expensive too.

Regular Flat Panel LCD displays last far longer. They do use a backlight however. Say 60k hours? Plasma will eventually burn itself out but recent gen has a similiarly long lifetime usage.

 

[bionic77]

I am no engineer but I don't think LCDs even use bulbs dude. This sounds like the typical 'Xbox can play PS2' Best Buy nonsense you have to learn to ignore.

 

[DarienA]

I am no engineer but I don't think LCDs even use bulbs dude. This sounds like the typical 'Xbox can play PS2' Best Buy nonsense you have to learn to ignore.

Wrong.... I think.

 

[Baron Aloha]

I am no engineer but I don't think LCDs even use bulbs dude. This sounds like the typical 'Xbox can play PS2' Best Buy nonsense you have to learn to ignore.

Well thats what I thought too but when I came home I googled it and it turns out they guy wasn't bullshitting.

 

[bionic77]

Wrong.... I think.

Hey I am not infallible, look at my avatar for proof.

 

[Pochacco]

Plasmas don't last as long as LCDs.
That said, I think the figure for LCD tvs is ~60000 hours - and it's probably improving each year.

 

[tedtropy]

I am no engineer but I don't think LCDs even use bulbs dude. This sounds like the typical 'Xbox can play PS2' Best Buy nonsense you have to learn to ignore.

Bulbs? No, but LCDs do require back lighting in the form of a florescent-like tube.

 

[golem]

get plasma

 

[goodcow]

get plasma

No, no, Get Perpendicular.

 

[xsarien]

You'd need to be watching TV a little more than 10.5 - 21 hours a day, everyday, for an entire year for this to be a major issue. Those times would give the set a 1-2.x year life span.

 

[NetMapel]

Hmmm, pardon my stupidity since I am not familiar in this area, but how come I don't hear people changing bulbs for their computer LCD monitors ? How come LCD TV require bulb change ?

 

[jett]

Yeah, LCDs and plasmas suck. Can't stand the asstastic image quality either.

CRT 4 LIFE.

 

[Atari2600]

He's talking about a DLP TV. Yes, they have bulbs that need to be changed.

 

[FightyF]

Hmmm, pardon my stupidity since I am not familiar in this area, but how come I don't hear people changing bulbs for their computer LCD monitors ? How come LCD TV require bulb change ?

Because it's not projection.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Yes you need to change a bulb, but that's one reason to get a good extended warrenty that covers the bulb replacement. They shouldn't be $600 though. Bulb prices have come down to the point where they are only $200 to $300. The nice thing about this is unlike other TV technologies that wear out as time goes on, this includes CRT TVs, with a bulb replacement, it in theory will look like the first day you got it.

 

[truffleshuffle83]

yeah lcds have bulbs
but the newer lcd tv's have bulbs that last a long time and the bulbs arent that expensive. about 200
sony

 

[SteveMeister]

As Fight for Freeform pointed out, LCD monitors are direct view, whereas the 55" TV the original poster was talking about is an LCD projection TV. Direct view LCD's use fluorescent bulbs to provide illumination, while LCD projection TV's -- as well as DLP TV's -- use incandescent bulbs. There's no such thing as a 55" direct view LCD, especially not for $2700

 

[Finaika]

How about rear-projection CRT TVs? Do you need to change the bulbs too?

I've had my 53inch Sony TV since the end of '97...

 

[SteveMeister]

How about rear-projection CRT TVs? Do you need to change the bulbs too?

I've had my 53inch Sony TV since the end of '97...

Nope. CRT based RPTV's have CRT's. The tubes themselves produce light on their own, so no separate bulb is necessary.

 

[gigapower]

Nope. CRT based RPTV's have CRT's. The tubes themselves produce light on their own, so no separate bulb is necessary.

But they do eventually fade and require replacing.

Just suck up the bulb cost and buy the set. The bulbs are not $600, they are closer to the $350 range for most sets that I've seen.

 

[Marty Chinn]

I've seen the bulbs as cheap as $200. What it really breaks down to is you either get a bulb for LCD Projection/DLP which tends to look constantly the same until the bulb dies and then you can replace it, or you get a set like CRT, CRT Projection, LCD, or Plasma which continuously degrade in visual quality from the first time you use it and need to be replaced eventually. At least with LCD Projection and DLP, you can restore it to perfect condition.

 

[mrklaw]

8000 hours is over 4 years of viewing 5 hours every day. And in a DLP or LCD set, you replace the dimmed bulb and its back like the first day you bought it. rear-pro CRT will only ever go downhill, untill you replace the CRTS which are damn expensive.

Just think of it like your car needs its spark plugs replaced now and again.

Don't worry about it, sounds like the salesguy was just using it to steer you onto something else, or an expensive warranty.