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Living
with Home Electronics WTIX – 690 AM |
Saturday
Mornings Open Talk Line 10 AM – 11 AM 504-260-9690 |
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| Goodbye Picture Tubes! | |||||||||
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Your next TV may have a lamp inside. After years of using picture
tubes, the brightness of a modern rear projector LCD or DLP big screen
TV (now known as a micro-display) comes from a mercury lamp. If you are old enough to remember the 8mm film and 35mm slide projectors of the fifty’s and sixty’s, (and today’s halogen lamps) you know about never touching the lamp glass with your fingers to avoid creating greasy fingerprints that shorten the life of the expensive lamp. You also probably remember not to move the film projector while it is hot, so the tiny filament will not pop open, and to avoid flickering the lamp on and off. That could well shorten it’s life. Although mercury lamps do not use filaments, modern LCD and DLP rear screen projection TV’s recall our old lamp rules and add new concerns. 1) Big screen lamps hate the stress of being turned off and on. Once the lamp is lit, leave it on. If you go to dinner and will be back within the next hour, the lamp is best left on. It will use on extra hour of lamp life, but the hot/cool/hot cycle is much more destructive. 2) Use a battery backup power supply (UPS) to avoid power failures from shortening the lamp life. Used mostly on computers, battery backup power supplies in the 700 V/A hour range are typically under $100.00. If the power goes off while the TV is on and the fans suddenly stop cooling, the lamp could pop. DO NOT plug these TVs into a switched power outlet such as a cable box or A/V remote control system! After the power is turned off, the fans spin until the lamp temperature lowers. 3) Do not put LCD or DLP TV’s into a closed cabinet. Fresh air must be able to circulate easily around the lamp to allow the cooling fans full ventilation. A constant air flow across the lamp is mandatory. Keep the area clean. If the TV is in a dusty place, the fans will draw the dirt into the light engine creating on screen spots. If there is an air filter at the lamp, keep it clean. 4) Buy an extra lamp for your big screen to avoid inconvenience and downtime. Even if you have a service contract that covers the lamp, you can install your spare and put the new lamp on your shelf until needed. It could be days before a replacement lamp arrives. Lamp life expectancy is measured in thousands of hours, but the big game or special event will come on at the exact time as the lamp quits. 5) Be careful when changing these lamps. Avoid touching the glass and be wary that, although it looks like a simple glass bulb, it does not use a filament; it is gas fired and takes a few thousand volts to start up. 6) At the time of purchase, purchase a service contract that covers the replacement lamp. |
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Computer,
Printer and Software Services Microsoft Certified Engineers |
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Projection
TV Cleaning, Maintenance Every two years... Clean the lenses, mirror & screens By appointment only - $200.00 * Call 504-837-7272 * |
Big Screen repairs and cleaning. |
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| In Home Service Available. | |||||||||
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