sp-4805 infocus question

[happysam]

I have an Infocus SP-4805 projector, very pleased with the unit. I started to see a "burning" image on the right side of the screen. Is this due to a malfunction of the projector (4 years old), or is the bulb near the end of its life (1600 hours on original bulb). would appreciate any advice
thanks Cliff

[Suave]

Hello happysam and welcome to the forum!

Sorry to hear that you're having issues with your projector.

A quick look on the Infocus website reveals that the lamp for your projector should last for about 3000 hours and you're only about half way there. Typically, when a projector lamp needs to be replaced, it is because the image is getting increasingly dimmer or you don't see a image when the projector is turned on. Therefore this doesn't sound like an issue with the lamp itself (at least not based on what I've seen in the past).

I would contact Infocus customer support and describe the issue to them before trying a new lamp (given the cost). Their number is 1.877.388.8360.

Let us know how this plays out.

[happysam]

Thank you Suave for the quick reply re my question about my Infocus SP-4805 projector. I called the support line (thanks for the number). they said I needed to take the unit in for repair/service., the mirrors are probably out of adjustment. Well I have another question or looking for advice. My unit will cost me approx $75 for the service center to just look at it plus cost of any repairs. The unit is well made but 5 years old, the bulb has approx 1700hours on it (new bulb cost is approsx $300). I have an opportunity to purchase a 3 year old Sanyo Z4 (400hrs on the bulb, plus an extra new bulb, 21ft HDMI cable and screen) for approx $750. Just curious what your recommendation would be.
Should I repair the Infocus or spend the extra and getting a much better projector?
look forward to your reply.
thanks again for the quick communications
Cliff

[Suave]

Should I repair the Infocus or spend the extra and getting a much better projector?

If the mirrors are out of alignment, the DLP chip itself will likely need to be changed. You could probably get a good idea of what the total would be for the service if you got them to quote you on changing the DLP chip (if this is even possible). Often service centers will subtract the initial inspection fee if you decide to go ahead with the repair. That being said, the Infocus SP-4805 is an aging projector with a native resolution of only 480p, and doesn't even accept 1080p signals.

The Sanyo PLV-Z4 projector sounds like a resonable deal, especially considering that it comes with a screen, and has received some good reviews. It sounds like this would be a step up in some performance aspects like brightness, contrast and resolution, since it has a native 720p resolution. On a large projection screen the benefits of 720p will be very noticable.

If I had to choose between the two, I would very likely go for the Sanyo

Do you have a Blu-ray player or are you planning on buying one?

Anyone else want to share their opinion with happysam?

[happysam]

Thanks again Suave for your opinion. Yes I do have a blu-ray player (Samsung BP-2500). I send my signals (shaw cable satellite HDand blu-ray player) through a Yamaha receiver RX-Z11. This upscales to 1080i, which the SP4805 is capable of projecting through the M1/DVI port. at least thats what it tells me on the screen. I found a service center in Markham who will give me an estimate at no charge. if they try and repair and cannot then again no charge. But like you, I am trending towards the Sanyo for a couple of reasons, upgrading to 720 resolution, comes with an extra bulb (cost $300) and it only has 400hours on the unit. Only negative thing I have read about the Sanyo is it does not project/handle regular TV signals very good...any comments.
Again thanks for the quick and excellant replies.
Cliff

[Suave]

Not a problem Cliff - I'm glad to be of help!

Only negative thing I have read about the Sanyo is it does not project/handle regular TV signals very good...any comments.

If I understand you correctly your Yamaha receiver has a video processor built-in which can up-convert video signals to 1080i. So if the projector doesn't have the best video processor, you can use the one that's inside your receiver - just make sure that both devices are configured correctly. This means that the projector should be set to display the native signal resolution and the receiver should be set to up-convert to 1080i. This should produce more desirable results in the video processor in the receiver is better than the one in the projector. The only way to tell for sure is to try one way or the other (i.e. set the projector to do the up-conversion or the receiver one at a time, but not both at once).

Finally, keep in mind that any signal that has a resolution of less than 720p will not look very good through a projector since you're blowing the picture to a very large screen. But HD programming from your satellite box and Blu-ray player should look much better if you decide to go with the 720p projector.

Let us know how everything works out.

[Mike Osadciw]

For the deal on the Sanyo, I would not fix the InFocus. Your repair bill will probably be a good $400 minimum. You should also replace the bulb even at 1700 hrs. Despite the 3000hr rating, bulbs do not display the same "brightness" for its whole life and then shut off. They get dimmer and dimmer over time... At 1700hrs, I highly doubt that your image has any more "pop". I recommend bulb replacements at about the 1200hr mark with a recalibration at about half that to take readjust for the loss of light. Projectors require more maintenance than people think...

The Sanyo, at $750...being 4 years old...gereric screen....???

Cheap, yes...but is that how you want to describe your cherished video system? There are many other options out there that would require you to spend a little more...but the leaps in image quality would be quite substantial.