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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Osram Xtreme Lamps (Page 1)

 
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Author Topic: Osram Xtreme Lamps
Darren Ward
Film Handler

Posts: 7
From: Lane Cove, NSW, Australia
Registered: Jul 2007


 - posted 11-24-2009 01:26 AM      Profile for Darren Ward   Email Darren Ward   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi. Is anyone else noticing a downward trend in the Osram Xtreme life lamps? We use 2k, 3k and 7k and we're getting a lot less life out of them all. Two are being replaced under warranty, and a 7k exploded upon installation, all of this within the past 6 months. I'd like to switch to Ushio's though management bureaucracy dictates we are stuck with Osram for the time being despite the apparent issues. Is anyone using their "classic line" lamps? I figure they can't possibly perform worse than the Xtremes, and at least they're cheaper.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004


 - posted 11-24-2009 03:15 AM      Profile for Monte L Fullmer   Email Monte L Fullmer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Prob why your management uppers say were "stuck with Osram" is that they struck a great deal to use them by a supplier or rep of sorts..or, should say, they've been "sold" to use them.

Osram is Osram-had my flare of problems with them . .why we use Christies (Ushios)...

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Demetris Thoupis
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1240
From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus
Registered: Apr 2001


 - posted 11-24-2009 04:11 AM      Profile for Demetris Thoupis   Email Demetris Thoupis   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Ushios are the best. Over many years of servicing and installing Ushios, I never had a bulb fail or blow.
Demetris

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999


 - posted 11-24-2009 07:09 AM      Profile for Tim Reed   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Sadly, Osram seems to have gone south on quality control the past few years. It's getting to be, if a theatre gets a hundred hours out of one, they're lucky. About half of my service territory are digital screens, and the majority of those are using Ushios with very good luck. Of those screens, I know of only one Ushio that has exploded - within 100 hrs of warranty - to six or seven Osram explosions.

It's too bad, Osram used to have a good thing going. They were my favorite bulb for many years.

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Matt Skilton
Film Handler

Posts: 43
From: Bromley, Kent, UK
Registered: May 2009


 - posted 11-24-2009 09:02 AM      Profile for Matt Skilton   Author's Homepage   Email Matt Skilton   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Just this week we've had to replace two Osram XL xenon lamps. One a 4k and the other a 3k. This was due to flickering, each were about half-way through their guaranteed hours. In May, I had a 4k exploade on me during a busy Friday night show of Star trek, which wasn't much fun. And we've had to replace a fair few other 4 and 3k these past 12 months.

I've lost my confidence in them. Not sure if we're allowed to switch to another manufacture either.

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Jim Cassedy
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1661
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Dec 2006


 - posted 11-25-2009 10:02 AM      Profile for Jim Cassedy   Email Jim Cassedy   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Our vendor had recommended we try the OSRAM XBO's when
we were putting together a big spare bulb order last year.
We got extremely poor performance/life out of the first
OSRAM we installed. At first we thought that maybe we
just 'got a bad one'. But when the 2nd bulb turned out
to perform equally bad, we sent the rest of them back.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99


 - posted 11-25-2009 11:52 AM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
Its sad so many corporate chains make "deals" (some probably under-the-counter) and end up forcing their employees to work with an inferior and in the end, more costly product to operate. The Ushio/Christie vs. Osram warning has been discussed here quite a bit for some time now.

You really do get what you pay for.

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Jeremy Weigel
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1062
From: Edmond, OK, USA
Registered: Mar 2007


 - posted 11-25-2009 04:26 PM      Profile for Jeremy Weigel   Email Jeremy Weigel   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Amen to that! I have a Christie 2k right now that is at 4500hrs, stable, bright, and ignites on the first strike. And its only at 75amps. I wasn't even getting close to that with Osram XBO's. Averaged 2500hrs before they became unstable, though I never had one explode.

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Darren Ward
Film Handler

Posts: 7
From: Lane Cove, NSW, Australia
Registered: Jul 2007


 - posted 11-27-2009 05:47 AM      Profile for Darren Ward   Email Darren Ward   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks for the feedback everyone. Will pass on to management who by now are a bit tired of me whining about dodgy lamps! Incidentally, I'm off in a few weeks, taking up a new career in teaching. Suspect it will be the last time I ever touch a projector, which is an ususual thought after doing this on and off for 12 years. I've only made a few posts since finding out aboout this site; I am extremely grateful for all the positive responses I have received for issues encountered during this time. Thanks very much and all the best.

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999


 - posted 11-27-2009 05:55 AM      Profile for John Wilson   Email John Wilson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hey Darren

If you ever get 'the itch' to do a shift here or there or even just a regular one every week...drop me a line.

Good luck with the teaching. [thumbsup]

John

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Tony Gallimore
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 108
From: Willis, Virginia, USA
Registered: Jul 2009


 - posted 11-27-2009 08:55 PM      Profile for Tony Gallimore   Email Tony Gallimore   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
While you guys that use a lot of zenons in a years time are rating bulbs, anyone else had any experience with Superior Quartz? I've been using one in my home system and have had really good performance so far, although the hours are somewhat less per week than would be the case in a commercial application. When I worked the cinema, we used ushio most of the time. When I purchased this console and installed it in my home theatre, the previous owners were using Superior Quartz, so that's what I replaced the old one with. As I said, I have no complaints so far... but then I only have a hundred or so hours on it? I also backed the amps off a little too.

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Jim Cassedy
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1661
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Dec 2006


 - posted 11-28-2009 09:51 AM      Profile for Jim Cassedy   Email Jim Cassedy   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Tony Gallimore
anyone else had any experience with Superior Quartz?
We used them for awhile.
Never had any real problems with them.
"we got what we paid for"

I think the reason stopped using them was more a
matter of supply than of quality. And that bottleneck
was a result of our supply chain, and not any fault
of the bulb manufacturer.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 11-28-2009 10:45 AM      Profile for Gordon McLeod   Email Gordon McLeod   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Bulbs are a commodity that often is included in part of a theatres buying expendables and price is part of the issue as well as maintaining a link with suppliers that also provide other services

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 11-28-2009 10:59 AM      Profile for Randy Stankey   Email Randy Stankey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have used Superior Quartz and they have been very good for me.
It's a good product for a good price and I have had zero problems from Superior. [thumbsup]

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Joseph Matteo
Film Handler

Posts: 26
From: fullerton ca usa
Registered: Dec 2006


 - posted 11-28-2009 12:18 PM      Profile for Joseph Matteo   Email Joseph Matteo   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
we have been getting good results with osram lamps most importantly is the high volume air flow we have. Keeping the heat out is a key factor in long life. High air flow will help lamps go the distance.On he other hand the digital don't not last as long mostly because they don't have sufficient air flow in the small containment.

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