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Author Topic: Switching off Video projector for short breaks?
John Koutsoumis
Master Film Handler

Posts: 261
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Aug 2003


 - posted 10-23-2005 08:15 AM      Profile for John Koutsoumis   Email John Koutsoumis   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Along side 35 & 16MM we run video as well. We hire the theatre out and on most occasions it's video that's used
(a Dreamvision dlp 500).
Most times between bookings or intermissions there night be 30-40 minutes break. Is it worth switching the lamp off or leaving it on. The reason i'm asking is, how much lamp life do you loose everytime you strike it, is it similar to large xenons? We are on a tight budget and need to get as much life out of the lamp before it becomes unacceptable.

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Richard May
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1057
From: Floral Park, NY USA
Registered: Aug 2004


 - posted 10-23-2005 10:36 AM      Profile for Richard May   Email Richard May   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
John, we have been running video for over 5 years. I compared the difference between leaving them on and shutting them off in between shows. Over about 3 years of doing that there was about about a 20% reduction of life on the bulbs when we relit them after the intermissions. We leave them on all day now.

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John Koutsoumis
Master Film Handler

Posts: 261
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Aug 2003


 - posted 10-23-2005 11:29 PM      Profile for John Koutsoumis   Email John Koutsoumis   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks Richard. I thought that would be the case. For the most part i've left it on but sometimes at the insistance of the boss, i'd turn it off.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

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


 - posted 10-25-2005 10:02 AM      Profile for Randy Stankey   Email Randy Stankey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have always gone by the theory that one strike of a lamp is equal to two or three hours of running time. Therefore, if you're going to strike a lamp you might as well leave it burn.

I'd rather see a lamp struck once and left on all day than to have it struck up and shut off ten times.

Provided you have proper ventillation and temperature control, just shut the dowser or, in the case of a video projector, set it for "No-Show".

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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


 - posted 10-25-2005 02:37 PM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
I used to go by that theory, but after doing some comparisons of my own with Sanyo low-end LCD projectors for preshow material, I found it was indeed better to turn the things off once the movie started. I don't blame the shortened lamp life so much on the striking of the bulb as I do the constantly running fans that would clog up the air filters and cause the unit to overheat.

I get better life now by having the automation shut them off during the movie. [Wink]

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Randy Stankey
Film God

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


 - posted 10-26-2005 07:58 PM      Profile for Randy Stankey   Email Randy Stankey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
So, sending somebody around to make sure the air vents aren't dusty wouldn't be an option?

[Wink]

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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


 - posted 10-26-2005 09:29 PM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
You do that anyway, but it severely decreases how often they have to be cleaned.

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Richard May
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1057
From: Floral Park, NY USA
Registered: Aug 2004


 - posted 10-26-2005 09:31 PM      Profile for Richard May   Email Richard May   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
You are both right. The vents would and do get clogged over time. As Randy said though, someone should be sent around to clean them. I clean them once a week. I would not turn them off just for that reason, though. If people can't go around and clean the vents, they should not be using the equipment. Unfortunately, it happens all the time. [thumbsup]

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Phil Blake
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 558
From: esperance western australia
Registered: Nov 2003


 - posted 10-27-2005 09:37 AM      Profile for Phil Blake   Author's Homepage   Email Phil Blake   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
We have some interesting facts here . I was recently curious as to the life of LCD projecot globes. We are running a midrange panasonic for screen advertising , it runs for about 5 minutes 4 to 6 times a day all week, automatically turning off with the automation. The manual states lamp life should be about 1200 hours , air filters always cleaned and vents free of dirt build up I just got 250 hours out of the globe before it exploded. My immediate thoughts were the turning on and off all the time. The glode cost $800 AU !!! very costly I thought.

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Mark Hajducki
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 500
From: Edinburgh, UK
Registered: May 2003


 - posted 10-27-2005 09:58 AM      Profile for Mark Hajducki   Email Mark Hajducki   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Phil Blake
automatically turning off with the automation.
Is the automation disconecting the power to the projector or sending a 'turn off' instruction (to allow the bulb to cool properly?)

Many video projectors have power saving modes (where the bulb brightness is reduced along with the fan speed). For short gaps this may be a better option than a complete shutdown.

Is it worth running video (or slide) adverts for 5 minutes between shows?

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Richard May
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1057
From: Floral Park, NY USA
Registered: Aug 2004


 - posted 10-27-2005 10:46 AM      Profile for Richard May   Email Richard May   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Mark, good point about shutting off the power. Most projectors keep the fan running for 5 or 10 minutes after you turn them off to cool the bulb more. Phil, check your manual also to see whether or not it's okay to have the bulb on for that short a period of time. My book says to have it lit for at least 10 minutes before turning it off. We keep them on all day (11 hours) and get on average 1500-2000 hours out of them. [thumbsup]

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Jeff Taylor
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 601
From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY
Registered: Apr 2000


 - posted 10-27-2005 12:16 PM      Profile for Jeff Taylor   Email Jeff Taylor   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I've read about studies comparing the lifespan of DLP's to LCD's which supposedly produced problems with color "burn out" on LCD's left on continuously for really extended periods. I believe it was with blue chip fade or burnout specifically (I won't make the obvious comparison to pre-LPP Eastman prints!) and if I recall supposedly happened as early as 2,000 hours. Has anybody run into that, or is it propaganda from the DLP crowd?

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Richard May
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1057
From: Floral Park, NY USA
Registered: Aug 2004


 - posted 10-27-2005 12:23 PM      Profile for Richard May   Email Richard May   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
2 of our LCD projectors are more than 5 years old. No color problems so far.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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


 - posted 10-27-2005 12:37 PM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
Mark, a video projector should never simply have it's power cut in the manner that most people handled their slide projectors. You must think I'm some kind of idiot if that's how you thought I wired them up to the automations.

I also went into the service menu of my projectors and extended the cooldown time to 15 minutes and set it so the fan runs at 100% speed. I got much better life from doing that over the default settings.

Jeff, yes LCD projectors look crappy as time passes. Since it is a gradual thing, most people don't really notice though, but all LCD machines do suffer picture quality the older they get.

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Phil Blake
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 558
From: esperance western australia
Registered: Nov 2003


 - posted 10-27-2005 10:39 PM      Profile for Phil Blake   Author's Homepage   Email Phil Blake   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The automation is switching the unit to standby mode leaving the cooling fans operational.

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