Manufacturers state lamp life in hours, and the figure always assumes a brightness mode — usually eco. In full brightness it is typically a fraction of the quoted number.
Reading the specification
A lamp quoted at “up to 15 000 hours” is quoted in the dimmest mode the machine offers. The same sheet usually gives a lower figure for normal or bright mode, further down. Both are real; only one is on the box.
What the end of life looks like
Gradual dimming rather than failure. A picture that has slowly become less impressive over two years is often a lamp at 80 % of its rated hours rather than a projector that was overrated.
Laser and LED are different
Both are quoted in the tens of thousands of hours and are not user-replaceable consumables. They dim too, far more slowly, and when they reach end of life the machine is generally replaced rather than repaired.
The three tiers when you do buy a lamp
An original module — maker’s bulb, maker’s housing. A bulb-inside lamp — an original Philips, Osram or Ushio burner in a third-party cage, usually the sensible purchase. A compatible lamp — neither, and where the variation lives. Compatibility is by projector model number exactly, and that number is on the underside of the machine.
Questions people actually ask
Does the lamp fail suddenly or fade?
Both happen, and fading is the common one. A lamp at the end of its stated life is markedly dimmer than a new one, which is why people describe a projector as "getting worse" without connecting it to hours used.
Should I reset the lamp timer after fitting a new one?
Yes. It does not affect the new lamp, and it is the only way the machine will warn you honestly next time. A timer left running makes the warning appear immediately and then be ignored.
Last reviewed 4 September 2026