We started installing the newer Sony LCD projectors for home theaters with the Draper drop down screen about a year ago, and have had excellent results. Anyway our first customer had a message appear on her screen that says it is time to change the light bulb, even though it is working fine. The book says this will appear after 1000 hours of operation.

I called the Sony tech line and talked to an engineer and he said it would not hurt anything to keep running it but you may over time notice a reduction in brightness and you can just keep bumping up the brightness level to compensate for it.

My question is to anyone else who has been using the Sony LCD projectors as to what kind of bulb life can really be expected, and are there any other sources for the bulb replacement that Sony wants $500 for.

Jeff406