Consumers who follow the HDTV and big-screen industry will know that there has been a huge problem with the Toshiba DLP units over the past few years, specifically with the lamps, which are integral to the operation of the unit. These bulbs, which are not inexpensive to replace, have proven to blow out prematurely with pandemic proportions.
Initially, Toshiba chalked it up to a bad shipment of lamps, and offered to replace any bulb that burned out prematurely. However, the problem has continued. Many consumers writing on blogs report they have had to replace lamps three, four, or even five times.
These are lamps that are supposed to last, according to product literature, 6,000 to 8,000 hours. And yet some Toshiba owners have reported lamps failing after a few months, and in some cases a few weeks after taking delivery of their sets.Yes, Toshiba ponied up for a replacement bulb, especially if the problem fell within the warranty period. But because there was a shortage of bulbs and they were back-ordered, many consumers had to wait several weeks for a replacement.
That's several weeks during which their expensive, high-definition TV would sit dark, and useless.
Jav, of Mastic Beach New York writes in a consumer blog that he is about to install a fourth lamp in his Toshiba DLP television, which he purchased new for $3500 in June of 2006. That's three lamps in the last 18 months. Toshiba replaced the first bulb for free, but Jav has had to cover the cost of the other two and will have to shell out for another if he wants to watch the Super Bowl next month.
Virgil, of Loudon Tennessee has owned his Toshiba DLP since December of 2006. He has gone through five lamps in just over a year. He writes that the fifth lamp burnt out December 11th 2007. Calls to Toshiba customer service have not proved helpful. Toshiba representatives tell Virgil there is nothing they can do.
Little wonder there are lawsuits swirling over this issue, especially in view of the life expectancy of the lamps—6,000 to 8,000 hours—and their ultimate cost. Replacement lamps can run anywhere from $400 to $500.
These aren't the bulbs you buy at the hardware store, or the floodlights you plunge into the ground at Christmas. These are highly specialized units that don't come cheap. Based on the advertised life expectancy, incurring such a cost after 6,000 to 8,000 hours would be for most TV aficionados an acceptable price to pay for high-quality HD TV.
And make no mistake, the Toshiba picture quality according to those in the know, is outstanding. Superlatives abound.
But only when it works. Considering that it has been two years or so since Toshiba first went on record as suggesting that a bad batch of lamps was the culprit, one has to wonder if there is some kind of design flaw in the television itself, which contributes to the problem.
Virgil, in Loudon, notes the lamp that went wonky about a month ago, on December 11th, had been installed on the 19th of November.
That's three weeks service from a lamp that costs several hundred dollars, and is supposed to last a minimum of 6,000 hours. The Toshiba DLP television would have to be on night and day, non-stop for eight months and it would still not approach the minimum standard for lamp life.
Thus, it would have been reasonable to assume that a single lamp, based on normal viewing habits, would last for years. Based on the advertised life expectancy of 6,000 to 8,000 hours, it would seem reasonable to spend thousands of dollars on a high-end product, a purchase many would be required to finance.
The sad part, is that for many it is a product they are currently paying for on credit—a product they may not be able to use, as they can ill afford to spend $400 for a new bulb.
READ MORE LEGAL NEWS
Too bad, because Super Bowl XLII on February 3rd will go down as one of the greatest games in history, and it all centers around the New England Patriots. If they lose, the Pats will have forfeited a storybook season. If they win, New England will have accomplished what no other football team has done since the 1972 Miami Dolphins, when Don Shula's venerable team took a perfect season to Super Bowl VII and won it all.The atmosphere in many living rooms will be equally charged. Many a Toshiba DLP HD TV, purchased for just such an occasion, will be dark due to the owner's inability to afford yet another replacement bulb.
Or, the boys will be on pins and needles for the entire game, wondering if the lamp will last until the last whistle. At $400 a pop, you don't want to have a spare lying around.
And if the set goes dark during a tie game, third down in the fourth quarter—well, let's just not go there.
