Bulb blew after 4 months

[exCIA]

While watching a movie the other night, there was a sudden flash on the screen and then a not-so-slow fade to black. The bulb on my HD52Z585 blew after just 4 months.

Tech from the local store will be here Tuesday, but of course, "... we can't possibly stock parts for all the brands we sell, and no, we can't bring a bulb until the technician inspects the tv first."

Hope they can get it repaired before Superbowl Sunday.

[Ratman]

If I were you... I'd order one online and have it ready. Don't depend on them to have a new bulb immediately available.

Even if they do, you'd be better having a 'spare' on hand. This way... no lost viewing time.

Be a shame to miss the game...

[exCIA]

Tech from hhgregg, the store where I bought the tv, arrives Tuesday, five days after the bulb blew. Takes two second to confirm that the bulb is blown and says he'll get a new one ordered.

By Friday, still hadn't heard anything from the store.

Call them and ask what's up. Learn that there is no eta for the replacement bulb.

Mention the 5-year service plan we purchased and wonder when they will be bringing over the brand new tv.

Brand new tv arrived 30 minutes ago -- 8:15 am on a Saturday.

Super Bowl in High Definition ... :)

[Ratman]

Wow! That's how to retain a loyal customer!

Fantastic! Enjoy the game.

[WeAreNotAlone69]

Wow! That's how to retain a loyal customer!

Fantastic! Enjoy the game.


While it's great to get a "new" set to replace a "new" set that was only 5 days old..(LOL!!!).. You guys do realize that "we" the customers at some point PAY for that 2nd TV.... when all the first TV needed was a bulb.

I just called JVC last week because the unit I bought was doa (It was a floor model, got a GOOD deal on it)... I called JVC Wednesday afternoon to boot.. and had a replacement bulb the NEXT day. (Thursday)

So to recap.... Instead of the customer getting a blub at a wholesale cost to JVC at what about $30 +/- and $6.00+/- shipping (retail on JVC website $199)... JVC at some point will be charged back for the first TV set... that TV set getting a blub, and then being sold for a loss. (as a refurb)

In additon there is the shipping, and whiteglove service charges... (which isn't cheap).. and then once the returned Tv gets fixed, maybe having to be shipped again!!! @ a cost of what $150 to $327, plus whatever white glove charges there may be!

Guess where that money comes from? (from you and I next time we buy a set, or part... that money comes from somewhere.. and the last time I checked money doesn't grow on trees)

PS: exCIA.... call JVC instead while you are under the factory warranty... They stock the blub.

One last thing.. we ALL need to raise hell about the cost of these blubs.... THE TS-CL110U going for $253 at some places (and $199 at JVC, in case you are out of warranty)

What I mean is there is no way the blubs should be priced so high. I'm all for a profit.. but these blubs shouldn't cost that much to mfg.

If the mfg's where "smart", they make the blubs around $40.... So their equipment is cheap to run, and normal people can stock another blub themselves....

Owner of JVC to potental buyer.... Yea the blubs don't last long... but hey they're only $40 a piece, It's the only part that really breaks on these models, but they are cheap to replace and I can install one in under two-minutes... No service call needed.

Translation to ANY JVC shills, or reps we may have here.... The owner of the above set just made a sell for you.... and the owner of the above set is unlikely to buy another mfg's set... Net effect is you have a lifetime customer... who is a walking, talking , and "happy" salesman for your products.

[joko]

What I mean is there is no way the blubs should be priced so high. I'm all for a profit.. but these blubs shouldn't cost that much to mfg.

I'm with you there. How can a bulb cost so much? It can't cost that much to make.

I'm new to the forum but am a member over at avsforum, I'm gonna start looking around but do other brand's bulbs die as quickly as the JVCs? I'll be going on my 2nd bulb in 1 year.

[Doc007]

My bulb blew after 8 months thankfully it is still under warranty...However after the local JVC authorized repair guy came, and confirmed what I had told JVC that the bulb was the problem , he informs me that due to the cost they do not stock the part and it will take a week before they get one. :mecry: These bulbs are not living up to JVC specs. Other than that I love this TV.

[TMC]

Hey all....my bulb blew after 5 months. Called a Tech, he came out, and said it would cost 700 to fix (replace a bulb...LOL). SPoke with a JVC Rep and they stated "yeah the bulbs are expensive now but they will come down in the future" also JVC sent a bulb under the warranty....no money out of pocket. ANother note....I didnt think of this either until the bulb blew....but I now have a UPS unit. Other than the bulb issue I love the set.

[Lydian]

I can't agree with you more I love the HD 61z575 I own, but the bulb issue is a tad annoying. Maybe I am thinking of this wrong, but help me out here. Why is it so hard to produce essentialy a light bulb that will last? I know there are many types, and these are very specific for their use, but most people don't replace their car's head lights or fog lights this often. Are these[lamps] that are in these TV's(any brand not just JVC) that much different. I don't know..... Just doesn't make sense to me. So far it hasn't become to big of a problem $ wise for me, because the lamp has been taken care of by JVC, twice. When I have to start paying out pocket for these lamps at $200 bucks a pop. It will be a problem.

[57U]

How long a bulb lasts depends on many things.

- the filament material and construction (if there is one)
- the quality
- the brightness
- the size
Etc.

It's very easy to make a bulb that lasts forever. Basically you generate very little light relative to the amount of energy you put in. That's why the long-life light bulbs that you can buy put out less light than a similar wattage "normal" bulb.

I agree though, several hundred $ for a "bulb" is a lot of money, but if you look at the original price of automotive xenon (HID) headllights (over $1000) then...

[Muleskinner]

Bought the JVC HD-ILA (HD-52G886) August this year. Service rep from American TV will be here this Tuesday, December 27th. A good friend and I bought the same model at the same time. I called him last night and...his set just blew the lamp a few days ago too. By my estimate, time on bulb is approximately 1500-2000 hours.

As you all know, after the big sale, service is where it's at for all us consumers. Right! In addition to having JVC's full 1 year parts and labor LIMITED warranty (which does cover the lamp), I also purchased the 5 year extended warranty. Of course the fine print states that this warranty does NOT cover projector bulbs. Guess I'll have to buy a spare.

Update: Per Owner Manual Instuctions (from manufacturer) I removed the bulb assembly (no brainer) from the set. The bulb definitely blew. Broken glass inside the bulb.

I called the retailer to ask if the service representative would be bringing a replacement bulb with him. Customer service representative promptly told me that since it was definitely the bulb I should get it directly from the manufacturer. Otherwise, the service rep would still honor the service call, BUT finding the bulb broken would then only be able to order it for me from the manufacturer since they do not stock them. I cancelled the service call and telephoned the manufacturer in New Jersey.

After a long wait (in the land of OZ - "All of our operators are busy...") a very sweet voice came on the line and took my information. I told her I wanted a replacement lamp (free of charge) under warranty terms and conditions. To make the long story short the manufacturer service representative tried to convince me that the retailer/service representative had to place the order for the replacement lamp for me.

I told her that the retailer said I should order the lamp directly from the manufacturer. After trying further to convince me that my only recourse for a warranty lamp replacement was from the retail/repair service, I said ok, fine! BUT...as the customer I believed I was getting the runaround and conflicting stories as to proper procedures for customer warranty satisfaction. I said that I would be willing to contact the retailer one more time and tell them what she had said.

BUT...if after I talked to the retailer again, and IF...I felt like a ping-pong ball, I would be calling JVC again, and I would go as high in the company as I could, to get resolve on the issue. I further stated that I knew how to do just that.

At this time, that very sweet voice on the other end of the OEM customer service desk asked me to wait just another moment while she checked on one last thing. Of course I said ok.

When she came back she sweetly announced that my order for a replacement lamp had been processed (at no charge to me) and would be arriving FedX 2nd day (this coming Tuesday/Wednesday).

Will provide further status when the lamp arrives.

In the meantime, there remains the unanswered question of WHY?

Why the lamp blew after such a short time. I know the lamp is a life limited part, but...really now, only 1500-2000 hours.

Hmm...

Bad batch of lamps...
Bad batch of cooling fans...
Bad batch of circuit boards that control the lamp/fan function...

Bad design (from customer perspective)...
Good design (for manufacturer) based upon HP business model...

Only time and statistics will tell. If then.



"Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for. A product is not quality because it is hard to make and costs a lot of money, as manufacturers typically believe. This is incompetence. Customers pay only for what is of use to them and gives them value. Nothing else constitutes quality." ~ Peter F. Drucker

[Kenetics]

That brings up the question...
If your bulb blows under warranty and you have purchased a replacement and install it, what will happen when they come out to inspect the set? Will they just hand over a new bulb when you give them the burned-out one? How do they know its from your set, for starters?

[Muleskinner]

That brings up the question...
If your bulb blows under warranty and you have purchased a replacement and install it, what will happen when they come out to inspect the set? Will they just hand over a new bulb when you give them the burned-out one? How do they know its from your set, for starters?

I guess it's a matter of trust. It wasn't like this fifty years ago.

[Muleskinner]

Is there a way to determine Total Time on my set through the Service Mode or some other method? I have the HD-52G886. Per lamp replacement instruction I reset the lamp timer before finding out about the Service Mode function. Since I'm on my first lamp replacement, I'm thinking, if there's a way to determine Total Time before the next lamp blows; I could figure out how much time was on the original bulb.

:sherlok:

Thanks in advance!

[Scott916]

I work in a store that carries JVC and other MD RPTVs. I love the picture on the JVCs when they have a high quality source but we have had the same problems with short lamp life on all the 720p models. Time will tell on the 1080p's. 4-8 months average lamp life (IMO) is far too short. Luckily our service plans cover lamp replacements.

Here's hoping the lamp life issue gets worked out soon.

[gparris]

I would ask forum member Flashjeff as I asked an owner friend of mine how their JVC 52" 720p sets are doing since last year with a runtime of 5 or so hours a day.
So far, my reports are of no bulb failures.
57U's replies are in line with what I have heard/experienced so far.

[videobruce]

Is there a way to determine Total Time on my set through the Service Mode Yes there is (hope you are good with math :sightv: );

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=598154

The 1080 version is much easier;

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=638602

[tedescm]

It is clear, that JVC has had many issues with their 720p line of RP units. I've seen numerous posts relating to bulbs and light engines.

Has JVC worked out these problems or do they continue to exist in the new 1080p models?

They are ruining their reputation

[cschweitzer]

I have had my 52Z575 since November 2004. Still on original bulb with at least 3500 hours of use.

[damondlt]

Maybe you should all buy a different brand of tv.I have a KDF-E50A10 sony and have had no problems at all .I paid $199 for a bulb that has been sitting on my shelf,because everyone says the bulbs go.It has been a year so far and still fineI'm over 7000 hours but I also bought a warranty for $50 that covers bulb for 3 years.Maybe if your going to buy JVC you should think about doing so.So far JVC is the only brand Everyone has to me to stay away from!