Panasonic PT43LC14 dark picture

[Canyon453]

A friend of mine gave me his 4 year old PT43LC14 because he bought a new Sony LCD HDTV. I hooked it up to my HD cable box using the component input, but the picture is very dark ever with the brightness ajusted to max. Does this mean the lamp should be replaced? Does the lamp loose it's brightness before it goes?

Thanks,
Francis

[Ratman]

I'd start with a new lamp. After 4 years, it's ready to buy the farm anyway. And yes, lamps do lose brightness as they age.