How to Ensure Projector Lamps Last As Long As Possible By James Keane

Like many bulbs, the projector lamp is a delicate object albeit much more expensive than your average household bulb so it is important to ensure your lamps last as long as possible. It is surprising to see how some places only need a new projector lamp every few years and others require them every few months. Here is some advice to help ensure your projector lamps last as long as possible:
Let the projector cool
This is probably the main reason why projector bulbs may need replacing more often when people do not allow the project lamp to cool before they move the projector or switch it back on again. Many projectors power down on their own so do not move the projector whilst in this mode. If you have an older projector model, you might have an on/off switch for the bulb and a separate on/off switch for the machine. In this case, switch the projector off first and once that has powered down, then switch the projector off.
Similarly, do not move, shake or bump the projector whilst the projector is still switched on. They are very sensitive and movement could cause the projector to blow or shorten its life.
Overheating
If the projector bulb is overheating, then it will burn out earlier than it should. The main reason for overheating is when users do not clean the projector filter regularly. It should be cleaned once every three months or so with a can of compressed air but the frequency should be increased to monthly if the projector is in a dusty environment. Another sure way to overheat your projector bulb is to block the fan exhaust so take note where the fan is on your projector and make sure it has a minimum of two or three feet of room to breathe.
Never touch the lamp because your fingers have natural oil on them and this oil can also cause the projector lamp to overheat and burn out prematurely. Only touch the metal housing.
Save projector lamp hours
Most modern projectors nowadays have what is called an economy or eco-mode. This uses less brightness from the projector bulb meaning the projector lamp will last much longer so don't use more brightness than you need.
Keep the projector at room temperature
Projector lamp sales always increase in the spring or after summer holidays. The main reason for this is that people leave their projector in the cold over winter or even in the car for a day or two. The quick change in temperature will cause a projector lamp to blow if you switch a cold projector on so let it warm to room temperature first. Never leave the projector in the car or in extreme heat because the projector lamp will overheat and burn.
Following these tips should give you months of extra use from your projector bulb. This is by no means an exhaustive list of tips to help make sure your bulbs last as long as possible but it does include the main reasons that a projector lamp may have a shortened life.

The author James Kean represents JP-UK, a specialist UK supplier of projector lamps and bulbs as well as ink toners and cartridges. For further information, visit http://www.jp-uk.co.uk for projector lamps.

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How To Select a Lamp Shade By Jim Hoyle Platinum Quality Author

There are quite a few issues to consider when selecting a lamp shade. After 27 years of helping dealers, designers and retail customers match their lamps and shades these defining points which will allow you to answer this sometimes daunting question for yourself.
Beauty is not the only thing in the eye of the beholder. Individuals may already have preconceived ideas of the right size, shape, color, material, etc. for a particular lamp shade. Further, after one has looked upon and lived with a certain lamp and shade combination for years any deviation from that can very likely be perceived as "wrong". So, how can you be sure that a particular lamp shade is right or that it "goes" with the lamp? Keep three basic points foremost in your mind: portrayal style, shade size and shade vertical location.
PORTRAYAL STYLE: First and foremost, what do you wish to portray with the lamp? Look at your lamp and decide what style it is such as contemporary, traditional, antique, funky, etc. If you really cannot discern a specific style then you must decide what is the style or look that you wish to portray with this lamp. You will want the basic look or style of your lamp shade to compliment, not clash with the lamp style itself. You generally do not want a very ornate and detailed shade if you wish to portray the clean lines of a very contemporary lamp. Likewise, you do not want a clean cut Chinese coolee type shade for a lamp that you want to portray as a traditional style. Think in terms of like styles for the lamp and shade. This does not mean like colors, textures, size etc. but general style. Once you have decided the general lamp style that you wish to portray, then you can begin concentrating on other details.
SHADE SIZE: This characteristic of your lamp shade like all the others will of course be subjective and will vary with the observer. But there are some guidelines that will help you determine the boundaries within which you must consider. You are basically looking for a balance in lamp and shade sizes that will make the lamp look neither top heavy or bottom heavy when viewed from a distance of about 20 feet away.
There are four (4) measurements to consider when selecting a shade: top diameter (across), bottom diameter (across), side length (slope), and drop. The drop is the vertical distance the shade washer is from the top edge of the shade. Do not be too concerned with the drop. The drop and the harp size will determine the shade vertical location which we will cover later. You just need to be aware that different shades do have different drops. Small changes in the bottom diameter (1"-2") will have a dramatic effect on the look of your lamp. The same applies to the side length and top diameter. The numerous combinations of these various measurements can be mind boggling. Below are some specific guidelines that you can carry with you to the store when selecting a lamp shade.
Medium - small size traditional or antique style lamps that are 20" - 27" tall to the top of the shade will likely require shades about 9" - 11" side length and 16" - 19" bottom diameter.
Medium size traditional or antique style lamps that are 27" - 30" tall to the top of the shade will likely require shades about 11" - 13" side length and 16" - 19" bottom diameter.
Large size traditional or antique style lamps that are 30" - 36" tall to the top of the shade will likely require shades about 12" - 15" side length and 18" - 20" bottom diameter.
For each of the above examples, contemporary lamp shades will generally have larger bottom diameters and possibly side length as well. Larger diameter lamps require larger diameter shades and more slender lamps require smaller diameter shades.
Multiple socket lamps are a special consideration that should be addressed by an experienced lighting professional that you will find in most reputable lamp and lighting showrooms.
SHADE VERTICAL LOCATION: This characteristic of your lamp shade is fairly simple to judge. It is the vertical location of the bottom edge of your lamp shade. On a single socket lamp this will almost always be about 2" below the bottom of the socket assembly. To determine the correct vertical location, first look straight across the bottom edge of the lamp shade and visually line up the near edge of the shade with the far edge of the shade. This line should then intersect about 2" below the bottom of the socket assembly for most single socket lamps. The way that you adjust this vertical location of the lamp shade is with the HARP. This is the "U" shaped wire that attaches the lamp to the shade and it comes in different lengths from about 4" on up.
Shorter shades will require shorter harps and longer shades will require longer harps. Multiple socket lamps are a special consideration and I strongly recommend professional guidance for these instances, especially for safety concerns as well as aesthetic values.
SUMMARY: Use the above ideas as a general guideline and it should get you started in the right direction. For further assistance I strongly recommend a reputable lamp and lighting showroom as this type store will likely have knowledgeable experienced staff who are well equipped to help you with the many subtle intricacies of lamp shade selection.
- Jim Hoyle

Since 1979 Jim Hoyle has owned and operated Lamp Outlet - North Carolina's Most Unique Table Lamps, Floor Lamps and Antique Lamps - Antique lamps and exclusive new unique table lamps and floor lamps. Contact Jim at http://www.hoylelamps.com

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Panasonic PT-AX200U Review - 3 X LCD 720p High Definition Home Theater Projector By Mitchel Marmalade Platinum Quality Author

When choosing a projector for your home theater set-up, there are two main factors involved: price and picture quality. To strike the right balance between the two, it makes sense to know more about what features the projector has that give it the edge to stand out from others.
After narrowing down from a few dozen other projectors, by now you have probably nearly made your mind up. But first let us explore some of the features that makes the Panasonic PT-AX200U so special.
Main Features -- Explained

• Brightest projected image in its price range (2000 Lumens) The projector is so bright in fact it can be used comfortably in daylight conditions.
• 3 separate LCD's : Red Green Blue combined together. By using 3 LCD's, each of the primary colors are given their very own LCD which gives more room properly represent the depth and contrast. The three images are then merged inside the projector which gives the overall picture extended color depth and is like watching real film.
• 6000:1 contrast ratio With 3 LCD's there are 3 times as much light blocked and 3 times as much light let through resulting in a larger amount of contrast. Compared to single LCD projectors the difference in quality makes it stand out from others. Shadows are brought forward and skin-tones are handled very well.
• Dynamic image adjustment Panasonic's Light Harmonizer 2 technology will automatically adjust the gamma curve, iris dilation and lamp power to produce consistent vivid, smooth and 'easy on the eye' images in all varying light conditions.
• Gaming Modes Excellent picture performance with PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and PCs. Many modern popular games are naturally quite dark and some LCD TV screens and cheaper projectors fail to bring out the darkest details. The PT-AX200U has special processing modes that have been optimized for gaming and they have the ability to make the dimmest in-game scenes more viewable and playable.
• Two HDMI ports HDMI has become the connector of choice for modern high definition equipment due to its' digitally perfect and lossless data transfer capabilities. Connecting everything you own to it is made easy with: a component input, an s-video input and a standard composite input.
• 1280 x 720 pixels High Definition 720p HD is achieved from either 720p or 1080p content. This scaled down to fit, while not quite as sharp as a full 1080p projector, 720p projectors are around half the price and give far better value for money.
• 4 to 41 foot range - 2:1 zoom lens with adjustable angles
• Best performance in its price range.

The Panasonic PT-AX200U projector is expected to be this years big seller and this is not surprising thanks to its' out-performance of most, if not all projectors in its' class. The brightness is stunning and adjusts to all room conditions, even custom presets can be stored for quick recall of your ideal settings. The pixels are invisible and the moving image is like watching a film.
Competitors projectors do cost less but do not get the brightness that is so fought after in a home theater projection setup. With changing light levels and demand for color depth and detail, this latest edition in the PT series of projectors makes possible an excellent theater and movie experience right at home that is always enjoyable.
For gaming set-ups where brightness, color detail and responsiveness is important, this projector delivers and excels in its versatile abilities, and for the price balances top performance.

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