Sony XL-2100U Projector Lamp

Pros: The replacement lamp lasted about five years.
Cons: The initial lamp only lasted one year.

This review comes as a result of my having to purchase the third lamp since buying my Sony KDF-60XBR950 LCD television. I am not affiliated with Sony in any way, merely a consumer of their products. Initially I was somewhat disappointed at having to ...

Pros: Beautiful picture for first year.Stylish Look.Lightweight.
Cons: Short Lifespan.Freaquent High Cost Repairs soon as warranty ran out.Fire Hazard.

I purchased the Sony KF-60WE610 in March 2004.Since then the light board has had to be replaced(1100$ repair)& it has recently completly melted around the lamp and it housing which almost burned my home down & Sony says its not a product safety issue.After weeks of calls and threats of lawsuits they finally say they will split the cost(almost 1100$ again to repair).Sony sold junk out the box.The picture was beautiful for 1st year or so then quality degraded,light board went,now this on top of normal bulb replacements every 8000 hours or so at $200 this tv is not worth the high cost of ownership.This will be my last Sony product I ever purchase since this is NOT the Sony of days past when they took care of there customers.Buyer Beware if concidering this television...

Pros: Bulb lasted quite a long time, and didn't really degrade.
Cons: 300$/year? Didn't i already spend 5000$ on this TV???

I just had my bulb burn out after a little over a year. We have put it through some pretty heavy usage, so I can't really complain. (with replacement bulbs being quite expensive, believe me I'd like to) I would definitely say that mine lasted about 2000 hrs.

Pros: Mine's gone beyond the call of duty!
Cons: None.

Got my tv in Oct. '04. Went in to the service menu to check the hours on the lamp. Over 6,000! I couldn't believe it! I hope my backup lamp lasts that long...when I do replace this one.

Pros: Outstanding HD picture. Great job with SD picture. Plexiglas protects screen from smoke and children.
Cons: Plexiglas can reflect some on bright days, but not bad. Non-learning remote.

This Sony is a wonderful set. Retailing for $6999 (paid $5089 on August, 2004). I'm on my 3rd bulb and it is still pretty bright. None of my bulbs have burned out, or even flashed at me. I just entered the service menu and it showed that I have 13,762 hours on this set. The 2 bulbs I've purchased online were $168 & $189 delivered.

I work at home and have the TV on all day, every day. For a set like this, a bulb once a year is a small price to pay. I read the PDF manual for this set before I bought it, so I was aware of the projector bulb life expectancy. Maybe you crybabies should research your next TV purchase.

If I had to replace this set, I would probably go for the 70" SXRD 1080P and its bulbs are even higher. If you want Sony's picture quality, you have always had to pay for it!

Pros: Bright LCD projection when working.
Cons: Philips won't sell you the bulb they manufacture for Sony.

First Bulb I had in the 42" WEGA LCD died the week after the bulb warranty expired. Sony in their infinite wisdom only gives 90-days on bulbs too. Sony's on-line service reps are totally non-responsive (do they hire engineers there?). I replaced it with a clearance bulb from Crutchfield @ $150 (a bargain) and this one has lasted over a year and a half(knock on wood.) Got a spare since I was concerned about Sony dropping this model form production.

I even went so far as to contact Philips to see if I could buy the bulb (sans plastic modular casing)they make for this Sony part. There are only 2 push-on clips attached to the bulb and a couple of screws holding the module together. An easy fix? Nope...They were clueless about its existence when I contacted the company.

On a side note:
Circuit City (where I bought the TV) tries to tell you that bulbs are covered in their extended warranties, even though I have yet to find that specific language in their contracts. That's why I won't drop another $600 for 3 years on a big screen.

Pros: Supposed to last 2000 hours, I get about half that amount.
Cons: Short bulb life, expensive to replace. Third major repair on KF-42WE610 in 2 years.

This is the second replacement in as many years for the Sony XL-2100U Projector lamp.
You don't buy these lamps, you rent them by the year.
I do not recommend any Sony product that uses this projector lamp.

Pros: Great picture with new bulb
Cons: Too Expensive and cheaply made

Have had my Sony KF-50WE610 now for approx.4 1/2 years. The original XL-2100 bulb lasted 4 yrs. Had new bulb installed by tech, total cost $360.00. That one lasted me 6 months. Come On Sony if you want to keep me and others a customer you've got to produce a better or cheaper bulb.

Pros: Great Life on original bulb
Cons: Bad reviews on replacements.

I'm shopping for a spare but coming up on 3 years and about 6,000 hours on the original Sony bulb. I hope the next one lasts half this long.

Pros: Sony expensive lamp
Cons: I tried different sellers, doesn't work, it is a lamp problem.

It is a very bad experience with this Sony XL-2100U lamp. It is my 3 lamp for one year. Sony should do something about it. I was a Sony's fan, but know I don't think so anymore.

Pros: * Did exactly want I needed it to
Cons: * None yet, hopefully it lasts for a while

After getting my hands on an XL2100U lamp, I realized that despite me not wanting to have to replace the lamp many more times, it was a breeze to find it, buy it and replace it.

I wasn't sure if I had the right lamp since I lost the manual to my television, but I was able to find a great website that included a bunch of information; it was http://www.xl2100u-lamp.com. A manual for the lamp was included in my box along with the lamp but being able to read the instruction beforehand from the site made installing a sinch. At least, that's what I thought.

It turned out that even with the site and the instructions in the box, it took me more time to install the lamp than it did to order it. Be careful not to touch the actual lamp and just the housing or else, you may end up damaging it.

Pros: Wonderful picture
Cons: Extremely short life span and expensive to maintain

After about 5 years, we replaced the lamp ($194.00 for the part) to have it last only_3 months. No refund, junk equipment.