Original vs. Compatible Projector Lamps

When buying a projector replacement lamp be certain of important terms used within the industry. There is a difference between original and compatible lamps. There is advice and definitions below which will aid in the selection and purchase decision.

Lamp Module

The lamp module consists of the light source, known as projector illumination that is mounted in a housing or cage. The lamp is the technical definition for light source but is commonly called a bulb. Connectors supply electric current to the lamp. The connectors are mounted on the housing. The complete assembly, the lamp or bulb plus the connectors and the housing are called the lamp module. Many stores call it the lamp for shorthand. You really need to get the correct term so that you do not actually get just a bare lamp.  Manufacturers do not want you to install a lamp into the old housing.  The procedure is difficult and can result in injury.

Original Lamps or OEM Lamps

Some online stores will use the term “original lamp” or “OEM lamp”. What does this mean? OEM is short for original equipment manufacturer. Epson, Canon, Infocus, Sanyo, etc. These are the companies that make the projectors. They also “manufacture” the lamp module that comes with the new projector. What they actually do is assemble the lamp module from the cage (or housing) that they make and the lamp (or bulb) made by a lamp manufacturer like Osram Sylvania, Philips or Ushio. The safest and most effective purchase will be to buy OEM modules.

Compatible/Copy Lamps

When you see the term “compatible” it means the lamp module has been manufactured by someone other than the manufacturer of your projector or the original supplier of the lamp. The lamp (or bulb) in the module will be manufactured by another company. The third party company may be infringing on the patents of the original equipment manufacturer.  Oftentimes the use of  a copy lamp will invalidate your warranty. It is difficult as a buyer to know what testing or quality control methods were used in the lamp module’s manufacture. However, compatible lamp modules may provide good value. You can expect the lamp module to fit into your projector exactly like the original. Even if the lamp optics are not identical to the original, in most cases you will have a projector that performs well even if it does not have the same lumen output of the original. What you won’t know is whether the performance will drop off faster than the original and therefore won’t give you the same number of hours of top performance as the original lamp.