Monday, June 16, 2008

Beware of Mitsubishi DLP's

Late Saturday afternoon I sat down to watch some US Open and the Brewer game on my 57" Mitsubishi DLP tv, only to have it turn off right after it turned on. No matter what I did (unplug, reset, etc), it wouldn't turn on. Then I got a red light for the Lamp indicator. Looks like my lamp is dead. Funny, I've only had it for about 18 months, didn't think it would need to be replaced already.

I purchased the Advantage protection plan from Circuit City so I figured it would be simple to get a new lamp. I called CC, found that I have to call the 888 number for the plan, so I called that. Ugh, only open during normal business hours. Ok, no tv till at least Monday. I brought down my HD monitor from my office and set that up instead. Not quite the same watching the Open on a 28" instead of a 57" but for a day or two I can live with it.

I called the protection plan people this morning and with the help of a Mitsubishi tech they determined the lamp needed to be replaced. Wow, they sure are smart. (that's called sarcasm, kids).

The friendly guy with the plan says it'll be shipping UPS ground this afternoon and should be here in about a week. A WEEK!?!?!?!??! Are you fucking kidding me???? "Sir, I'm sorry but Mitsubishi does not allow us to ship their parts overnight." What the fuck, this has to be a joke. Sorry, sir, hopefully it will arrive in 3-5 days. Sonofadirtygoatfucker....

Then I started doing a little research. Turns out I'm definitely not the only one having problems with the Mits DLP's. There are A LOT of people having problems. And not just with the lamps, but that is a very common one. I'm not looking forward to having the same additional problems that these people are having (multiple bulb burnouts, ballast replacements, light engines, circuit boards, etc).

Consider this a warning if you're thinking about getting a new Mitsubishi DLP. I bought it mainly because I have a Mitsubishi 55" rear projection that I've had for about 6 years with only one minor issue. Now, I'm pretty sure I won't go this route again.

It probably wouldn't be that big of a deal if my basement hadn't flooded. That's where the other Mits is living and since the flooring is going to be installed later this week I've had to tear everything out and it's not hooked up so I don't really have another option.

7 comments:

Rod said...

Yea - I have read about that also AFTER i got one!

Maybe I should order one in advance! LOL

How much are they??

adubya said...

$250 for a single lamp. Glad I paid $299 for the protection plan, at least I'm not going to get completely screwed.

Anonymous said...

So if you had to buy another TV what would you recommend? I'll be in the market for one in about 6-9 months.

adubya said...

Shit, I don't know now KK. I always thought DLP was the way to go since it gave a great picture and was a little cheaper than LCD for the bigger screens.
I don't know if LCD's have the same issue and if all DLP's have the same lamp issues.
You'll have to do some research on your own.

Anonymous said...

i would suggest the new samsung DLP its uses an LED light rather then a regular bulb and it doesnt have a color wheel so no moving parts
heres the link
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8793442&type=product&id=1207352527052

Unknown said...

Hi, I had a dlp,65" I think, for about 4 years. I moved it to a friends house when I bought a 73" Mitsubishi dlp. The picture is sharper than any other T.V., in any other brand or format, that I looked at. I am going on a year and have never had a problem. I may just have been lucky but I wouldn't be against getting another.

Unknown said...

I can do one better. I purchased a LaserVue for over $7000. and worked fine for 11 months. Then it would not turn on, so I called the number that was so clearly plastered on the TV everytime it turns on, that's when I wanted someone to shoot me. Mitsubishi diagnosed the error code over the phone, that was 7 weeks ago. It took 6 weeks to get the approval to order the part. Today I call them, because it seems like their phones don't call out!!!! They stated the part was on backorder with no date. After yelling a little and getting berated by the operator, the part is going to magically show up in 7 business days. WOW it is now going to take 9 weeks and possibly more to get this fixed. I requested a replacement and got vehemently denied, oh no we don't do that I was told by Mitsubishi, but we sell you a TV that breaks down after 7 Months and have no idea how to repair it. So good luck if you are fortunate to have a Mitsubishi that actually turns on, because the company does not care after it breaks down, they just laugh all the way to the bank with your money.