Copy Lamps, a false economy.

Independent tests have shown that copy lamps (branded or otherwise) give poorer life, brightness and build quality; we value our reputation and that of our resellers with the projector user and so only supply 100% genuine performance lamps. 

UHP™ technology was developed in 1995 by Philips, who have become established as the largest manufacturer of lamps for projectors in the world. This evolution in lighting technology gave a light output and lifetime never experienced before and rapidly become the cornerstone for practically all projector bulb manufacturers. The bulb is a complex mix of chemicals, including mercury, and precision electronics packaged in a sealed glass bulb pressured to over 200 atmospheres (a car tyre pressure is less than 4 atmospheres). The unit is expected to operate at above 8000k – hotter than the sun! – but it also has to be handled as a spare part that members of the public can replace themselves; quality and safety are everything.

Original bulb manufacturers – there are seven globally – work closely with projector OEMs to ensure the lamp set-up delivers the optimum performance within the projector setting. Original lamps undergo rigorous testing throughout the manufacturing process to ensure they meet quality and performance standards.

Independent Testing! commissioned by Philips, undertaken by Kema. Dec 2007 – Comparison of Philips original bulbs with a variety of copy/compatible lamps. For each different lamp type, 5 lamps from each brand were ordered via the Internet or external suppliers to ensure that no pre-selection of product took place. Photometric Testing
Application ANSI Lumens DLP Dell Projector LCD Sanyo Projector  Lamp Type 200W 1.0 E19 200W 1.0 E19.5  Philips 1535 1845  Compatible player A 1287 1264  Compatible player B - -  Compatible player C 1065 -	Application Luminance DLP Samsung RPTV LCD Sony  RPTV  Lamp Type 100W 1.0 E23 100-120W 1.0 P22  Philips 418.1 335.3  Compatible player A 151.8 188.8  Compatible player B 133.1 252.4  Compatible player C - -
The ANSI lumen values for the Philips front projection DLP™ lamps are on average 32% higher compared to lamps from compatible players A and C. The ANSI lumen values for the Philips front projection LCD lamps are on average 46% higher compared to lamps from compatible player A.	The luminance in the centre of the rear projection LCD TV is on average 54% higher for the Philips lamp compared to the lamps from compatible players A and B. The luminance in the centre of the rear projection DLP™ TV is on average 218% higher for the Philips lamp compared to the lamps from compatible players A and B.
Conclusion: The Philips original lamps offered a vastly superior performance to the copy lamps tested.