A Lamp Is Not Just a Lamp

When shopping for a replacement projector or TV lamp, it is important to understand that there can be significant differences in the price and quality of the lamp depending on how it was manufactured and assembled.

The lamp module’s bulb and housing may or may not be sourced from the same manufacturer as the original that came with the projector or TV. If the bulb is sourced from a different manufacturer than what was used in the original, there can be significant differences in quality depending on the source. There are four bulb manufacturers that are often used in original projector and TV lamp modules – Philips, Osram, Ushio, and Phoenix. A bulb can also be sourced from other after-market manufacturers, in which case it is called a compatible.

Projectorquest uses four different versions to describe the type of projector lamp:

Branded OEM

This OEM version is the exact same lamp that originally came in your projector. It is the same version sold by the projector brand and comes packaged in the branded box.

OEM

This version is made by the Original Equipment Manufacturer for the projector brand, which means this bulb is produced by the same manufacturer as the bulb that came with the projector and has the same specification and is engineered to perform exactly as the original projector bulb. It is not branded and is packaged in a generic box.

OEM Compatible

This version is made by one of the Original Equipment Manufacturers of projector lamps – Philips, Osram, Ushio or Phoenix – but it is not the actual OEM version that came with the projector. It has the same specifications and is engineered to perform exactly as the original bulb. It is packaged in a generic box.

Genuine Compatible

Made from genuine OEM parts, this version is produced by the industry’s leading compatible projector lamp manufacturer to meet the specifications and requirements of the projector manufacturer, so it performs closely to the OEM lamp version.

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