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Understanding the difference between different lamp types

It is often quite easy to get confused when looking for a replacement lamp for your projector, especially when different words are used to describe the same or similar product types.
For this reason we have put together this easy to follow guide which should help you understand the differences and make it easier for you to buy the right product.

For a selection of all our projector lamps please clich here.

Definition

Before we go into more details about each product type, it is important to understand what an original or compatible lamp is or what the difference is between a lamp or bulb. 

Complete lamp

Complete lamp

A complete lamp is the entire lamp produced by the original manufacturer, ready to fit in the projector. No additional equipment is required; it is just a matter of swapping the lamp in the projector for the new one.

Also known as: lamp, original lamp, OEM lamp 

Genuine Lamp

Genuine Lamp

A genuine lamp is an entire lamp manufactured to the same high quality levels as OEM lamps and ready to fit in the projector. No additional equipment is required; it is just a matter of swapping the lamp in the projector for the new one.
The bulbs in genuine alternative lamps are identical to the ones used in the OEM lamps.
A genuine lamp is NOT a copy!

Also known as: Pro-Gen lamp, GO lamp, Diamond lamp, Original Inside lamp, alternative lamp 

Compatible Lamp

Compatible Lamp

Compatible lamps are lamps manufacturerd entirely by a third party company, including the bulb part. No additional equipment is required; it is just a matter of swapping the lamp in the projector for the new one.

Also known as: Generic lamp, Codalux lamp 

Bare Bulb

Bare Bulb

The bare bulb is the glass part of the lamp without the module.
On some projector lamps, it is possible to replace the bulb only while keeping the old module. Doing so reduces the purchase cost of a replacement. 
Don't confuse bare bulb with refurbished bulbs, they are two very different products.

Also known as: bulb, bulb only 

Module

Module

The lamp module is the plastic and metal frame that holds the bare bulb and connectors.

Also known as: cage, frame, housing, chassis


Complete Original Projector Lamp

As described above, the complete projector lamp includes the manufacturer original lamp module and bare bulb.
They are produced by the original manufacturer of the projector and made to a high standard.

The majority of OEM lamps use bulbs supplied by the world's leading bulb manufacturers such as Philips, Osram, Ushio etc.

Genuine Lamp

A genuine lamp is also complete with a module and bulb.
They are similar to Kingston memory for your PC or ScanDisk memory cards for your digital camera.

The bulbs in genuine alternative lamps are identical to the ones used in the OEM lamps.
The lamps are manufactured to ISO9001 standards in a quality controlled and regulated environment.

They are put through thorough testing and strict quality checks to ensure the highest quality levels and performance are maintained.
The checks include Beam Performance, Ignition, Voltage, Appearance, Connections, and Runtime.

Slightly cheaper than OEM lamps, genuine alternative lamps still maintain high performance levels.

Compatible Lamp

Compatible lamps are complete lamps where both the module and the bulb are manufactured by a third party company.

Many compatible lamps are of very poor quality, offering short lamp life, low brightness and overall low performance because they are produced by unregulated manufacturing companies. These lamps are often found on auction websites or on foreign websites.

Some manufacturers however employ stringent design and manufacturing processes to ensure the highest level of quality possible. Although their lamps may not offer the exact same performance as OEM lamps, they are significantly cheaper than their original counter parts while offering good warranty terms over 3 months. The best compatible lamps are usually supplied by specialist audio visual dealers who are vigilant about the quality of the products they supply to their customers.

Bare Bulb

Bare bulbs are the same bulbs as the ones fitted in the original lamps but they are supplied without the lamp module.

Bare bulbs are not available for all projector lamp models: only the lamps where the bulb can easily be swapped have the bare bulb option available (currently around 1000 models).

Offering a large saving on purchasing cost, all that is required is the existing lamp module and a few minutes to replace the bulb.

Contrary to what some dealers claim, providing you follow the simple instructions (see our guide here), there is no risk involved and the bulbs are easy to swap.
Also as you are using the same bulbs as the ones used in original lamps, you will be getting the same performance.

Bare bulbs are not the same as refurbished bulbs. 

Bare bulbs are the bulbs manufactured by Philips, Osram, Ushio amongst others they are used by projector manufacturers in their complete lamps, only supplied without the module.

Refurbished or relamped bulbs however are old bulbs where the burner that sits inside the quartz globe of the lamp has been replaced and the ceramics remoulded. We strongly advise against the use of refurbished bulbs.