If you're buying a generic high performance lamp, be prepared to eat the cost of its usage. An OEM product may last 3 times as long for only a few extra dollars. There is risk of premature explosion and loss of lumens associated with purchasing an off-brand, or generic lamp product. This means that the lamp may not be as bright, or consistently as bright as the original manufacturer.
For example, if you buy an OEM Philips lamp for your television, it may cost about $150, but last you 3 years. If you purchase an off-brand, generic product, or even a third-party lamp made by Osram, for between $100-120, you will have saved a bit of money, but the lamp may only last about 6 months to 1 year. The cost-benefit analysis maintains you'd be better off purchasing the OEM lamp.
An original lamp is engineered to work more efficiently and last longer. The lighting element inside a UHP lamp is built to withstand consistent use—ignition from the ballast at 20,000 volts at a time. By contrast, generic lamps are just manufactured to work with original lamp drivers, not taking into consideration the life span or consistent arc of the ballast. The arc gap for an OEM lamp is typically 1 mm, and the electrical arc must be aligned accordingly. Generic manufacturers try to get to this level of engineering, but often fall way short, delivering a product that works, but with shorter life spans. Often times, these products will also prematurely implode or lose luminosity over time.
Original equipment products are better for all concerned. With an original product, such as Philips UHP lamps, you won't have to worry about such things like defects. The defect rate for a Philips UHP lamp is 0.03%. This means that only 3 in 10,000 lamps fail the initial ignition. Philips lamps also have a history of long lasting use. Google it for yourself! Philips lamps have been known to last up to 20,000 hours—which is unheard of in the industry of digital projection lighting systems.
If you're concerned about purchasing generic products, or have purchased a generic product by mistake, call the merchant you purchased the product from. It is your right to ask them if they sell an original product for your television–anything else is misleading. You should also find out which brands is OEM for your television—most DLP and LCD projection systems use Philips as their OEM. Philips has worked in tandem with multiple television manufacturers to develop the best lamp drivers with the best lamps. Lamps must not only be compatible with the lamp driver, but work as one unit, something you won't get with off-brands, or third-party manufacturers.
In essence, you get what you pay for. An OEM lamp will never fail prematurely, and will always be the best choice because it's designed to be 100% compatible with your lamp driver, or ballast. In some cases, the better lamp manufacturer such as Philips will work better than the OEM as well, but talk with your dealer to find out more.
