Lamp, LED, or Laser: Which Projector Light Source is Right for You?

Because most LED and RGB laser projectors rely on individual lights/lasers to produce each primary color, they are able to produce purer and more saturated colors when compared to the typical lamp projectors. This advantage over lamp projectors is corroborated by the fact that currently the color gamut for the average lamp projector is still limited to the Rec. 709 color standard typical for the average high-definition television, while LED and laser projectors in general feature color gamuts based on the wider DCI-P3 color standard, with some laser projectors being able to push their color gamuts to the even wider BT.2020 color standard. 

Another important aspect of a projector’s performance which plays a major factor in the decision-making process for many consumers is brightness. Here lamp projectors hold an advantage over LED projectors – particularly the portable kind – as the typical lamp projector is able to pump out over 4,000 lumens of light compared to the 1,800 lumens of an average portable LED projector, though the match-up is more of a draw when compared to high-performance LED projectors which can similarly average 4,000 lumens of brightness. Despite this advantage though, laser projectors still hold an edge over the other type of projectors, as their brightest models can hit a benchmark of over 10,000 lumens.

As anyone who has changed the lights in their house knows, the lifespan of traditional incandescent bulbs is drastically lower than that of LED bulbs. The same runs true when applied to projectors, as both LED and laser projectors on average have lifespans of 20,000 hours compared to the <10,000 hours lifespan of a normal lamp projector, making lamp replacements and their costs something a potential buyer has to think about when considering a lamp projector (more on that later).  

Similar to the discussion above, because of the nature of incandescent bulbs, lamp projectors require warm up and cool down times anytime they are powered on or off slowing down each process when compared to LED and lasers that do not need such considerations.

Beyond the fact that lamp projectors require timely bulb replacements, which produces added waste, their bulbs (and the cooling system that are associated with them) also require more energy to operate, which may be an important factor for those who are environmentally conscious or concerned about energy costs. To this end, LED and laser projectors are generally more energy efficient.

Outside of the discussion above, there are also a couple of common questions regarding some of the practical issues of using projectors of each light source which may be relevant to a perspective user:

The first question some may have is whether or not a lamp projector can be converted into an LED or laser projector by switching its bulb? The simple answer is no, you cannot change a lamp projector you might currently own to a different type of light source. This is because the complicated mechanics involved in each type of projector and the drastic differences in their technologies prohibit any type of switching over.

The other commonly asked question is whether LED lights or the lasers in each respective type of projector can be manually replaced? The answer here again is no, LED and laser light sources are not generally user-serviceable but instead require service center personnel to replace. The thing to keep in mind about this is that since LEDs and lasers usually have a lifespan of 20,000 to 30,000 hours, there usually isn’t any need to replace them under normal usage conditions.