changing Panasonic AE8000U bulb

[caraCara_orange]

The original bulb in our office's Panasonic AE8000U finally gave out, and I've been trying to replace it ever since. I've bought three different bulbs from various suppliers (My Projector Lamps USA and JASPER) and all of them have been a bust.
The image is super dull, with a pathetic, creamy white instead of the bright colors we used to have. I heard it needs a $600 bulb to replace it.
I'm wondering, does anyone know where to get a truly legit bulb? And what's the best and most long lasting brand for this, according your experience?

Or, if this is a lost cause, what's a solid, super bright projector under $2500 that would be a worthy replacement?
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[de-ambr0ise]

The AE8000U takes the ET-LAA410 lamp, and you’ll usually get the best results with OEM bulbs from Philips or Ushio, especially if they come with the full housing. Pureland Supply and Cinelamp are two places that tend to carry legit options. Are you swapping just the bulb itself or the whole lamp assembly?

 

[Brad_]

what's a solid, super bright projector under $2500 that would be a worthy replacement?

replacing bulbs is so much trouble, right? for $2500 you can get an excellent brand new projector like the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB, that got amazing image quality, color, and dynamic contrast.
you should also check out BenQ HT4550i, the picture quality is one of the best, this model also has an LED light source, which provides far longer life and more consistent brightness than a traditional bulb

 

[t3quilaBuck]

yep, in this case, the OEM bulb is the best option. you can find them on Jaspertronics or ebay