Projector bulbs are the most important part of projectors because they produce light necessary for effective projection of images like charts, maps, illustrations, and presentations during meetings, lectures, seminars, and various applications. Depending on the kind of bulb, it can burn for 300 up to 4,000 hours. Usually such bulbs are of the halogen or metal halide class. They are also called projector lamps and are one of the essential parts of the entire device that can be replaced. Since such bulbs come in various wattages, replacing your bulbs with the appropriate type is the ideal thing to do. To avoid mistakes in bulb replacement, consult the user manual of the projector device. You should also follow disposal measures when throwing away your busted lamps.

There are a few things you need to know about these bulbs. Essentially, they are halogen light bulbs but emit yellow light instead of strong white beam. Note that such bulbs are used in older projector models and are not necessarily expensive. They also produce light with low noise, if there's any. Most lamps for this purpose are sold as 150- to 500- watt types. But generally, these lamps do not last as long as most of the halogen type bulbs.

There are also metal halide bulbs and their main advantage is they produce bright white light and are compatible with newer units of projectors. They also burn much longer than the halogen type of bulbs for projectors, capable of emitting light for over 2,000 hours. There are the so-called metal halide lamps called ultra high performance bulbs (UHP lamps) which work at low wattage.

Now, let's go straight to what this article should be all about. Choosing your projector lamp can never be difficult although there are things you need to consider. First, would be the compatibility. If you buy an incompatible model, you wasted your money. So be sure of the specifications that come with bulb requirements for your projector. Or simply inspect the label of the current bulb being used. With an older projector, you may have to spend less cash because the halogen lamp for such projector isn't that expensive. New models require newer metal halide lamps which are also more expensive.

The kind of lamp to choose also depends on your applications. If you are a heavy projector user, say you are a professor who conducts lectures daily then you would need a heavy duty lamp that has an extended life. Metal halide lamps can suffice for such heavy usage as they can burn for 3,000 hours when set at economy mode. Hence, such lamps are ideal for projectors used in regular meetings, lecturers, conferences, and classes. If you are an occasional user, then you can go for halogen type bulbs.

Aside from the frequency of use, you should also consider the setting and the purpose. Medical facilities, fiber optics, and cinemas need high intensity projectors; hence, metal halide bulbs fit into the demand. Studio and theatre applications may need softer light given off by the halogen types. These bulbs are all available online with G9 and GU10 halogen lamps and even general incandescent bulbs.