Projector manufacturer Optoma is advising customers to use its lamp modules, claiming that non-genuine products represent a fire risk.
Roy Stonebank, general manager of service at Optoma, conceded that the company is only aware of a few cases. “We are taking these extremely seriously because of the potentially catastrophic consequences they could cause,†he said.
“We have observed the damage caused to projectors which have been fitted with non-genuine lamp modules, even those with 'original' bulbs. This includes internal lenses that have melted due to incorrectly fitted UV filters, some of which have shown to have substandard coating within the non-genuine lamps modules. This substandard coating allows UV rays to enter the optical engine and DMD Chip, burning the optics.â€
Optoma's technical team also found internal cables to be of poor quality and an incorrect length.
Roy added: “All genuine Optoma lamp modules carry a tamper resistant sticker. If the lamp module packaging does not carry this sticker, or the seal is broken or damaged, it may be a fake. Another thing to consider is that repairs resulting from damage caused by a non-genuine copy lamp module would not be covered under the projector’s warranty.â€