DLP Projector Color Issue?

Question

DLP Projector color wheel malfunction?

I have an Optoma 739/745 with about 1400 hours on the first lamp. After about 1hour of operation the image gets color banding (gradients look bad) then the color begins to flicker and the image turns green. Blues look red, etc ...

What is the issue and how can I fix it?

Answer 1

It does sound like a color wheel problem.  It would be a job for a qualified technician with a service manual.  If you are mechanically adept, you can try to get the service manual from the manufacturer and try to replace the color wheel assembly.

Answer 2

A quick test to verify color wheel problems is to LOOK at the built-in menues on the projector....if they are off color then it MIGHT be a color wheel problem OR it could be a problem related to the interface cable (aka LVDS cable) or the final video processor IC.....

A good way to verify it is OUTSIDE the projector is to KNOW what type of cable is delivering the Video to your projector....

Component cables do have a tendency to "slowly disconnect" over time causing intermittant color changes....so definitely check and RESEAT those connections on both ends....

And if the color shifts, you can disconnect the Red and Blue connectors and see if the problem exists ONLY with the GREEN connector connected....

The Green connector by itself produces a Black and White picture which you can use to verify if the BANDING is actually caused by your SOURCE and not the PROJECTOR....

In my job, we always "Divide and Conquer" the problem first....using the Menu to see if it's in the projector and the Green-Only connection to see it it's outside the projection unit.....

Or we might try another source on the same cable, like another DVD player......that would isolate it to the cable or the projector if it's also a bad signal.