Specialty and Architectural Lighting

It's not uncommon today for an incandescent, halogen or fluorescent light source to be replaced with an LED light source. Many LEDs are made to be direct replacements for traditional light bulbs and fixtures. In some cases, those traditional light sources have been controlled by photocells that are still in place. When this is the case, it usually results in an LED that does not respond to the photocell. Traditionally, photocontrol manufacturers only had to...

Should water used by the public be disinfected with chlorine or ultraviolet germicidal light? This post looks at the pros and cons for each approach. Whether it’s water used in food processing or water that comes out of a faucet for drinking or water in a municipal swimming pool, elimination of harmful bacteria and other pathogens is a principal safety concern both for government and business entities as well as the general public. For years...

The Philips MSD Platinum 5R lamp has dramatically enhanced the flexibility and power of moving head stage lighting. With output comparable to 575W fixture, the lamp offers a flat, even spot field with significant color saturation. The Platinum 5R features 189W discharge technology, 8000K color temperature and a 3000 hour rated life. The integrated reflector has a very small arc gap of 1mm. These lamp specifications not only optimize the quality of illumination but also...

If you're at all like me, you wait until at least two random drivers tell you one of your brake lights are out, and hope one of those random people isn't a cop with a $350 ticket. However, there is a safer way to ensure your car lights are in working condition. Let's take a look at some ways to make sure your auto bulbs are in the best working order possible. Change Lights in...

Extending lamp life by smart operator use of features provided in the projector settings, can reduce the frequency of buying replacement lamps  - saving on both the purchase price of the new lamp and the staff time and hassle factor of replacement. The major lamp manufacturers - Philips, Osram, Ushio, Panasonic, Iwasaki, Phoenix - have improved the lamp technology such that new lamps can now deliver 4000 hours or more even when operated at full power 100% of the time....

Projector replacement lamp marketing is a circus of confusion for the customer. Sellers of projector lamps stretch the limits of language to present their lamps in the best possible light. "Genuine original lamp" "High quality lamp" "Compatible replacement lamp" "Original lamp inside" "OEM compatible" "High quality bulb inside" "Made from original parts" "OEM lamp" "OEM lamp module" "Factory original module" Each of these phrases may accurately describe what the customer is buying. The problem for...

Ultra-high-performance projection lamps are more than just another component in today's LCD / DLP digital projector universe. These high pressure lamps, the original invented by Philips in 1994, are the critical factor in the quality of image projected for the viewer. Whether it's video or data, without a quality lamp, images intended to teach, sell or motivate will fall short - no matter how many bells and whistles come with the projector. Projector manufacturers work...

The language being used to describe the replacement light source for digital projectors is a case study in sales talk often meant to confuse rather than clarify. Here is an example from the web site of a reseller: “We carry 4 versions of the Optoma EW531 Lamp. There are 3 OEM versions: the OEM lamp directly from the bulb manufacturer of the original lamp included with this projector, the same OEM lamp sold by Optoma,...

A footlambert (or foot-lambert) is a unit of luminance. It is used primarily in the projection industry to provide a value for luminance of images on a projection screen. 1 footlambert (fL) is equal to 3.43 candela per square meter (cd/m2). When the footlambert value is known for a projection system (the projector and a screen), assumptions can be made about the clarity of images when viewed with varying ambient light levels in a room....

With an increase in the number of laser projectors on the market, everyone from industry professionals to armchair bloggers seem to be weighing in on the pros and cons of laser versus lamp digital projection. With 2019 here, it seems like a good time to compare the specs, review the arguments, and attempt to provide a basic decision guide for anyone buying a projector for commercial or institutional applications. Compare The Specs Light Source Rated...

When buying a projector - whether for a classroom, conference room or sports bar - “brightness” will certainly be one of the specifications at the top of the list to consider. However, it's not only the projector that determines the perception of brightness for the viewer. While the lumen output of the projector is a key variable, the reflective properties of the screen have a significant bearing on how “bright” the images appear. In addition,...

Brightness sits at the top of the list when thinking about the quality of a projected image whether for conference rooms, classrooms, houses of worship or home theater applications. What are the factors that affect the brightness of a projected image? Projector Brightness When buying a digital projector one of the key metrics found on manufacturer specification sheets is brightness. Measured in lumens, this quantifies the light output of the projector. More lumens, more brightness...