it turn out to be a big , costly Mistake ! I fail to grasp that comment and review for Epson PowerLite  Home Cinema 8100 be for a newly release projector . no one have own and operate the 8100 more than 90 day when I be read the review in late November and early December 2009 ! no available information could possibly verify the publish claim Epson 's be make about the 8100 's lamp life be 4,000 hour . DAH ! a professional reviewer do briefly mention that Epson have experience early lamp blowout in the 8100 beta version and change supplier . a couple of blogger note that they have experience blow lamp with up to 400 hour on they . they be send replacement - no problem . one reviewer even have two lamp blow and be give a replacement projector . so I brush over that information as just isolate incident resolve to everyone 's satisfaction . it turn out that that brush stroke will cost I -lrb- ... -rrb- . reality strike Home suddenly and darkly when my Epson 8100 's 4,000-hour projector lamp blow . it have last less than 400 hour or just 10 % of life expectancy . what really smart -lrb- a poor choice of word consider my oversight -rrb- be my 90-day warranty be also blow -lrb- that be better -rrb- by 37 day . that 4,000-hour lamp life expectancy be not something any of we make up , it be actually publish in Epson 's 8100 user 's Guide specification on the top of page 66 and include in Epson 's sale literature . so please keep in mind that all reviewer before now have be new owner with less than 3 month experience with the 8100 . after 4 month plus I can tell you : 1 . the fan be not noticeable until the there be a quiet scene , and then you will hear the fan blow air ; and 2 . the picture be really amazing - until you lamp blow . ok , let 's go back to the beginning if you care to learn from my miscalculation -lrb- or just want to be amuse by my naivety -rrb- . we have finally decide to break open the ol' Piggy Bank and upgrade we 80 's vintage 27 '' RCA TV , Stereo and VHS\/DVD combination in the family room to a 2010 Home Theater System in the lower level play area thanks to all the kid reach double-digit . I do all the usual research like go to Big Box Electronic store and watch 60 '' flat Plasmas , lcd and projector . I listen to 5 and 7-channel surround sound receiver and speaker system . I go on-line and read professional review and blog about Home Theater system . I spend hour scour over Sony , Mitsubishi , Panasonic , Epson , InFocus , Vivitar , etc. specification , price and warranty to determine which product make the most sense for we base on budget and use . on December 10 , 2009 we order the Epson PowerLite  Home Cinema 8100 to anchor we home Theater . we add the 7-channel Yamaha RX-V565 A\/V Receiver and 8 cerwin-vega speaker -lrb- 10 ' sub , 8 '' woofer , 6 '' mids & 2.25 twit -rrb- to give great surround sound to match the picture . then we take the plunge and add a Panasonic DMP-BD60P-K Blu-Ray player as a Family Christmas present -lrb- amazingly a couple of family orient br disc end up in the kid ' stocking compliment of Santa -rrb- . the last step be to hook up we exist dvd\/vhs player , a Wii and ps2 , and we be all set up 'til the kid leave for college . the Epson 8100 be newly release in October 2009 and win out over the other projector due to its relatively low , -lrb- ... -rrb- entry cost to lcd projector technology , and its publish specification of 4,000 hour of Lamp Life - even at the brightest setting . that 4,000-hour lamp life be not something the reviewer make up either . it be actually publish in the user 's Guide specification on the top of page 66 . other manufacturer specify projector lamp to last between 1,000 and 3,000 hour and cost -lrb- ... -rrb- . Epson 's 4,000-hour lamp life and -lrb- ... -rrb- price tag be big selling point to we since we expect that we would not need a replacement for 3 or 4 year . I must admit that the 8100 provide a amazing 120 '' picture even when project on a bare wall paint flat , eggshell white . it be so good that we elect to postpone buy the -lrb- ... -rrb- fix frame screen until the fall . unfortunately the 4,000-hour projector lamp last less than 400 hour ; but greater than the 90-day warranty -lrb- it blow on day 127 -rrb- . as part of my earlier research , I read about common lamp killer like movement when warm , poor circulation , and extend ON time . since day 1 the component have be on no more than 3 hour consecutively , sit side-by-side on a 48 '' long , stable shelf with 3-4 inch of side clearance , and greater than 12 inch of rear wall clearance . the projector filter have be clean every month . the 8100 and BluRay have be plug into one point of use surge protector and the Yamaha receiver , vhs\/dvd player , Wii and ps2 have be plug into another point of use surge protector . both surge protector have be plug into a 15-amp , 120v , 2-plug wall receptacle . the receptacle be on a circuit that include a couple of 60 watt reading lamp . I decide to contact Epson 's Technical support in hope that they have insight or information about blow lamp . I really would have like to know more about lamp blowout before I shell out another -lrb- ... -rrb- on the 8100 . I ask they if they have any suggestion , remedy or rebate -lrb- hint , hint -rrb- for 8100 owner whose lamp blow with less than 10 % of 4,000 hour go . they send a very quick auto response promise `` a Epson representative will respond to you e-mail shortly . '' after 48 hour I decide to write again and express my disappointment that someone could not even bother to send I a , `` Sorry you be out of Warranty . '' auto response . so I guess as a purchaser of my first Epson product I have to warn those look into buy a Epson PowerLite  Home Cinema 8100 to discount the 4,000 hour lamp life specification in you decision-making process . I can only vouch for about 400 hour so far . I can say from experience that Technical support have a quick auto response system ; but I be still not sure there be any `` live one '' at the switch . like a Toyota owner of yesteryear , I have to assume Epson be not keep any inherent problem from the buy public . I mean they do not send I any additional information so nothing could possibly be wrong - right ? oh yeah . one more thing . you might want to hold off on buy that fix frame screen until you have purchase a back-up 8100 lamp .