Where to get decent projector bulbs?

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

I have 2 Epson Powerlite 822+ LCD projectors that I got used off Ebay for about $80 each. I've been pretty happy with them, but 1 of them is to the point where it is dim. I ordered a ~$40 "oem equivalent bulb" from a website that had LOTS of projector bulbs, and after installing it, the screen looked 'wonky', for lack of a better term. Screen didn't look good, so I returned it. Put in old bulb, and screen looked ok, but dim.

Other than paying up around $100 for an actual Epson bulb, can anyone recommend another brand of replacement bulb that they have purchased, and which worked out ok for their projector?

I'm just having trouble mentally paying more for the bulb than for the entire projector, so I'm hoping to find a bulb that would work decent for 50 bucks or less.

Thanks!

 

[Muadib]

As you have seen, buying knockoff bulbs don't always work as they should. Just buy the Epson bulb, and avoid the headache.

 

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

Yep, swearing off of trying the cheap "oem compatible" bulbs. I tried it again and ended up with something slightly blurry, and a strange blue-green bar along the right side of the screen that isn't there when I put the original back in. No more trying to save $$ for me!

One downside - it appears that Epson no longer directly sells the original bulb on its website, but I have found it other places. I was kind of surprised by that.