When buying a new projector, lots of people ask whether they should buy a spare projector lamp.  Typically, our answer is to not buy one since they're fairly expensive and since the warranty starts the minute we sell it.  That means that you'll tie up money in something for which the warranty will likely expire before it needs to be used.  But with the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, we're starting to notice problems with availability of certain products, specifically projector lamps and video projectors themselves.  We've already weathered shortages in CD and DVD media that seem to have righted themselves, and also have slowdowns with CD and DVD players from two of our primary manufacturers

None of our suppliers is saying anything, but we assume that there are problems...

with both parts and finished goods made in Japan because our lead times for new orders are getting longer since the disaster.

If you think that you might need a new projector lamp, it may be time to step up to the plate since a bad lamp isn't a problem until it's a problem.  Orders that typically ship next day are taking three weeks or longer.  And as dependent upon projection as we've become, you don't want to wait six weeks when you actually have a problem.

Projector lamps are $169-499 or so, and the price depends on the model of projector that you have.  Lamps for virtually all models of projectors are available, so please call to order, or if you have questions.  Consider it smart money, in case of a problem.