Do you have a noisy DLP Television?
Most people who own a DLP Television that has become noisy think that it is a noisy fan. It makes perfect sense. Clearly the noise is being made by something spinning.
More often than not, however, the noise is caused by the television's color wheel -- the OTHER thing in a DLP TV that spins. The color wheel, pictured above, is a small motor that spins a wheel of three colors (two of each) in front of the lamp. It spins VERY fast, much faster than a fan, several thousand RPM. By what can be nothing less than a miracle, the television can somehow flash the appropriate image for the color through the wheel at the time that color passes by.
But this screaming sound. How do I know if it's the color wheel or the fan?
- Turn the television on for a while, long enough for the lamp to get hot (not very long).
- Turn the television off and listen.
- The offensive sound will probably spin down and stop in a second or two. You'll notice that the fan will keep operating until the television cools down a bit.
If the sound did stop very quickly, then that's your color wheel.
If you have a Samsung DLP, see here for instructions on changing your own Samsung DLP colorwheel
Comments
Don, no, I'd say there's no danger. The color wheel is an independent part, a small motor, and it'll just stop turning at some point when the bearings get so bad they cannot turn. There's probably a point before that where either it's too loud or the picture becomes affected and you won't want to watch. Why wait?
The problem starting up could be the color wheel, but more likely it's the lamp going.
Hi,
Thanks for putting this information on the web. I have Samsung 61" dlp that has just started to make those sounds desribed in relations to a color wheel problem. Is there any danger of damaging the TV more by using it until the wheel goes completly out? Also the TV have peoblems starting up somitimes,is this also related to the color wheel or possibly something else? I have read that the blinking lights and start problems are related to the main processor. My fear is if I fix the color wheel then it will go next.
Thanks!!!