Why Are Projector Lamps So Expensive?

Projector lamps function by igniting ultra-high pressurized mercury vapor that is compressed inside a quartz ARC tube. Electricity jumps or arcs across the gap filled with mercury vapor, ignites it and produces an extremely bright light.

The hardware required to produce a single projector lamp can oftentimes cost manufacturers tens of millions of dollars.

Projector lamp manufacturers also have to hire expert scientists and engineers to ensure that the projector lamps are constructed to the standard required. The mercury vapor has to be pressurized at an exact pressure and the ARC tube and quartz reflector also have to be structurally sound. If these components are not calibrated with exact precision then the projector lamp quality will suffer severely or the projector lamp will fail to work at all.

There is a variety of projector lamps with different ignition and running voltages and wattages. These different settings produce different brightness levels or ANSI lumens rates. The machineries that construct projector lamps have to be recalibrated for each specific lamp setting.

There are only four major high-quality projector lamp manufacturers in the world. The limited amount of manufacturers means that they have more control over market prices than other electronic equipment.