Panasonic PT-43LC14

Summary: This set is great. Had it since December 2004, bulb hasn't blown out yet, even after heavy use daily. Really good television set!

Summary: Have gone through FOUR projection lamps since I purchased it over 18 months ago. Had one lamp only last four days. Thank goodness I purchased the extended warranty. The newest recommendation from the Authorized Service is to turn it off for five minutes every two hours. No lamp has lasted more than five months and does not come close to the suggested 5000 hour lifespan. The lamp always seems to go out after the set has been on for a while. My personal opinion is that there is a flaw in the cooling system since they have all shattered. I have asked if some other component such as the ballast is the problem and the Service reply is "No, the lamps are the problem". By the way, even though the unit will not start up with a defective lamp, a lamp replacement is not considered a repair. Out of pocket a new lamp is about $400.00. I am not very happy with Panasonic. I have been waiting for three weeks for Authorized Service to replace the latest faulty lamp.