Recently, I was shopping online for a replacement lamp for my projector and found myself totally confused on the issue of whether to buy an OEM or OEM equivalent lamp. I had no clue what these terms even referred to, much less which one I should buy. So here are the results of my research. Hope this helps you understand the difference as well!

First let's start with talking about what O-E-M stands for:

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. Quite simply, this means that the projector lamp has been assembled by the same manufacturer as the original brand of your projector or TV.

Now, with OEM Equivalent lamps you are basically talking about an exact replica of the same OEM projector lamp but manufactured by a different company. The brand of the bulb itself in the lamp assembly may be different as well, but the specs and design of the bulb are guaranteed to be 100% compatible with the OEM lamp.

SO.. Which is the right lamp to buy?

Well, first of all, the nice thing is that you have a CHOICE. We all like choices so long as we understand the differences BETWEEN each choice and it's easy enough to understand. So here is a brief explanation on the advantages and disadvantages of OEM vs. OEM Equivalent

Advantages of OEM

• Highest Quality Available - OEM Lamps are of the highest quality available and since they come from the original manufacturer, you know exactly what you are getting.

• Best Lamp Life - Even though OEM Equivalent lamps are built to be identical to OEM lamps, on the average, OEM lamps are going to have the highest probability for the longest lamp life. Now, this of course is ONLY true if the best possible care is taken of your projector or TV.

Disadvantages of OEM

• Higher Price - Now, compared to OEM Equivalent, OEM lamps will have the higher price but after all that is why there are OEM Equivalent Projector Lamps out there, right?

• Availability - Due to the normal cycle of inventory by the manufacturers, OEM projector lamps can sometimes go into what you might call, a dry season. This is common with manufacturers and how they inventory replacement parts for many products.

Advantages of OEM Equivalent

• Availability - Sometimes, availability of the OEM Equivalent lamps are a saving grace to those that need a projector lamp quickly. OEM Equivalent Lamps are not affected by the availability constraints of the original manufacturers in most cases.

• Lower Price! - Yes, of course! After all that is why other companies make replica's of a manufacturer's part, right? Depending on the lamp and brand, you can save up to 20% and sometimes more when you purchase the OEM Equivalent of a projector lamp.

Disadvantages of OEM Equivalent

• Variable Lamp Life - Just because a lamp is 100% compatible, and they are, doesn't mean that you are always going to get the same amount of lamp life out of it. It's just a fact of life. If you have ever purchased a refurbished inkjet or toner cartridge from a 3rd party, you probably know what I mean. Let's face it; the various companies that test and re-test the lamps before they are sold just don't have the same resources that the big manufacturers do.