TV Will Not Stay on Without Lamp Clear !!

[jrlaw10]

I have a Samsung HLS7178 DLP set. The TV suddenly began to shut off after being on briefly. I had the 3 front lights blinking so after researching I assumed I had a lamp problem (the set is 4 years old). I purchased a new lamp on line and was able to install it easily.
I cleared the lamp in the factory settings as per other posts.

NOW....I still have a problem. Once I did the "lamp clear" in the factory service menu the TV stayed on and did not shut off by itself. If I shut the TV off and later tried to put it back on I get the same exact 3 blinking light problem and the TV shuts off. If I go into the factory service menu AGAIN and do the lamp clear, the TV will stay on indefinitely!

So two solutions: leave the TV on forever or go into the factory service mode every time I start the set. Two impractical solutions! So.........any ideas? Thanks in advance!!!

[rougeleader]

Greetings,
since you just purchased a lamp the most likely cause of your problem is NOT the lamp. If that were the case the lamp would not start at all. What is happening is that you have a weak ballast power circuit. It was able to power the older lamp because it required less current and because a new lamp is more demanding, the ballast is having to work harder to meet the need. These TV's automatically go through several restarts when the lamp fails to start.

i recommend changing or checking the ballast!

[jrlaw10]

Thanks! Weird that the ballast would go with the old lamp still in. The error blinking lights is what prompted the lamp change in the first place.

Service company coming on Wednesday. Out of warranty, but changing lamp is as gutsy as I will get!

[jrlaw10]

Well advised! Samsung service indeed confirmed it was the ballast. Too timid to try that on my own. Thanks!!!