Lamps, LED's, and Lasers are all light sources that can be found in digital projectors. Projectors traditionally use a mercury lamp to create the light, these lamps are typically replaced every 4000-20000 hours (depending on the model). An average replacement cost of a genuine branded lamp would be between $150 and $350.
Lamp-Less projection is more popular than ever before with a huge range of LED and LASER projectors now available. These light sources are mercury free and come with the advantage of lower power consumption and lower running costs. LED and Laser light sources are not usually replaceable, like a lamp would be, however the estimated life of these lights is very long, often longer than the average life of a projector.
The LED light source has traditionally been used in small ‘pico’ projectors however, due to technology improvements, are not also used in many high end home theatre projectors.
The LASER light source is usually much brighter than LED, so widely used in large-venue grade projectors. More recently the Laser light source has also been used in brighter home theatre and Ultra Short Throw projectors too. Laser projectors can be more expensive up front, and can be physically larger and heavier, but offer great value for money long-term, especially when installed in high use environments or when installed in difficult-to-access locations where replacing lamps can be expensive.