Manufacturer Warranties

When you buy audio visual products such as projectors, plasma screens and LCD screens or interactive whiteboards etc., you are covered by the manufacturer warranty in case a fault appears.
However manufacturers don't all offer the same type or length of warranty so before buying a product it is worth taking this into consideration. A small difference in price at the time of purchase can make a big difference when something goes wrong.

Length of warranty

On mainline products (this doesn't include accessories or consumables which we will discuss later on) the usual minimum warranty is 12 months.
Some consumer televisions or home cinema projectors are covered for 12 months for example.

However many manufacturers offer warranties of 3 years while a few like Infocus and Eiki offer an amazing 5 year warranty on their projectors.

Types of warranty

There are a few types of warranties, with some manufacturers giving their warranty a unique name (e.g. Optoma Hot Swap, Sony Prime Support). Below are the most common types you will find.

• Return to Base (or RTB)
  This is the most basic of warranties. It basically means that should a fault develop within the warranty period, you will have to send the product back to a service centre where it will be repaired before being sent back to you.
  Depending on the work load at the time repairs can take anything between one and 3 weeks. Sometimes repairs can be delayed for longer if a needed part isn't available.
  If the product you are buying is going to used very often and you can't be without it for long periods of time, we recommend you buy one with a better warranty.


• On Site
  As the name suggests, an on site warranty means an engineer will come to your premises and attempt to repair your product. If a repair cannot be done on site, the engineer will swap your product with a replacement one for you to keep.
  Please note that the replacement product will probably not be a new one but one of equivalent age and condition as yours. They usually are refurbished units.


• Swap Out
  A swap out warranty means that if your product becomes faulty, the manufacturer will send you a replacement one and collect the faulty product. This is usually done on a next day basis although there can be delays if a replacement product isn't immediately available.
  Please note that the replacement product will probably not be a new one but one of equivalent age and condition as yours. They usually are refurbished units.


• De-Install / Re-Install
  This is a fairly new type of warranty offered on projectors.
  If your projector becomes faulty, the manufacturer will send an engineer to take it off its ceiling mount and then re-install it for you once fixed (or provide a replacement there and then so you are not without a projector). This is particularly important for businesses and schools who don't have to employ someone else to take the projector down.
  Note that the engineer will only de-install and re-install projectors in "standard" rooms (e.g classroom, office); projectors installed high up, in school halls for example, will need to be de-installed by the customer or a contractor.

Although the descriptions above are correct for most manufacturers, some manufacturers have different terms which will be detailed in the warranty documents delivered with the product.
If you want more information about the warranty on a particular product please call us on 01924 278464.

Warranty on accessories and consumables

The warranty on the main products usually doesn't extend to the accessories such as cables and consumables such as projector lamps.

The warranty on projector lamps varies depending on the manufacturer and model. Some lamps are only covered for 30 - 90 days while others are covered for 1 - 3 years. The warranty is unlikely to cover lamp failure due to misuse of the projector so make sure you use the projector according to the manufacturer's guidelines.

As for any other product we recommend you take the length of the warranty into consideration when making a purchase as it could save you money in the long run.

What is covered under warranty?

The warranty covers any manufacturing defect and early component failure through normal use.
It doesn't cover accidental damage caused by the user or failure through misuse.

What about extended warranties?

The benefit of extended warranties depends on the product you are buying and how long the standard warranty cover is.

If the standard warranty is for 3 years or more, there is generally no real need to buy an extended warranty unless the product is high end and expensive to replace. With projectors for example, if they are used regularly, the expected life span is 3 to 5 years. After that time users tend to want to upgrade to newer models with better features. And as the cost of electronics tends to go down with time, a new and better model won't cost much more than what you paid for the older model.

If the standard warranty is 1 to 3 years, or a return to base warranty, you could benefit from upgrading the warranty so you have a better and longer cover, giving you peace of mind and limiting the long term cost of owning an audio visual product.