I've had this TV since August 2003 for $3100 CDN. I am writing this now in June 2011. I have never had to replace the lamp and it's still working fine. It is my main TV and I would guess that I watch on average 2 hours a day (conservative estimate). that's over 5600 hours.I've noticed over the past few months the warm-up period of it turning on is getting longer; probably signs that I will need to buy a new lamp. Buying a new lamp off of ebay for $125 Canadian.I know there are a lot of reviews giving it a bad rating, but I really can't complain. I got my moneys worth and the picture is still really good. I have a blu-ray player with DVI connected to it and looks great. I really wonder how long I'll keep the TV since the technology is getting old. Maybe I'll move it to the bedroom when I can't resist buying a new slimmer LED TV.