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I have a HDLP50W151 RCA tv. I have owned this since Feb.2004. I purchased the extended warranty and had two bulbs and one ballast replaced. Now the tv is out of warranty. The first bulb and a ballast was replaced 06/2006 and the last bulb was replaced 11/2008. I had the last bulb replaced at that time because the warranty was set to expire in a couple of months from then. I told them the picture would go black then come back on (same problem I was having in 2006). Thought I should get a bulb replaced before warrany expired because at that time the bulbs were over $700.00. About 3 months ago I noticed that the top of my screen has gotten darker all the way accross and it goes down about 3 inches. This is not a solid line it is like a smoke color. You can see through it with no problem. If the program is darker you would not notice this darkness. If the screen is bright like the sky or snow then this darker is very noticeable. If I replace the bulb will this correct this problem? It has been two years since the bulb was replaced. I have never seen this darkened edge on my screen in the past. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I would suggest trying the lamp first, but if inside that gray area at the tp you can make out the image without coloration, it can be an indicator that the colorwheel has reached the end of its lifespan. This is one of the consumable parts inside a DLP that needs replacement at least once during your TVs life span. This is almost always indicated by a humming, maybe even screeching sound.