Ordered the product from Vann's ... the discounted price (40 less than the Sony store) more than made up for the cost of expedited shipping. Received it in 2 days. Took less than 10 min to install with no tools other than the included allen wrench. Some reviewers are right about the amount of force needed to get the panel off ... it's a little unnerving. The panel is plastic and snaps firmly into clips.

I don't get the reviewers that are angry that the lamp needed replacing in the first place. The need for a new bulb every few years is a known issue with this type of TV. It was pretty inexpensive for a good quality HD TV, right? There's no free lunch!

The lamp was very easy to replace, work great. However, today LCD TV is cheap, this is too much a lamp. Not gonna buy projection LCD TV anymore.

I cannot agree more with a previous reviewer: spend the few $$ more on a Sony brand lamp.

First, the bulb is noticeably brighter than some generics. Further, you can expect longer bulb life.

The same factory probably sells off-brand lamps from the same production line...problem is you can never know for sure the origin of a generic. My experience with brand vs. the generic make of this lamp has been to rely on the former.

Also, do yourself a favor and clean out the fan fixture when you change lamps. It will prolong lamp life.

Installation is a simple self explanatory task. The appropriate wrench tool is included with the lamp.

I went the cheap route the first time and bought a Phillips (not Sony) replacement lamp. Immediately I noticed that the TV picture wasn't as bright as it used to be. I contemplated buying an original Sony to see if there was a difference. After 3 months this Phillips lamp bit the dust! Now I bought a real Sony and the difference in brightness is REMARKABLE! Pay the few bucks more and buy a SONY lamp, the others suck! My original lamp lasted four years with nearly continuous use. My wife has the TV on whenever she is home, now that we're retired that is almost 24/7...

I bought this lamp to replace the original on my Sony 50" LCD projection TV, model KF-50WE610, that I bought a little over three years ago. The installation took about 30 minutes, but now that I've done it once, it'll probably take 10 minutes next time.

The hardest part was removing the front panel cover. First, loosen the screws around the back on either side. What I did then was start at the right side, getting it loosened up there, and then sort of wedging it out as I moved over to the left side.

Once you get the main face plate off, the lamp housing is right in the middle. Remove the plastic plate in front of the lamp, and unscrew the lamp with the included 3mm Allen wrench (well, it was included in *mine*). Pull out the old lamp, pop the new one in, tighten it down (not too tight), and put the lamp cover back on. Check that old lamp, you'll probably see the blown-out filament. At this point, plug the TV in. If the red light glows steady, you're good. If it blinks, the lamp is not installed solidly. Try removing and reseating it.

Once you've got it, pop the main face plate back on. There are three little sockets (on my TV anyway) that the face plate pops into. You'll see them when you have it off - this is what makes removing the face plate a little tough. Pop those in by just pressing on the face plate at those points. You should feel (and hear) them pop in. Once they're in, tighten up the mounting screws on the back sides of the TV. Voila! You saved yourself probably $150 by doing it yourself. Now, do your best imitation of Tom Hanks in the scene in Castaway where he makes the bonfire, and proclaim "I...(thump chest)...have replaced the projection lamp in my TV!"