What Do Blinking Red Lights Mean on an Optoma Projector?

Spending more time at home in the past few years made us realize that investing in home entertainment system is not bad. If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time ticking off the list of trending TV series on Netflix. And you get to enjoy it more because of the bigger screen, thanks to the Optoma projector.

But one day, you see a random red light flashing on your projector, and the device won’t work. It’s so easy to get frustrated when you can’t find where it comes from and what it means.

The main goal of this article is to help you understand what the blinking red light on your Optoma projector means and how you can fix it. Once you get rid of the random blinking, you’ll be back to watching without interruption and errors in no time!

We’ll focus on three different types of home projectors for this specific article – DLP, LCD, and Laser.

Take note of the model of your projector before we move along!

What’s the Difference Between DLP, LED, and Laser Projectors?

• DLP – Short for Digital Light Processing is a lamp-based projector that uses thousands of small mirrors to reflect light to produce colors and form the lifelike images you see on screen. They are best known to be portable, lightweight, yet very reliable.
• LED – Or Light Emitting Diode, this type of projector uses LED bulbs to operate. Considered the most cost-efficient, they can run for up to 10,000 hours and consume less electricity.
• Laser – Projectors of this kind use laser light to pass through a physical color wheel to emit higher image brightness on your projector screens. For customers who want really bright images, this is the best option. However, this is the most expensive amongst the three and the least portable in setups.

What does the Blinking Red Light mean on Home-Theater DLP Projectors?

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For DLP projectors, the most common models are the Optoma HD146X , Optoma UHD38 , and the Optoma LV130 Mini Projector . When you see flashing red lights on these parts of your models, it’s a warning that your projector will shut down because of these reasons:

Both Lamp LED and Power LED are flashing

• What it means: Lamp Failure
• What you need to do: Turn off projector, unplug the power cord from your projector and let it cool for a few minutes. Replace your lamp bulb.

Both Temp LED and Power LED are flashing

• What it means: Fan Failure; anticipate overheating when prolonged
• What you need to do: Contact your nearest service center and schedule for immediate check-up and repair.

Power LED flashing, while Temp LED is lit red

• What it means: Projector is overheating
• What you need to do: Make sure all air outlets are not blocked by other objects and clouded with dust. Keep a cool environment in the room where the projector is located. If the projector is not cooling down, call your nearest service center for repair.

What does the Blinking Red Light mean on Home-Theater LED Projectors?

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Another type of projector based on display technology is LCD. For this type, one of the highly searched models is Optoma LV130 . Take a look at the red light sources below and what they mean:

Battery LED light flashing

• What it means: Battery level is below 5%. It will blink for 10 seconds and then automatically turn off.
• What you need to do: Turn off your projector and allow its battery to charge.

Battery LED light flashing after the projector turned off

• What it means: Your projector turned off because of fan failure and it has already overheated.
• What you need to do: Contact your nearest service center and schedule for immediate check-up and repair.

What do the Blinking Red Lights mean on Home-Theater and Gaming Laser Projectors?

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For households with Optoma Laser Projectors, it’s easy to find these three bestseller models – Optoma HZ39HDR , Optoma G1090HDR , and Optoma CinemaX .  Just like the two other types of projectors, the red flashing lights come from different sources and mean different things. Determine the message being sent when these are blinking:

Power LED flashing, while Lamp LED shows a steady red light

• What it means: Lamp Failure
• What you need to do: Turn off your projector. Then unplug the power cord from your projector and let it cool for a few minutes. Replace your lamp bulb.

Both Temp LED and Power LED are flashing

• What it means: Fan Failure; anticipate overheating when prolonged
• What you need to do: Contact your nearest service center and schedule for immediate check-up and repair.

Power LED flashing, while Temp LED is lit red

• What it means: Projector is overheating
• What you need to do: Make sure all air outlets are not blocked by other objects and clouded with dust. Keep a cool environment in the room where the projector is located. If the projector is not cooling down, call your nearest service center for repair.

Frequently Asked Questions

1/ Since my lamp already failed, should I go ahead and change the lamp already?

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There are two main reasons why a lamp may fail. It’s already used up and needs replacement, or your lamp is defective. If you’ve consistently used your projector for almost two years, you can change the lamp. But if it’s relatively new, we suggest you head to a service center to see if it can be fixed or replaced.

2/ I see my projector flashing an orange light. Should I also be worried?

Flashing orange lights usually signal standby mode or that the unit is shutting down. It does not indicate any sign of failure or issue compared to the red light.

Conclusion

A red blinking light on the projector signals different concerns. Before you panic and worry too much about your device, always check where the light source comes from because it’ll tell you the root of the issue. If you’re unsure how to resolve the blinking lights and how to restart your projector, it’s best to approach the service centers for checkups and repair.

Vance Tran

Vance is a dad, former software engineer, and tech lover. Knowing how a computer works becomes handy when he builds Pointer Clicker. His quest is to make tech more accessible for non-techie users. When not working with his team, you can find him caring for his son and gaming.