Why is my Optoma Projector Flickering?

Nowadays, more people are looking to bring the feel of a movie theater closer to home. With this in mind, a good quality projector has now become an investment.

Optoma products promise users a cinematic viewing experience in the comfort of their own homes and they surely deliver.

However, a flickering projector can easily take users out of an otherwise immersive viewing experience.

It can be frustrating when this happens, but there’s no need to worry, though. It’s quite an easy fix if you know where to start.

So it’s important first that you know what the possible causes of your Optoma projector flickering are so you know where to look when you’re trying to fix one. 

In this article, we’ve listed the reasons why your light is flickering and steps to easily fix it. You may use this guide for whatever Optima model you have at home.

• Cause 1: Dust Buildup
• Cause 2: There’s Not Enough Power
• Cause 3: Electrical Surges
• Cause 4: Low Refresh and Frame Rates
• Cause 5: Loose or Damaged Cables
• Cause 6: Problems with Video Source

Reasons why the Optoma projector is flickering

Cause #1: Dust Buildup

One of the most common causes of flickering in an Optoma projector is the collection of dust over time with regular use.

While you want to prevent dust buildup in any of your projector’s internal components, you want to be especially mindful of dust building up in the color wheel.

The color wheel is the part of the projector where the light shines through to produce all of the rich and vibrant colors you see on screen.

If there is dust buildup on this part of the projector, the light will not be able to pass properly, resulting in annoying flickering that could very well ruin the experience of your forms of media.

Here’s how you can get around fixing this type of problem:

Step 1: Unplug the projector and put it on a clean surface. Remove the screws at the projectors base and place them somewhere they won’t be misplaced.

Step 2: Undo the screws on the lamp flap and pull out the cover. This would expose the lamp. Then, you can pull out the lamp itself.

Step 3: Remove the lens adjustment cover then use a butter knife or a flat tool to pull apart the top cover from the rest of the projector. You should take your time with this step to avoid damaging your projector further.

Step 4: Undo the ribbon connector by flicking off the clip that holds it. This would allow you to open up your projector more to better remove the dust inside.

Step 5: Wipe away or vacuum as much dust as you can from the internal parts of the projector. Be careful not to damage or smudge sensitive parts such as the color wheel.

Step 6: Put the projector back together and see if this has solved the problem with the flickering.

You have to be very careful doing this DIY solution; however, opening up the projector may cause the warranty to be voided.

Watch this video for more information on cleaning your projector

If you are not comfortable disassembling and cleaning the projector yourself, you can always bring it to your trusted technician or to a nearby service center.

Cause #2: There’s Not Enough Power

Another common cause of flickering in relatively new Optoma projectors is the lamp not getting the power it needs for the light particles to move properly.

One of the most common causes of this is constantly running your projector in eco-mode to save power or when the fan gets too loud.

The solution to this is quite simple. 

You could stop running your Optoma projector in eco-mode, although this would cause the fan to run noisier. 

To solve this issue, you can reduce the brightness so that the fan would be quieter.

Cause #3: Electrical Surges

There is a wide range of possible causes of an electrical surge. It could be due to unavoidable power outages or it could be the result of an electrical overload or faulty wiring. 

Whatever the reason, the flickering it causes can ruin what you’re trying to view on your projector.

You can try simpler solutions such as plugging the projector into a different outlet or investing in a surge protector to prevent future mishaps.

If all else fails, you can contact your local electrician to make the necessary repairs and say goodbye to that pesky flickering on your projector.

Cause #4: Low Refresh Rates and Frame Rates

A low frame rate setting would also cause problems with flickering. 

Simply going to your settings and increasing these could help your Optoma projector perform like it was fresh out the box.

This is because the flickering would now happen so fast that it’s invisible to the naked eye.

Cause #5: Loose or Damaged Cables

Sometimes, the cause of flickering in your Optoma projector might not even be a problem with the projector itself.

A loose or damaged video cable, or even a power cable, can also cause these problems.

A quick fix would be trying to tighten the connection of these cables to your projector. If that doesn’t work, you can try unplugging it and then plugging it back in after a few seconds.

If that still doesn’t work, you can replace the old, worn-out cables with newer ones and see if this solves the flickering issue. Upgrading to an HDMI cable  from a VGA cable  may even improve the picture quality of your Optoma projector.

Cause #6: Problems with the Video Source

Similarly, if the device your projector is connected to has a damaged cable or power supply, or issues with its graphics card then flickering may also occur.

Check if any of these are causing the flickering before purchasing a new projector.

Conclusion

It can get annoying when you see flickering when you’re trying to watch a movie on your projector. However, this does not signify the end of the line for your device. Learning how to identify the problems in your projector that can cause flickering allows you to use the appropriate solution and not just tinker around aimlessly. Hopefully, these quick fixes can remove the flickering from your Optoma projector and get you back to watching your favorite movies and TV shows in no time!