Recently I noticed while I was gaming that my 58 inch HP DLP TV gets a flicker for about 5 minutes at a time...then it would go away.

The flicker happens about 2 times a second with the screen going darker then bright again. So dark/bright every second

I use this tv for gaming only and have tried HDMI, component and composite connections on my 360 and wii and the problem is universal...so it is the TV.

Has anyone had similar issues with their TVs or does anyone know if this is a power issue, circuit issue with the TV or does the bulb need to be replaced. The TV and the bulb are about 2 years old but the brightness is fine when the flickering stops.

Reason why I ask is because the bulb is 300 dollars and I would rather not spend that kind of money unless I am certain that is the problem.

Any help is appreciated...

Typically the bulbs are rated for a certain number of hours, and there is a meter that keeps track of how long the bulb is on (ok, so I'm not sure about DLP bulbs, but it is true for projectors). Also, I don't know how these bulbs work, so I can't say if this type of problem is related to the bulb.

Anyways, poke around your TV and see if there is some sort of power-on meter.

what model is it? also, there are known issues for older DLP's especially when it comes to gaming, ranging from a noticeably delay to the rainbow effect. since your's is only 2 yrs old it shouldn't fall into that category, but still possible, and you shouldn't need to replace that bulb yet, depending on how many hrs you've used the set so far. you should REALLY head over to AVSForum.com and ask, they are a wealth of info for stuff like this.

Thanks guys...ill poke around, possibly dust particles are causing some short circuit issues. I havent cleaned it internally since i got it. And if that doesnt work ill head over to AVSForum.com

This is the model.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Home.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodClassId=-1&prodTypeId=382084&prodSeriesId=472499