BenQ X3000i True 4K UHD 4LED Gaming Projector $1899.00 - Amazon

apparently, laser projectors are the next big thing

Think we're going to see DLP/ LCD for quite a while still because of the replaceable lamps for those who use their projectors heavily. (The inability to replace light source is a bit of a downside of the current lasers..)

No need to worry about replacing the light source. After 20k hours your technology will be outdated anyway.

Tldr; I don't trust the hours of use quote from manufacturers who have lied about hours of use for decades but hope I'm just being silly. I guess it goes down to trusting the manufacturer. I just wonder pray tell do the lasers last 20,000+ hours the same way that traditional projector bulbs last 5000+ as quoted by the exact same manufacturers? For me projector bulbs last 2000 at most before I swap them out (7ish months at my current viewing habits, and I'm currently using the same projector I bought in early 2019 which means I have watched it give or take for 14000 hours, and it's still going strong...) I am quite happy to have you all test that for me, but I DO NOT currently trust projector manufacturers when they tell you how many hours light sources last as over the last ~25 years of projector use, I have never ever had a light source last even half as long as claimed. But perhaps with the brand new technology their marketing departments are no longer exaggerating or using best case scenarios when trying to sell things🤷 (It's also worth mentioning that unlike when car dealers give you an extended warranty on the long lasting aspects of the car - powertrain, batteries, whatever- laser projectors only have the same 3-year guarantee as the previous technology, so if the light source fails after 3 years and a day regardless of how many hours are on it you're going to be replacing the entire projector on your own dime.) But yes, the marketing spiel is they will outlast the technology so you'll never have to replace them. So if the marketing people are no longer exaggerating then it is well and true the end of lamp replaceable projectors once the laser prices fall into the mid to low thousand range. But until then there will still be a market for traditional lamp sourced projectors. As it sits I'm expecting that my next projector will be a 4K lamp but we will see as ~$1200 is my top end of the next projector budget in 23 or more likely 24, at that point 5 years into ownership my main pj could become an emergency backup, the kid's, or with another $60 epson lamp could be resold to neighbors who don't need 4K projectors to raise my budget....

Really though I sincerely hope your optimism is correct and we do in fact see 20,000 plus hours (some say 30. I think I once saw 40k claimed in real world use because the manufacturer " was being overly cautious" and most people will turn the brightness down which will lead to extended life according to some manufacturers.) It's just after being lied to for several decades, I don't remotely trust the manufacturers of projectors to tell us the truth about lifespan even though lasers wear out VERY differently than lamps. This is also due to them not changing the warranty on the projectors at all and every time you see them listing 20,000 hours there's a footnote That looks remarkably similar to the footnote when they listed 7000 or 5000 hours. It's just an annoyingly new technology for consumer electronics so it's hard to find anyone who has actually done even 10,000 hours on a consumer priced laser projector. So at this moment it requires trusting someone who has demonstratedly lied for the entire existence of their projectors... (IMHO)

Honestly, I don't think they are technically lying. I think they may be being deceitful and that they test under perfect conditions in some kind of settings vacuum that the average user is never going to ever operate within. I bought an Optoma HD141x in 2017 and am at 3595 lamp hours and they advertise 5k hours under normal conditions and 6K with eco.

I'm still amazed you hit 2K hours in 7 months though!

Think we're going to see DLP/ LCD for quite a while still because of the replaceable lamps for those who use their projectors heavily. (The inability to replace light source is a bit of a downside of the current lasers..)

DLP and LCD projectors can use different types of illumination. The DLP and the LCD are the imaging panels. You still need to shine light on them.

Many new DLP projectors are laser or LED illuminated (like the X3000i), instead of lamps. Lamps are cheap, but are inefficiency and have a short life span. LEDs and lasers enable a wider color gamut and are more efficient (quieter fan and/or smaller box). But they're more expensive.

The X3000i is an excellent projector and I wouldn't hesitate buying it instead of a laser illuminated projector.