[lcaillo]

As I told you last, I don't do much samsung and have not had a chance to test the lamp. You have not heard this from me nor from anyone that I know, so do not attempt to suggest something that is not true. I have not tested the lamp and do not make any claims to how they work in the application that you suggest. As I have said several times, the only meaningful test will be to measure the spectrum that it produces compared to the larger lamp, for which I will have to have a set and two working lamps. Otherwise, the lamp seems fine as a replacement, since it is a Philips lamp rated for the same power, but that is only speculation on my part. We do not know anything for sure about the long term reliability in this application.

As for the popping, many lamp based sets do this and it is usually thermal cycling, expansion and contraction of the plastic parts. Surges will not likely damage a lamp, though they might damage a ballast. The likelihood of the latter depends on whether the supply to the ballast is regulated or unregulated. The regulated supplies in most modern televisions, including the ballast in most, will not allow a significnant surge to pass to the secondary. Most surge damage is in the primary, including the switching and regulation components, or comes over the ground side of signal lines. Lamp damage due to surges is rare, IME.