We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Calvin Sambrook"
saying something like:

Er, no. While I wouldn't defend individual relamp prices as I don't know
the specifics of individual projectors I do know that lamp technology in DLP
is nothing like that used in other projector technologies. DLP demands
really short arcs and very precise alignment if the image on screen is going
to look good. Manufacturers go to a lot of trouble to get it right and if
you're prepared to spend £10k on a projector in order to get a superb image
why on earth would you ruin it at relamp time?

This isn't a DLP one. Even if it was, there's no way I'd pay the rip-off
ruinous prices they want.
The whole re-lamping thing is about diy, and doing it on a budget. As
more used and dirt-cheap lamp-knackered projectors come on to the market
via ebay the like, more people are finding out about alternative lamp
solutions, including DLPs. There's been a significant growth of interest
in the last couple of years and the body of knowledge is expanding
daily.
As you can appreciate, this is world removed from paying £10K on a
gadget and greasing up and bending over for a lamp.