Easy way to test projector bulb/lamp & ballast?

[Bargainhunter]

I know I can't test a projector lamp with an ohm meter but does anyone know how to narrow down the problem to the lamp or ballast.  I don't want to buy another lamp and find out it was the ballast.
If there is some other way, I'd appreciate your help.

Thank you.

[ggchab]

I had a similar problem with an Epson projector. I suspect the lamp and/or the ballast are faulty. When I start the projector, I think it tries to communicate with the ballast, gets some bad information and then stops after about 20 seconds without any status (all LED indicators stay off).
I read that ballasts may be some clever devices and communication protocols may be proprietary. At least, I could not find any documentation about that specific Epson one and the support did not want to make technical information public.
So I am still wondering if there are some solutions to test the combination lamp/ballast