Home audio & video: How long should a TV last?
Maybe I was wrong....
by kcfvegas - 7/28/07 3:34 PM In reply to: Define Stepping Up - by Paul CrigerPaul, from what you just wrote it looks like Panasonic wasn't stepping up as much as I thought. The way you wrote it originally, it looked like they were doing something more than what their final offer was. But they did still offer you something, which they didn't have to do, so I wasn't totally off base. I do agree with you that our expectations have been lowered on how long the new electronics should last. And that's a shame. You were not wrong in expecting your TV to last at least 10 years. You got a good deal at Sears, and I hope this TV lasts longer than your last one. Panasonic is definitely not a Yugo. By the way, the reason for my reaction was that there have been times that a customer would have a complaint about a product that they had for a long time after the warranty had expired, and after I would talk to the manufacturer they would step up and make a good offer to the customer, and the customers reaction would be, "and what else are you going to do". Customer service has always been very important to me, but sometimes, no matter what you do, it's never enough. Good luck with your new TV, I think you'll be very happy with it. 
Kent
luck of the draw?
by coffeecan - 7/28/07 7:49 PM In reply to: Maybe I was wrong.... by kcfvegasWe have a Hitachi from 1983 and recently passed it along to a friend, Also have a mitsubishi from 1989. Still going strong. The mitsubishi was even involved in a lightning strike.
The mitsubishi is on 24 /7.
Since 1983 we have also owned 3 panasonics and they have all ceased to function after only about 3-4 years of ownership.
We have stayed away from panasonic in the last few years. They just don't seem to be the same product that they used to be.
Some folks seem to do ok with them though but not us.
Have a sharp that is now in the 4th year and seems to doing ok.
Will soon be in the market for new tv and don't have the slightest idea where to begin with all of the new types and hd.
Good luck with your new tv and it seems you were prudent concerning the "same as cash" transaction.
So, they offered you-----nothing
by HTHMAN - 7/29/07 10:15 AM In reply to: Define Stepping Up - by Paul CrigerIf they would have sent you a 2-300 dollar coupon or voucher or even a rebate, that would at least be something. To offer you a set at a higher price (plus shipping) than you can pick up down the street is more an insult to your intelligence.
I have a 50" Panasonic plasma and love it, but my brand loyalty could end with an offer like that.
15-20 years!
by colquhoun3709 - 7/27/07 5:25 AM In reply to: How long should a TV last? by Paul CrigerMy first bought color TV (Mitsubish) lasted 20 years when I gave it away.
TVs used to last virtually forever, because they were easily repaired (TV repairmen or repair shops were great small businesses) by pulling a tube here and there.
With big business, improved and totally different technology, higher expectations (more than the original 3 channels <g>)and astounding prices, they seem to last a coupla years.
Makes me want to buy cheap and hope it lasts for 2-3 years. I sure wouldn't spend the money for an expensive TV that is quickly discardable.
Bigger is not better
by tintinmilou - 7/27/07 7:28 PM In reply to: How long should a TV last? by Paul CrigerSimilar to what others have mentioned, my parents gave us their 15-year-old Hitachi 19-inch TV, and we kept it another ten years before giving it to charity because it couldn't tune cable channels. I even opened it up and re-soldered the sound card because a cold-solder joint was giving it fuzzy sound.
Now we have a 36-inch CRT TV that has had to be repaired twice in the five years we've had it. According to the crusty old repairman we took it too, the larger the unit, the shorter the lifespan. If you want long life, go low-tech, go modest. It takes more power to run a big unit. More power means more burden on the electronics, more deterioration, more heat, etc. Buy technology that is mature, well broken-in, and fine-tuned. Bleeding edge is just that, bleeding.
As I understand it, the plasmas are expected to last five years. LCDs a little longer. Get yourself a nice 27-inch CRT, and you'll have it a very long time.
27" crt?
by woodygg - 7/27/07 7:59 PM In reply to: Bigger is not better by tintinmilouhahhahahahahahahaha
yes... i know what you mean and am not making fun of you...
i watch hd on two of my tv's... five years? who cares. i'll never go back.
Should vs WIll? That is the question...
by jalywol1 - 7/27/07 7:55 PM In reply to: How long should a TV last? by Paul CrigerI have had fairly bad luck with tv's over the years. My average run is about three years before problems arise that need repair. Some cheaper sets I have had have been as little as a year (fuzzy sound). I had one ancient Sony 13" that needed a tuner cold solder joint repaired, but kept going and going... and a second Sony 20" that had the same thing happen. I gave that to a friend who is still using it on video in, but 10 years later! The last CRT I got was a 24" Sony. It had a fantastic picture, but the picture began to shrink away from the edges after about 3 years. I gave it away (it weighed 100 lbs and there was no way I could move it to get it repaired anyway!) and purchased a Sharp LCD TV. So far that has been working with no problems for 2 years. Plus, I can move it around if I need to.
The moral of the story is, I think if you got six years out of a TV, you should be very happy with it. Take them up on their offer and buy another. Just don't expect it to last more than a few years... and consider yourself lucky if it does.
'Til the end of time.....
by Spiritboxer - 7/27/07 10:23 PM In reply to: How long should a TV last? by Paul CrigerI'm currently using a 31" JVC I bought 15 years ago. Still works perfectly and the picture is just as great as when I bought it. Did lots of research before I made my purchase, relying heavily on consumer reports. It came down to a Mitsubishi and this JVC, the rest is history. You better believe I'm knocking on wood as I'm keying this in......
how long should a t.v. last
by maggiedev - 7/28/07 1:16 AM In reply to: How long should a TV last? by Paul Crigeri don't think they last very long now days. my parents bought a motorola in the early 50's. they used it for several years and gave it to my grandparents. they used it for over 20 years. never had to be serviced. in my adult, t.v. buying years (i am 59 now) i have never had a t.v. last longer than 9 years. that is the one i have now. it is an RCA. i hope to get several more years out of it as t.v.s are expensive, or at least the one i want is. my own personal opinion is t.v's are "throw aways". so many electronics are these days.
Good gone bad
by OMIGHTY1 - 7/30/07 7:27 AM In reply to: How long should a TV last? by Paul CrigerIt seems like all TVs that start out really good end up quickly being crud. The TV in our living room is about 6 or 7 years old and is already going down. The color and sharpness settings jump around (even though it says they're where they're supposed to be in the menu), depending on what's on the screen. It's a Zenith, but I'm not sure what kind. Also, the 6-8 year old TV in my room all of a sudden just stopped working one day. The night before it died the screen flickered a lot. It's a Sylvania 13". Our best TV is the one in my parent's room. It's clear and colorful.
Low price or last a long time take your pick.
by jcrobso - 7/30/07 2:51 PM In reply to: How long should a TV last? by Paul CrigerMaybe it's not quite that bad but there is some truth in it.
Last week I had a power supply stop working in on of my studio units.
I pulled it out and had a look, I very quickly spotted the bad capacitor in the PS, a 100uf at 200vdc.
I took a catalog and looked up a replacement. I had a choice of 3 different ones by 3 different makers, priced at $2.45, 2.57 and $3.85 each. which one did I get??? Since I didn't want to do this over again I got the $3.85 one, it has the best specs.
Now what if I had to buy hundreds of them and had to keep the price down? Most likely I would get the lower cost one knowing that it would be reliable in my units 95~98% of the time. This means that 2~5% of the units built will have a failure.
As Stew said we grew up it the time that TV repair man came out to fix the set 2~3 times a year.
But as TV sets became solid state(except for the tube) we got use to them lasting a long time.
Back in the 1980's there was very fierce competition between the US and Japanese TV set makers. The Japanese sets had better picture quality and last longer with fewer problems and won. Thus the many stories about 20+ year old TVs still working.
The cost of HDTVs is coming down, mass production will do this, so will using components that cost less(and have a shorter life span), reducing the warranty time or what will be covered and passing this cost on to the end user in the form of an extend warranty.
Yes CRTs can last 15~20 years now by the electronics driving them may not.
So: low price, great free warranty, last a long time, you can have any two but not all 3. John
'TIL IT BLOWS UP.
by Riverledge - 7/31/07 5:42 PM In reply to: Low price or last a long time take your pick. by jcrobsoriver.
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