"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 Mar 2009 06:55:50 -0700, "William Sommerwerck"
wrote:

I don't feel like laying out another kilobuck. And though my experiences
with consumer electronics over the past 45 years has been overwhelmingly
positive (I've never had anything expensive break down -- other than my
brand K amplification), I don't like the idea of getting a bit more than
2
years' use out of a product and then having to toss it (either because
the
parts aren't available, or I can't afford the repair).

My very limited experience with plasma displays is that the failures
are usually in the electronics or power supply, not the tube. However,
the tube will be prematurely ruined by leaving it on the program guide
causing burn-in. Overheating, due to in the wall or cabinet
installations that lack sufficient ventilation is another culprit. Of
course, the big tube is fairly fragile and will not survive the impact
of the kids indoor baseball game.

The actual failure curve for a system has peaks at the beginning and
end of life, with a flat curve in between.

The initial failures are called "infant mortality".


The initial peak is usually manufacturing defects and are covered under
the warranty. Those usually show up within a year. At the end of life,
components that degrade due to temperature effects or thermal cycling,
will cause failures. In between, a random assortment of failures might
occur,
but the rate is very low.

I'll have to ask Magnolia what sorts of repairs those 5% comprise. The only
thing I'm worried about is the display panel. And although the Federal
government requires electronic parts to be available for 10 years after end
of manufacturing, I wonder whether Pioneer will have any stock of panels
after 2012. The government does not enforce these laws very well (if at all.

Picky point... "Degrade" is a transitive verb, not reflexive. You mean
"deteriorate" or "fail".


The big problem with repairing a plasma TV is the size and weight. It
just can't be dragged to the service shop or warranty repair station
easily or economically. So, if a trivial part fails, it's a truck
roll and a major production. TV repairmen still make house calls, but
you'll pay handsomely for the effort. Or, you can drag it down to the
few remaining repair shops.

According to Magnolia, warranties include in-home service.