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Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
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Why I don't have a plasma or LCD TV either
I just read a post from someone who said most of what he owns is
inherited or repaired; because of that he is always "about two steps behind the current technology". I am writing to say I am like that as well. I do not own a plasma or LCD TV at the present time (still have two 19" CRT TVs in my apartment, one nine and the other four years old--both work quite well); it may be some time, if ever, before I do get any kind of flat-panel TV. I cannot afford $6000 (!) for a large plasma TV, not to mention the fact that my apartment is far too small for any 60" set. Heck, I didn't get my first CD player (as part of a new bookshelf stereo system) until four years ago when I moved here, I replaced my computer monitor with a flat-screen (not flat panel) model just last year when the last one (CRT) failed, and I just recently (as in about a year ago) got digital cable. However, I do not yet have a DVD player (I am one of those people who are still fiercely loyal to VHS [I have about 50 VHS cassettes, give or take a few, almost all of which have old TV shows and movies on them], and probably will be until the technology is legislated out of existence or is rendered hopelessly obsolete--that and the fact that I believe in keeping things as simple and reliable as possible. VHS VCRs, and Betamaxes before them, have been with us for over 25 years and have proven themselves to be reliable under most circumstances; DVD players have just recently become popular and still have a few bugs which must be addressed). Please note that I am not against the new technology; it's just that I cannot afford most of the new stuff at the present time, and as I mentioned above, I am a meat-and-potatoes Midwesterner who tends to stay with proven technology. When one has bills to pay, and precious little money with which to accomplish that end, it is difficult or even impossible to justify large expenditures for luxuries such as large-screen TV. I do not know anyone at this time among my relatives or friends who owns a large-screen TV or even a DVD player, but then again most of my relatives are elderly people on fixed incomes and my friends have families to support. When one is in either of those situations the necessities of life must come first. The other two big reasons I am reluctant as all get-out to get any kind of LCD or plasma TV are the longevity factor of this technology (many plasma panels do not last longer than two or three years at this stage of their development), and that plasma screens are susceptible to image burn-in. I also read a post to this group recently which stated that the projection lamps used with plasma panels and LCDs do not last very long at the present time, and cost about $400 to replace when they eventually burn out. The filaments in CRTs used in ordinary televisions often last for 20 years or more; the failure mode of CRTs is ordinarily decreased cathode emission of the electron guns or heater-cathode shorts. I have yet to hear of the phosphors on the screens of conventional CRTs wearing out; the chances of modern CRTs developing screen burns (what TV technicians used to know as ion burns) are very slim if not nonexistent these days. The only way any kind of screen can develop image burn-in is if a static image (test pattern, network logo, video game board, etc.) is left on the screen indefinitely, but then again conventional CRTs are prone to burn-in under the same conditions as well. I am sure plasma and LCD TVs will improve as time goes on, and heaven knows the prices will drop as the technology becomes more widespread, but at the present time it is far too expensive for most people to afford (and there are bugs which must be worked out such as the image burn-in problem, et al.). There are still instances, moreover, of some new projection sets (Zenith comes to mind as I write this) developing severe problems which have led to massive recalls, such as the infamous Zenith recall of some models of its projection sets a few years ago because of a tear in a gasket which caused a coolant leak. Until the design flaws which cause manufacturers to issue these often massive recalls are addressed and corrected, many consumers are going to be extremely reluctant to buy any kind of large-screen television. It is for this reason that I feel CRT-based TVs will be with us for some time yet. There will always be people who simply cannot afford thousands of dollars for a TV set, and more on top of that to keep the thing running when it eventually requires service (all TV shops charge outrageous fees just to look at a set; then there are the repair charges themselves). Add to that the cost of a satellite system or cable hookup (neither of which are cheap), and you have even more reasons why most of us are still using the time-proven 4:3 CRT technology, VHS VCRs, and in some cases getting our TV reception over antennas (as some folks on audiokarma.org's antique-TV forum have reported). Kind regards, Jeff Strieble, WB8NHV (mailto: ) Fairport Harbor, Ohio |
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