12-20-2008, 05:47 PM
Doc wrote:
'Happened to my great old Sony CRT tv. 'Blew a solder joint on the power board.
Letting it cool off before powering up helped a few times, then it wouldn't turn on at all.
'Got it repaired for $150 and all was well for a few months, then it blew again. Still under the repair-warranty.
Got it repaired again.
A few months later, it blew again.
'Looked into getting the board replaced instead of repaired. No parts available through channels anymore. The repair guy found one for $200, plus he quoted me another $200 for the repair.
I bought a new tv.
Now's a good time for your old set to die. There's a glut of LCD panels and retailers are desperate to boost seasonal sales. Next year panel production is going to be halved so it's pretty likely that prices will go up.
When buying a new tv, remember that you're losing vertical-space on a widescreen set with the same diagonal measurement so a modern 27-inch tv is not a replacement for a 27-inch CRT. Measure the height of your set and try to find something with the same height.
Thanks for the perspective.
Already sort of decided a 32" 1080p (Toshiba 32RV530U) would be my choice.
I would never consider spending anything on a repair. Every time I have tried to get an appliance fixed my experience has been exactly as you describe.
A TV is not exactly a necessity in my life-- no reason not to wait until complete flatlining. I can live without while I shop around for a few weeks if necessary. My eyeTV USB (thanks again tuqqer!) on my iMac can carry me through any 'emergent' viewing needs.