It’s best to understand that all TVs get dimmer with age; therefore, the number of years it will take before it’s unwatchable depends on several factors. For starters, you should understand that the brighter the TV, the shorter its lifespan. Additionally, turning down the contrast control on plasma or turning down the TV’s backlight control will extend its life and probably lower your electricity bill. On the other hand, watching a dim TV might not make it last forever, but it will certainly help prolong its life. Here’s what you should know about the lifespan of a TV.
How Often Should You Replace Your TV?
Industry experts advise that you should be replacing your TV after every 7 to 8 years. However, this number is coming down as 4K TV prices have fallen and households want to have several TVs. The 7 to 8 years average replacement time means some people replace more frequently while others hang on for longer. Additionally, certain factors such as habits, budgets, or preferences play a big role in determining when you should upgrade your TV. For example, you might choose to keep up with new technologies every couple of years or wait for your TV to break before upgrading. Before buying a new TV, you should consider how old your current TV is. If it’s more than five years old than the current models, you will see a massive improvement in the picture quality of the newer models. Even if you bought a new TV in the last few years, if it wasn’t a 4K TV model, you will see a quality improvement when you upgrade from an HDTV to 4K or even 8K resolution.
Which TV Brand Lasts the Longest?
Shopping for a TV can be quite challenging, given the number of TV brands in the market. You might focus on a TV’s audio and design, and forget to check an essential factor, durability. Durability is the most important factor when selecting a TV brand for purchase. Factoring in a TV’s durability during purchase will help you reap maximum benefit from your hard-earned money and help you maximize usage. It’s not easy to identify a single longest-lasting TV brand; however, here are some brands with amazing lifespans:
Sony
Sony is an electronics manufacturing giant that produces reliable TVs with excellent features. Sony uses OLED technology to produce OLED TVs with sharper images and good contrast. OLED technology emits its light, allowing more light control on the screen, making Sony’s TV picture quality unique.
Samsung
Samsung is a leading brand in consumer electronics and, arguably, the most popular brand globally. While Samsung TVs are quite costly, they are best rated due to the number of features. For example, Samsung’s QLED TVs feature QLED technology, offering bright, high-quality images with good contrast. QLED technology utilizes quantum dots or tiny particles to create clean light that emits pictures. Therefore, you can enjoy watching your HD movies seamlessly.
LG
LG TVs are perfect for you if you’re an enthusiastic gamer. LG produces premium quality TVs using the latest technology for great picture clarity. LG also uses OLED technology; therefore, you can expect a perfect contrast and quality display.
Panasonic
Some consumers believe that Panasonic is the longest-lasting TV brand in the market. This is because the brand has been around for a long time. The TVs feature good contrast output, an extensive color pallet, and an OLED panel, which creates theatre-like displays.
Vizio
Vizio is a budget-friendly, quality-performance TV from Irvine, California. It uses OLED technology; therefore, it guarantees quality at an affordable price. Another great feature of this TV brand is its built-in Chromecast and Airplay that lets you cast to other apps from your mobile phone or tablet. Vizio is an incoming brand; however, it promises durability and quality and never fails to get on with the latest trends in terms of television technology.
What Factors Contribute to a TV’s Longevity?
Several factors contribute to a TV’s longevity. Some of the factors include:
Technology
TVs use specific technologies to emit pictures, which directly impact the longevity of the TV. For example, most TVs in the market use LED and LCD technology to emit light. However, LEDs are better because the light-emitting diodes create clearer images. LED comes in two parts for Samsung TVs; QLED and OLED. OLED TVs have a lifespan and offer a better colorful display than QLED. Most of these TVs last between five to seven years.
Maintenance
Regardless of how technologically advanced or well-constructed a TV is, it might not last beyond certain years if you don’t maintain it well. Maintenance is essential if you want to increase the lifespan of your TV; therefore, ensure that you clean it, switch it off when not in use, and reduce the backlight.
Construction
The build quality will contribute to the TV’s longevity. A TV with low-quality components will fade quickly, while one with quality components will last for several years.
How Many Years Will a Flat Screen TV Last?
Your LED TV lifespan is 100,000 hours, or about ten years, and you might assume that’s how long your flat-screen TV will last. However, it’s not that simple. The ten years or 100,000-hour figure assumes that each diode will run at full brightness consistently, which is never the case. Looking at just the diode lifespan will not give you your TV’s expected lifespan. It would help if you also considered other factors, such as the construction of the unit that houses the screen’s diodes and the quality of your display’s power supply.
How Do You Extend the Life of Your TV?
You can extend the lifespan of your TV by following these steps:
First, ensure your TV is in a well-ventilated area but don’t place it near a window where the sun’s heat is directly over the TV because doing so can drastically shorten its lifespan.Always unplug your TV when not using it because this will help keep your TV parts cooler inside. Please do not leave it on standby when you’re not watching.Mount your TV on the wall for safety and longevity. When it’s too close to the floor, it might gather dust and other particles, which might stick inside and make your TV warmer than usual. Minimize your TV’s backlight or set it on “energy saving mode” to help save the LEDs in your TV.
Can TVs Last 20 Years?
Good and sturdy cathode ray tube televisions that used to be manufactured back in the day by reputable manufacturers could easily last 20 years. However, the entry of flat-screen TVs drew upon relatively new and undefined technologies, resulting in high failure and defect rates. This technology has, however, matured over time, and you can buy a TV with a good chance of lasting 20 years. LED TV sets promise to be among the most long-lasting TVs on the market.
Signs That It’s Time to Upgrade to a Newer TV
Here are some signs to help you decide to replace your TV, especially if you’ve had it for a while:
Your Electricity Bill is too High
If your electricity bill has been slowly creeping up or jumped from one month to the next, you might have to confirm whether your utility provider raised their prices. If they haven’t, an old TV or other major appliances could be the culprit. You can test this theory by unplugging your TV for a few weeks during the month and watch if it will impact next month’s bill. You can continue using your other electronics, such as the computer or sound system, to avoid influencing the result. If you establish that your TV costs you more money, it might be time to upgrade to a newer, more energy-efficient TV.
Colored Lines Across Your Screen
If red, greenish, or blue stripes interrupt your viewing experience, there’s probably something wrong with your TV’s hardware. Lines across a TV screen are usually due to frayed or loose cables within the screen, so knocking the back or side of the TV can be a temporary fix. You might have to call a professional repair person to fix the problem, order parts, open the TV panel, at the risk of damaging it permanently, and void the warranty. Therefore, if you notice these lines on your TV, it might be time for an upgrade.
Your TV Screen is Fading or Going Out
Faded spots on TV are quite common and might be accompanied or followed by more significant problems, including your screen fades to black just minutes or seconds after turning on the TV. Your TV screen might be fading due to a compromised backlight system. Some TV models allow you to troubleshoot this issue by enabling you to “picture test” your TV. This test walks you through an on-screen questionnaire to help you establish if the issue is the TV hardware or the source (the input, channel, or signal). If your TV’s backlight display is faulty and you don’t have a manufacturer’s warranty, you might have to cater for the cost of the professional repairs. You might also choose to buy a new TV.
Your Screen is Cracked
A crack on your TV interrupts your viewing experience and represents damage to the hardware. The broken glass also poses a cutting hazard, which might continue to spread with time, further limiting viewability. Most of the time, you cannot fix a cracked TV screen; therefore, purchasing a new one is best.
Your TV Takes Long to Start
Check your remote’s batteries if your TV takes a long time to start. Next, give the TV’s power-on button a long and hard press. If the power light blinks and nothing appears, your TV might be faulty. An unresponsive TV screen might be due to a faulty power system or capacitor, which might be expensive to repair or difficult to troubleshoot. If your TV is taking too long to start, it might be announcing its impending death; therefore, you’re better off investing in a new TV than spending a lot of money on a short-term fix.
You Want a New TV
You can get a new TV if you want one. For example, if you feel you’re dealing with an obsolete TV that lacks all the features you need, or you’re experiencing TV issues that might be too expensive to repair, it might be time to buy a new one. Your TV’s durability is a critical factor that you should consider during a purchase. Additionally, it’s also best to find a TV with a pleasant design and one with the latest features.
