What's Wrong With Your TV?
Is it worth repairing a TV?
You need to consider these factors-
- How old is the TV?
- Was it expensive 'Top of the range' when you bought it or a cheapo?
- What will the estimated cost of the repair be?
- What was the picture quality when working? Sound quality?
- There is no guarantee that another fault won't develop after this repair.
- How long will it take to repair?
- How long is the repair guaranteed for?
If the repair is straightforward and the cost is considerably less than buying a new TV, then probably it is worth getting it repaired. Some people get used to the style and functions of a TV and don't like the idea of looking for a replacement, or it may be desirable to keep it going as long as possible for sentimental reasons. In this case, a repair at a reasonable cost would be the answer.Keep in mind that televisions are becoming more difficult and
uneconomical to repair. It is also a problem
obtaining parts, replacement boards are
mostly second hand, harvested
from scrap TVs with a broken screen,
so reliability cannot be guaranteed.
Bigger TVs
Many people now have TVs
over 50″ -75″ , 80″ +
These are a problem to
transport and handle.
With a larger screen,
there is a greater risk of
the screen being damaged,
which would write off the TV
if it happened.
Not much fun having to
break the bad news
to a customer !
Not many engineers
that are left will
touch anything over 50″.
Cheap TVs
Unlike most other things,
TVs seem to be getting
cheaper, so more customers are
opting to buy a new
TV rather than a repair.
You do get what you pay for,
the quality of new TVs,
even ‘good makes’ is not as it was
compared to even a few years ago.
Buy Insurance
If you are buying a new TV,
especially a large screen,
it is worth taking out
a 5 year guarantee.
I had countless
customers complain
that their TV that had gone faulty
was ‘just out of the guarantee’ –
that’s after just one year !
This suits the manufacturers
and retailers as you will have
to buy a new one –
Throwaway or what !
Costco have a five year
guarantee on TVs.
Richer Sounds also have
a long guarantee, as does
John Lewis, who give a five
year guarantee on all new TVs. It used to be that the usual cost to repair a TV was less than taking out insurance and so it was worth taking a chance. Now, I would recommend anyone spending over £500 to consider breakdown insurance, even better, insure against accidental damage especially the screen. Well worth it for peace of mind.
The Good Old Days
In the 80s and 90s, TVs were
still relatively expensive so people
would rent or buy second-hand.
There were many TV shops around
that sold second hand TVs.
These were mainly acquired from
the large rental companies
such as D.E.R., Visionhire,
Granada, etc as they replaced
old stock.
Almost any TV could be repaired
as parts were readily available.
If the original part from the manufacturer
was too expensive, someone
somewhere would make a pattern
part that would be cheaper.
Even if the tube, or CRT had gone,
you could get one that had been
refurbished. Not like TV screens
today, if that goes, the TV a write off.
You could even get a replacement
cabinet if it had been damaged,
or if it was a wooden cabinet,
it was worth paying a polisher
to come in and make any damage
to the wood veneer like new.
There used to be one that went
around the Liverpool area called
” John the Pol “
Sadly, those days that lasted a few
decades have gone.
Technology has transformed the humble TV
into a super computer that connects
to the outside world,
but when it breaks, throw it away!