Is it worth getting an old tv fixed

Ben84

When a TV gets unreliable about coming out of standby, you can pretty much bet whatever you like that one or more of the power supply capacitors is failing. It's usually a very easy fix for someone with a little electronics knowledge and soldering skills, but rather more cost and bother if you get a repair shop to look at it.

As for picture quality, some CRT sets are HD. CRTs have advantages and weaknesses compared to LCD or LED. The good CRT sets tend to have some of the best colours and contrast. Flatscreens can have uneven backlighting and it's hard to turn up the brightness without the blacks going grey. On the other hand, flatscreens are completely immune to convergence issues. Good examples of any technology will however minimise the downsides.

brewerdave

Mylo_The_Moggy wrote: »

If you invest in a new modern tv, you will certainly have more room round the back of the set. The old tvs had HUGE backs on then that took up a heck of a lot of room & were extremely heavy & bulky to lift. A 2-man job!

...the main reason I didn't bother to even consider repairing my old set -it weighed nearly 90lb ( 40kg in new money!!) and the local repairman wouldn't pick up -I had to deliver to him for £75 "assessment"!!:(

dazza-mac

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

As well as Cathode Ray Tube, CRT "stands" for a hulking great mass of electrical components at the rear of the set!.:)

If you do rid yourself of this old style TV set, you'll be amazed by how little room the new sets take up-even with a far larger screen.

Yes, definately going to get a new set, but now I just have to find the right one and a good make. My pal told me about the Samsung one that I was thinking of getting, but as soon as I started looking around I was baffled at the amount of deifferent sizes, makes and what they do!

I want to spend about £350. Anyone got a one they're really pleased with?

[Deleted User]

dazza-mac wrote: »

I want to spend about £350.

That's definitely at the "budget" end of the spectrum, so my only advice would be to buy from a reputable dealer like John Lewis or Richer Sounds.

[Deleted User]

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

I have often been surprised when some people say that CRT TVs had the best pictures: surely LED and HD are much better.

Not really. Flat screen technology certainly allows for much larger screens than were ever possible with CRT, but the overall picture quality is not significantly better (and can be worse!) unless a High Definition channel is being watched. For many channels, this requires an extra subscription of course.

mattyprice4004

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

As well as Cathode Ray Tube, CRT "stands" for a hulking great mass of electrical components at the rear of the set!.:)

If you do rid yourself of this old style TV set, you'll be amazed by how little room the new sets take up-even with a far larger screen.

Unfortunately incorrect - while the CRT is massive, this is down to the tube itself rather than the electronics. There's more electronics in a modern LCD, but as circuit boards are flat they're just stuffed in nicely.

almillar

I have often been surprised when some people say that CRT TVs had the best pictures: surely LED and HD are much better.

Define picture quality. Definition? (resolution in computer speak) - LCD have been ahead for ages. Plasma got there later. CRT computer monitors were 'better than HD' for years but TVs barely made it into HD land.
Colour, contrast, viewing angles? CRTs and plasmas were way ahead of LCD for years, but the best LCDs have really caught up here.
But the biggest problem with upgrading your TV, and the reason people sometimes think the old stuff is better, is when they watch the old programmes - you're watching the same material, at maybe twice the size. Of course you will be able to see how poor it is! That's not a bad TV, it's bad material!

Ben84

dazza-mac wrote: »

Yes, definately going to get a new set, but now I just have to find the right one and a good make. My pal told me about the Samsung one that I was thinking of getting, but as soon as I started looking around I was baffled at the amount of deifferent sizes, makes and what they do!

I want to spend about £350. Anyone got a one they're really pleased with?

You might well end up back where you started with a Samsung set. Their power supplies don't have great longevity. They usually use Samwha capacitors, which are a fairly crummy brand. They also, to make matters worse, often use ones with a voltage rating only just sufficient for their job.

Anyway, in that price range, I'd probably buy one of the smaller (32" is small these days!) Sony Bravia sets. If you buy from John Lewis they offer a longer warranty than anywhere else normally, and they may price match other companies if you see it cheaper and ask. I think Sony ones are well made compared to others and have some of the better pictures (that's subjective though), but realistically, most TVs don't last as long as they used to from any manufacturer, and they're rarely economical to repair. They've become semi-disposable items now, and the first fault beyond the user's repair abilities is usually the end of it. I would really want the 5 year John Lewis warranty and buy the set with the idea anything past that is a bonus.

[Deleted User]

mattyprice4004 wrote: »

Unfortunately incorrect - while the CRT is massive, this is down to the tube itself rather than the electronics.

You don't regard the Tube as an "electrical component"? I certainly do and that's why I didn't refer to "electronics":p

PlutoinCapricorn

@Ben84, you certainly know how to hit hard!

"When a TV gets unreliable about coming out of standby, you can pretty much bet whatever you like that one or more of the power supply capacitors is failing. It's usually a very easy fix for someone with a little electronics knowledge and soldering skills, but rather more cost and bother if you get a repair shop to look at it."

I suspected this was the case: there is always YouTube for reference too. Unfortunately, many of us lack this knowledge and don't know anyone who can do this simple fix.

"You might well end up back where you started with a Samsung set. Their power supplies don't have great longevity. They usually use Samwha capacitors, which are a fairly crummy brand. They also, to make matters worse, often use ones with a voltage rating only just sufficient for their job."

I have been following this thread with great interest. I replaced my 25-year-old Sony CRT TV in December 2006, with a Samsung flat screen LCD model. Recently, the picture disappears after a second or two. I suspect that a man with the soldering iron could fix the problem cheaply, but I don't know where to find one. I am definitely not looking for an excuse to upgrade: I am happy with what I have. But I am now going to take a look at the Sony you recommended...