Tuesday
Apr192011
Apr 19 TV Replacement Cycles
When we were kids our parents bought TVs with the intention of keeping them for 10 years or more. Today technology changes so fast your TV may seem obsolete after only a few years of service. Factor in the cost to buy a good TV has come way down in relative terms its no wonder people swap out TVs at a faster rate than our parents did.
If you have a moment please let us know if you plan on having a long term relationship with your HDTV. Chime in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Reader Comments (3)
Just bought a Panasonic 54VT25, hope to get 5yrs out of it
Very tough for me to say!
My 60" Kuro basically serves as my "reference" screen. Whenever I want to see how anything REALLY looks, I put it on the Kuro! For that reason, I'm not sure I'll ever let it go.
My 55" LG 55LH90 is my gaming screen. Currently, there are no other local-dimming LED backlit LCDs that offer a matte screen surface. And for that reason, I might just keep this LG for a very long time!
Once I'm able (financially) to really renovate my theater room the way that I want to, I'll be putting a front projector in there. I still have my 720p Sanyo PLV-Z2 kicking around, but I really don't use it much (can't hold a candle to the Kuro's picture quality). I'll likely be going with a 3D JVC D-iLA unit, but we'll have to see what's available when the time comes.
I MIGHT replace my Kuro with a 65" 3D Panasonic plasma, but I'd have to be really sure that the Panny can truly match the Kuro in EVERY way before I'd do that. Similarly, if I can find a great local-dimming LED backlit LCD with a matte screen, I wouldn't mind having a 3D version for gaming. I just refuse to game on my Kuro - or any plasma for that matter - because I've noticed signs of image retention/burn-in on all 3 of the plasmas I've owned, and there's no way in hell I'm going to risk damaging my Kuro!
So, long story short, I just don't know how long I'll keep my current displays! I'm very happy with the Kuro for reference and the LG 55LH90 for gaming, so my only real motivation is 3D.
Tough question because there is a difference between replacing a HDTV and retiring it. I just retired a 3 year old 42" Panasonic Plasma to a secondary room after getting a 50GT30. But I still plan to use the 42" past the 5 year mark, just not as my primary viewing TV.