Q. I had to replace my TV after just three years. I am very disappointed. Aren’t TVs supposed to last forever? Is there anything I can do to keep my new TV longer than three years?! — Rod, Phoenix, Arizona.
Rod, televisions are built to last a long time, but forever? Well, not quite. However, there are three things you can do to help keep your TV running efficiently for years — and make sure you don’t have to buy a new one unless you really want to.
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1. Turn It Off
Do you watch your TV several hours a day? If so, that’s fine. But don’t keep it on if you’re NOT watching it. (If I could only get my seven-year-old daughter to listen to this!) I know that may sound silly but many people keep their sets on when they leave the room for a long period of time. And others like to have the set on for background noise.
Both practices take unnecessary hours off your TV’s life. See, a television only has so many hours in it and you don’t want to waste them. (All TVs are different so I can’t say a set should last for a specific number of hours. But any quality set should last for several years even if you watch it several hours a day.)
2. Do the Bright Thing
Many TVs come from the factory with the brightness level higher than it needs to be. While some people like an ultra-bright picture, it can soften picture detail — and cause your TV to work harder to display all that light. Try adjusting the brightness level so the picture looks more realistic, displaying more detail. Your eyes will be happier and so will your TV. The reduction in brightness will add more hours to your set’s life.
3. Take a Contrasting View
Finally, the Contrast, or Picture, setting measures the difference between your set’s brightest and darkest colors. Once again, if your set’s Contrast or Picture level is too high, it can force your set to exert more power, again reducing its total hours of use. To ensure this doesn’t happen, I would recommend setting your TV to Standard Mode rather than Vivid or Dynamic. This will keep your Contrast or Picture level at a more efficient setting. The Standard mode will also display a more realistic picture, in my view.
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
Photo credit: Free photo from Pexels.com.
About the question you just ansewed about the life of a Tv i have heard that its better to just turn your tv on and off once a day weather its on 1 hour or 10 is that true?
Answer number 1 is bunk. Turning on and off causes more damage to electronics than leaving on. HEAT is the enemy of all electronics, thus good ventilation and a cooler environment is smart. I’ve used a small fan on some nasty heat generating components and they run for multiple years and at work, decades. Don’t put your TV over a working fireplace no matter how good it looks. Ditto for heat vents and heaters. Now TV’s do use electricity and in some places THAT can add up.