I'm afraid I have some bad news for owners of LCD TVs (and computer monitors). Especially if your panel is slightly older. The expected lifespan of your TV/monitor is probably far less than you would like it to be.
To some people a TV is a consumable, something to be replaced every couple of years. Think of all the extra money spent in America replacing several year old TVs, not to mention the eventual landfill space. Of course, manufactures love these people as it increases their profit. Think of your parents or your grandparents, how long did their TV last? 15 years, 20 years, or longer? But there is no way most newer TVs will last that long. In fact, I would expect the average lifespan to be about 5 years.
What's the problem you ask? It has to do with what's called the backlight system. Most LCD TVs use cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) as the backlight. In a nutshell, a CCFL is a small fluorescent light, just like the ones you see in garages and warehouses. But CCFLs, like any light bulb, burn out in time. Once a CCFL burns out, the image on the TV screen goes black. You can replace the CCFLs with new ones, effectively "changing a light bulb" to fix the problem. But very few TVs are designed for this work to happen. When manufactures build TVs they do not design a way for these backlights to be changed. So what you're left with is a TV with a burned out light bulb that is useless.
This is just bad design in my opinion. Would you buy a car that the engine could not be serviced? Would you buy a bag vacuum cleaner without replaceable bags? No, of course not.
The good news is TVs are starting to come with LED backlights. LEDs are solid-state electronics that have a much longer lifespan. Also, LED TVs are thinner, lighter, produce less heat, and consumer less electricity than CCFL TVs. So if you're in the market for a new TV, I would strongly encourage you to get an LED TV. They cost more, but in the long run it will save you money.
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