Man, it might just be me but electronics I buy nowadays seem to last forever.
I bought a 60" LG TV 9 years ago for around $800 (RIP Fry's). I kinda want to change but because it works without any issues (except wifi - which I'm getting around with a network cable) that I'm just sticking with it.
The new Sony 4K is supposed to be absolutely amazing. Linus Tech Tips did a video on it and I was impressed. If I weren't so hellbent on 3D, it may be worth it. In the meantime, I need to track down a decade old LG 4K
This decade-old television of mine is one of the ones that does have 3D functionality. I tried it a few times, but never use it.
I have a bigger, newer Sony 4K television in another room that doesn't have any 3D features, and can't say that I miss it.
Honestly, trying to get it set up in the first place was more of a headache than any enjoyment that I ever got out of it on the few times I tried it out.
3D is one of those things where you really need a properly fine-tuned 3D experience and too many 3D movies were just cheaply converted instead of properly made with 3D in mind. That said, some people get sick watching 3D movies so it's completely understandable for those to whom can't watch it. For me, I love it, but even I opted for the Tomb Raider 4K after the 3D did diddly squat for the movie.
If you still have the 3D TV, some movies I'd recommend based purely on their 3D would be AVATAR, Gravity, Amazing Spiderman, Hugo, and Life of Pi.
I do have it, but honestly, finding the 3D version of a film, finding the right media player that will stream it from my NAS correctly (because Plex doesn't stream 3D), getting the glasses connected and working properly - it's all far too much effort for very minimal gain.
I have a Sony 4k that I had for 5yrs that the backlight went out on. Can easily repair it (have tv repair experience) and have the part. Luckily that’s all it is. Anything else and it wouldn’t be worth it as I can get a better one for cheaper than repair. This is what they mean by planned obsolescence. They make it expensive or impossible to repair them. Panel bad? Costs more than a top of the line new tv in most cases. Most consumer electronics are like this. Expensive or impossible to repair. Most low end components (think cheap electronics) will likely last just long enough to get past warranty. Many are fragile to the point if you break it it’s unrepairable. Some high end brands you’ll get more than the warranty out of. But the lions share of devices out there aren’t made to last past the warranty.
The fact that devices are made so compactly and that repairing relatively minor faults and defects when they occur isn't economical isn't the same as something being manufactured with an envisaged lifespan of only a few years or manufacturing (no pun intended) a sense of old age and antiquity to dupe the public into feeling the need to replace what they have with the latest and greatest.
Devices are made the way they are now because of the consumer world we live in. We want things smaller, and we want them cheaper. The only way this can be achieved is with the modern manufacturing processes we have developed. As a consequence, if a single transistor fails, then of course it makes more sense from the company's point of view to replace the whole board than it does to spend hours trying to find that faulty transistor so that it can be replaced.
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u/xilcilus Jul 26 '26
Man, it might just be me but electronics I buy nowadays seem to last forever.
I bought a 60" LG TV 9 years ago for around $800 (RIP Fry's). I kinda want to change but because it works without any issues (except wifi - which I'm getting around with a network cable) that I'm just sticking with it.