Author Topic: Scrapping a $3500 TV  (Read 13757 times)

JAYSLOL

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Scrapping a $3500 TV
« on: February 07, 2018, 08:56:37 PM »
So, today I was at the local recycling depot to drop off some cans and bottles and mixed recyclables and witnessed the following while i sorted things.  A guy pulls up in a big pickup truck that had a very large (60" or so) old-school CRT tv in it and couple guys that worked there helped him unload it and put it in the household electronics scrap pile.  While they were doing this i overheard one of the guys that was helping ask "does this still work?", owner says "yeah, just isn't worth anything anymore", helper says "yeah, looks just like my old TV, I paid $3500 for it back in the day, haha". 

And this would be why i don't buy the latest and greatest stuff, especially when its purely for entertainment purposes

JLee

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2018, 08:59:36 PM »
CRTs never came that big -- but yeah, electronics depreciation is definitely a thing!

RecoveringCarClown

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2018, 09:08:33 PM »
Maybe not in the way you are thinking (tube perhaps?) but as projection they certainly did.  Example: Philips - 60" 1080i CRT Rear-Projection HDTV

JLee

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2018, 09:48:07 PM »
Maybe not in the way you are thinking (tube perhaps?) but as projection they certainly did.  Example: Philips - 60" 1080i CRT Rear-Projection HDTV

As projection, yes - though at that point I'm not sure how you could externally differentiate between CRT, DLP, or LCD projection. It certainly wouldn't be "old-school CRT" in any case. ;)

JAYSLOL

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2018, 10:00:07 PM »
Maybe not in the way you are thinking (tube perhaps?) but as projection they certainly did.  Example: Philips - 60" 1080i CRT Rear-Projection HDTV

Yeah, sorry maybe it was rear projection, not CRT

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2018, 11:01:39 PM »
CRTs never came that big -- but yeah, electronics depreciation is definitely a thing!

The largest ones you could get were pretty bloody cumbersome, though. I can see someone ditching one just for the extra space! I guess the good news is that the person who paid $3500 for it obviously had it for a loooooong time.

JLee

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #6 on: February 07, 2018, 11:04:40 PM »
CRTs never came that big -- but yeah, electronics depreciation is definitely a thing!

The largest ones you could get were pretty bloody cumbersome, though. I can see someone ditching one just for the extra space! I guess the good news is that the person who paid $3500 for it obviously had it for a loooooong time.

Oh yeah they were absolutely huge! I remember them being around when I was a kid, but by the time I got to TV-buying age flat panel LCDs had become readily available.

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #7 on: February 07, 2018, 11:19:42 PM »
CRTs never came that big -- but yeah, electronics depreciation is definitely a thing!

The largest ones you could get were pretty bloody cumbersome, though. I can see someone ditching one just for the extra space! I guess the good news is that the person who paid $3500 for it obviously had it for a loooooong time.

Oh yeah they were absolutely huge! I remember them being around when I was a kid, but by the time I got to TV-buying age flat panel LCDs had become readily available.

I remember having an enormous one as a university student. Something like 50 inches, it was the biggest you could get based on the vacuum or something. It was all we could afford, as in free. Literally took up half the living room. When you turned it off, you could run your hand over the screen and feel an inch of fuzzy feeling static. I remember when flat screens came in. They were thousands also. I definitely never buy brand new technology!

Just Joe

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2018, 07:57:17 AM »
I had a used 16:3 CRT TV that I got from a friend who likes to spend on high end entertainment electronics.

Vertically it was about the same as a 27" TV but naturally wider. Was a neat upgrade.

Was a brand I have never heard of before or since. It died after about a year. We went through several old or cheap TVs for a few years. Never lasted. Our LCD has been doing fine for years now.

Davnasty

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #9 on: February 08, 2018, 03:48:03 PM »
I had a used 16:3 CRT TV that I got from a friend who likes to spend on high end entertainment electronics.

Vertically it was about the same as a 27" TV but naturally wider. Was a neat upgrade.

Was a brand I have never heard of before or since. It died after about a year. We went through several old or cheap TVs for a few years. Never lasted. Our LCD has been doing fine for years now.
16:3? Like this?



KodeBlue

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #10 on: February 08, 2018, 04:05:28 PM »
We have an old tv in the basement that I watch when i'm folding laundry down there. How old? It's a black and white....and Johnny Carson still comes on every night at 11:00.

RecoveringCarClown

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2018, 09:02:34 PM »
CRTs never came that big -- but yeah, electronics depreciation is definitely a thing!

The largest ones you could get were pretty bloody cumbersome, though. I can see someone ditching one just for the extra space! I guess the good news is that the person who paid $3500 for it obviously had it for a loooooong time.

Oh yeah they were absolutely huge! I remember them being around when I was a kid, but by the time I got to TV-buying age flat panel LCDs had become readily available.

I remember having an enormous one as a university student. Something like 50 inches, it was the biggest you could get based on the vacuum or something. It was all we could afford, as in free. Literally took up half the living room. When you turned it off, you could run your hand over the screen and feel an inch of fuzzy feeling static. I remember when flat screens came in. They were thousands also. I definitely never buy brand new technology!

Probably the Sony 40", made in about 2002.  A friend had one, ~300lbs,  he wisely threw it in with the house he sold.  The anti gauss ring made a sweet "vompt" sound when you turned it on.  It had 'cool for the time' 1080i hd but was still 4:3.  Few years later you could get a 32" LCD 16:9 for the same price ($2kish) but at 720p at about 40lbs. Now you can get 2160p (4K) at 70" for $1.5k at less than 70lbs.  Pretty amazing really.

JLee

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #12 on: February 08, 2018, 09:13:52 PM »
CRTs never came that big -- but yeah, electronics depreciation is definitely a thing!

The largest ones you could get were pretty bloody cumbersome, though. I can see someone ditching one just for the extra space! I guess the good news is that the person who paid $3500 for it obviously had it for a loooooong time.

Oh yeah they were absolutely huge! I remember them being around when I was a kid, but by the time I got to TV-buying age flat panel LCDs had become readily available.

I remember having an enormous one as a university student. Something like 50 inches, it was the biggest you could get based on the vacuum or something. It was all we could afford, as in free. Literally took up half the living room. When you turned it off, you could run your hand over the screen and feel an inch of fuzzy feeling static. I remember when flat screens came in. They were thousands also. I definitely never buy brand new technology!

Probably the Sony 40", made in about 2002.  A friend had one, ~300lbs,  he wisely threw it in with the house he sold.  The anti gauss ring made a sweet "vompt" sound when you turned it on.  It had 'cool for the time' 1080i hd but was still 4:3.  Few years later you could get a 32" LCD 16:9 for the same price ($2kish) but at 720p at about 40lbs. Now you can get 2160p (4K) at 70" for $1.5k at less than 70lbs.  Pretty amazing really.

My 65" 4K TV was $700, and it dropped to $650 a couple of weeks later so I filed a price protection claim with my credit card.  $10/inch for 4k. It's ridiculous...

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #13 on: February 08, 2018, 09:20:13 PM »
CRTs never came that big -- but yeah, electronics depreciation is definitely a thing!

The largest ones you could get were pretty bloody cumbersome, though. I can see someone ditching one just for the extra space! I guess the good news is that the person who paid $3500 for it obviously had it for a loooooong time.

Oh yeah they were absolutely huge! I remember them being around when I was a kid, but by the time I got to TV-buying age flat panel LCDs had become readily available.

I remember having an enormous one as a university student. Something like 50 inches, it was the biggest you could get based on the vacuum or something. It was all we could afford, as in free. Literally took up half the living room. When you turned it off, you could run your hand over the screen and feel an inch of fuzzy feeling static. I remember when flat screens came in. They were thousands also. I definitely never buy brand new technology!

Probably the Sony 40", made in about 2002.  A friend had one, ~300lbs,  he wisely threw it in with the house he sold.  The anti gauss ring made a sweet "vompt" sound when you turned it on.  It had 'cool for the time' 1080i hd but was still 4:3.  Few years later you could get a 32" LCD 16:9 for the same price ($2kish) but at 720p at about 40lbs. Now you can get 2160p (4K) at 70" for $1.5k at less than 70lbs.  Pretty amazing really.

Lol, I remember the "vompt"! I kind of wish I still had it. It would be soooo retro if you had the room for the bloody thing.

Just Joe

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #14 on: February 09, 2018, 07:32:30 AM »
I had a used 16:3 CRT TV that I got from a friend who likes to spend on high end entertainment electronics.

Vertically it was about the same as a 27" TV but naturally wider. Was a neat upgrade.

Was a brand I have never heard of before or since. It died after about a year. We went through several old or cheap TVs for a few years. Never lasted. Our LCD has been doing fine for years now.
16:3? Like this?

Ahh - no. Let's just define it as rectangle rather than square. I might need to go back and learn my ratios.

I meant to say 16:9. I think. ;)

nereo

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #15 on: February 09, 2018, 07:44:52 AM »
So, today I was at the local recycling depot to drop off some cans and bottles and mixed recyclables and witnessed the following while i sorted things.  A guy pulls up in a big pickup truck that had a very large (60" or so) old-school CRT tv in it and couple guys that worked there helped him unload it and put it in the household electronics scrap pile.  While they were doing this i overheard one of the guys that was helping ask "does this still work?", owner says "yeah, just isn't worth anything anymore", helper says "yeah, looks just like my old TV, I paid $3500 for it back in the day, haha". 

And this would be why i don't buy the latest and greatest stuff, especially when its purely for entertainment purposes

Sounds very similar to the recent experience of my parents.  My father bought a ~60" rear-projection CRT (4:3) back in the mid 1990s to watch "the game" and movies on - it was in our basement rec-room.  I'm pretty sure it was >$2k at the time, and that was 20+ years ago.  About a decade later they redid the sliding glass door and thought nothing of it.  Several years after that they discovered that the new door wouldn't allow the old TV to be removed without dismantling the frame from the wall.

So the TV sat mostly unused as it became dimmer over time and the LCD upstairs was much sharper, albeit much smaller, but with the wider aspect ratio.  They finally moved it around christmas.  My mom spent a long time trying to find someone (anyone!) that would take it so it didn't go to waste... called community centers, schools, etc. She was trying to give it away for free... no takers.  They even live 6 miles from a major university with ~20k students.  Literally zero response.

In the end it went to the electronics recycling part of our transfer station, where it sat with about a dozen other sad CRTs that met the same fate that week. Parents had to hire two guys to load it into a truck after removing the door completely from the wall just to get it out.  Easily weighed 200lbs... probably more.

Davnasty

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #16 on: February 09, 2018, 08:27:11 AM »
I had a used 16:3 CRT TV that I got from a friend who likes to spend on high end entertainment electronics.

Vertically it was about the same as a 27" TV but naturally wider. Was a neat upgrade.

Was a brand I have never heard of before or since. It died after about a year. We went through several old or cheap TVs for a few years. Never lasted. Our LCD has been doing fine for years now.
16:3? Like this?

Ahh - no. Let's just define it as rectangle rather than square. I might need to go back and learn my ratios.

I meant to say 16:9. I think. ;)

That would be pretty cool if there was such a thing as "Plant Earth Panoramic" though

nereo

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #17 on: February 09, 2018, 08:41:54 AM »
I had a used 16:3 CRT TV that I got from a friend who likes to spend on high end entertainment electronics.

Vertically it was about the same as a 27" TV but naturally wider. Was a neat upgrade.

Was a brand I have never heard of before or since. It died after about a year. We went through several old or cheap TVs for a few years. Never lasted. Our LCD has been doing fine for years now.
16:3? Like this?

Ahh - no. Let's just define it as rectangle rather than square. I might need to go back and learn my ratios.

I meant to say 16:9. I think. ;)

That would be pretty cool if there was such a thing as "Plant Earth Panoramic" though
just FYI... In photography 'panoramic format' is often 3:1 (which = 15:5... a bit 'taller' than what was quoted earlier but still way 'narrower' than the 16:9 video standard).  Landscapes lend themselves very well to this ratio, though it's very hard to incorporate people (who typically stand in the other direction) into this format.

There's also a technical reason, as all lenses (regardless of format) resolve images in a circle. That means a very wide aspect ratio crops more of the image circle than, say, a 4:3 ratio that is nearly square. Resolving power is also diminished relative to the larger ratios (again, because a smaller portion of the image circle is being used).

dycker1978

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #18 on: February 09, 2018, 10:23:46 AM »
I used to own a TV repair business.  I was at one customers place, because his plasma had died.  So I evaluated it and found the parts that he needed.  I gave him a quote of $3500, and told him that you could buy a much better quality LED TV now, bigger that was less then half what I quoted him

His response was, "I better fix it, I spent $27000 on it when I bought it."   I asked him twice if he meant $2700.  He still had the receipt from future shop, $27000 and change for a 40 in plasma...

markpst

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #19 on: February 09, 2018, 10:35:23 AM »
Wow, $27,000! I had to do an internet search after reading that. Here is an LA Times article from February 1999 (current prices of $11,000 to $25,000). Flat panel TV's were crazy expensive, and didn't even have tuners in them. I like the quote from the Phillips VP/General Manager who didn't anticipate CRT's being completely replaced during his lifetime.

http://articles.latimes.com/1999/feb/08/business/fi-6022

dycker1978

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #20 on: February 09, 2018, 10:37:59 AM »
Wow, $27,000! I had to do an internet search after reading that. Here is an LA Times article from February 1999 (current prices of $11,000 to $25,000). Flat panel TV's were crazy expensive, and didn't even have tuners in them. I like the quote from the Phillips VP/General Manager who didn't anticipate CRT's being completely replaced during his lifetime.

http://articles.latimes.com/1999/feb/08/business/fi-6022

Yup I am talking CAD so the additional price make sense.  Crazy, spend more on a TV then the average car.

nereo

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #21 on: February 09, 2018, 10:45:41 AM »
I used to own a TV repair business.  I was at one customers place, because his plasma had died.  So I evaluated it and found the parts that he needed.  I gave him a quote of $3500, and told him that you could buy a much better quality LED TV now, bigger that was less then half what I quoted him

His response was, "I better fix it, I spent $27000 on it when I bought it."   I asked him twice if he meant $2700.  He still had the receipt from future shop, $27000 and change for a 40 in plasma...

This is a textbook example of price-anchoring.

It doesn't matter what you paid for it - it only matters what it is worth now.
$3,500 to repair a tv of lesser quality compared to brand new options selling for half that much.  wow.

behavioral psychology at work.


Yup I am talking CAD so the additional price make sense.  Crazy, spend more on a TV then the average car.
I remember my ex's parents shelling out about $4k for a blue-ray player circa 2001.  Now they pop up for under $100. In 2013 Samsung sold an 83" UHD TV for $40k (and a larger format for $150,000). Today there are dozens of >75" UHD screens for under $2k. 

o2bfree

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #22 on: February 09, 2018, 01:46:42 PM »
We finally got rid of our CRT TV a couple years ago. Kept waiting for it to die before we bought a new flat screen, but caved during a Costco sale before it did. I figured I'd try giving the CRT away on Craigslist before making the effort of hauling it off to Goodwill. Didn't expect much response...but within about 30 minutes there were five people interested. The first person who responded came and picked it up that night. No sweat!

ketchup

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #23 on: February 09, 2018, 02:12:31 PM »
My first TV I bought was a $0.99 ~32" late-90s CRT from Goodwill.  Luckily I split it four ways with roommates, so it only cost us $0.2475 each to have something to plug our Wii into.  When we moved, Goodwill got the TV back.  Now they don't take them anymore since the demand is so low.

Bought our current TV just over a year ago.  43" fancypants 1080p Sharp with built-in Roku for $229.  It weighs like 22lbs.  TVs are crazy cheap now.

nereo

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #24 on: February 09, 2018, 02:24:44 PM »

Bought our current TV just over a year ago.  43" fancypants 1080p Sharp with built-in Roku for $229.  It weighs like 22lbs.  TVs are crazy cheap now.

I don't understand how they can even make money selling TVs anymore.  This isn't an item people buy multiple times/year, and I'm constantly finding large(ish) TVs for under $200. How much profit can there be at that price-point?

JAYSLOL

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #25 on: February 09, 2018, 02:47:02 PM »

Bought our current TV just over a year ago.  43" fancypants 1080p Sharp with built-in Roku for $229.  It weighs like 22lbs.  TVs are crazy cheap now.

I don't understand how they can even make money selling TVs anymore.  This isn't an item people buy multiple times/year, and I'm constantly finding large(ish) TVs for under $200. How much profit can there be at that price-point?

People upgrade all the time, and the stores make a killing selling extended warranties and accessories

ketchup

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #26 on: February 09, 2018, 03:01:06 PM »

Bought our current TV just over a year ago.  43" fancypants 1080p Sharp with built-in Roku for $229.  It weighs like 22lbs.  TVs are crazy cheap now.

I don't understand how they can even make money selling TVs anymore.  This isn't an item people buy multiple times/year, and I'm constantly finding large(ish) TVs for under $200. How much profit can there be at that price-point?

People upgrade all the time, and the stores make a killing selling extended warranties and accessories
Be that as it may, the tech is moving a lot slower than say, 10-15 years ago.  In 2005 maybe you bought that hotshot 34" HD CRT.  Then in 2010, you bought a sweet 42" 720p plasma.  Then in 2014, you bought a 50" 1080p LCD.  Not much has changed since then.  4K is a thing, sure, and maybe worth getting if you're buying anyway past a certain size, but there's not much 4K content out there yet.  3D came and went.  Smart TVs are a joke (mine is pretty stupid, and it's apparently one of the least-bad).  HDR? Not yet for a reasonable price, and most people don't care.  Few people that bought a TV in the last 5-7 years have a reason to replace it anytime soon.

Dave1442397

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #27 on: February 09, 2018, 06:41:07 PM »

Bought our current TV just over a year ago.  43" fancypants 1080p Sharp with built-in Roku for $229.  It weighs like 22lbs.  TVs are crazy cheap now.

I don't understand how they can even make money selling TVs anymore.  This isn't an item people buy multiple times/year, and I'm constantly finding large(ish) TVs for under $200. How much profit can there be at that price-point?

People upgrade all the time, and the stores make a killing selling extended warranties and accessories
Be that as it may, the tech is moving a lot slower than say, 10-15 years ago.  In 2005 maybe you bought that hotshot 34" HD CRT.  Then in 2010, you bought a sweet 42" 720p plasma.  Then in 2014, you bought a 50" 1080p LCD.  Not much has changed since then.  4K is a thing, sure, and maybe worth getting if you're buying anyway past a certain size, but there's not much 4K content out there yet.  3D came and went.  Smart TVs are a joke (mine is pretty stupid, and it's apparently one of the least-bad).  HDR? Not yet for a reasonable price, and most people don't care.  Few people that bought a TV in the last 5-7 years have a reason to replace it anytime soon.

I bought a 73" Mitsubishi DLP back in 2012 for $1150, and although the quantum dot and OLED TVs are tempting, I have no reason to replace it. I keep track of prices just to see how much they'll drop every year, but even now, after six years, I still think $1150 was a great price for that TV.

My first TV was a 32" Sony Trinitron that weighed 156lbs and cost $1000 at Nobody beats The Wiz in November 1993. The Sony VCR that I bought along with it was $400.

Growing up, we didn't even buy TVs. They were so expensive that people just rented them. I always admired the business owner who had that store. In the '70s and '80s, he was in the TV rent and repair business. In the '90s, as VCRs came in, he rented VCRs and movies. When he saw the market turning to volume sales and online purchasing, he closed his retail store and went into warehousing and wholesaling electronics, and has always stayed one step ahead. His son runs the business now, and it still seems to be doing well.

Just Joe

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #28 on: February 11, 2018, 02:28:47 PM »
I used to own a TV repair business.  I was at one customers place, because his plasma had died.  So I evaluated it and found the parts that he needed.  I gave him a quote of $3500, and told him that you could buy a much better quality LED TV now, bigger that was less then half what I quoted him

His response was, "I better fix it, I spent $27000 on it when I bought it."   I asked him twice if he meant $2700.  He still had the receipt from future shop, $27000 and change for a 40 in plasma...

We paid $325 for an 42" 1080 LCD equivalent (120Hz) and I thought we were being extravagant. Years later it continues to serve us well.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2018, 02:33:11 PM by Just Joe »

JLee

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #29 on: February 11, 2018, 04:10:56 PM »

Bought our current TV just over a year ago.  43" fancypants 1080p Sharp with built-in Roku for $229.  It weighs like 22lbs.  TVs are crazy cheap now.

I don't understand how they can even make money selling TVs anymore.  This isn't an item people buy multiple times/year, and I'm constantly finding large(ish) TVs for under $200. How much profit can there be at that price-point?

People upgrade all the time, and the stores make a killing selling extended warranties and accessories
Be that as it may, the tech is moving a lot slower than say, 10-15 years ago.  In 2005 maybe you bought that hotshot 34" HD CRT.  Then in 2010, you bought a sweet 42" 720p plasma.  Then in 2014, you bought a 50" 1080p LCD.  Not much has changed since then.  4K is a thing, sure, and maybe worth getting if you're buying anyway past a certain size, but there's not much 4K content out there yet.  3D came and went.  Smart TVs are a joke (mine is pretty stupid, and it's apparently one of the least-bad).  HDR? Not yet for a reasonable price, and most people don't care.  Few people that bought a TV in the last 5-7 years have a reason to replace it anytime soon.

Smart TVs have been rendered irrelevant by inexpensive hardware like Chromecast, Roku, Fire stick, etc.  I have a $65 Roku Streaming Stick+ and it's amazing how good it is, especially considering the price point (and how damn small it is).

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #30 on: February 11, 2018, 09:36:40 PM »
In mid-2007 purchased a 37-inch Vizio LCD TV for ~$850+tax, using earnings from a side job. Late 2017 it started acting wonky between channel changes. Replaced it with a 55-inch TCL Roku 4K TV for $650+tax. It's the only TV in the house. No TVs in bedrooms, ruins the mood.

Old Vizio went to our yard guy. He said he'll get it fixed and give it to his relatives. There's a flea market nearby that has a Hispanic guy who's an electronics Mr Fixit.

We don't scrap tech; know plenty of people who could use with it. I install edubuntu on old computers and laptops and give them away.

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #31 on: February 12, 2018, 07:56:17 AM »
I install edubuntu on old computers and laptops and give them away.

Exactly! I do something similar.

ketchup

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #32 on: February 12, 2018, 07:56:23 AM »
Smart TVs have been rendered irrelevant by inexpensive hardware like Chromecast, Roku, Fire stick, etc.  I have a $65 Roku Streaming Stick+ and it's amazing how good it is, especially considering the price point (and how damn small it is).
That's what I meant by "smart TVs" being stupid.  I'm sure mine will be irrelevant/crappy in a year or two, so it'll just transform back into a "dumb" TV and I'll plug in a Roku/Chromecast/whatever.

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #33 on: February 12, 2018, 08:06:09 AM »
Smart TVs have been rendered irrelevant by inexpensive hardware like Chromecast, Roku, Fire stick, etc.  I have a $65 Roku Streaming Stick+ and it's amazing how good it is, especially considering the price point (and how damn small it is).
That's what I meant by "smart TVs" being stupid.  I'm sure mine will be irrelevant/crappy in a year or two, so it'll just transform back into a "dumb" TV and I'll plug in a Roku/Chromecast/whatever.

Ditto with "smart cars." It's sad to see perfectly well-driving cars look outdated because the onboard electronics go obsolete. The way the systems tend to get integrated with the dashboard makes aftermarket upgrades a pain-in-the-ass too.

ketchup

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #34 on: February 12, 2018, 08:09:37 AM »
Smart TVs have been rendered irrelevant by inexpensive hardware like Chromecast, Roku, Fire stick, etc.  I have a $65 Roku Streaming Stick+ and it's amazing how good it is, especially considering the price point (and how damn small it is).
That's what I meant by "smart TVs" being stupid.  I'm sure mine will be irrelevant/crappy in a year or two, so it'll just transform back into a "dumb" TV and I'll plug in a Roku/Chromecast/whatever.

Ditto with "smart cars." It's sad to see perfectly well-driving cars look outdated because the onboard electronics go obsolete. The way the systems tend to get integrated with the dashboard makes aftermarket upgrades a pain-in-the-ass too.
What, you mean my 2001 car telling me "BULB FAILURE POSITION LIGHT" for months despite every damn bulb I can find being functional is not the pinnacle of mobile electronic excellence?

nereo

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #35 on: February 12, 2018, 08:29:08 AM »
Smart TVs have been rendered irrelevant by inexpensive hardware like Chromecast, Roku, Fire stick, etc.  I have a $65 Roku Streaming Stick+ and it's amazing how good it is, especially considering the price point (and how damn small it is).
That's what I meant by "smart TVs" being stupid.  I'm sure mine will be irrelevant/crappy in a year or two, so it'll just transform back into a "dumb" TV and I'll plug in a Roku/Chromecast/whatever.

Ditto with "smart cars." It's sad to see perfectly well-driving cars look outdated because the onboard electronics go obsolete. The way the systems tend to get integrated with the dashboard makes aftermarket upgrades a pain-in-the-ass too.
What, you mean my 2001 car telling me "BULB FAILURE POSITION LIGHT" for months despite every damn bulb I can find being functional is not the pinnacle of mobile electronic excellence?

...are you sure it's not just your bulb-failure-position-light light telling you it's functional?

ketchup

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #36 on: February 12, 2018, 09:22:58 AM »
Smart TVs have been rendered irrelevant by inexpensive hardware like Chromecast, Roku, Fire stick, etc.  I have a $65 Roku Streaming Stick+ and it's amazing how good it is, especially considering the price point (and how damn small it is).
That's what I meant by "smart TVs" being stupid.  I'm sure mine will be irrelevant/crappy in a year or two, so it'll just transform back into a "dumb" TV and I'll plug in a Roku/Chromecast/whatever.

Ditto with "smart cars." It's sad to see perfectly well-driving cars look outdated because the onboard electronics go obsolete. The way the systems tend to get integrated with the dashboard makes aftermarket upgrades a pain-in-the-ass too.
What, you mean my 2001 car telling me "BULB FAILURE POSITION LIGHT" for months despite every damn bulb I can find being functional is not the pinnacle of mobile electronic excellence?

...are you sure it's not just your bulb-failure-position-light light telling you it's functional?
Ah, much like my "everything's OK" alarm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTzByQTeyJQ

nereo

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #37 on: February 12, 2018, 10:37:56 AM »
Smart TVs have been rendered irrelevant by inexpensive hardware like Chromecast, Roku, Fire stick, etc.  I have a $65 Roku Streaming Stick+ and it's amazing how good it is, especially considering the price point (and how damn small it is).
That's what I meant by "smart TVs" being stupid.  I'm sure mine will be irrelevant/crappy in a year or two, so it'll just transform back into a "dumb" TV and I'll plug in a Roku/Chromecast/whatever.

Ditto with "smart cars." It's sad to see perfectly well-driving cars look outdated because the onboard electronics go obsolete. The way the systems tend to get integrated with the dashboard makes aftermarket upgrades a pain-in-the-ass too.
What, you mean my 2001 car telling me "BULB FAILURE POSITION LIGHT" for months despite every damn bulb I can find being functional is not the pinnacle of mobile electronic excellence?

...are you sure it's not just your bulb-failure-position-light light telling you it's functional?
Ah, much like my "everything's OK" alarm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTzByQTeyJQ
now you're getting it!

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #38 on: February 12, 2018, 11:23:35 AM »
I paid something like $1,300 for my first LCD TV in 2008.  It's a 46" Samsung and I still have it, works great without a single dead pixel.  Paid too much for it, but it has lasted the test of time.

ketchup

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #39 on: February 12, 2018, 12:15:40 PM »
I paid something like $1,300 for my first LCD TV in 2008.  It's a 46" Samsung and I still have it, works great without a single dead pixel.  Paid too much for it, but it has lasted the test of time.
To be fair, if my memory is correct, that was a pretty decent price at the time.

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #40 on: February 12, 2018, 12:19:17 PM »
I paid something like $1,300 for my first LCD TV in 2008.  It's a 46" Samsung and I still have it, works great without a single dead pixel.  Paid too much for it, but it has lasted the test of time.
To be fair, if my memory is correct, that was a pretty decent price at the time.

It was late 2008, in fact I remember precisely that it was a black Friday deal.  I think the tech and prices for flat screen TV's was changing very quickly in 2008.

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #41 on: February 12, 2018, 03:43:03 PM »
In 2007 I bought a 46" plasma Panasonic.  Still works perfect. Could have bought a Vizio at the time but had never heard of them. The Panasonic was $100 more. I guess now that it's 11 years old I can cut it some slack. It was a butt load of money back then. The wife and I were just married and it was the only xmas present for bot of us that year. We only have one tv and it has been it. Newer bigger shiny ones are always singing their siren song at Sam's club but I refuse to give in!

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #42 on: February 12, 2018, 03:49:09 PM »
In 2007 I bought a 46" plasma Panasonic.  Still works perfect. Could have bought a Vizio at the time but had never heard of them. The Panasonic was $100 more. I guess now that it's 11 years old I can cut it some slack. It was a butt load of money back then. The wife and I were just married and it was the only xmas present for bot of us that year. We only have one tv and it has been it. Newer bigger shiny ones are always singing their siren song at Sam's club but I refuse to give in!
Bold mine.  This is the part that is apparently still odd to many.  I thought last year when we finally bought a TV (almost two years after moving into our house) that we were joining the ranks of normal-dom on that front.  Turns out the average US household has 2.3 TVs now (down from 2.6 in 2009 apparently).  It's madness.

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #43 on: February 12, 2018, 04:20:41 PM »
In 2007 I bought a 46" plasma Panasonic.  Still works perfect. Could have bought a Vizio at the time but had never heard of them. The Panasonic was $100 more. I guess now that it's 11 years old I can cut it some slack. It was a butt load of money back then. The wife and I were just married and it was the only xmas present for bot of us that year. We only have one tv and it has been it. Newer bigger shiny ones are always singing their siren song at Sam's club but I refuse to give in!
Bold mine.  This is the part that is apparently still odd to many.  I thought last year when we finally bought a TV (almost two years after moving into our house) that we were joining the ranks of normal-dom on that front.  Turns out the average US household has 2.3 TVs now (down from 2.6 in 2009 apparently).  It's madness.
I, too, don't get this.  My parents (empty nesters) have 4 TVs in their house.  My sister (family of 3) has just as many.  I get that they are cheap and normal consumers don't find the price to be a deterrent, but why you'd want a TV in every room, or want more TVs than people is madness to me. The biggest culture shock anytime we visit is the mind-numbing hours the TV (or TVs) are on each day.

We've got one, and we haven't had cable or hooked it up to get broadcast channels in probably 8 years. We'll watch some Netflix a couple times per week, but it stays off more days than its on.

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #44 on: February 12, 2018, 05:02:56 PM »
In 2007 I bought a 46" plasma Panasonic.  Still works perfect. Could have bought a Vizio at the time but had never heard of them. The Panasonic was $100 more. I guess now that it's 11 years old I can cut it some slack. It was a butt load of money back then. The wife and I were just married and it was the only xmas present for bot of us that year. We only have one tv and it has been it. Newer bigger shiny ones are always singing their siren song at Sam's club but I refuse to give in!

Sounds lika few of us are in that boat. I have 47" Vizio that I paid $1350 for in 2007. It's still works fine, but it's not very efficient (I need to put a killowatt on it and see). You can almost see the heat waves rising off of it. It's about 70lbs and 6 inch thick. Mustachian tendencies are winning out though as I can't justify replacing it, even though part of me is secretly hoping it will die at some point so I can get a 4K HDR replacement.

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #45 on: February 12, 2018, 05:39:25 PM »
We only stream Netflix and Hulu, I have an antenna. I personally could care less about the tube but the wife likes to go numb after work. I generally read books or the internet in the other room. Other than some documentaries or myth busters I really can't help but feel dumber after TV. In the summer I'm outside until the mosquitos chase me back in.

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #46 on: February 12, 2018, 05:51:57 PM »
We only stream Netflix and Hulu, I have an antenna. I personally could care less about the tube but the wife likes to go numb after work. I generally read books or the internet in the other room. Other than some documentaries or myth busters I really can't help but feel dumber after TV. In the summer I'm outside until the mosquitos chase me back in.

That may be an indication that you're watching bad shows. :P

There's some seriously brilliant television out there. BBC's Sherlock comes to mind.

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #47 on: February 13, 2018, 08:04:38 AM »
In 2007 I bought a 46" plasma Panasonic.  Still works perfect. Could have bought a Vizio at the time but had never heard of them. The Panasonic was $100 more. I guess now that it's 11 years old I can cut it some slack. It was a butt load of money back then. The wife and I were just married and it was the only xmas present for bot of us that year. We only have one tv and it has been it. Newer bigger shiny ones are always singing their siren song at Sam's club but I refuse to give in!
Bold mine.  This is the part that is apparently still odd to many.  I thought last year when we finally bought a TV (almost two years after moving into our house) that we were joining the ranks of normal-dom on that front.  Turns out the average US household has 2.3 TVs now (down from 2.6 in 2009 apparently).  It's madness.

Yeah, we do the single TV thing too - however there is plenty of technology that allows the kids to stream stuff.

DW and I grew up in homes where there was four or five TVs spread through the house. We think it has been beneficial to our family to have a single TV.
« Last Edit: February 13, 2018, 08:06:46 AM by Just Joe »

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #48 on: February 13, 2018, 10:00:12 AM »
We only stream Netflix and Hulu, I have an antenna. I personally could care less about the tube but the wife likes to go numb after work. I generally read books or the internet in the other room. Other than some documentaries or myth busters I really can't help but feel dumber after TV. In the summer I'm outside until the mosquitos chase me back in.

That may be an indication that you're watching bad shows. :P

There's some seriously brilliant television out there. BBC's Sherlock comes to mind.

Agreed, TV has really stepped up their game and there is plenty of really good programming. That said, I try to avoid watching TV as I've become more of a gamer.

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Re: Scrapping a $3500 TV
« Reply #49 on: February 13, 2018, 12:29:46 PM »
We only stream Netflix and Hulu, I have an antenna. I personally could care less about the tube but the wife likes to go numb after work. I generally read books or the internet in the other room. Other than some documentaries or myth busters I really can't help but feel dumber after TV. In the summer I'm outside until the mosquitos chase me back in.

That may be an indication that you're watching bad shows. :P

There's some seriously brilliant television out there. BBC's Sherlock comes to mind.



And I'd say that someone who kept their rear projection TV until 2018 sounds pretty darn frugal to me! I thought this would be about someone throwing out an OLED TV they just bought.