| Having an electronic home appliance like that | | | | them: |
| state-of-the-art flat screen television suddenly die on | | | | - Procuring that new plasma or LCD TV is likely to be |
| you is not really an event we always prepare for. Our | | | | more pricey than having your malfunctioning sample |
| five year plans, after all, does not usually include an | | | | fixed or repaired. Depending on what is wrong with it, it |
| electronic device. Neither do we, as a norm, keep | | | | is probably more practical to have it looked at first by |
| spare LCD or plasma TVs inside the store room. | | | | a professional to see what is wrong. You could either |
| However, whenever such things happen, it always | | | | bring it to the brand's service center for some |
| bring about that hair-pulling dilemma that I think most us | | | | diagnostics (which might entail some costs) or you |
| go through. That is, the dilemma to either have the | | | | could DIY troubleshoot it! There are good plasma TV |
| appliance repaired or to junk it and buy something new. | | | | repair guide and LCD TV repair course available on |
| The answer to the question of whether to buy or to | | | | the internet. You could avail yourself of these self-help |
| repair, as you would expect, is not easy as it depends | | | | programs and then find out what is wrong with your |
| on the situation. For example, with the older generation | | | | TV using the information you will learn. |
| televisions like the cathode-ray tube (CRT) TV, a | | | | - Televisions contain environmentally harmful |
| malfunction would most likely signal the owner to put | | | | components like heavy metals and chemicals. Having it |
| more weight on the "buy new" scenario instead of | | | | repaired and keeping it inside your home and not in |
| repair scenario. This is because the prices of its more | | | | garbage dumps and the land-fills means it does not go |
| advanced descendants, the flat screen LCD and | | | | out there to do its damage to mother Earth. |
| Plasma televisions, has gone down so dramatically in | | | | Considering what is happening to our planet, I believe |
| last few years. And with the modern flat screen's | | | | this is one of the most important considerations when |
| relative advantage in picture quality, reliability and | | | | you are trying to work the buy or repair dilemma. If it |
| energy efficiency, the argument for the "buy new TV" | | | | can be fixed, why not do it (actually, this goes for CRT |
| option seems more convincing than having an aging, | | | | TVs, too)? |
| bulky and power hungry CRT TV under go repair. | | | | - There is a market out there for pre-owned, used and |
| But what if the TV that is breaking down is a high-tech | | | | refurbished TV. If you really can not help buying a new |
| LCD or plasma TV? The answer to this also depends | | | | one, one option is to have your malfunctioning unit |
| on a number of considerations but the difference here | | | | repaired so you can re-sell it as a refurbished unit. You |
| is that the decision will not be as easy to arrive at | | | | save some hard-earned cash and you help keep |
| since new flat screen TVs are not as inexpensive as | | | | more trash from the environment. See second bullet. |
| CRTs and hence throwing away that flat screen in the | | | | - Troubleshooting and diagnosing it and perhaps |
| living room will not be as easy as throwing away that | | | | repairing it by yourself means you have just acquired a |
| 10 year old tube. | | | | very nifty and potentially profitable skill! You could |
| Buying a new TV certainly does have its advantages | | | | pursue it as a hobby or very seriously as an |
| though. The flat screen TV technology is evolving on a | | | | alternative source of income. Either way I believe you |
| monthly basis and hence, the newer ones will have | | | | are a winner. |
| already incorporated more advance and convenient | | | | Buying a new TV is not always the best solution as |
| features than the ones they sold just a couple of | | | | much as having it repaired is not always best, too. If |
| months before. The newer ones will also most likely be | | | | buying is more economical than repairing an ailing |
| more energy efficient than its predecessors and so will | | | | television, then it would be against prudence to go for |
| be more environmentally friendly. New TVs will also | | | | the repair option. The inverse is true in that if it is wiser |
| have a warranty and that should give anyone piece of | | | | to go for repair, it would be good sense to follow that |
| mind for one year at the very least. | | | | reasoning. However, with environmental considerations |
| The other option, the TV repair option, likewise, has its | | | | in the equation, I believe it is a win-win situation to |
| advantages (and it seems it has more advantages | | | | always put more weight in the TV repair option. |
| compared to the buy new option). I shall enumerate | | | | |