I don't have a 'smart TV' but I was expecting that considering their internal "phone hw" we were talking about having the same lifetime points of discussions. And computers even if much more expandable are not also immune to that. Let's think to vga cards. Some still sold low end cards only has H264 acceleration when I understand modern codecs already passed to VP9 / AV1 ones that I understand would need a much more powerful hw. So I'd not be surprised if in few time there'd be another switch to a more modern codec on TV again then repeat..
On the other side I understand why the bandwidth save logic might be a important thing for TV frequencies or mobile data contracts too but I ask myself if the whole gpu centric generic accelerators idea might not be able to actually accelerate a newer codec using the existing gpu shader units or whatever. It's not like we have Directx6 fixed video chips, modern gpus seems much more flexible to expect adapting by drivers to newer accelerations instead of fixed functions of older video chips. I don't think that modern codecs are "that heavy" that some still modern vga couldn't decode when some much older cpu can by software decoding.

Errius wrote on 2021-10-20, 09:19:

It's really annoying that HD TVs bought for big money early last decade can no longer use internet services like YouTube. Was it so hard for YT to maintain compatibility with these devices?

I know. I bought mine specifically to use Skype with my Mom who lives 3000 miles away- Paid extra for a camera that was integrated and all.... and BOOM a few years back Skype no longer worked...
really annoying.
There are alternatives for most apps like through a FireStick etc. but I hate that they track EVERYTHING... I swear mine knew I needed a Bio break and paused the show for me... Maybe I just sat on the remote though... 😀

Carrera wrote on 2021-10-20, 09:52:

I know. I bought mine specifically to use Skype with my Mom who lives 3000 miles away- Paid extra for a camera that was integrat […]
Show full quote

Errius wrote on 2021-10-20, 09:19:

It's really annoying that HD TVs bought for big money early last decade can no longer use internet services like YouTube. Was it so hard for YT to maintain compatibility with these devices?

I know. I bought mine specifically to use Skype with my Mom who lives 3000 miles away- Paid extra for a camera that was integrated and all.... and BOOM a few years back Skype no longer worked...
really annoying.
There are alternatives for most apps like through a FireStick etc. but I hate that they track EVERYTHING... I swear mine knew I needed a Bio break and paused the show for me... Maybe I just sat on the remote though... 😀

Never had smart tv in this household. Didnt want to go the android stick route, so I found a solution involving Linux (Ubuntu), bunch of old hardware I managed to collect and a wireless keyboard with a touch pad 😁

Smart TV issues are really moot at this point, an androidTV solution like a Mi Box S is super cheap and does everything.

I suppose just like external free DVB-T2 H265 cheap decoders that would solve most generic TV needs even on very old devices, people will always prefer the "let's change the whole TV" decision anyway sometimes maybe even for the "cheap" look of the external decoder might have. I know people having 4K TVs when channels are on the 576i or 1080i format and not having a 4K external disc player. They might use the smart tv functions but as said above often on very old sw configs or unknown future update plans depending on the TV brand/model.

From an enviroment point of view the real benefit I do see on a newer TV would be the total power usage compared to older panels. I still have a functional repaired old TV/monitor 26" not-led backlighted device that ask 150W at the wall with no power saving features when functioning. Instead modern devices did decrease a lot the final power demand.

Errius wrote on 2021-10-19, 21:30:

weedeewee wrote on 2021-10-19, 19:10:

Dominus wrote on 2021-10-19, 18:49:

We are getting dangerously close to recommending tin foil hats 🤣

faraday cage for your cell phone 😉

Keep it in the microwave.

for extremely fast charging !? 🤣

I've been away for a while due to mandatory army service (as if I didn't already have enough on my plate), and this happens... Is there really a reason not to have R2R? It doesn't mean you should ALWAYS repair, just that you should be able to keep something working for longer than what some corporation's Marketing Department would want. I get why OP got so angry at 3rd party repair. Hell, I've also gotten burned by some worthless watch repairer at some point (that was a great vintage Seiko 5 before he got his hands on it), but that doesn't mean 3rd party repair shops are typically anywhere near this shady or shitty. Of course they all want to make money, but most of them want to do it decently, not by being dirtbags. Also, I don't get the whole "mUSt bE auTHoRizED bY aPpLE tO rEpAIr" spiel. Be it Apple, Huawei, Samsung, Xiaomi, Blackberry, Nokia etc. , it's all a bunch of electronics, a resistor is a resistor, a cap is a cap, a battery is a battery etc etc. Of course there are different types and values of each component, but there is no special magic or anything, it's still the same principle of electronics in the end of the day.
Props to the mods for trying to keep this afloat, wish I had your patience..
Save for the surprisingly passionate anti-repair few that I wouldn't expect to see here of all places, I think it's good that there is some effort for discussion about this topic

Repairing computers is like prostitution. At first you do it for fun. Then you do it for a few close friends. Finally you do it for money.

386SX wrote on 2021-10-20, 11:30:

From an enviroment point of view the real benefit I do see on a newer TV would be the total power usage compared to older panels. I still have a functional repaired old TV/monitor 26" not-led backlighted device that ask 150W at the wall with no power saving features when functioning. Instead modern devices did decrease a lot the final power demand.

I still use a 50" 2010 model 1080p LG Plasma in the living room and the power that thing draws is PAINFUL. The electricity bill in a single year would probably justify a switch to be honest, but I don't think anything on the market looks as good as plasma even today. Convince me otherwise 🤣.

appiah4 wrote on 2021-10-21, 06:04:

386SX wrote on 2021-10-20, 11:30:

From an enviroment point of view the real benefit I do see on a newer TV would be the total power usage compared to older panels. I still have a functional repaired old TV/monitor 26" not-led backlighted device that ask 150W at the wall with no power saving features when functioning. Instead modern devices did decrease a lot the final power demand.

I still use a 50" 2010 model 1080p LG Plasma in the living room and the power that thing draws is PAINFUL. The electricity bill in a single year would probably justify a switch to be honest, but I don't think anything on the market looks as good as plasma even today. Convince me otherwise 🤣.

I understand that, for me while that LCD 26" 1280x768 tv is an early 2005 old device, I still like to keep it functional even if I'm not using it everydays cause the heat and power usage because from a technical point of view it has a great analog signals management with dedicated ICs and a complex mainboard internally also a big BGA video chip with VGA and DVI inputs too that back than was a new thing. Nowdays many cheap TVs seems to not have analog inputs at all or not resulting in a great stable final result for old game console RGB output (example).
Old game console might be a very good reason to use an older TV cause oriented to analog signals more than digital inputs. On this LCD panel I can even use old Master System RF outputs and while far from perfect (not even on CRT TVs) is similar to a RCA video/audio output while in a more modern TV the analog RF tuner is far from usable often on such devices resulting in a not stable video quality. Also another good point of old TVs is the lower resolution with much less video upscaling.

Anyway I'm curious, how many watts plasma TV required? 😉

TechieDude wrote on 2021-10-20, 21:35:

the surprisingly passionate anti-repair few that I wouldn't expect to see here of all places,

Yah it's weird to come across that in a forum like this. Makes me wonder if I should assist them in abiding by their strongly held principles by adding them to my ignore list, so that I don't accidentally help them when they should be grovelling at the feet of MS or Apple etc for succor.

BitWrangler wrote on 2021-10-21, 16:06:

TechieDude wrote on 2021-10-20, 21:35:

the surprisingly passionate anti-repair few that I wouldn't expect to see here of all places,

Yah it's weird to come across that in a forum like this. Makes me wonder if I should assist them in abiding by their strongly held principles by adding them to my ignore list, so that I don't accidentally help them when they should be grovelling at the feet of MS or Apple etc for succor.

There are people on this forum who think the ipad is the ultimate PC. I would like to think most apple fans are just elaborate trolls but I know enough of them in real life to realize this isn't the case 🙁

I changed a fuse on my 1976 CB550F motorbicycle. I guess I should have ring the mc shop and get them to charge me 1/2 labour and $50 for parts and $30 for consumables.

Also there's the positive feeling of repairing devices by ourself that often is worth more than the final product usage. Lately I changed two pieces inside the lawnmower engine carburetor that were broken and couldn't start anymore. I used my old motorcycle repairing memories to simply open it and finding that those pieces were quite standard and after changing with new ones that problematic engine started perfectly. I think there're so many things we were used to repair or at least try to, in the past. Nowdays anything seems designed to discourage to even try it.

Anti-R2R attitude indicates a belief system founded around the Appeal To Authority , a very polarising philosophy.

And not one that can be altered by logical argument.... because in their eyes, participants in conversations with them are not Authorities, therefore all arguments except, strangely, their own, are deemed by them to be uninformed.

Shreddoc wrote on 2021-10-21, 19:12:

Anti-R2R attitude indicates a belief system founded around the Appeal To Authority , a very polarising philosophy.

And not one that can be altered by logical argument.... because in their eyes, participants in conversations with them are not Authorities, therefore all arguments except, strangely, their own, are deemed by them to be uninformed.

You can't logic someone out of a decision they didn't logic themselves into. It works for almost anything, sadly. I kind of want to get one of these posters: https://thethinkingshop.org/products/logical- … ies-wall-poster

but seriously I tell people R2R is no different than taking your car to the dealership OR a local repair person OR EVEN YOURSELF. I've had the same washer/dryer for over 30 years. It wasn't until my sister moved in with her 2 crotch-goblins that both appliances finally gave up in a way that was too expensive to fix. When bearings wear out from use, its the sign of a good product. Sadly, I didn't get the same brand, as Maytag is nothing more than a shell company for Chinese crap. I got Samsung, and got a steal on a set from Costco as they included a total 5-year warranty. I figure if the appliances will last the 5 years, they should last another 10 beyond that. I'm not sad, as the new appliances wash better, take less water/electricity and are practically silent.

I have no problem with getting new devices, I just want to have the option to fix what I own, instead of being forced to just buy new.

Caluser2000 wrote on 2021-10-21, 17:20:

I changed a fuse on my 1976 CB550F motorbicycle. I guess I should have ring the mc shop and get them to charge me 1/2 labour and $50 for parts and $30 for consumables.

At the mention of motorcycles, I am reminded of the tangentially similar situation in "Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance" where philosophies clash over the use/source of a shim...
http://www.hilarygallo.com/the-zen-shim-question/

BitWrangler wrote on 2021-10-22, 01:56:

Caluser2000 wrote on 2021-10-21, 17:20:

I changed a fuse on my 1976 CB550F motorbicycle. I guess I should have ring the mc shop and get them to charge me 1/2 labour and $50 for parts and $30 for consumables.

At the mention of motorcycles, I am reminded of the tangentially similar situation in "Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance" where philosophies clash over the use/source of a shim...
http://www.hilarygallo.com/the-zen-shim-question/

I would have just ground of a few mil off the undersides of the the top handle bar clamps with my wifes free standing belt sander. No need to look for or manufacture shims which can get lost.

I'm sure someone had already brought it up, but I really hate laptop power bricks. Today I've decided to fix the brick for the docking station of my laptop. The thing is glued together instead of screwed. I sawed one side then pried it open with a flat head screwdriver. Fuck yeah' glued on shielding! pried it off, I see the seemingly only a single capacitor blew. It would be an easy and cheap fix, but the whole thing is basically a brick of glue.

Problem is, let's say I fix it. What next? Electric tape the whole thing together? Or should I buy some big ass shrink tube as thick as my wrist?

And to this day, all power bricks are made like this.

Yeah, laptop bricks are evil... They cannot be closed in any proper way after opening.

Errius wrote on 2021-10-21, 03:20:

Repairing computers is like prostitution. At first you do it for fun. Then you do it for a few close friends. Finally you do it for money.

I'm such a whore lololololol