Technology advancement in TV, satellite transmission and the gradual global shift to HD (High Definition) transmission, most Plasma, LCD and LED TVs now come with HD resolution.
This year has seen most service providers adding HD channels to their packages. National Geographic and Discovery are among the first programmes being offered in HD. Channles like Star Plus HD, Star Movies and popular sports channels have followed suit and the coming year will see an avalanche of HD TV. This trend has forced DTH operators to introduce HD set-top boxes, since the earlier boxes are not suitable for receiving HD signals.
Unplugged suggests that consumers going in for DTH TV should go in for HD boxes if they intend to upgrade their conventional TV to LCD TVs in the near future. A little wait would be prudent, the price war among the DTH operators is pushing the prices of the HD satellite decoders earthward.
Reader query
I would first of all thank you for the very valuable suggestions given by you on June 20. I am using a Sony Triniton TV 21 inches, which I had purchased around 12 to 15 years ago. The TV is giving trouble and when switched on, stripes come on the screen and the picture is not displayed. After tapping the TV, the picture comes back. The TV tube we were told costs around Rs 600 to 700 to change. Kindly suggest whether to repair or buy a new TV? Please tell me which brand and model of 29/32 inches. I prefer Sony.
— Patil
Response
The symptom described is generally not related to a picture tube failure. The problem seems to be of a dry solder in the sync circuit or a break in the printed board track. However considering the fact that your TV is 15 years old, the picture tube life is almost over and spending money on repairs is not advisable. You should go in for a new TV. If there is no space constraint and if the size you are opting for is less than 26 inches, then you can go in for a 29 inch flat slim conventional tube TV from Samsung or LG, since Sony is no longer into conventional TVs. If you are fond of movies and intend go in for a good DVD player at a later stage, then you should go in for a LCD TV of minimum 32 inches. Sony LCD TVs have a good track record and since you prefer Sony, you could visit any of the Sony showrooms and select the model that suits your budget.
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