No Guarantees

By Mark Robichaux -- Multichannel News, 1/9/2012 12:01:00 AM

I’m shopping for a new HDTV this year.

Not by choice — my barely three-year-old Sony Bravia 46-inch TV is dying. That was the official prognosis from the authorized Sony repairman who charged me $100 to deliver the death notice, after I reported symptoms including pixelation. “The LCD panel is bad,” he said with a shrug. “There’s nothing you can do but call Sony.”

The conversation with Sony customer service was one that could be scripted by any consumer who dared dream for service for a broken appliance after the one-year warranty expires.

“Aren’t TVs supposed to last more than three years?” I asked.

“There is no guarantee of life expectancy,” the rep said, without emotion. Pause. “I’m sorry yours didn’t last long.”

I could smell defeat on the telephone line.

But after a few days of talking to friends and neighbors, I found that few were as stunned as I was. Their reaction: “So? Nothing lasts forever,” they said — “move on.” I know we live in a disposable world — diapers, lighters, even phones — but it strikes me as odd to throw away such an essential item as a TV, especially after such little use.

I can already hear the techies and number-crunchers lecturing on the fragility of today’s finely tuned electronics and how thin the margins are for TVs in such a competitive market. But I can remember a time when my grandparents — heck, my own parents — owned TV sets that lasted for decades, the best affirmation of brand loyalty.

If TVs have become such a core part of our existence as U.S. consumers, they should last at least as long other major appliances, like refrigerators or dishwashers.

I’m not picking on Sony here (OK, I am) because I could tell a similar story about the unexpected device death throes of my laptop, Black- Berry and iPod over recent years. Is it me, or has the entire consumer-electronics industry turned into one big toaster company?

My mind raced with conspiracy theories about the designed obsolescence of electronic goods, much like the famous run-free pantyhose and the 100-MPG gas engine that corporate America is still holding from the public. Lower a consumer’s expectations and pretty soon, he or she won’t think twice about shelling out $1,000 for TV sets that die in a couple of years.

After three days of soul-corroding conversations with Sony customer service, with detailed explanations of the autopsy, Sony gave me a choice: fix it myself (cost: $1,000- plus) or buy another 46-inch Sony HDTV (at a discount).

I seriously considered life without a big-screen TV for a while. What would it be like with me, my wife and my two kids huddled behind my laptop screen with a big bowl of popcorn, waiting for the start of a movie? Sitcoms on my smart phone? Could I adapt to a smaller screen?

The choice is clear. Sony is sending a new TV. But there is no guarantee of life expectancy.