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Re:Al Alcorn, creator of Pong, explains the NTSC color graph... by pjc50 on Thursday April 30, 2020 @10:08AM (#23030929)
Really highlights the workings of "Baumol cost disease" in general: TVs themselves have got cheaper, so everyone can have one for a fraction of their income. The relative cost of repair labour has gone up, as well as the devices getting less repairable, so TV repairmen are no longer a major source of employment. While college - which entirely consists of paying for the skilled labour of others, as well as buildings - has gone up hugely by comparison.

Someone should calculate the historical cost of college in terms of how many televisions you could have bought instead.

Re:Al Alcorn, creator of Pong, explains the NTSC color graph... by duskwuff on Thursday April 30, 2020 @02:03PM (#23033929)
> The relative cost of repair labour has gone up, as well as the devices getting less repairable, so TV repairmen are no longer a major source of employment.

I think you're missing another important factor. TV repair was a major source of employment because early TVs were highly failure-prone! A TV was usually the most complicated piece of electronic equipment in the house. It would often have dozens of tubes that could burn out, and older models were assembled with point-to-point wiring (instead of circuit boards) which was prone to short circuits. It wouldn't be unusual for one to need repair or tuneup work a few times a year.

Modern TVs, by comparison, rarely require repairs. A new flatscreen TV is likely to provide continuous, problem-free service until it is obsolete. That's the real reason why TV repairmen are rare now, not because TVs are cheaper or harder to repair.

Re:Al Alcorn, creator of Pong, explains the NTSC color graph... by dkdk8283 on Thursday April 30, 2020 @10:20AM (#23031055)
Not limited to TVs. Appliance repair in general has been replaced with disposable appliances.

Human rights violations in countries like China is to blame for reducing the value of skilled labor.

Re:Al Alcorn, creator of Pong, explains the NTSC color graph... by mikepurvis on Thursday April 30, 2020 @11:05AM (#23031608)
It's true, and a huge shame, particularly as it's driven appliances to be made with parts not designed to last beyond a 10 year lifespan.

That said, it's been interesting to witness the recent rise in YouTube repair guides coupled with online parts stores. Obviously not for everyone, but I've had good results repairing two different washing machines, a stove, a coffee grinder, my hot tub, a laptop, a video game controller, etc. For a lot of those I would have felt completely overwhelmed and not known where to start without a video tutorial.

Re:Al Alcorn, creator of Pong, explains the NTSC color graph... by rbanffy on Thursday April 30, 2020 @11:25AM (#23031880)
The TV set index seems like a nice counterpart to the Big Mac Index.