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 A new flatscreen TV is likely to provide continuous, problem-free service until it is obsolete.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.
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 A new flatscreen TV is likely to provide continuous, problem-free service until it is obsolete.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.