[Jeffhs]

ATSC->NTSC converter boxes are still around on eBay. I was browsing that site earlier this evening and found several such converters, some without remotes but otherwise complete and operational.

BTW, until I read the posts in this thread, I was not aware that the demand for new converter boxes had decreased so much in recent times, but on the other hand it doesn't surprise me. I see Craig-branded HDTVs advertised for almost dirt-cheap prices in, of all places, the ad flyers for Rite Aid Pharmacy in my area, and other brands of HDTVs are coming down so much in price these days that it hardly makes sense to try to convert an old CRT set to DTV. This makes me think long and hard as well about trying to use one of my CRT sets with a Roku player and a Blu-ray player, which in turn means I may not even attempt such a thing when my current flat set quits--whenever that may be. I think of what jr_tech mentioned in his reply to one of my recent posts on this subject, and he is right on the mark. I do like the sharper, clearer pictures I get from my Roku, cable and DVD on my flat screen TV and probably wouldn't like having to go back to a CRT set, although I may have to for a short time if I must replace the flat set.

For the present time and as long as it works, however, I will enjoy my little Insignia 19" FP, as it still makes an excellent picture and has given me absolutely no trouble in the four years I've owned it. Given the reports I have read online regarding these TVs going bad within months, not years, of initial purchase, I think my set could set a record for longevity; I will just have to wait and see what happens. Many of the failures of these sets I read about on Insignia's support site involve TVs much larger than 19 inches, which leads me to believe that the larger sets are more prone to early failure than smaller ones. I once read somewhere in this very forum, several years ago, of someone who had a 15-year-old Coby flat panel that was still going strong; this was in response to a question I had asked regarding the life span of these sets. In fact, I think it may have been the owner of that 15-year-old Coby FP who told me my set could last that long. I don't use my TV that much, only for an hour or so in the evening to watch the news and, depending on what's on the networks or on cable, a program or two in prime time, although I honestly do not care for most of what is on prime time TV these days; for those times I have my own collection of DVDs and VHS tapes, mostly '60s-'70s TV series, which I watch on occasion, but again, not to excess.

I believe flat screen TVs that are used many hours a day are much more likely to fail early in their lives than sets which are used moderately (as in my case) or hardly at all. That I don't use my set for hours and hours every day may be one reason it has lasted as long as it has.

I'm sure if I did use it eight to ten hours a day or more, the set would have failed by now. The larger FPs will fail sooner than smaller sets because of the higher voltages and currents required to operate the screen, which means more strain on the often underrated components.

In simple terms, I am trying to say that very large flat screens, and by "large" I mean 60 inches and up (this includes the new curved 4K "UHD" sets), are more likely to fail within their warranty period than much smaller sets. I think this is a darn shame, as much as these TVs cost new (I've seen large-screen UHD sets priced very high, upwards of $1000, and Samsung's curved 4K UHD sets, not to mention their S-UHD monsters, can run even higher, depending on where you look).

I also believe that, if a TV (for example) lasts through its warranty period, it will continue to operate well for quite a while afterward. This is why I am not concerned about my own set failing any time soon; after all, the set had a two-year factory warranty, which has long since expired. The set is now in its fifth year of service, and still works every bit as well as it worked the day I unpacked it in August 2011. The TV will actually be five years old in May of this year, as that is the month the set was manufactured.

I have absolutely no idea what brand of capacitors are used in my set's power supply, but since the TV has lasted this long with no problems, I wouldn't be surprised if those caps are Nichicons or some other brand of high-quality capacitor that won't fail within weeks or months of being installed. This is not to say these capacitors, of whatever brand, will never fail; it does mean, however, that whatever brand of caps are in my FP right now have been good enough to last four years, and they could last longer. As little as I use my set, as I mentioned, I would not be surprised if I am still watching it a year or two from now.

The cheap sets found at discount stores, however, are another story. I give those sets six months, a year at most, before they suffer failures that will put them out of commission permanently. At the rates TV repair shops charge just to look at a set before taking the back off, let alone the actual charges for parts and service labor, it is hardly worth having such sets diagnosed, much less repaired--the cost of the diagnosis alone could well equal or even exceed the price of a new set.