[Chad Hauris]

I guess I can both agree and disagree...there are not often failures of SMD IC's in modern TV's. Most of the problems are due to power device failure, bad caps, or bad soldering. I think that for the non-technical consumer the solid state sets are better as the maintenance is sharply reduced.

In my family when I lived at my parents house we used tube type sets as I enjoy them and was on hand to maintain them. We would have the sets on 12 hours a day sometimes. When you work these sets hard, they do need a lot of maintenance...parents had to switch back to modern sets when I left home as I could not be there to maintain them.

Also with cars I think that the average non-technical consumer has benefited from technological advances. When you can turn the key and have the car start up instantly in 10 degree weather thanks to fuel injection, get 25 mpg on a V-8 engine, and not have to change and adjust points, and have far less pollution, it is an improvement.

Now don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the old equipment and enjoy maintaining it, but I think all of us can appreciate the many advances in technology as well. It is a more complex issue than just saying that older is better.

I do think that the overall durability of the older devices is a lot better though...they are so much more substantially built that most of the modern equipment. They will continue to be here in years to come. There are too many 2000's era equipment going to the recycling days because of failures.

One could probably write an essay or thesis on this topic as there are so many points of debate on old vs. new technology as both have their advantages and shortcomings.