As TVs Become Monitors, How Often Do They Need to Be Replaced

I have a TV in my house over 16 years old. Others are more than 5 years old. My desktop computer is 4 years old. I hate obsolescence and expect big ticket items to have as long a shelf life as possible. That includes refrigerators and washers too. So as I consider my purchase of an HD TV, I expect it to last me at least 10 years too. According to Wilfred Martis, director of platform strategy and planning for Intel’s Digital Home Group, "research indicates that people are replacing their TV sets more often — every seven years now, down from the previous 10-year life cycle. How much lower will that number go?" Am I expecting too much from my machines?

We have become a society that throws away things too easily and it makes more sense that items be enabled to retain what is working and updated to keep them useful. Turning TVs into modular pieces that can easily switch out and upgrade sounds most promising.