TV lifespan: assessment, factors and tips for improvement

As with all technical devices, the lifespan of televisions is limited and depends on numerous factors. We'll show you the lifespan you can count on.

TV lifespan: 10 years and more?

With the general manufacturer's guarantee of two years, you should assume that the TV will stay alive for at least this time. Anything beyond that is no longer covered by the guarantee.
According to a study by the Federal Environment Agency in 2016, 50 percent of respondents' TVs were not older than 10 years. However, only half of the discarded TVs were really broken. The majority of the devices still worked.
An expensive television does not necessarily have to last longer than a cheaper model. A comparatively cheap television can also live for over 10 years. Some manufacturers even offer a 10-year guarantee, but then mostly only on higher-priced models.

The display technology used can have a significant impact on the service life. The inexpensive display variant is the LCD display with an average lifespan of 70, 000 operating hours.
It looks a little different with televisions with OLED displays. Here the technology has developed strongly in recent years. It is only since 2013 that OLED displays in TVs have reached up to 36, 000 operating hours. The first manufacturers have promised 100, 000 hours of runtime since 2016.
If you run your television with a predicted lifespan of 100, 000 hours for 10 hours a day, you will get a value of over 10 years. However, this is only the life of the display. A defect can still occur on the board beforehand.

The lifespan of televisions can hardly be predicted. If you're lucky, your TV will run for 15 years, but in the worst case, the device can say goodbye after 3 to 5 years. In most cases, repairs are no longer worthwhile.
Even if televisions are 10 years old, the devices are usually exchanged beforehand. Due to the current rapid technological advances in picture quality, TV sets are often exchanged even before their defect.
Tip: You really can't do much to increase the lifespan of TVs. If there are ventilation slots on the top of the device, you can remove dust from them once a year.

In the next practical tip, we will show you how to best sell used TVs.