I have a 90's model Zenith 35" that has begun to fail, It now only comes on every 50th time you hit the power, and you have to give it a couple minutes between attempts or it won't even try.

Repair guy quoted me over $200 on the phone.

I'm thinking about just leaving it on all the time and putting it on a black screen (by selecting the VCR input with the VCR off), with brightness turned all the way down, when it isn't in use.

Think this is alright? Power consumption is concern also. I really just want to squeeze a few more months out of it.

2/7/2007 4:23:58 PM

Say that TV uses ~220W (a fair if not low estimate)...

@ $0.09 kWh the TV will contribute $14.26 to your power bill each month if left on 24/7

FYI to all you computer people how leave your machines on all the damn time: 220W is a decent idle estimate of power usage for a fairly highend machine. Especially if you cheaped out on the PSU and got something with poor efficiency.

2/7/2007 4:59:58 PM

the tv will consume a couple of hundred watts on average, so depending on what your power company charges you per kwh(progress in raleigh charges about .08/kwh), you could end up spending an extra $11 a month or so, which assumes a conservative estimate of 200W of usage for the TV.


[Edited on February 7, 2007 at 5:11 PM. Reason : ell, that's what i get for typing that up and walking away to take a shit without hitting post.]

2/7/2007 5:10:04 PM

^^my PSU is a 650W or something around that. I've started to shut it down whenever i'm not using it...i guess it will have a significant impact on my power bill.

2/7/2007 5:34:36 PM

ahh yes.. but in the winter over half that will help heat your house.

2/7/2007 5:53:20 PM

Not as such. Having a 650W power supply does not mean your computer is consuming that much, just that it is capable. We need large power supplies to handle power-up (spinning up all your hard drives and charging capacitors), not to mention your computer probably sits idle most of the time, and thanks to CPU throttling, I suspect most computers consume more likely around 100 to 150 watts.

Now, monitors are obsene power consumers. A large CRT monitor can burn 300W+ if the scenery is bright enough. But if you slumped for a flat pannel then it is most likely burning only 30W.

2/7/2007 5:55:19 PM

Okay, so what about the tv itself? Will it fuck it up to leave it on constantly?

2/7/2007 6:34:11 PM

The TV will degrade faster probably, but why don't you just buy a new TV?

2/7/2007 7:19:22 PM

^^ sounds like it's already fucked up...

2/7/2007 9:02:33 PM

will it catch fire or anything? leaving it on while you are away is dangerous....

2/7/2007 9:14:42 PM

At some point the power it going to brown or black out and thats going to be the end of it. Sure you can leave it on for maybe a month, but I wouldn't hold any high expectations about it lasting a year.

36" can be found for $500 or less these days; 27" for $150 or less. Nice $20" for $100 or less. Finance it 0% 12 months if you have to.

2/7/2007 9:36:09 PM

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2/8/2007 11:24:33 AM