Anyone who has ever owned a traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) television knows that despite their bulky size, compared to today’s flat screens, they were reliable and long-lasting. People have still been using CRTs for years, even decades. There is also a very strong community of collectors behind them. Tech and retro enthusiasts love CRT displays for gaming, movies, and entertainment. But why do old CRT TVs seem to last longer than modern TVs? How do the lifespans compare?
It’s not your imagination. Older TVs really did last longer. The average lifespan of a CRT TV is around 15 years, with some exceeding 20 years or more. According to ResearchGate, about 20 percent of CRT TVs are discarded within their first five years of use, so a good portion break down, but that’s not common. Compare this to modern LCD and LED TVs, which have an average lifespan of 6 years. More than 40% of modern LCD and LED panels are discarded within five years.
Lifespans are largely related to engineering; This has a lot to do with the construction complexity and quality of the parts used inside the TVs. Older CRT TVs have fewer internal components and fewer points of failure, so the technology is simpler. Additionally, because CRTs are larger, they have more space to disperse heat and reduce potential wear and tear on said components compared to modern panels, which tend to generate a lot of heat in a confined space. Heat is very bad for electronics. Additionally, there are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of components behind modern technologies, including millions of tiny lights, and all of them are potential points of failure.
Beyond hardware complexity, software also plays a role
Older CRT models also didn’t have the software complications of modern TVs. Think about the average smart TV, which needs a streaming platform with online functionality, multiple apps and background services. Not only does all of this need to be maintained, through software and feature updates, but it also requires additional hardware to support it, such as a more complex main circuit board with RAM, processors, and other computing technology. That means more hardware inside, more software that can fail, and an exponential number of failure points that can bring down the entire system. It’s no wonder that newer technologies have higher failure rates when there are so many things that can go wrong.
But there are also many additional factors or elements in the lifespan of a TV, from how often it is used or turned on (measured in rated hours) to the environment in which it is installed, exposure to hot or cold temperatures, dust, direct sunlight and much more.
These same considerations are still important for CRT TVs, they actually matter for all electronic devices, but because older technologies have fewer components and essentially no software considerations, failure rates are lower. You could also argue that many modern considerations with newer panel technologies, such as expanded software support, make shorter lifespans seem worse than they actually are. Software and security updates may end, but the TV still works fine as is. The other side is a software update that degrades performance or introduces more bugs, which happens from time to time.
CRTs are not definitely better
Sure, CRTs last longer on average, but that doesn’t necessarily make them “better” in any sense of the word compared to modern TVs. The arguments that support them are more nuanced than one might think. CRT TVs still require specialized manufacturing processes and equipment, almost none of which yet exist, making repairs extremely difficult and expensive. If you have a CRT TV that needs repair or maintenance, good luck finding a local technician with reasonable rates. Per Retrowave, you can expect to pay between $100 and $500 for professional CRT repairs, not including “specialty labor” costs or “diagnostic fees.” At these prices, it may make more sense to buy a new TV.
Perhaps more importantly, CRT TVs would likely not meet current environmental and safety regulations. They are not as energy efficient, they often contain dangerous or unwanted materials, such as lead, and the electronic components or internal systems follow outdated design principles with virtually no emphasis on safety. CRTs and old televisions also emit radiation, although it’s not as bad as you might think. This is where leaded glass comes into play.
That doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of it if you own one, but it does mean that comparing modern TV panels to older technologies like cathode rays isn’t one to one. If you have one, you might want to explore some clever uses for that old CRT TV. If it still works, why not put it to the test?
