We've got an RCA HDTV, almost six years old. It's always been a great TV. Recently, though, it started cutting off by itself. The manual says it's likely an electrical problem, so we changed the surge protector and plugged into another outlet. (Mrs. A's brother is an electrician-in-training, and should be coming up soon to verify that the current is right, since RCA says that incorrect current is usually the cause.) It kept doing that, and we also considered the possibility that it was the cable box.
Tonight, though, it cut off once. I tried to turn it back on, and it started making a sort of crackling noise from the back. I pulled it out, and there was a slight smell of burning rubber. I tried turning it on again with the TV pulled out so I could verify that's what was happening. This time, the TV flashed brightly once, something under the screen (around the speakers) inside was glowing, and, with a loud pop, it went off again. Then turned itself on, and off, and on.
Even checking it will run us at least $100. We're looking at likely $200 for the cheapest possible repair (which I doubt is the case, given the smell). The TV was $900 to begin with, and is well over five years old. Not worth fixing it, and there's no way I'm going to screw around with the interior of a TV. (I don't care how many toilet replacements and refrigerator motor fixes I've done. This is a whole 'nother ballgame.)
Between the fucking rock smashing the windshield, the goddamned gopher digging our yard up (and forcing me to kill a mammal, which I always hate, no matter how loathsome it may be), and now the TV dying, I'm scared to ask what's next.
We'll probably wait until after the summer at least. (Being a teacher has one slight disadvantage over the summer--no paycheck in August. Which isn't a big deal, since we save for that month, but it throws it off-kilter if you have one major expense. This being the second, we're going to have to wait.) Since we have to do that, we've discussed even possibly waiting for Costco's Black Friday sales, which usually kick ass.
The worst thing--I've got to research all this shit again. It's all changed since 2005.
