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March 2018, using the money I earned in overtime working the Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare from the previous 6 months, I purchased a 55″ 4K LED smart TV by Chinese manufacturer TCL.  I launched my new bigger video experience by hosting friends for a Cold War mini-Marathon of three films. (The Manchurian Candidate, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold,and Dr. Strangelove.)

For the past 8 years this television has performed quite well, though for the last 12 months or so it has seemed that the app running through the Roku interface have become more sluggish often with a delay on some streamers that can be very annoying. When you hit ‘pause’ on a Netflix program you want it to pause right then, not a second and a half later. Honestly though, the lag in some responses is a minor inconvenience.

What is becoming evident is that the screen may now be showing premature signs of wear and age. I have noticed very faint but still visible lines running vertically on the far-left side of the monitor. During dark or even rapidly changing sequences they are so faint as to be nearly, but only nearly, imperceptible. The same cannot be said for brilliantly lit or lightly colored scenes which make the line stand out.

My research has indicated that there is the possibility that the board controlling the backlight for the set may be at fault and a period of absolutely no power, not merely switched off, may correct the issues by allowing the logic in the controller to reset.

However, should that fail, then I must begin preparing to replace the television. At the moment the lines, however annoying, are actually faint enough that for most of the time I can ignore them, letting them slip from my notice, but if it is the backlight, the problem will not diminish but grow until it forces me to replace the set with a newer model.