Why would I want to replace perfectly good equipment because it has been deemed to be no longer good enough only to be replaced by something that would have a shorter life cycle because it will work out of the box?
I'm not willing to just throw away something because it is the easy path.
As someone who still uses an I-pod classic, I truly understand, however, eventually it becomes the path of lesser returns until it is no longer usable. I hope you can do what you are trying to do, but all of us here are trying to be as helpful as possible.
Thank you for not being dismissive.
I understand the path of lesser returns. That's why I'm trying to find alternatives to buying new. Right now, I'm not willing to spend almost $400 CDN if I can get by with spending maybe $100 to get an acceptable result.
If eventually everything works and doesn't provide a viable result, I'll consider the larger spend and find a home for the equipment that works so someone else can use them.
Sorry, I had no idea you were in Canada, and that does change the prices I was looking at.
I completely understand about not wanting to simply throw something away that still functions. But unfortunately in the world of home electronics, sometimes it's simply a fact of life. When North America switched from analog NTSC to digital ATSC, it made all the old TVs worthless, and especially sets like yours with no inputs but the antenna/RF.
A couple of months ago the senior independent/assisted living facility that I help at had a "garage" sale. As I recall, TVs in the 40" range were mostly marked $40 US. (But there was a little secret that anything that didn't sell was going to be hauled off so prices were negotiable so I think some of those TVs went for more like $10.)
Even after the sale, we still have plenty of spare TVs. Modern TVs in this size only weight around 10-20lbs too, so we put in them in incoming rooms with about as much thought as waste baskets and power strips. And I've set up these TVs for people and they're all just fine - they work just like new. Some of them are missing remotes but most people use a cable box or other remote to run their TVs anyway. Most of them are brand names too. Older folks don't seem to go for those weird brands you find on Amazon.
Anyway, if you do decide on a newer TV, keep in mind that it doesn't have to be an all-the-way to right now newer, and you might find used TVs that quite reasonable.
Being a senior, and looking at a drop of income in a few years as I leave the workforce - I have to think about longevity with items.
The TV in question is from 1987. It's been fixed once. The person who fixed it tried to talk me into buying new instead. I insisted. When I returned to the shop to pick up my TV, I walked in and saw a group of TVs on display, and one stood out because of the picture quality. It was my TV. They disconnected it and gave it to me, and told me they understood why I wanted to fix it instead of replacing it. Apparently before I got there, several people tried to buy it. This is part of the reason I'm reluctant to get rid of it. The other is an emotional attachment. The person who gifted it to me and the circumstances under which I received it have left me not wanting to part with it. I want to see it work until it does finally stop working for that reason.
