SOLVED Older Sony Bravia Dropping Cable Signal?

We have a 12 year-old Sony Bravia 40” that has been losing / dropping its signal. It just goes blank.
Sometimes it’s just for a second or two, sometimes it’s for 30 seconds or as much as a few minutes.

We have had Comcast here twice and they replaced the HDMI cable, installed a new cable box and today
replaced all connectors from the telephone pole into the house. I’m trying to establish a pattern; for
instance if it’s heat related: TV on a long time or short time but it makes no difference, hot or cold,
it drops it’s signal.

I understand that these HDTV’s as they age are more or less throw-away items with the prices of today
and with the ever-improving technology. Their circuit boards are just not made anymore and who wants
to take one to a repair shop and have it sit for weeks while the parts are searched for?

Diagnosis of the TV is near impossible for Comcast and for me. Logically the problem should be the TV itself,
everything outside of the TV has been addressed by Comcast. I don’t know what the expected lifespan
should be for a decent HDTV and perhaps 12 years is getting a little long in the tooth. When the TV is working
well it’s still terrific. Our computer Internet connections are not affected, just the HDTV.

Does anyone have any “hands on” opinions with older HDTV’s and a possible but unlikely fix? Just get a new one?
I can get a good mid-range 50” for about 1/3 the price ($650 - $750) I paid for this Sony ($1,900) 12 years ago
and that’s why I’m suggesting the older HDTV’s like ours are essentially throw-away units when broken.

Another TV does the same?

If not time to fess up and pay. I went from a 35" tube to a 50" flat, then a 60" flat, now an 80" flat in 7 years span. New ones have internet connections, better audio etc. No need for 4k etc, just good 1080p.

I bet the tv is the problem. My advice? Panic.

No, just kidding Get one of those set top boxes (chromecast, roku, apple tv, firestick), and run the screen as a dumb monitor output. I bet that would completely solve the problem. Plus, when you get a new tv, you can keep the set top box!

I spoke to a Sony rep at Best Buy and he told me their HDTV life spans are
estimated to be 10 - 15 years and he also explained that what I have witnessed
(dropping the signal intermittinly) is not uncommon when some HDTV's are at
their EOL (End of Life). I got what was estimated from a 13+ year old HDTV and
bought a new one. Everyone at the Best Buy HDTV department was in agreement
that our old Sony 40" HDTV owes me nothing.

Marking "Solved" in the event others have the same questions.

What did you end up buying?

ATMINSIDE said:

What did you end up buying?

Click to expand...

Sony XBR49X830C 49"

Ah nice, 4K even.
My only qualm would be that it's edge lit.