TV - should I turn off at manual switch or leave in standby?

Hi

I have just bought a new Philips 28" iDTV. My previous 28" widescreen (Hitachi) developed a fault (turning into standby and then back on again) which I had repaired, but just recently it happened again. Anyway, after repair the guy told me that it was best to always turn off at the switch rather than just stand by - I don't know if this could have affected the life of the set. Apart from power consumption, does anyone know the "right" thing to do. Will it affect the sets' life one way or the other?

Thoughts appreciated. I think I will also contact Philips and see what they have to say.

Cheers

John

[CMcK]

Always turn your TV off with the power button. Most TV's have a degauss feature which kicks in when the TV is turned on from cold. Leaving it in standby mode will mean that the screen does not et degaussed and could end up looking dirty or discoloured.
Also you should try to avoid turning your vaccuum cleaner on or off near the TV if the TV is switched on.

[nig28]

Hi
It is a question which you may get a lot of different answers to!
Always turn it off using the main button on the front of TV (to use the degause circiut next morning when the TV is cold), if you are going to be turning the TV on/off many times in tne day-use standby.
On most electrical products, anytime you switch it on - it causes a surge of electricity, this is why it is not a good idea to use the main button most of the time!
Nigel

[Tight Git]

John,

I believe most TV's degauss from standby these days, because manufacturers realise that a lot of people leave them on st/by overnight.

(You can check by listening for the clonk/sizzle!)

Also some TV's use a less than good quality mains switch, which fails with too much use.

Bet you're even more confused now!

Hmmmmm

What to do then? Well, I guess it is turned on and off twice most mornings and then maybe the same again in the evenings. I guess I would use stand by if it was going off in the short term anyway, but certainly over night and when it's off for a long time, it's off at the switch. I have a Philips Pronto to do all my switching for me on other kit, but took the TV standby code out of my macros after the Hitachi power supply failed. I think best to continue with my usual habits......... though I may still contact Philips and see what they have to say.

Thanks for the input guys

[Laurel&Hardy]

From an electrical point of view...

If you are simply turning off for a few hours and will be around the house then standby is fine. However, if you are leaving for more than 6 hours, overnight or leaving the house I would recommend turning it off at the mains and unplugging it.

There is another scenario though, because a lot of sets, especially flat panels, come with 'soft' power off, meaning they actually go into standby. With these TV's it is better to switch off and unplug at the mains socket if the set is being left for extended periods. This will avoid the highly unlikely, but still possible hazard of fire if the set fails while you're not around.