Speaking more generally, this is something we are just going to have to get used to - by "this" I mean a new form of obsolesence. Hardware manufacturers and software creators have an uneasy relationship in that each needs the other, but the pace of change means that it will be more and more common that the hardware has to be viewed as expendable. Gone are the days when a TV set lasted until it was no longer repairable; now, while the electronics are incredibly reliable, their functionality relies absolutely on other elements beyond their control. I remember well buying an early digital TV receiver which cost a pretty penny but was bricked after a few years when the technical standards for digital TV broadcasting were changed. The hardware manufacturer blamed the authorities and the authorities passed the buck to the manufacturers. The set-top box went to the dump and I bought another one. It was the first of many casualties of the digital revolution. Long-gone the days when the final few owners of 405 line TVs were given new 625 line sets so that the 405 transmitters could be switched off! By historical comparison TVs are now incredibly cheap. I always buy at somewhere like John Lewis who give a 5 year guarantee with the assumption that by the time it's out of warranty I will probably be thinking about buying a new one anyway. Of course this is the only way manufacturers can sell us new stuff - since it rarely breaks any more they have to make us dissatisfied with what we've got - hence 3D, 4K and now 8K sets with more "improvements" in various stages of development.The sad part is that the TV content providers can't keep up so you can end up with the latest model with virtually nothing to watch on it.
Bruce Hammal ● 2127d