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Originally Posted by vortalexfan
The funny thing is that I've gotten 2 HDTV sets (Flat Panel sets) that were "junk sets" and they had a really simple fix to get them going, one of them was a Samsung 32" Plasma Smart TV from 2015 that the set wouldn't turn on anymore (I got it from a friend of mine) and all that was wrong with it was one of the boards was bad in it (the main board was bad, because the main control chip had some cold solder joint issues which was supposedly able to be fixed by reflowing the solder under the chip with a heat gun, but that didn't work for me) so I ordered a replacement board on eBay for $20 and free shipping, popped the new board in and the TV has been working fine since (I forgot to mention it was a 3D Smart TV.)
My housemate now has the 32" Plasma and is using it for his computer, and that's because I found at the local recycling center a 55" LED LCD Smart TV from 2016 that all that was wrong with it was that the smart software was no longer updateable but it still worked otherwise, I just use a Roku Smart TV device with it and its just as good as having the orginal Smart TV software.
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I'm glad you were able to get that 55" TV working again simply by using a Roku device. Roku states in its ads for its players that their devices can turn almost any flat-screen HDTV into a "smart" TV, for a fraction of the cost of a new TV. I use a Roku device (Roku 2) with my own Insignia 32" HDTV; it worked immediately after connecting it to my TV. I like it a lot.
Roku really has a winner in its devices; I hope they stay around awhile, as these devices, as I said, can convert almost any flat-panel HDTV to a "smart" TV for much, much less than it would cost to replace an existing TV. One good feature of the Roku devices is they will keep going for years, as long as the software can be updated; in fact, I read somewhere not too long ago that there is no need to upgrade a Roku device if it still works, unless you eventually find some features becoming unusable by virtue of being out of date.
My best advice is to keep your Roku device as long as it works, replacing or updating it only if or when the day comes when the device will not work at all anymore, or if some functions which formerly operated well now no longer work (for example, I have read that some features, such as HBO Plus, et al. are failing on some older Rokus, particularly very old ones such as the first or even some 2nd-generation devices). Again, as long as your Roku device works well for you, keep it and use it until it either quits or becomes unusable by virtue of outdated software (the player's automatic update feature will work only so long and will simply refuse to update the software after a certain date).
BTW, one thing I like quite a bit about Roku devices is they eliminate the need for a TV antenna in any reception area (even fringe and deep-fringe areas) as long as the user has an Internet connection, since they do not use RF signals. I am especially grateful for this because I live in a near-fringe TV reception area where one of the stations, the CBS affiliate in Cleveland (which was sold and moved from channel 8 to channel 19 over a decade ago), does not reach; several other local stations, most of them on UHF channels, do not reach this area well or at all either, for that reason. However, the Roku device eliminates the need for any kind of antenna, which suits me to a T since I cannot use any kind of outdoor TV antenna here (lease restrictions).
As I said above, I am sold on Roku devices. I do hope they are around a long time, as they can and do solve TV viewers' reception problems, especially in weak-signal or outright fringe areas. I sometimes wonder if these devices might eventually put the TV antenna manufacturers out of business. Since most folks have Internet connections and computers these days, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that day eventually arrives, even if it takes a while.