How Long Do TVs Last?

Last updated: October 2026

🕒 4 min read

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How long do TVs last? This guide does not give a single number. It reports what RTINGS’ longevity test results page says about an accelerated test of 100 TVs, with each figure dated. It also says plainly what the page text we reviewed does not give: an average lifespan in years, manufacturer information, a failure rate from real homes, or a split of the results by TV technology or brand.

What RTINGS’ Longevity Test Covered

This page, Updated Mar 16, 2026, says RTINGS’ accelerated longevity test ran for nearly 3 years and accumulated more than 10,000 hours of usage on most of the TVs on the test. RTINGS says it launched the test in November 2022.

In an entry dated Mar 16, 2026, RTINGS says the last TV on the test reached 30 months and that this completed its study, with no further updates on the page.

How Many TVs Failed

In an entry dated Nov 6, 2025, RTINGS says that during its three-year test, 20 of the 100 TVs failed completely and 24 more failed partially. That is the count RTINGS gave in that entry, and the study continued after it.

RTINGS also says it posted a separate article that breaks these failures down by failure point, technology, brand and price. We have not reviewed that article, so this guide takes nothing from it.

Edge-Lit TVs and the Failures RTINGS Found

This page, Updated Mar 16, 2026, says one clear trend RTINGS observed is that thin, edge-lit LCD TVs fail prematurely compared with LCD TVs with other backlighting technology. RTINGS says the problems it found include warped reflector sheets, cracked light guide plates and burnt-out LEDs from concentrated heat, and that they appeared after prolonged use at maximum brightness.

In an entry dated Jul 26, 2024, RTINGS reported that over 64% of the edge-lit LCD TVs on the test showed significant uniformity issues, compared with 20% of the full-array and direct-lit TVs. That was a snapshot from an earlier point in the test, not an end-of-test figure.

In an entry dated Apr 17, 2025, RTINGS says LEDs had started to fail on three direct-lit TVs on the test, which have LEDs directly behind the panel and so no light guide plate to crack. RTINGS says failed LEDs show up as dark spots on a uniform image, and that it was not only edge-lit TVs that were failing.

What the Test Hours Mean

In an entry dated Apr 17, 2025, RTINGS says most of the displays on the test had over 15,000 hours of usage, which it says is probably more than most people will ever use a TV without upgrading. That is RTINGS’ view, not our estimate.

In an entry dated Sept 26, 2025, RTINGS says it had accumulated the equivalent of more than ten years of usage on most of the TVs on the test. That describes the hours RTINGS put on the TVs. It is not a forecast of how long any TV will last.

RTINGS’ Advice for Buyers Who Care About Durability

This page, Updated Mar 16, 2026, says that for people buying an LCD TV who care about durability, RTINGS advises prioritizing models with better heat distribution, such as direct-lit or FALD TVs. That is RTINGS’ advice, not advice from us.

What This Test Does Not Tell You

The page text we reviewed does not give an average lifespan for a TV in years. It gives no manufacturer information and no failure rate from real homes. So the page reports what happened to the TVs RTINGS tested, with dates, and does not state one lifespan for TVs in general.

If you want a guide for one type of TV, see our article on how long OLED TVs last.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do TVs last?

This guide cannot give one number. In an entry dated Nov 6, 2025, RTINGS reported that during its accelerated test, 20 of the 100 TVs failed completely and 24 more failed partially. RTINGS’ page reports what happened to the TVs it tested and gives no single figure for how long TVs last.

Do edge-lit TVs fail sooner?

This page, Updated Mar 16, 2026, says thin, edge-lit LCD TVs fail prematurely compared with LCD TVs with other backlighting technology. In an entry dated Jul 26, 2024, it reported over 64% of the edge-lit LCD TVs on the test with significant uniformity issues, against 20% of the full-array and direct-lit TVs. That was a snapshot, not an end-of-test figure.

Does RTINGS’ test tell you how long your TV will last?

No. In an entry dated Sept 26, 2025, RTINGS describes the equivalent of more than ten years of usage on most of the TVs on its test. That describes the hours RTINGS put on those TVs, not a forecast for your TV.