We get this question 10 times a week. Here's the framework we actually use when advising customers — written by technicians who'd rather lose a job than push a repair that doesn't make sense.
The 50% rule
Our headline rule is simple: if the repair quote exceeds 50% of a comparable new TV, replace. Below 50%, repair almost always wins because:
- Modern panels last 10–15 years; you're likely buying years of life back.
- You avoid the e-waste and the shopping hassle.
- The next problem is rarely related to the first.
The trickiest cases are the ones near the threshold — say, a ₹6,500 repair on a TV worth ₹15,000 new. We walk through these case-by-case below.
Six factors that move the line
1. Age of the set
Under 5 years old: lean repair, hard. Modern sets aren't built any sturdier than ones from 5 years ago, so paying to revive a 4-year-old TV makes sense. Over 10 years old: lean replace — the next failure is much more likely.
2. What part has failed
Backlight, SMPS, and T-CON failures are routine and don't predict more failures. Mainboard / SoC failures sometimes do. Panel damage is almost always game-over.
3. Brand and parts availability
Samsung, LG, Sony, Mi, OnePlus, TCL all have good parts availability. Smaller brands (Sansui, Thomson, Kodak, BPL) sometimes don't — repairing a 4-year-old Sansui can cost more than the same fix on a new Samsung because parts are scarcer.
4. Whether it's worth the disruption
If you have a wall-mounted 65" TV in a finished room and the alternative is dismantling the bracket, buying a new set, and re-mounting — repair costs more than ₹50,000. The convenience tax matters.
5. Whether you actually wanted to upgrade anyway
Sometimes a failure is a good excuse. If you've been wanting a 75" 4K but couldn't justify it while the 50" worked fine, a major repair quote on the 50" might be the push. We'll never argue with this — it's a personal decision.
6. The "next failure" probability
If a TV has had two unrelated repairs already (e.g., backlight last year, SMPS now) — that's a sign of poor capacitor quality on the original boards. We will tell you honestly that the third failure is likely within 12 months.
Specific cost benchmarks (2026 prices, Gurgaon)
32" LED TV
New: ₹13,000–18,000. Repair worth doing: under ₹3,500. Borderline: ₹3,500–6,000.
43" LED / 4K
New: ₹22,000–35,000. Repair worth doing: under ₹6,500. Borderline: ₹6,500–11,000.
55" 4K UHD
New: ₹35,000–60,000. Repair worth doing: under ₹11,000. Borderline: ₹11,000–18,000.
65" 4K UHD
New: ₹55,000–95,000. Repair worth doing: under ₹18,000. Borderline: ₹18,000–28,000.
OLED (any size)
OLEDs cost a lot more new. Repair-worth threshold is generally 40% of replacement, not 50%, because panel failures are not repairable and you don't want to invest big money in board fixes on a set that might fail at the panel.
Microwave
New: ₹6,000–18,000 depending on type. Repair worth doing: under ₹3,500. Almost always cheaper to repair than replace, unless the cavity is rusted.
Three things that almost always tip toward replacement
- Cracked or pressure-damaged panel. The panel is 70% of the cost of the TV. Don't pay 70% of new for an old set.
- Rust or corrosion inside a microwave cavity. This is a safety issue, not just cosmetic.
- Multiple unrelated failures within 12 months. The TV is telling you something.
Three things that almost always tip toward repair
- Backlight failure on any size LED TV. Cheap fix, doesn't recur.
- SMPS capacitor work on any age. Routine and cheap.
- Software / firmware issues on smart TVs. ₹500–1,000 for a re-flash that fixes everything.
How to get an honest opinion
Send us the brand, model, age, and a description of the symptoms — by phone, WhatsApp, or our contact form. We'll tell you over the phone whether it's worth a visit. We turn down 5–10% of inquiries every month because the math doesn't work — that's us doing our job, not us being lazy.