Are Samsung LED TVs Durable Enough?
They most definitely are, but that's not the only thing they do well, or do better than the previous generation. The word is still out if LED based TVs are worth their slightly higher retail price, or are TFT TVs a better choice because, well, they're simply cheaper in absolute terms. This article will not go into a detailed explanation to which statement is true, but it takes you through the reasons I think LED TVs are more durable, robust and a better choice if you're thinking in a long term investment.
To have a background of basic understanding, I'd like you to know a little more about how TFT TVs relate to LED TVs. They both use the same (or very similar) TFT and LCD panel, but the light source that resides behind it is not even similar by a long shot. TFT TVs use fluorescent lamp tubes, not unlike those that you'd see in any public place. These tubes are efficient, rather close to the optimal white spectrum, and definitely a lasting substitute to anything available at the time of introduction of regular TFT flat-screens.
LED TVs, on the other hand, use a row of white light-emitting diodes on each edge of the screen. There are array-lit models, mostly coming from LG, but these are much more expensive, and not nearly as thin as edge-lit versions. One could say that it isn't an achievement to change one light source with another, and call it a new type of TV. They'd probably be right, too, but they wouldn't be considering the long-term effects and all the implications of such a swap of backlight sources.
Samsung likes to stay a few steps ahead of its competitors, and that's why it incorporates white LEDs of the most durable type in its Samsung LED TV lines, especially series 8 and 9. These diodes are rated at 100,000 operating hours, which is a five to tenfold increase over the expected life-time of light tubes. It sounds like an arbitrary estimation, which in fact it is. LEDs made in the 1970s are still in operation, so it's comfortable to say that LEDs manufactured at the current state of technology are bound to be more sophisticated.
Actually, you don't even need the 100,000 hours operating limit, what it does to the TV is making it more resilient. Light-emitting diodes can't be easily destroyed through shocks, vibration, cold, dust or moisture. Excessive heat however greatly reduces the expected life-time of the light source. A 100,000 hours estimated mean-time between failures means that you can wander outside the temperature specifications, and yet rightfully expect the TV to be fully operational for a good few dozen thousands of hours.
It's a sort of cushion, or buffer against unforeseeable events that reduce the life time of the TV. No one in their right mind would expect a TV to operate in 2102, which is what a LED Samsung TV can theoretically do under optimal circumstances and 3 hours of operation a day.
For these reasons I believe Samsung LED TVs to be the optimal choice for long-term. If you don't care the least bit about any of the beneficial features, or longevity, you can still opt for a traditional, fluorescent lamp lit TFT, and comfortably use it for three-five years without any major issues.