[citation][nom]warezme[/nom]So wouldn't that be illegal to know that certain parts are designed in a substandard way to fail? What parts are the ones built this way and who is building them? Seems like consumers would have the right to know go after these manufacturers.[/citation]
I'm betting it falls on the side of using a part that they have instead of spending time and money to develop a longer-lasting one rather than saying they are intentionally using sub-par parts. At least that's the way they'd probably swing it to avoid trouble.
Also, minor fault in the article - Philips doesn't make TVs any more. (Interestingly, the only big-screen flat panel I've bought is a Philips, and it has lasted longer than I expected it to.)