In the 1950s the TV repair man was a part of life. Now no one fixes
TVs. Why is this? Given that it's the same Cathode-ray/tube setup, is
the reason technological advances or a society that just disposes more
of things?

Some places still fix tv's its just not as common. Back in the days
tv's cost alot more now adays thou tv's are relativity cheap which
makes them alot cheaper and easier to replace. We are a dispossible
society.

While you were watching the cathode-ray tube, there were many other
tubes in the back of the set.  These would occasionally fail and were
easily tested and replaced.  Now-a-days, there is likely to be just
one PC board and no plug replaceable parts.  Also, modern sets
maintained picture calibration better than old sets.

The new large HD sets may still require a visiting repairman, just not as often.

http://howard.davis2.home.att.net/Tubesvs.SolidState.htm
Some of us may remember the early days of television and the TV
repairman. In those days TVs broke down frequently. The repairman made
house calls just as physicians once did, and he carried a box full of
various tubes. The great majority of repairs required no more than the
replacement of a tube or two. When TV went solid state the visiting
repairman went out of business - but TVs became better, smaller,
lighter, cheaper, and far more reliable.

http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?AD=1&ArticleID=7819
HeHe! The way of the milkmen eh? ive been repairing tvs for 19 years
now and i havent seen anything that indicates my demise in the near
future :) what has happened is the "type" of tv that you get to work
on has changed. when i began there was solid volume of transistorized
sets sprinkeled with a few tube type tvs. the size ranging from alot
of 19 inch picture tubes to 25 inch,oh the whopping 25 incher!those
were largely console televisions and required the serviceman to go out
to the customers house and either complete a simple repair or bring it
into the shop for a more complex repair. some 20 years later,the same
thing is happening except that the size of the tv has changed. we dont
fix 19 inch or 25 inch tvs anymore because of course "the cost to
replace". however,i am buried in big screen tvs as well as plasma
tvs.same ol song, different instrument :)
robert key -April 14, 2004

Whaddya mean? I fix lots of TVs. Last one was a week ago -- zapped by
lightning. Most faults are pretty simple and can be repaired without a
circuit diagram from scrap box bits. Lot of bad solder connection
faults too, which can be tricky. I think there is at least one other
fixer in the world too.

But I take your point. TVs purchase used to represent a significant
percentage of income so were cherished items, as too all household
goods. Now, with deplorable profligacy, we just heave faulty goods or
simply replace for this year?s model. The US is of course the greatest
offender but the Far East is catching up fast. It?s simply easier, or
viewed as such.

Modern TVs are of course far more reliable due to better quality
control, better materials, lower component count, lower operating
temperature and the demise of the valve. Basically we just got better
at it. Time was when a repairer was called for regular ?adjustments?.
Circuits used to drift but tweaking is now virtually unknown. Indeed
there is now only a handful of pre-sets which can be adjusted.
Re-convergence, even into the eighties was a constant headache but the
latest machines are virtually devoid of adjusters because the
precision of tube manufacture is now absolutely incredible.

To put quality into perspective, for all manner of reasons, modern TVs
far exceed the quality of military goods. Just a tad cheaper too. But
if a repairer was to charge realistically for his time it would often
amount to more than the cost of a new item. Additionally, many bespoke
components are simply not made available to the repairer so it becomes
a no-brainer. The reliability, cheapness, disposable income and
impracticality of repair all conspire to render the TV repairman to
the dustbin of history. Apart of course from little nutter enclaves
like mine, but I rarely charge.

BTW, I also repair...... well any and everything. It?s a hobby, but
making a living from ?fixing? isn?t viable. Nevertheless, in my rural
district, favours get returned. For example, a few years ago just
before Christmas, I got a frantic phone call from a farmer?s wife
whose food mixer had died. I was given a ton of dung for the roses in
the Spring.

Best