When technology fails: Are broken TVs and phones worth repairing?

Experts say the service life of tech devices is definitely getting shorter. So are repairs always worth the effort? 

Just before the crime show nears the dramatic end, the screen of the barely four-year-old flatscreen television suddenly goes black. Or perhaps it's the inkjet printer that decides not to work when you urgently need to print a cover letter. Or it's the smartphone that freezes just as you receive a call.