What if your TV breaks? More than 93,000 TV owners tell you what to expect.(SPECIAL SECTION)

No matter what type of television you own, the chances are you won't experience any problems during the set's first few years of service.

Repair rates have been very low for LCD and plasma sets, according to a 2007 survey of more than 93,000 consumers conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center covering sets bought new between 2004 and 2007. Rear-projection sets have been somewhat more repair-prone, but most of those still remain trouble-free for their first few years. For more on TV reliability, including brand repair history, see "Encouraging news on HDTV reliability," page 27.

In the small number of cases where a set did need servicing, most repairs reported by respondents were free, presumably because they were covered by the manufacturer's standard warranty. The few respondents who paid for repairs spent an average of $264 on flat-panel LCD, $395 on plasma, and $300 on rear-projection sets. That's about the cost of an extended warranty.

Given the low likelihood of a repair, an extended warranty usually isn't a good value, especially for a flat-panel TV. But if you're very risk-averse and an extended warranty gives you peace of mind, ask the salesperson for a lower price. Warranties are high-profit items, so a retailer might be willing to bargain.

REPAIRS UNDER A WARRANTY

To repair a TV under warranty, you must first obtain approval from the manufacturer (for a standard warranty) or service agency (for an extended plan).

Generally, TVs larger than 25 inches qualify for in-home service; smaller sets must be brought or shipped to a repair center, at your cost. A 90-pound set going 50 miles could cost $50, plus insurance. If you must ship a TV, you might have to use the original packaging or its equivalent.