The amazing survival story of an immigrant from Tijuana

by philg

The previous owners of our house didn’t want to bother taking the TVs off the walls so they left us with 6 TVs, one of which is actually outdoors under an overhang. It is a Samsung UN55D6000 made in Tijuana, Mexico in March 2011. Someone had cut a hole in the exterior concrete wall and wired a $5 extension cord down to an outlet in the hallway. The TV and cable box were plugged into this extension cord. I had an electrician clean up the situation recently and we found that the following still worked:

  • the TV part of the TV
  • the speakers
  • an HDMI input
  • a USB power output (keeping a Chromecast running)

After 11 years in the Florida heat and humidity and occasionally getting splashed by rain (only in very high winds), the immigrant is apparently thriving!

(It is conceivable that this 1080p soldier did not spent its entire career in the outdoor killing field. Perhaps this TV first served inside the house and was pushed out when the 65-inch 4K TV arrived in the family room.)

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10 thoughts on “The amazing survival story of an immigrant from Tijuana”

  1. How did you find electrician in Florida, how long did you have to wait?!?!

    P.S. We upgraded from travel trailer to motorhome – Jayco Alante 29F. It comes equipped with 5(!) TVs, including one outdoors.

    • We found a great electrician for $50/hour (i.e., 100 Bidies per hour) almost immediately! And starting from him, a great plumber, a great team of Czech carpenters (immigrants with skills that most Americans can’t even imagine), a smart HVAC guy, etc.

      Five TVs for camping in the Great Outdoors! That truly is the American Way!

  2. Let’s see how Greenspun 3.0 post – intensive 6 large screen TV brainwashing will pan out.
    Will it prompt escape back to MA? Or would it cause other excesses?

    • We already gave away 2 out of 6 TVs! They were in kids’ rooms and that was contrary to Company Policy as established by Senior Management.

  3. I saw that TV or one very much like it when it was introduced, and I thought it was very cool with USB, HDMI, and Ethernet at 1080p.

    If you had said to your Massachusetts (now-non) friends on Facebook:

    “Not only am I moving to Florida, but my new house will have SIX leftover televisions, including a pretty nice 1080p Samsung that has hung on an outside wall during all the extreme weather and THEN survived Ron DeSantis and his army of Deplorable, Stupid People! ***K ya’ all, I’m taking the plunge!”

    They would have been TOTALLY CONVINCED you were a deluded, confabulatory lunatic!

    But here we are!

    I’m glad you were able to find a competent electrician so quickly, but good luck finding another TV/Monitor that’s as reliable as that old Samsung. If it still runs well and looks good you should donate it to a good cause, but you’ve already thought of that. Don’t just leave it out there on the curb with a “FREE TV!” sign on it.

    On the other hand, maybe you could put it out on the front lawn for Memorial Day with a flag display on it!

    • The side of the house is a fairly rough stucco. So if we figured out the projector we’d need to figure out a screen. Restaurants in Florida nearly all have outdoor seating and nearly all have conventional TVs (maybe outdoor-rated) outdoors, not projectors.

  5. Does anyone buy houses anymore to actually live in or just to adorn with stuff they’ll never use in order to increase the resale value?

    • lion: This is a great point. I was determined to get this TV fully operational even though I can’t imagine a time when we would ever use it.

  6. Moments like these make me want to buy a house and then source a similar TV!

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