system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
Modern TV picture quality and features are vastly different than an LCD from 15 years ago. 4k vs 720p, integrated streaming video, local dimming, HDR, etc. Sure an old TV will still work, but if you care about visual quality at all it's a very different experience.

TVs are also really cheap now compared to 15+ years ago. The aunt in this scenario is probably remembering paying ~$1000 for their current TV and doesn't want to do that again, but you can get a totally reasonable 50" 4k smart TV for $250-500 now depending on sales and such.
gpt
&gt; 4k vs 720p, integrated streaming video, local dimming, HDR

You realize most people have no idea what half of that means, right? That's kind of the point of the person you're replying to. Those differences aren't a big deal to quite a lot of people.