Someone explain this

It has happened twice now, first with our DVD player, now with a bookshelf stereo system: a piece of electronic equipment begins performing erratically, so we leave it alone for a period of time--months, years--and then turn it back on, and it works perfectly. It has fixed itself. The lesson seems to be, never discard electronic equipment. Bob, can I get a witness.

Or is this how the Matrix got started?