My Sony Rant

[LoungeLizard]

OK...I'm not one to rant, but this one just took me over the edge.

Our wonderful Sony camcorder had sat on the shelf from last Easter (yes, April 05) until about the beginning of June 05 when we went to try it and prepare it for our vacation. Wouldn't you know it - it didn't work. It would record audio but no sound. We took it in to get repaired - mind you, no free estimates. Paid $99 for the evaluation which came back as "need a new CCD assembly - about $450". They guy also tells me it's a common problem with Sony camcorders - something that I had heard from the sales guys at Best Buy and Circuit City but I figured they were just trying to sell me something with a bigger profit margin for them.

I quickly decided I was not going to do that and would replace it for Christmas (screw the vacation videos).

Christmas time rolls around and "Santa" shows up with a nice new Canon camcorder. Nice machine - even though I'm not a "video type of guy".

Yesterday, I get home and I have a letter with a return address of "Sony CCD Settlement". Guess good ol' Sony had some massive problems with CCDs in some of their cameras (a VERY long list) and there was a class action lawsuit. Part of the settlement is either reimbursement for repair!

URGH! Why couldn't they have been up front with customers?

Sony has lost my business for any electronic devices for a long time.

There. I think I feel a little better.

For a list of affected camcorders and digital still cameras, go here: http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...id_legalnotice

PS. I guess it does pay to send in that product registration card, huh?

[gardener]

Because if it turned out to be less of a problem than they thought it was, they might have saved some repair monies. As it stands though, the settlement will likely cost them several times as much as a straight forward public notice and free repair if you send it in deal.
Getting to where I dispise all electronic doo dads and machines...

[Digital Prophet]

I thught this said "My Sonny Rant".

I came in here expecting to hear some trash talking. Now make with the conflict!

Prophet out.

[Silvernic]

Hey, Sonny didn't do anything.
Personally, I'm still upset about the whole sony memory stick thing.

[FrayAdjacent]

I have a Sony rant, but it has to do with Minidisc, not their CCD problems! hehehe...

Sony seems to be an 'Our $h** doesn't stink' company.

[Detonate]

That's interesting. I've owned 2 of the Camcorders on that list, and have nothing but great things to say about them.

I currently own another Sony model and I love everything about it as well.... Of course it's a CMOS model...

[huxley]

i dont like sony ... they like to lock you into their technology.... memory... file types... are two examples off the top of my head.... not that other companies dont do it... but they for some reason get to me.

[Hogleg 44]

None of mine are on the list TRV30, F707 and 828 (4color), but several folks here have the 717. Dane for one if I remember correctly.

[JamesB]

yes its a pain to deal with large companies like sony. But on a good note, I had to send me 707 in for repair earlier this year because the LCD screen went yellow, the images came out just fine. I guess the LCD just went wacky. I got the camera back in good working order and pretty fast as well.

I also sent in my sony cam corder (high 8) before the 4 year warranty was up to get the firewire port fixed as it never worked from day 1. the original best buy I got it from gave me he run around so bad I just did not worry about it.

When the camcorder came back they had 2 tech notes.

1. dont leave tapes in the camcorder for extended periods of time while storing the unit.
2. do not leave the battery in the camcorder for extended periods of time while storing the unit.

now how int he hell did they know this thing sat in a bag on the top shelf of my closet for almost a year with no use??? are they spying on me? Now that I want to rant about

James

[Terrancelee]

now how int he hell did they know this thing sat in a bag on the top shelf of my closet for almost a year with no use???

They knew this based on the lubrication, or lack of it, within the system. I have a JVC (actually it's nikon) cam that I bought when my kids were very young. Used it quite a bit for awhile, then let it sit for over a year. Wouldn't work right after that. Talked to a tech at a camera store in Springfield, MO, and he told me pretty much what it would cost to fix it, based on what I was telling him. The lubricants dried up/gummed up, causing problems, as these cameras are made to be used, not left idle. Opted not to fix it, as new ones were cheaper and better by that time. Sucks that I shelled out so much for something that I overall seldom used. I'm just not a video guy.

[Hogleg 44]

Originally Posted by Terrancelee

They knew this based on the lubrication, or lack of it, within the system. I have a JVC (actually it's nikon) cam that I bought when my kids were very young. Used it quite a bit for awhile, then let it sit for over a year. Wouldn't work right after that. Talked to a tech at a camera store in Springfield, MO, and he told me pretty much what it would cost to fix it, based on what I was telling him. The lubricants dried up/gummed up, causing problems, as these cameras are made to be used, not left idle. Opted not to fix it, as new ones were cheaper and better by that time. Sucks that I shelled out so much for something that I overall seldom used. I'm just not a video guy.

Same thing happened to me with some VCR's. The belts dried up and the Dried Lube locked up the machines!