Long, long ago I used to have more than a few Sony products: tape players, minidisc recorders, Beta machines, even a Vaio laptop. That was before I learned about Sony's true anti-competitive practices and evil marketing practices. That was before I had my first-hand experiences with their brain-damaged customer service system. Now, knowing the Evil Empire that Sony Corporation really is, I have refused to buy Sony products of any sort for over 10 years.
Three months ago I bent the rules a little bit and bought a used Stingray II video housing with a Sony DVC-TRV11 digital video camcorder. The source was a good friend of a good friend and everything seemed to be in working order, except for some dirty optics on the housing which I have since cleaned. I figured that if I buy a used Sony product, that doesn't actually support Sony financially in any way. I even bought Fuji and Panasonic video tape... not Sony's.
The camera worked more-or-less okay, until last Monday. It just... suddenly... inexplicably... stopped working. I think the power regulators are blown, because it will power up for 1/2 second as it attempts to boot up, then goes totally dark. The cassette magazine is hanging out so I can't close the lid. The battery doesn't charge. The reset button does nothing useful. It's just a useless piece of Sony garbage!!
Now, I have four options:
(1) Sell the underwater housing and camera, either as a whole or in separate lots. In all likelihood I could sell the bits for more than I paid. A lot more. But I kind of enjoy taking underwater video and I'd have to start from scratch.
(2) Send the camcorder to Sony service and have it fixed. I estimate this will run $200-300. It also gives Sony money and pretty strongly offends my budget and principles.
(3) Buy a TRV11 or TRV20 off of eBay, approx cost about $200. (The housing is made for both camcorders.) This is my simplest option and I'm watching eBay auctions casually. This option still bends my anti-Sony rules, but not all that much.
(4) Buy a Canon HV-20 and retrofit the Stingray housing by replacing the control electronics and re-machining the camcorder mounting plate. Pros: I get a great camera (HD 1080p at that!) and no more Sony junk. It also means I am using latest greatest technology and not 8-year old stuff. Cons: tricky, retrofit not guaranteed to work. Cost: $680 for the camcorder plus many hours of my time to reverse engineer the Canon remote controls and adapt the video output for the LCD backplate on the housing.
I love Option (4) and may wait a few months to think about this before undertaking the project. The reason I don't want to part with the Stingray II is because it is a beautifully designed unit, in great condition, virtually leak-proof, and I believe a retrofit with at least some kind of HD camera is possible. It also came with a pair of 20W halogen lights which do a fabulous job both in the open ocean and in caves. Unfortunately I haven't heard of anyone doing retrofits for this kind of equipment. The underwater video folks are not a large community; most people would rather sell their old equipment and buy new, than try to do difficult upgrades.
Down with Sony!
Long live Canon!
To be continued... months from now.
Bash and Paths on macOS
-
On macOS, there's a little more than just the order of bash scripts messing
with your path. Here's an updated diagram showing the inside scoop.
4 years ago
1 comment:
I don't even know where to begin, I have had so many issues with my Sony Grand
Wega KF60WE610. Let's start from the beginning of my Sony horror stories...
I purchased my Sony on February 2004, it was delivered to my house on February
14, 2004. I paid roughly $3,300 for the Sony Large Paper Weight product. Pretty
much the most expensive piece of trash I have ever purchased besides my car, but
that is another story.
Last year I had an issue with my bulb burning out prematurely. I was able to contact
an employee last year with that issue and was very pleased with the results. Last
year on 7-30-07, I faxed a receipt of the bulb I purchased and an employee was able
to help me with a replacement at no cost. However, to my displeasure, the bulb that
was mailed to me last has already burned out. I don’t watch near enough TV for this
bulb to already be burned out. I would be amazed if I could even log in 2 hours a
day. I was told by one of the customer service representatives that being my bulb
has burned out 4 times since I purchased the TV in February 2004; that my TV has
something wrong with it, that bulbs should not be burning out this frequently.
However, I did not have these issues within the first year of my warranty and now the
warranty is expired.
Also, I now have the blue blob or Optical Block issue with my TV. I contacted Sony
customer service and they directed me to the Sony Review Committee. My issue on
the Optical Block extended warranty is that the customer service representative
stated that all consumers were sent either a letter or email, describing the issue and
making everyone aware that it expires July 1, 2008. It is now September 04, 2008
and the extended warranty has passed. However, I did not receive any notification
and know for certain that Sony has my email address and knows the television that I
have. I know this because I received a customer service survey following my recent
inquiry, which let’s me know that it was on file being I did not provide it in my recent
call. I provided in my call last year, thus my email address was on file at the time the
Warranty extension and expiration email should have been sent to me. I asked for
an exception stating that I did not receive this notification and was told that I would
not be extended an exception and the escalation point would be to the Review
Committee.
I find it difficult to put anymore money into a TV that I spent a little over $3300 00 on
just in February 14, 2004. I understand that is 4 years ago, however, I believe with
Sony’s "commitment to excellence", that the products would have a life much longer
than 4 years when that kind of money is invested into a product. I imagine renting a
TV would be cheaper! jk
My Issues are:
1. Customer Service Rep stating I have faulty TV. What is the next step for a TV
with manufacturer defects admitted to me by the Sony Customer Service Rep?
2. Replacement bulb? The bulb already went out AGAIN. This is the 4th bulb.
3. Optical Block warranty extension exception. I would appreciate a better
answer than simply “no” by the customer service reps and escalation managers and
“at this time there is not another exception”
I am very disappointed that I feel totally ripped off with all the issues I have had with
this expensive television. I paid a lot of money for the Sony “name”; expecting quality
and great customer service. To this date, I have had many issues with my television
that I believe Sony should be either responsible for or should help correct the
issues. The employee that i dealt with last year was excellent making me feel like an
appreciated customer, however, now I am having the same issue among others, and
would like some guidance on my options.
I just find it hard to believe that the bulb you sent me should have burned out already
and that there is nothing I can do but buy another bulb and also pay a Sony Service
Center "over $1000" to fix and replace my optical block. Not to mention $110 for the
technician to come to my house and tell me what is wrong with it when I already know
the issue!!!
I feel that money would be better spent on a new set, from a brand that backs there
products, when they know of a recall.....what kind of company puts an expiration date
on a recall.
So, I made a website to tell people how much I hate Sony!
http://www.ihatesonyproducts.com
Post a Comment