My PS3 has died

[matt]

Check this out.

I was at home on Sunday afternoon, at a bit of a loose end, so I thought I'd kill an hour on the Playstation 3.

When I fired it up, it informed me there was a software update available for download and asked whether I wanted to go ahead. I clicked 'yes', and was then directec through the usual guff associated with accepting a software update, finally clicked 'yes' again and we were away.

Updates take forever on the PS3...so I navigated away from the PS3 home screen to watch a bit of sport. I forgot about the update until Monday when I clicked over to the PS3 preset...only to find a blank screen. My PS3 had automatically turned itself off. No probs, I thought...tried to turn it back on. Nothing. Dead as a door nail. It will actually turn on, but nothing happens.

It appears something happened during or after the update which has caused my PS3 to die.

It's only 14 months old, and cost me $700+ ...so I got in touch with Sony Australia to see what could be done? Apparently...nothing. To add insult to injury, the woman on the phone (who was worse than a Telstra call centre operator) had the cheek to say it was my fault because I didn't sit there the entire time to make sure everything went smoothly!!!!

These updates often take the best part of an hour! And I've never had a problem leaving it to do its thing in the past.

Needless to say I was pretty ticked off.

I have since done a fair amount of research on the net and it turns out this is a pretty common occurence with software (internet) updates causing the death of Playstation consoles through hard disc/OS corruption etc.

They told me I could send it in for repair...to the tune of $250. I told them what they could do with their 'offer':lol:

Let this be a warning to others.

[Omaroo]

As if you could even do anything about it if it did go off the rails through the update... :whistle:

[toryglen-boy]

thanks for that .... i have a PS3 and a Wii, i never play either of them

sorry to hear about your accident though.


;)

[matt]

Indeed, Chris.

I didn't know whether to laugh or scream when she hit me with that gem..:mad2:

I'm considering a complaint to the Ombudsman and the Dept of Fair Trade.

[matt]

Yeah....well....we've still got the Wii too....:whistle:

[TrevorW]

I know what you mean I just purchased an Ipod Touch and when I went to the website I was informed I could download the latest firmware for an additional charge. The firmware was released in July and should be offered free to anyone buying the device after that date if you ask me.

Note the latest 120gb Sony PS3 is being aedvertised for $499

[Darth Wader]

Some info here Matt:

http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=ps3&thread.id=3762150

Worth a shot, nothing to lose, right?

[JethroB76]

If the previous link doesn't fix it..theres been a bit of talk on Whirlpool about Sonys' 1 year PS3 warranty, I think there may have been some that have had luck forcing the issue when the unit was just out of warranty like yours..

[multiweb]

:eyepop: Funny you say that. Mine died this Sunday after the same firmware update (3.0). I have the very first model of PS3 that came out (60GB with 4USB port and backward compatibility with PS2 games). My boy plays it most of the time. He updated the firmware Sunday then rebooted and played for 1h - no problems. Then the following day, turned it on again, played 5min and the bloody thing turned off. Wouldn't boot. Green light, beep, flashing yellow light then blink red and red -> power off. :whistle: . I tried to clone the drive but it's a *nix partition so I got stuck. SONY won't even look at it if it has been customised or if you've changed the original drive. It's also company policy to format the HD when they service them. Something to do with privacy laws.

Anyway, it's with SONY now. $250.00 later. Got to wait 3 weeks to get it back. :shrug: I've had the console for over 3 years now, updated the firmware many times. It's in top nick, never had the problem. First time.

IMHO As far as fixing goes, even if it's out of warranty pay the $250.00 and get SONY to do it. If you get it done somewhere else and it fails (which it will coz only SONY provides reliable parts - they've lobbied the market for good parts) then you're stuffed for good. I have a mate who worked for SONY for years and he's heard them all.

[matt]

What would you suggest?

I've already spoken with Sony customer service and they've said it's $250 or nothing.

I suppose I could try again...but what strategy to take?

I think I'd be better off going straight to Consumer Affairs? Apparently, 1 year warranties aren't legally binding. They are just something put in place to scare off most people pursuing their rights. I believe I'd be quite within my rights to demand a replacement on the grounds that it's fair and reasonable to expect a piece of equipment such as this to last longer than 14 months.

[multiweb]

Absolutely - I had the experience with a LG screen that packed it just out of warranty after 13 months. There is a manufacturer warranty clause known as a "reasonable" period of time before something "of value" fails. LG didn't even ask me any questions. The next day I had a brand new model installed at no charge. :shrug: Depending on how much you've paid for your system they might just replace it.

[Stuart78]

Just check if it hasnt reverted to AV settings, are you using HDMI??
sometimes they go back to AV Setting the yellow red and white cord setting, the way you can check this is plug in a component cable or the standard AV PS2 cables fit the PS3 try that if you have one...




Stu>>

[matt]

Cheers guys.

Have gone through all the checks and procedures to eliminate cables etc...and it all comes back to the console.

The good news is; I got back on the phoe today to Sony Australia and made it clear I wasn't happy that this item had fallen over so soon after purchase.

They have been reasonable and it looks like I'll get a refurbished unit:)

Cheers.

[starlooker]

Firmware updates are a crapshoot. If it works, great. If it doesn't, the machine may be permanently trashed.

Here's an important lesson: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If the machine has a manufacturing defect that can only be resolved with an update, then the choice is clear. If the machine works fine then there is no need to update.

Glad to see you've gotten a satisfactory outcome. :)

[matt]

Not all software updates are about 'fixing' something.

Some of them are about adding functionality or improving the way the system operates. They add features, in some instances. A number of the PlayStation updates I've accepted have added features like music video download capabilities and photo album function.

[beefking]

some of the firmware updates have been great - the photo album in particular is excellent - but for a while, mid 08 maybe, they seemed to be releasing new firmware every month or so. that was incredibly annoying, considering the amount of time and data they chewed up. and the minor, cosmetic changes they made were occasionally infuriating.

I would just ignore them, but you can't log into the PS network unless you've got the latest firmware.

I will be pretty upset if mine breaks, I think it's my favourite gadget.

I hope you can get yours fixed Matt.

[matt]

Hi Nathan.

That's about my largest gripe against the PS3...the amount of time updates take to complete...and the size of the updates.

[Craig.a.c]

Better of with an Xbox 360. I was going to buy a PS3 but they are way to overpriced in my opinion.

[multiweb]

Agreed but the 3.0 patch was major. You couldn't go online if you didn't appply it. Some big changes in that one including the whole interface.

[multiweb]

:lol: Ford vs. Holden argument hey?

[rider]

1/ Sony release ps3 slim.
2/ Sony release software update.
3/ Old ps3 stops working.

MMMmmmmmmmm.

[matt]

Yes......it did cross my mind:whistle::lol:

[matt]

Anyway....more good news.

Sony has written back already this morning to confirm they'll be replacing my dead unit ASAP.:)

It's interesting that in the first instance, I was made to feel like I'd done something wrong and that any fix would cost me.

I'm just glad I didn't take that on the chin.

It pays to know and pursue your rights as a consumer....politely and calmly:)

[JethroB76]

See! Told ya it'd work!:lol:

[matt]

Good one!:lol:

On a serious note, I think it's a handy lesson for everyone to know that retailers don't have you over a barrel when it comes to warranties.

Fair Trade/Consumer Affairs are very clear about the concept of "fair and reasonable' in terms of consumer expectations of product.

My PS3 was 2 months out of warranty, but the fellow from Sony I spoke with didn't hesitate to say it was a fair expectation that the unit should still be working. The warranty didn't enter the debate. It's also a handy lesson about not accepting the original decision and calling back, on the off-chance you'll get someone more reasonable the second time around!

As always....know your rights....be ready to demand them should the situation require.

[multiweb]

Make sure they don't swap it for a lesser model. The very first batch had a very different hardware inside and a totally different graphic processor. I think it was a PS2 chip as you also could play PS2 games on it, which the new ones apparently don't do anymore.

[matt]

Hi Marc.

I've been assured my new unit will be an exact replacement for the one I'm sending in....apart from the fact it will work!:lol:

My PS3 doesn't play PS2 games.

[multiweb]

no worries :thumbsup: I'm still waiting for mine too now ... :whistle:

[matt]

Good luck with yours...

I'll be keen to hear how you go.

By the way, I've just received another email with a service form attached. They're right onto this!!!

[gman]

My son has the 3 riings of death on his X Box.
It is out of warranty but Microsoft will accept it back and repair free of charge.
As I understand it has somthing to do with the X-Clamp.
I think all games consoles are pretty much the same.
It is the aftersales service that makes the difference.

Hope it all works out Matt

[beefking]

awesome, a good result.

[matt]

Well....the PS3 is in the mail today...

All pretty efficient, really. Sony sent me an email with a pdf attached outlining what needed to be done. I printed it out, cut out a coupon which I had to take to Oz Post. The postage cost was covered, but I paid extra for Registered Post and insurance.

The whole shebang cost me $12...

Not bad...:D

Onya Sony....

[multiweb]

Well I finaly got mine back today after a bit of fighting with SONY. The first time it came back it was all scratched, not even bubble wrapped in the box and the graphics weren' working correctly, hard drive not working, freezing while playing online. Not happy at all. I rang SONY and complained. After a quick chat with one of their manager they took it back for another go at no cost. Came back today in pristine condition. :) They changed all the casing, everything - like brand new, even came with the plastic films stuck on the glossy parts. Graphics are awesome, PS2 backward compatible and all. Back in business shooting people online now. :thumbsup:

[matt]

Yeah....mine came back nicely wrapped and has been functioning well ever since (touch wood).

I'm making a habit now of shutting it down after I've finished with it, every time...so it gets a chance to reboot and do all the 'purging' and pre-fetching it needs before using again:thumbsup:

It means I have to wait a little longer before using it...but I'm hoping it's better for its general 'health':)

[multiweb]

I have now bought a small base from jaycar with a big USB powered fan to get it off the ground. Works a real treat and keeps everything nice and cool. Only $13.00. Well worth it for protecting a $1k console. SHould have done it before. I also run it horizontal now rather than vertical position.