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Thread ID: 80439	2007-06-23 04:06:00	Replacing a broken remote control?	Sick Puppy (6959)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
561881	2007-07-03 12:11:00	I've looked, believe me, and there aren't any! It appears that the only way to get in is to somehow pry off the top cover, but the clips for the cover are embedded in the unit itself, so I'm a bit erm, buggered really. Guess its either live with it or replace the remote... (will call repair people though in case they have any tricks) [start rant] Darn it, I've only had this two and a half years, and it's been nothing but trouble (in three times for repairs)- my friend's one is fine, and she's had it for four plus, from the same vendor! [end rant] Aah, feel much better... :blush:	Sick Puppy (6959)
561882	2007-07-03 12:31:00	Pull out the sides with your finger nails from the indentation that normally runs all the way round the unit, there are small plastic extensions which hook into the other side, you need to lift them up and then pull the sides away from each other. If it is going to be trashed anyway you might as well have a go. Use a tiny screwdriver flat blade, once you see how it is put together you will realize that it is quite easy you just have to develop the correct technique. Even if you break a bit of the side you can still hold it together with insulation tape. Sometimes there is a screw underneath a silver plate with model details on it on the bottom. Peel it off from a corner.	zqwerty (97)
561883	2007-07-03 13:51:00	If you want you are welcome to let me know the model number I can ask my father to take a visit to Sony Hong Kong and ask about it for you. Let me know the remote model	Ninjabear (2948)
561884	2007-07-05 11:27:00	Thanks Ninjabear, the DVD player is a Sony DAV-S880 and the remote is a RM-SS880 (It is silver with a transparent dark blue cover that glows in the dark). Before you do anything however, let me contact the retailer first and see what happens- two and a bit years is a pretty pathetic amount of time for a remote to crap out- I have a CD player remote with ten times as much usage still going strong (14 years old!), so I will take it up with Retravision and see what happens. Wish me luck! ;) PS zqwerty, there is no indentation around the remote- the top transparent layer is literally sandwiched onto the silver layer, and the clips are inset about a millimetre from the edge; there are no labels or screws inside the battery cover, so in order to save the village, I'd have to burn the village... thanks though!	Sick Puppy (6959)
561885	2008-04-06 09:28:00	Jeez, how long has it been? I think I am just too darn stubborn for my own good (but then my fiancée's the same! lol) . I rang the vendor, explained the situation and that I wasn't happy the remote has lasted less than two and a half years while I have a five year warranty on ironically enough, everything but the remote . First it was leave it with them, then it was take it into servicing to get it checked . After them stating the obvious- it looks fine but doesn't work- it is now "send it to Sony NZ" . It appears the vendor is washing their hands of it and leaving it to Sony to sort out . Now bear in mind that this very brief summary does not cover the heap of phone calls, faxes and e-mails I've made in regard to this . I realise this is a minor issue, but it's the principle dammit! I paid about $1300 for a good quality DVD theatre system and a warranty (rip off I know), I take darn good care of my equipment, and I don't think it reasonable that I should be given the run around/ brush off because components crap out, especially when a friend's one has been working just fine . Question now, is do I send it to Sony and hope they see it my way (bearing in mind the final e-mail indicates they were trying to wriggle their way out of it), or do I read the riot act (that is the consumer guarantees act) to vendor?	Sick Puppy (6959)
561886	2008-04-06 10:04:00	Jeez, how long has it been? I think I am just too darn stubborn for my own good (but then my fiancée's the same! lol) . I rang the vendor, explained the situation and that I wasn't happy the remote has lasted less than two and a half years while I have a five year warranty on ironically enough, everything but the remote . First it was leave it with them, then it was take it into servicing to get it checked . After them stating the obvious- it looks fine but doesn't work- it is now "send it to Sony NZ" . It appears the vendor is washing their hands of it and leaving it to Sony to sort out . Now bear in mind that this very brief summary does not cover the heap of phone calls, faxes and e-mails I've made in regard to this . I realise this is a minor issue, but it's the principle dammit! I paid about $1300 for a good quality DVD theatre system and a warranty (rip off I know), I take darn good care of my equipment, and I don't think it reasonable that I should be given the run around/ brush off because components crap out, especially when a friend's one has been working just fine . Question now, is do I send it to Sony and hope they see it my way (bearing in mind the final e-mail indicates they were trying to wriggle their way out of it), or do I read the riot act (that is the consumer guarantees act) to vendor? I think it's best to go to Sony directly and tell them whats happening . Probably request some kind of receipt that they have indeed have your remote . Probably safer this way . Hopefully someone can give you better info	Ninjabear (2948)
561887	2008-04-14 12:25:00	Cheers Ninjabear- am sending it to Sony NZ now. Wrote a letter/e-mail to vendors stating that I was somewhat unhappy with how things have gone in this matter, currently debating whether to send it or not- reads pretty angry, even for me! lol	Sick Puppy (6959)
561888	2008-04-14 13:14:00	Yeah, those darn little things are unfortunately not covered under warranty, even though they're the easiest/cheapest things to service/replace entirely. If you want a quick fix, slide off any covers/sliders, get a very thing but strong piece of metal, some nail files will do the trick, if not, use a knife or something (one that won't snap and poke your eye out) to pry the sides. Most have a couple clips up the top by the IR transmitter and will just slide off after that. Now don't go randomly touching things under there onces it's open! If you have a nice clean brush, just use that to get any dust/other foreign objects out of the way. If you got some isopropanol alochol at home, that'll be nice, else you can also use plain old meths or liquid from those old vcr head cleaners if you got that. Theres also some CRC electrical products that work very well. If you see moisture anywhere, clean that off and take note to make sure everything is dry before putting it back together again. Put it on a cotton bud and just wipe not too hard, but hard enough to clean the PCB, then clean the rubber contact things (the underside of the buttons, usually small black bits that make contact with the gold contacts). Make sure its all clean and dry, might as well check the rest of the board for loose contacts, dry joints for the bits that go to the battery terminals seems to be a bit common through my experiences, but that tends to be designed more sturdier now so not as much of an issue. Reassemble and it should be as good as new. Seriously, theres not that much that can go wrong with a remote. I've recovered my old XBOX remote recently (hadn't used remote for like 3 years, wanted to play a dvd with it one day and found the remote had acid EVERYWHERE), very surprised that it still worked. Also had a couple which had been water damaged only to come out working fine after some quick maintenance work. Thats probably the fastest/easiest resolution for you and I'd recommend trying that or at least checking for presence of moisture before proceeding as if you've ever had any portable device assessed for under warranty repairs before, you'll know how quickly the manufacturers/insurers will sly their way out of it by saying you've any warranty via water damage. Good luck.	Deathwish (143)
561889	2008-07-23 10:47:00	Well, today I finally got my remote replaced by Sony Solutions Auckland with the same model (quoted model # to them via phone using my correspondence to them) . . . and it doesn't work . Gutted . Calmed down, and then rang friend with similar unit . Hers is the older version, and remote has a different serial number- RM-SS880 as compared to my RM-SS800 . Different colour, although when hers was replaced at the beginning the new version had a remote the same as mine- just assumed it was a new product run . . . Checked instructions- yup, I was meant to have a RM-SS880 . THEY GAVE ME THE WRONG F***ING REMOTE WHEN I PURCHASED IT!! Dammit, I don't know whether to feel really really stupid or absolutely livid right now . . . I am so over Retravision and Sony right now! :angry	Sick Puppy (6959)
561890	2008-07-23 19:53:00	it took you approximately 1 year to receive the remote and it doesn't work? Go Sony NZ.	Ninjabear (2948)
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