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Sony PlayStation 2

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A class-action lawsuit in California charges that the Sony has misrepresented the PlayStation 2 by claiming that it also plays DVDs. The suit charges that many units stop reading DVDs after only a few months of use. Gee, that sounds just like what our readers have been saying. By the way, the problems with Playstation 2 aren't all that new. Playstation 1 wasn't exactly perfect either.

Justin of Unity, ME October 23, 2009

After paying 400.00 for a Sony Playstation 3 in the spring of '08, I was disappointed when it stopped reading all discs a few months later. Due to my own stupidity it was no longer under warranty. I payed Sony 150.00, plus tax, to have my unit replace by a refurbished one in March of 2009. This unit functioned well until October 21 when it stopped working due to, what I have heard called, the Yellow Light of Death, or YLOD.

The Safety and Support manual that I recieved with my Playstation does not mention this combination of flashes, green, to yellow, to flashing red, although all other flashes are referenced. I visited the Playstation Network's Knowledge Center this combination means "..That there may be an internal part within the PS3 system. This may be caused by a variety of reasons and would need to be diagnosed at our service center." For a fee of 150.00, plus tax. After researching the YLOD online I have learned that this is a problem that is quite wide spread. One post I read chronicals over 500 members of the Playstation Network that have recieved the YLOD. The most common reason I have seen for the YLOD is that the solder Sony uses on the motherboard cracks as the unit heats up then cools off.

The problem seem exclusive to the PS3 and does not appear to happen in the PS2, PSP, or the Sony laptop. I have since learned that Sony will fix this problem for free for owners that live in the UK. I have not found out why yet. My concern is that if I send my unit in to be repaired or replaced that I will be given another faulty unit and with only a 90 day warranty. I believe that Sony knows about this problem and has done nothing to fix it. In fact they appear to be profiting from their consumers woes. They are flipping faulty units from one customer to the next at 150.00 a pop. I do not know what to do. Either I give Sony 150.00 more or I keep my 550.00 paperweight.

Chris of La Crosse, WI October 16, 2009

I have owned a CECHA01 60GB model of the Sony Playstation 3 for approximately a year and a half. The warranty for this product runs out after 1 year, and up until this point has always run fine. Recently, I loaded a new PS3 game into the console and played for 10 minutes. The console froze then shut down. Attempting to restart the console resulted in a yellow light, 3 quick beeps, and the console shutting down and flashing the red light repeatedly. I called the Sony Playstation customer support to find out what could be done. I was informed that the machine would need to be sent to Sony for repairs. As my machine is out of warranty, this would cost me 149 plus tax. I explained to the representative that I did not have that much money currently available and that I'd have to wait for it to be repaired. However, the game that was in the machine was only purchased earlier that day, and I wanted it removed for use on another console while I waited to be able to repair the broken one.

Sony's response was that the only way to remove the disc from the console is to send it to them for repair (for 149 plus tax), and they would send my game back along with it. Several of the representatives I spoke to (after making my way up the ladder as far as I could by asking to speak to supervisors and managers) said that I could either take the machine apart myself, or have it repaired by a third party technician. Moments after making this suggestion, they also mentioned that it was not recommended by Sony (then why are you recommending that I do that?), and would possibly be grounds for Sony to refuse to service my console.

jonathan of boca raton, FL October 15, 2009

I have owned a Playstation 3 for 15 months (3 months out of warranty) and now after updating to firmware 3.00 and 3.01 the PS3 does not read Blu ray discs or games. I am now being told by Sony that I have to pay 150 to fix the system that I only used 2-3 times a week, not even 200 hours in the 15 months I owned it! Then I am told that I will only have a 90 warranty (so that when the problme happens again, I can pay another 150??) I own a PSX, a PS2, a PSP, and I have never had an issue..at least their competitor is accepting responsibility for the their own hardware's failures, why won't Sony do the same???

Richard of Grafton, WV October 15, 2009

I purchased a 60gb Playstation 3 in 2007 and as of yesterday it is dead (yellow light of death). Called Sony and as it is out of the one year warranty they would charge 150 to fix it or replace it with another unit (that will undoubtedly fail after the 90 warranty). I did'nt mistreat the PS3, it was well ventilated, clean, and always used with an expensive power conditioner/surge protector. We need a class action suit, this is a huge problem that Sony is ignoring and getting rich from.

Robert of Santa Maria, CA October 3, 2009

The PlayStation 2 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up states that it has online capabilities (possibly because they merely copied everything from the Wii box) while there is no way for PS2 users to get online with it. It also claims the game supports up to 8 players with multitap (which it does not).

Carletta of Remsen, NY October 2, 2009

I bought a PS3-80GB in November of 2007. It broke...like everyone else called Sony and fortunately at this time it was covered under warranty. And then again like so many people it broke AGAIN! Sent it in for repair and again covered under warranty. Hmmm guess what happens next? In about just over 3 months of the last repair it breaks again!! One of these times it was some defect from a download. The other two times it was the some diod eye?? Well here I sit for time number 4!!!! Now it is the YOLD. This is insane! I spent 600.00 dollars on this product! It has been in the mail more than in my home and I am fed up! Someone has to do something please!!! Calling the customer service is a joke. The same questions over and over with the same response until you want to speak with a higher up then you get lied to! They can't give out the name of a manager or they are in a meeting, then call back 5 min later and all the managers went home. We have been lied to, heckled and just down right disrespected by this company. There are too many people complaining of the same exact thing! I can tell you this...I never want to deal with Sony again!! Ever!!!!

David of conroe, TX October 1, 2009

Sony came out with a new update for its playstation 3. 3.0 had many problems and caused peoples games to freeze. 3.01 was the update that fixed the problem. But it did not fix the problem 100 percent. many peoples playstations worked fine untill the update and now there game consoles will freeze in the credits of there games, blue ray games and blue ray movies can not be seen. But they same lense that reads in playstation reads regular dvds and ps2 games.

Sony's software disabled our blue ray players ability to work properly. Sony says its a malfunction with the system and what us to pat 150 to have it repaired. There software is the problem and there techs say its a soft ware problem, but when your out of warranty they want you to pay. Sony has basicly broke into my house and broke my playstation and then they want me to pay to have them repair it, that's just crazy.

harold of saint petersburg, FL September 29, 2009

play station 3 died after sony sent a update 3.01. they say it has to be repaired and send in what a scam. now I have to either get another or pay them to fix a mistake they made.

Germane of Valrico, FL September 25, 2009

Recently I have been having problem with my Playstation 3. I have had it for approximately 2 years. Just recently, within the past few days my PS3 has been shutting off by it self and, I found the it has the infamous yellow light of death. It will not turn and, I currently have a game inside the console that will not eject because the console wont turn on.

I spoke with a Sony rep any they informed me that I would need to pay 150 for it to be repaired. This would be my second time sending my console to Sony for repair, but not for the same reason. I beleive this is not right. This YLOD is a wide spread problem that many PS3 console owners are experiencing. Chariging the consumers money to get it fixed is down right wrong. Can someone please give us a helping hand on dealing with Sony.

William of Pleasanton, TX September 19, 2009

I purchased a Sony Playstation 3 on or about Dec. 20th, 2007. The unit did not work when taken out of the box, but reading the troubleshooting portion of the PS3 manual, I got the unit working by re-setting it via the master power button and holding it down until it's reset. I had virtually no trouble with the unit, except for the same thing twice more, but it was very rare. (the unit would not power on). Each time I had to re-set all the settings. 2 times I've had to totally re-format the unit (via the PS3 menu system in the unit), due to errors causing the unit to not work properly.

Now, after just over 2 years with same unit, the screen went black, and when re-setting again, unit works only in standard definition, but very dim display. Burnt smell coming from rear of unit as well. I paid 499.00 dollars for the unit. I have sent a notice to Sony, USA customer service, and they replied telling me I need to send it in for service, which costs 150.00 plus tax. I don't think it lasted long enough to justify the cost of the unit. Price has dropped 3 times since my purchase, and I feel like I was taken advantage of due to the numerous people who have had the same or worse problem with their PS3. Some receive new units that don't work. I think mine was just bad enough to have the problem from the beginning, but not show the symptoms enough for them to locate the problem, thus I didn't send it in while it was within the one year warranty.

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