[MacDV] Sony TRV 900 repair?

[Peter van der Linden]

On Jan 8, 2004, at 12:44 AM, DBAFeldman at aol.com wrote:
> I was having some sound problems with my TRV 900. To the extent that 
> it is
> basically useless. The cost for repair is almost $700. They say this 
> will put it
> in like-new condition. 90 day guarantee or a full year for $20 extra. 
> The
> repair facility is highly recommended, authorized, etc.

A used TRV900 is worth about $850 - $900 if it works perfectly and is 
in good condition.
(Check "completed items" on EBay).  It's not worth anything with broken 
sound.

You could ask for a written description of what the problem is, and 
then try 2 or 3 other authorized repair facilities to see if any of 
them will do that repair more cheaply.  But the biggest part of the 
repair cost is probably the parts - they are going to replace a circuit 
board I would guess - 2 hours labor plus a $500 part.  If that guess is 
accurate, it won't be a lot cheaper anywhere else.

Is it worth it?  Probably.  This is one of the very few cases where an 
extended warranty would have been worthwhile. Another thing you could 
do is see if the repairers have any interest in buying it for parts.  
If they offer you more than $150 or so, take it.

     Peter