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BBC defends Watchdog report, Sony strikes back too |
Listed in: PS3 Tags: BBC, playstation 3 updates, PlayStation Network, refurbished, Sony, UK, Watchdog
Yesterday, the BBC's consumer rights show Watchdog looked into allegations of systematic failure issues plaguing launch versions of the PS3 console. Sony's had their say, and now that the Watchdog episode has been broadcast, the BBC has had theirs as well. Thing is, the BBC isn't done yet. They've since issued a statement on the Watchdog website backing the claims made on the program. Here are a few snippets:
Sony dislikes the term "the yellow light of death", since it implies a single fault is afflicting all consoles. It says the flashing yellow light is a "non-specific fault indicator that can be triggered in a range of different circumstances." Sony adds that the yellow light could indicate a problem caused by "any one of a range of issues that may inevitably affect any complex item of consumer electronics".
So if there isn't one single thing that's causing thousands of machines to stop working, why does it appear that one single repair appears to get them working again?
Unwilling to pay Sony for a refurbished PS3, customers often turn to independent console repair businesses. Several of those businesses have told Watchdog that the vast majority of consoles they see with the "yellow light of death" can be repaired by heating up specific parts of the circuit board. This process is called solder re-flow. By heating the connections between the components and the circuit board to temperatures in excess of 200 Celsius, the metal solder joints melt, just like they did when the device was first assembled. Console repairers say that this process method is commonly used to repair fractured connections, or dry joints.
The statement also claims that "by Sony's own admission, around 12,500 of the 2.5 million PlayStations sold in the UK" have been affected by the so-called "yellow light of death" since March 2007. It's worth noting that Sony didn't exactly say 12,500 but that 0.5 percent of the PS3 install base in the UK was affected.
Sony, on the other hand, also replied to the BBC's claims. In regards to the solder re-flow process, the company stated that:
As regards the purported solution to the supposed "yellow light" issue adopted by commercial repairers, effecting a reflow correctly, to the required engineering standards and in a properly controlled static-safe environment requires the use of an infra-red BGA soldering station, which must be set up and programmed to run at very specific temperature profiles. Each such station costs tens of thousands of pounds
Consequently, even if a yellow indicator/system shutdown were triggered by a soldering issue, it would be misleading for you to suggest to viewers that the basic solder reflow process you describe....is necessarily a reliable procedure when performed in that way, or that it can properly be done cheaply and quickly.
Did any of you guys catch the show? What did you think? Sound off in the comments section.
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Via BBC
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UNDER 12,500 suffering from general YLoD error on Sony's database could mean that any % of that number was caused by soldering issues. A certain % would have been caused by mistreatment and an even larger % of these issues would have occurred and been fixed during warranty. Leaving out of warranty YLoD errors likely to be under 5,000, only a certain percentage of which caused by soldering issues.
More to the point, once you factor in that most owners who have the time to take their console in for repair would also have the time to buy a £60 reflow kit of similar quality to unofficial repair shops, crank up the juice and point it at the solder, why would you then recommend taking it to a third party repair shop?
Sony's repair service is at a much higher standard and once you factor in prompt door to door delivery is certainly more cost effective.
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Obviously 3 is not a good number for a control group, you need at least 1000 to get any reliable information.
So I wonder why Watchdog said absolutely nothing about only using 3 system and having a piss poor control group and just started pointing fingers at Sony again....
Sounds like watchdog is full of BS to me.....i'll have to try and download an episode to watch and see how crappy it is.
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BBC isnt one to talk. There one to make BS up. BBC is nothing but a news company, not videogame fighting company. Bbc right before E3 said "oh its a fact that the PS3 SLIM will be announced at E3, we are always correct about our predictions"
There very stupid. Actually truth is I knew PS3 SLIM wasnt gonna be announced at E3 cause Sony was gonna announce it at Gamescom. They kinda confirmed it with the 45nm Chipsets being in PS3 by august.
BBC also said that a Xbox 360 slim would be announced like a year ago.
I think if they wanna fight Sony, they should fight against the PS3 fans aswell cause this company is about news, NOT making up BS.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v+GAb3-OrJB8M
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDu9ePWF4gg
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Yeah, I am sure it will be a totally objective report and not over exaggerated. That is what I expect from a comedian talking about a competitors product. /sarcasm
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First thing, not entirely PS3 specific but I also own VAIO laptop which once I had to send for repair (just before my warranty expired), it broke after one month. This time I sent it to 3rd party for repair and on the phone they told me it is poorly made (at the time I paid around 950 pounds for it).
Anyway, I paid less and it still works. Now, regarding PS3 I don't think it's not common problem on the contrary, my brothers PS3 YLODed. This time I bought a heat-gun and successfully reflowed it myself.
I think that Sony's products are these days more and more poorly made. Thankfully my PS3 works OK, unlike my brothers but at least I have know-how to fix it when it happen.
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