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From: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: VCR service contracts
Message-ID: <1961@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-May-85 04:42:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1961
Posted: Mon May 13 04:42:15 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 16-May-85 06:46:47 EDT
References: <1406@mtx5b.UUCP> <726@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Reply-To: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold)
Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica
Lines: 24
Summary: 

We have had a VCR for five years now and needed emergency repairs twice.
We finally found out that for RCA old-style piano-key VCRs (and possibly
newer electronic ones ones), you should leave the VCR habitually switched
to TIMER rather than just leaving it ON in order to minimize wear and tear
on the machine. (There's this little light bulb which is lit when the
machine is on.  The VCR uses it to decide it's got power.  If it burns out,
nothing works.  Nothing!  And it's very non-trivial to replace.  Among
other things it gets soldered in.)

Once we figured that out, we went years without needing emergency service.
This was years of bundling the machine up into the car, putting it on 2"
thick foam rubber padding, and driving it over the pass and down the other
side to my parents-in-law to record stuff on cable.

However, we also got it cleaned and tuned up every year.  That includes
replacing all the parts that can wear out.  It takes a day (plus a few
extra days if the sho was busy) and cost cost an hour's service and perhaps
$10 in parts.  We have friends who neglected this simple precaution.  Their
VCRs don't work very well any more.

We just got a new VCR and are following the same guidelines.  No service
contract, but we will give it an annual tune up.

--Lee Gold