' A few weeks back we reported on the problems being experienced by an unlucky few across Europe with their Sony DVP-NS900 DVD players. Sony admitted there was a problem with a few samples of the player, and informed us that there was a ‘fix’available. We asked one of the people affected by the problem, Bruno Leveille in France, to keep us posted on how this proposed fix worked in practice – and here’s his sad tale of woe:
' “Dear Mr Archer,
' Happy New Year! I'm still in touch with Sony France about my NS900, and the issue has not found a satisfying solution. In December, Sony informed us that a fix was available (actually, a very improper fix, but one that does at least seem to resolve the switching issue of the DVD player). Unfortunately, any player that has to be fixed has to be sent back to the Sony technical center, of which there is only one, 60 kms from Paris - and it takes about three weeks to get back the repaired unit.
' But in any case, I told Sony that I didn't want to own a player that had been 'butchered', even by a Sony technical center, and they told me that they would inform me when a new series of 'factory modified' NS900s would be available.
' The last contact that I had with Sony France was Tuesday, January, 8, when they told me that they didn’t know when this new series would be available, especially in black.
' Now Sony France and myself have agreed that if on January 21 there is still no date for the factory modified NS900s, they will refund me the price of the DVD player.
' This means that although I bought the DVP-NS900 on November 2, we still have no satisfactory solution ! ! ! I don't know what the situation is like in UK, but I hope that it is better ! !”
'
' Hmm. If anyone in the UK is having similar problems, why not drop us a line?
