Sadly, TiVo and its ultra-intuitive user interface is not available in Japan, but there are plenty of similar devices, called “DVR” here (Digital Video Recorder). We have a Sony BDZ-X90 unit that we bought a year or so ago. Its list of features and functions is huge, exceeded only by its ridiculously high pricetag.
Anyway, it worked just fine until five days after the warranty expired, when suddenly only the display worked (and only to show “System Error”). A call to Sony confirmed that it would have to be sent in for service, so I dropped it off at a place nearby that handles Sony repairs, and asked them to ask Sony to fix it for free, since it's just out of warranty.
Of course, I understood that Sony didn't have to do that (it was just out of warranty), but it didn't hurt to ask.
We got it back today. It turns out that the hard disk had crashed, so it was replaced. The bill came to ¥0, so thanks Sony.
I'd prefer that things don't break, but being generous like that on the warranty, after the fact when you didn't have to, is classy (and good business; there's a reason we have so much Sony stuff).
That’s a good story. Nice to hear. Oh, and have I told you how much we LOVE our HD TiVo? 🙂
Amen! Or at least to the TiVo part. Wish there was more room to store programs so I didn’t have to delete some of the 88 Woodwright Shot episodes in order to copy more.
What amazes me about Sony is how they could have lost complete and total market domination with not one but TWO brands… first Walkman and now PlayStation.
That was nice of them. Our DVR is an LG and well out of warranty. It still works perfectly except it no longer loads all DVDs, including my favourite movie, Snatch. I suppose that buying a new one is on the cards sooner than later. But I should see if the repair shop up the road can do something. I’ve heard that the problem may be laser misalignment so it might not be too much to fix; otherwise it will be more cost effective to buy a new one as they aren’t terribly expensive.