My 61" DLP TV was just pwned by a Wii Controller.

[Santoro]

 

My 13 year old daughter's friend was playing Wii tennis and the (pre-recall) strap broke.  The controller flew into the screen and cracked it.   My kids aren't very aggressive so I didn't think we'd have an issue. What an ASS I am.

If you got your kids a Wii for Christmas, learn from my mistake - get the replacemement straps NOW, and don't let your kids play the 'swinging' games until you do.  (If you like your TV, that is.)

Anyone ever replaced a Samsung screen before?  Seems the part itself is a few hundred bucks, but I don't want to pay labor if I don't have to.  Seems like it should be easy.

Dangit.   

edit, added pic.

[AtomSmasher]

Wow, she has a nice throwing arm for a 13 year old girl 

[Santoro]

Here's the recall link as a public service. 

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/strapreplace.jsp

[pointdablame]

---steaming pile of meadow muffin---... that sucks   I'm guessing you don't have any extended warranty?

Sorry man. I guess there's one good thing about only having a 20" TV in my dorm room to play the Wii on...

[missioncontrol]

dude that sucks...

[Santoro]

---Cleveland steamer---... that sucks   I'm guessing you don't have any extended warranty?

Sorry man. I guess there's one good thing about only having a 20" TV in my dorm room to play the Wii on...

I do have an extended warranty, but reading it, it seems to only cover 'defects' and bulbs.  Somehow I think they'd laugh me out of town.  Doesn't mean I won't try though. I might call American Express also, just in case.   

[ChadTower]

Is it the manuf warranty or the store warranty?  Usually the store warranty (at least the salespeople claim this) will cover anything.  I've had guys tell me to intentionally break items right before it expires to get a free replacement (which by then would be an upgrade) out of the warranty.

Have you contacted the girl's parents yet?  It may get contentious but I would think they should pay for the repairs.

As for the upgraded straps... eff them.  Replace them with something like thin metal braided cord.  I hear the upgraded straps are only marginally better and won't last the long term either.

[Santoro]

Have you contacted the girl's parents yet?  It may get contentious but I would think they should pay for the repairs.

Nah, we are pretty good friends with them and I wouldn't do that.  Maybe I would if she had a hissy and threw it at the screen on purpose, but this could have happened to any of us.  She just happened to be the one.  I heard today that she cried all night because she was so embarassed. 

As for the warranty, I will certainly try it, maybe the repair guy will have a heart and just process it.   I just need to speak genericly about a cracked screen when I call so they don't allege abuse.  I am not hopeful though.  When the sales droid at Circuit City sold me the warranty he implied it covered everything, but the wording of the agreement doesn't support that at all.

[clanggedin]

Isn't it just a sheet of plexi or lexan??

[More Cowbell]

Just take the guts out and turn it into a MAME cabinet. Sorry, trying to do the glass-half-full thing.

[ChadTower]

It would make one hellacious aquarium.

[Santoro]

Isn't it just a sheet of plexi or lexan??

Nope, there are two sheets, one is 'prism-y' and one is frosted.  They are called the Lenticular and Fresnel screens.

Info: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/vidfres.htm

My parts are here.  I have a strong suspicion that I could replace the front screen myself, and I don't think the back one is damaged.  What I am struggling with is the possibility of voiding my warranty by doing so.  I think I am going to just pay a pro to do it.

[Dartful Dodger]

What an ASS I am.

Nah, we are pretty good friends with them and I wouldn't do that.  Maybe I would if she had a hissy and threw it at the screen on purpose, but this could have happened to any of us.

This could have happened anyone, and has happened to a lot of people.  

You had an opportunity to be an ass, but instead of ruining a friendship over this you took responsibility.

You're not an ass at all.

On the brighter side, the Wii now has added educational value for your kids.

Good luck on the warranty, you deserve it.

[ChadTower]

I've taken apart older projection TVs in the past to clean the projectors/screens.  Usually it's not that hard to do and done with care you should be able to do it.  It needs to be done on a projection TV every few years anyway to remove buildup from the inside of the screens and the projector lenses.  Not sure exactly how your TV differs in that regard from the older CRT projection TVs (arcade monitors that were just projection TVs with RGB in only) I've worked on.

Given the potential warranty violation, though, it may be worthwhile just to have it done by a pro.  And be sure to keep the documentation of that as the manufacturer will require it if you need warranty repairs.


Dartful, asking them to pay for the repairs, if he's not a raging a-hole while doing so, shouldn't have any negative effect on the friendship.  If it's a quality friendship they'd be offering to pay.  I'd be insisting if my son did that.

[JeepMonkey]

That sucks.

Here is a website that has many similar cases.  Not sure if it has been posted yet.

www.wiihaveaproblem.com

[Santoro]

  If it's a quality friendship they'd be offering to pay.  I'd be insisting if my son did that.

They did offer.  Being that it was the strap on my game that broke, I would really feel odd taking the money.

[Santoro]

www.wiihaveaproblem.com

I just sent them an email. It'd be pretty funny to get on there I suppose.

[shmokes]

I have a 40" Toshiba widescreen projection.  It's not a DLP, but for what it's worth if yours is attached the same way mine is you absolutely could do it yourself.

Velcro.

I kid you not.  My screen is attached solely by industrial strength Velcro.  Nothing else. 

[ChadTower]

Every one of the CRT projection monitors I've worked on have had their screens clamped in place by the bezel/housing and cushioned by things like adhesive foam rubber.

[shardian]

So are there any class action lawsuits in progress against nintendo for damages to property. In my opinion, they are liable since they have admitted to a flaw that turns their controllers into projectiles thru no fault of the owner.

[ChadTower]

If the owner did not lose control it would not happen in the first place.  That would probably be enough defense to win.

It's a simple swap.  Change the strap out with something substantially stronger. 

[CCM]

So are there any class action lawsuits in progress against nintendo for damages to property. In my opinion, they are liable since they have admitted to a flaw that turns their controllers into projectiles thru no fault of the owner.

Right, but if you continue to play with the defective part, I would think you would be doing so at your own risk.

[ChadTower]

Right, but if you continue to play with the defective part, I would think you would be doing so at your own risk.

Yeah, he might go blind!

[CCM]

Right, but if you continue to play with the defective part, I would think you would be doing so at your own risk.

Yeah, he might go blind!

Maybe Nintendo will pay for glasses...

[ChadTower]

His defective part would not stand up in court.

[shardian]

Yes, but what about the people who broke their windows/tv's/whatever, before the recall happened? In the Wii advertisements, they show people flinging the thing around, so its not like people are doing something that the controller wasn't "supposed" to be designed for. I guess Nintendo didn't have any wild kids test out their product before going to market.

I personally think Nintendo made an awesome product, but the liability in making it was not such a good idea.

[ChadTower]

It's just a tiny bump in the transition to something completely new.  People have to learn how to properly use the controllers.  Nintendo had to learn to make better straps.

[SNAAKE]

sue nintendo

[Glaine]

Sad news about your telly. Good call on not demanding money from the little girl, you'd look like the RIAA when they took taht kid to court for piracy. Heart O Gold.

Nothing new, everyone yanks the controller out of the port when they play Sega Marine Fishing on Dreamcast, people can't understand the concept of limiting their motions.

[AlanS17]

Anyone ever replaced a Samsung screen before?  Seems the part itself is a few hundred bucks, but I don't want to pay labor if I don't have to.  Seems like it should be easy.

I've never personally replaced the screen on my 50" Samsung DLP, but I was there to watch when a factory-authorized dude came over to do it for me.

He used white lint-free cloth gloves to handle it to prevent lint from sticking to the inside surface. And of course, it prevents the smudges. Aside from being very careful, it seemed pretty straight forward. Just be aware that there is a front and a back, and it's possible to get it turned around.

[AlanS17]

When the sales droid at Circuit City sold me the warranty he implied it covered everything, but the wording of the agreement doesn't support that at all.

Just keep beating that into them when you call to claim it.

[shmokes]

So are there any class action lawsuits in progress against nintendo for damages to property. In my opinion, they are liable since they have admitted to a flaw that turns their controllers into projectiles thru no fault of the owner.

By the way, recalls cannot be used in court as evidence of a product flaw.  Companies are protected against this sort of thing because if they were not there would be no such thing as voluntary recalls.  The second a company recalled a product people would come out of the woodwork to sue them and those people would have an airtight case every time -- the company itself has admitted to the flaw by issuing a recall.

[ChadTower]

Recalls are legally considered a proactive solution to a potential case action, IIRC, and are usually considered a good enough faith effort that any standard case covered by the recalled part would not be heard.