Sharp Stands Behind Its Product
So I called Sharp. The set was out of warranty. But because the problem is a known manufacturing defect, I got a free repair. Instead of asking me to ship the set to a service center, the company sent a technician to my home. He got busy on the rug (though I offered to clear a desk). The sound board was buried deep inside the set, so the repairman's power screwdriver whizzed and whizzed, but eventually I smelled the chemical aroma of the new grease on the new board and the set was soon back in business. I'm very impressed with Sharp. This is a company that stands behind its products. I never even identified myself as an editor of this magazine--this is apparently how Sharp would treat any consumer with the same problem.
I had a similarly positive experience with Canon when the imaging sensor of my SD200 camera gave up the ghost after three years of use. When I phoned tech support, I was told this was another manufacturing defect and was offered two alternatives. Either the company would sell me a more recent model for the low-low-low price of $100 or it would repair the old one for nothing. Since the old one had accompanied me to Venice, Copenhagen, Vienna, and a few of my other favorite places, it had a certain sentimental value and I asked for the repair. Canon later notified me that the repair wouldn't be possible after all and sent a new SD1000 for nothing. So I went from two to seven megapixels practically overnight. Here's another company that stands behind its products. That's commendable.