Sony

[Stephen]

I bought a Sony KVEH36M31 36 inch HDTV set here in Australia back in November.

It was advertised, and still is, as accepting all HD inputs, without qualification. No mention was made of the possibility that it might soon be rendered obsolete.

It now appears that several months before selling me the set Sony were party to the new DVI/HDCP standard that is incompatible with the set they sold me.

The Australian trade practices regulator takes a very dim view of companies who advertise a product as being suitable for certain uses, or having a particular function, when that is not the case.

I will be writing a pointed letter to Sony Australia, and if their response is unsatisfactory I will seek to have our regulator open an investigation into Sony's conduct.

[Hayseed]

Interesting..Sony's US Electronics Inc. Home web site has a disclaimer at the bottom of the KV-36HS20 specs:

"Hi-Scan 1080i Display: Works through only analog component video (Y/PB/PR) connections. Not compatible with such digital connections as may become available in the future."

I fairly sure this sentence was not there a few weeks ago. Nonetheless, since a floor model of this unit is available at a great price at my local BestBuy, I'm seriously thinking about getting it anyway. Then I could join the other 2 million pissed off Yanks and add my voice to the DVI/HDCP rebellion. 2 million people could put together a nasty class action lawsuit.