This Sony FS700 camera comes to us for repair from the Coachella Music Festival.
Challenging Conditions
A/V and Event Pros are no strangers to the world of music festivals, raves, and other multi-stage venues. But one of the main challenges associated with large venues are their obscure locations. Black Rock City for Burning Man, Las Vegas Speed Way for Electric Daisy Carnival, and Coachella Valley for Coachella – all of these cities are known for their dry and dusty conditions, which we know is hell on A/V equipment. Rumors have it that Coachella Week 1 saw winds in excess of 50 MPH kicking up a dust storm which can damage camera, projector, lighting, and audio equipment.
Protecting Your Equipment
When it comes to camera and imaging equipment, proactive approaches are always best when maintaining the health of your equipment. SLR cameras like the Canon 5D and C300 are some of the most sensitive to dust leaks despite their weather seals. We recommend using a rain guard like the Ruggard RC-P18 Rain Cover as a first line of defense against the elements. Pan Tilt and Zoom cameras such as Panasonic’s AW and AK series cameras should also have their mechanical sections shielded from harsh conditions. When users can’t afford the rugged AW-PH650, it is imperative that they use equipment to protect their PTZ systems. We frequently see damaged AW-PH405’s and AW-PH360N’s suffering from dust or humidity damage that affects the mechanical sections. Just like pan and tilt camera systems, lighting equipment like Elation’s Moving Head or Martin’s MAC Moving Head is susceptible to dust damage in the motor assembly.
Regular Maintenance
Dust can get inside camera assemblies, lens assemblies, and viewfinders, affecting the quality of your productions. By performing preventative maintenance and cleaning after every festival, you can ensure the health and longevity of your equipment. This also applies to audio equipment, where dust can affect speaker and amplifier connectors, causing shorts.
How Dust Affects Your High-Lumen Projectors
Dust is the number one enemy for projection equipment. It can clog cooling channels, leading to power supply and ballast failure. This in turn can cause damage to the optical block. Dust is also know to affect and discolor the polarizing plates. It is always better to spend a few hundred dollars on a cleaning, than to spend a few thousand dollars on a new optical block.
Specials on Preventative Maintenance
Digitron Electronics has been in the business of Pro A/V Repairs and Cleaning since 1992. We frequently repair Panasonic, Sony, and Canon camcorder equipment and we are experts with Panasonic, Sanyo, and other high-lumen projector repair. Mention this article and we will waive the estimate deposit on SLR and Lens Cleaning, Video Camcorder Cleaning, and Projector Cleaning.
Is it more cost-effective to repurchase?
A/V Trends
The A/V industry has changed dramatically over the last 22 years that we have been in business. Build quality of A/V technology has dropped dramatically, while features and affordability have climbed dramatically. Some of the interesting demographic trends we have noticed, are that the older generation of users, will seek out repairs, while the newer generation heads straight for replacement. Here are our thoughts:
Efficiency is Key
If the cost of repair exceeds 50% of the cost of replacing your unit with the same, or newer model, it is usually a safe bet to upgrade. You will get all the new features, with the added safety of a new manufacturer’s warranty. If the total cost of your unit is less than $199, it’s a safe bet that replacement will always be more efficient than repair.
Consumer models of camcorder, projector, and audio equipment are really never worth repairing. A great example with projector repair: repairing the Optoma HD20’s commonly sold at Costco cost approximately $600 new. The parts alone for repairing image discoloration are approximately $200. As you can see, with any labor costs, the cost of repair is more than 50% the cost of replacement.
The Opposite is Also True
If you have a high-brightness projector like the Sanyo PLC-XF46N that is used for business presentations or entertainment productions, then the answer is a resilient YES! You should fix it. Capital investments in high quality microphones, projectors, and camcorders are certainly worth the cost of the repair.
Preventative Maintenance
With fewer analog parts, many A/V equipment owners have forgotten that their units require regular preventative maintenance. Projectors need to be cleaned to prevent power issues. Camcorders need to be realigned and calibrated to guarantee quality color reproduction, and mics need to be maintained to guarantee high quality sound reproduction. Reduce the cost of pro A/V equipment repair by creating a strict Preventative Maintenance Schedule
Extended Warranties
Consider reducing the cost of total ownership with extended warranties from providers like Banker’s Warranty Group and Mack Camera Warranty
About Digitron Electronics
We are a consolidated repair services firm specializing in the repair of Professional Audio Video Repair. We frequently work with production companies like Encore Productions, broadcasters, and integrators, to repair and maintain projector, camcorder, broadcast, and pro audio equipment. We are also a third party logistics company helping support brands like Panasonic Broadcast, Sony Professional, and Tascam in their QA, Repairs, and Tech Support needs.
Sony is an audio and video manufacturer and its products are used across the world and the name Sony is synonymous with high end quality products which are packed with state-of-the-art features. The Sony HDCAM is no exception, and the first HDCAM was introduced onto the market in 1997 and in general, the Sony HDCAM is used to produce HDTV, or high definition television programs. Today, most prime television networks use only HDCAM as a master recording medium. Digitron Electronics is a repairer of well-known audio and video equipment, such as the Sony HDCAM, and taking into account that most television and recording companies are recording only in HD, we are often tasked with a Sony HDCAM repair. Recently, Sony has launched a high compression mode of the Sony HDCAM, which is known as the SR lite; however, for the moment we are pleased to be the authorized repair agent for most of Sony’s products, and in addition to carrying out the Sony HDCAM repair, we repair the Sony PD100, PD150, PD190, the PDW200, PDW500, the HVR-ZIU and the HVR-VIU, among other Sony Camcorder models.
As service agents, Digitron Electronics is the largest independent repair agent for audio and video equipment on the West Coast, and because they are known for their professional Sony HDCAM repair, they often handle bulk repairs and as such, our bench technicians who are all qualified electronic engineers have a good understanding of the circuitry which makes up the Sony HDCAM. Digitron Electronics’ first repair was performed in the early 1990s; however, it was not long after the first repairs were made to multi-track recorders and video cameras and recorders that Digitron Electronics earned the repair contract for a number of well-known manufacturers, and besides being a service agent for Sony, our company is a repair agent for Panasonic, among many other well-known brands. Our ability to handle complex audio and video equipment repairs, such as the Sony HDCAM repair, has given us the opportunity to partner with many other top manufacturers, and we are the authorized repairs for AKAI, DOD, Fostex, Guild, JBL, Kawai, Mackie, Ross, Ramsa, and Rane, to name a few.
Our highly rated Sony HDCAM repair services have allowed many top organizations, such as Walt Disney Animation, Sony Professional, Panasonic Broadcast, Pro-HD Rentals, Fuel TV and Fox Sport, TV stations, and even governmental agencies to put their faith in our video and audio equipment repair services. Since we tend to carry out many Sony HDCAM repairs on a monthly basis, we can quickly diagnosis a problem and professionally handle the Sony HDCAM repair. To see our repair capabilities, feel free to visit our website, www.digitronelectronics.com. Once the Sony HDCAM repairhas been carried out, our staff will ensure that before the Sony HDCAM leaves our premises, not only will the Sony HDCAM be repaired, but all equipment is restored to its original factory settings.
The latest handheld HDV camcorder from Sony is the z7u and when the advanced features of this HDV camcorder are seen, it will be appreciated that only authorized and experienced service agents, such as Digitron Electronics, handles the Sony z7u repair. The features of the Sony z7u include a 100% full scan display which caters to the easy reviewing of the recorded material, as well as 6500k color temperature which was once previously the standard for professional monitors. Sony is a brand which is used and respected the world over and as such, professional and novice filmmakers or those who use camcorders for home recordings trust Sony to provide the best quality audio and visual equipment, such as the Sony z7u repair. Digitron Electronics is the West Coast’s biggest independent repairer of all types of audio and video equipment and to this end, it makes sense to trust Digitron Electronics with a complex Sony z7u repair. In addition to the Sony z7u repair, our bench technicians, all of whom are qualified electronic engineers, provide repairs for various other Sony models such as the PD100, the PD150, PDW200 and PDW500, the BVW-200 and BWWD600. However, more than being experienced repairers of Sony video and audio equipment, Digitron Electronics has been nominated as an authorized service center for many well-known manufacturers, which include the likes of Guild, HHB, Hughes and Kettner, Jackson, Mackie and Korg.
Being an approved service center, Digitron Electronics has formed partnerships with many top manufacturers and they know precisely what is needed to carry out a Sony z7u repair. Several well-known companies, such as Walt Disney Animation, Sony Professional, Panasonic Broadcast, Pro-HD Rentals, Fuel TV and Fox Sport, TV stations, and several governmental agencies utilize Digitron Electronics to perform their video and audio equipment repairs. Our team of qualified, electronic engineers who will undertake the Sony z7u repair have a good understanding of digital and analog circuitry, and before the Sony z7u repair is taken from our premises, we test that the Sony z7u is 100% functional and after the Sony z7u repair has been done, the original factory settings will be restored.
On average, our bench technicians carry out repairs on up to 500 units each month and this high volume of repairs has helped our technician to quickly assess the problem and handle the repair. For a full listing of the repair capabilities of Digitron Electronics, feel free to visit the website, www.digitronelectronics.com. More than delivering an effective Sony z7u repair, the rates charged for the repair are competitively priced. The very first repair undertaken by Digitron Electronics was in the early 1990’s and it was not long after repairs were made to multi-track recorders and video cameras and recorders when Digitron Electronics began contracting to the world’s best audio and video manufacturers like Panasonic and Sony. These giants in the industry awarded Digitron Electronics the factory repair contract. Being authorized agents and with the volume of repairs which are handled by our company, who better to carry out a Sony z7u repair than Digitron Electronics.