1/5
posted Oct-15-2010
I ordered an IEEE 1394 (firewire) 4-pin to 4-pin cable and a bunch of audio connectors from RiteAV because of their low prices. The items arrived quickly by US mail. The audio connectors worked fine, but the digital video IEEE 1394 cable failed to make the proper connection between my Sony camcorder and my HP laptop computer. Subsequent inspection with a microscope in an engineering lab at work revealed a bent metal pin on the RiteAv cable and a broken-off pin on the camcorder’s IEEE 1394 input connector. I know the camcorder connector pin was not broken before inserting the RiteAV cable because I never a had a problem in the many years I used the camcorder with my desktop computer to do video editing using the original 1394 4-pin to 6-pin cable supplied by Sony. I conclude that the RiteAV 4-pin to 4-pin cable was defective and caused the damage observed on the camcorder connector. RiteAV sent a replacement cable but refused my request to repair the camcorder. The labor required to replace the camcorder connector will make the repair cost comparable to the cost of a new camcorder. The lesson I’ve learned is not to buy the cheapest available cable if there is any chance that it can damage a valuable piece of equipment. High levels of quality control are essential in manufacturing the miniature, multi-pin, input and output connectors and cables used on computers, cameras, and audio/video equipment because these components have tiny, precisely aligned metal pins or optical fibers that carry the signals. My advice is to spend a few bucks more to get a get a high quality cable which protects your valuable equipment from costly repairs.
I just read RiteAv's response to the above review. I'm not an idiot. I'm a test engineer in the aerospace industry with 30 years experience troubleshooting electronics. My camcorder worked perfectly connected to my desktop computer using the factory supplied cable. I bought a RiteAV cable so that it would also connect to my laptop. The first time I plugged the RiteAV cable into the camcorder, a pin on the camcorder connector broke off. Because of the broken pin, the camcorder now no longer works with the factory supplied cable. I never claimed the RiteAV cable fixed itself. I just claimed that it did not also break the computer connector--only the camcorder connector.
I did request that RiteAV repair the camcorder, and they refused. Only after they refused did I post the above review. If RiteAV had offered to repair he damaged camcorder connector, I would have included that fact in the review. I never made a threat.
This review was modified by
robertbailey on October 15 2010 01:35:39 PM
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![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"I ordered an IEEE 1394 (firewire) 4-pin to 4-pin cable and a bunch of audio connectors from RiteAV because of their low prices. The items arrived quickly by US mail. The audio connectors worked fine, but the digital video IEEE 1394 cable failed to make the proper connection between my Sony camcorder and my HP laptop computer. Subsequent inspection with a microscope in an engineering lab at work revealed a bent metal pin on the RiteAv cable and a broken-off pin on the camcorder\u2019s IEEE 1394 input connector. I know the camcorder connector pin was not broken before inserting the RiteAV cable because I never a had a problem in the many years I used the camcorder with my desktop computer to do video editing using the original 1394 4-pin to 6-pin cable supplied by Sony. I conclude that the RiteAV 4-pin to 4-pin cable was defective and caused the damage observed on the camcorder connector. RiteAV sent a replacement cable but refused my request to repair the camcorder. The labor required to replace the camcorder connector will make the repair cost comparable to the cost of a new camcorder. The lesson I\u2019ve learned is not to buy the cheapest available cable if there is any chance that it can damage a valuable piece of equipment. High levels of quality control are essential in manufacturing the miniature, multi-pin, input and output connectors and cables used on computers, cameras, and audio\/video equipment because these components have tiny, precisely aligned metal pins or optical fibers that carry the signals. My advice is to spend a few bucks more to get a get a high quality cable which protects your valuable equipment from costly repairs.<br>I just read RiteAv\u0027s response to the above review. I\u0027m not an idiot. I\u0027m a test engineer in the aerospace industry with 30 years experience troubleshooting electronics. My camcorder worked perfectly connected to my desktop computer using the factory supplied cable. I bought a RiteAV cable so that it would also connect to my laptop. The first time I plugged the RiteAV cable into the camcorder, a pin on the camcorder connector broke off. Because of the broken pin, the camcorder now no longer works with the factory supplied cable. I never claimed the RiteAV cable fixed itself. I just claimed that it did not also break the computer connector--only the camcorder connector.<br> I did request that RiteAV repair the camcorder, and they refused. Only after they refused did I post the above review. If RiteAV had offered to repair he damaged camcorder connector, I would have included that fact in the review. I never made a threat. ","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/RiteAV\/comment\/622285#comment622285","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/RiteAV.jpg","store_name":"RiteAV.com [formerly: rite-av.com]","username":"robertbailey","rating":"1"}, "single");){kind=link}
“This guy is a real winner. He kept changing his story to place blame on us. I asked him why the cable didn't damage his computer when he reversed it, and he said the cable must have fixed itself after it damaged his camcorder.
Then he threatened to post a bad review if we didn't fix his camcorder. We don't negotiate with idiots.”