Kudos and jeers for Plextor

[Mercutio]

Several months ago I bought an additional Plextor ConvertX external video capture device for classroom use.

Since I wasn't doing anything in the classroom related to video capture, I never bothered to open it.

I opened it last week to find that the power cord wasn't in the box.

So I went to plextor.com and filled out a VERY cheesy looking "missing parts request" form... and to my great surprise I got a new power cord the very next day, shipped from California to Indiana.

So that's the good part.

The bad part? The current model convertX, the 402, doesn't appear to be functional hardware. I have two of them, and one of the older 401 models.

Both the 401 and the 402 only work with WinDVD Creator and with a tiny program called Plextor GoCap. My 401 works pretty much flawlessly. The 402s, with exactly the same settings and program updates, won't capture video for more than 3 minutes without crashing WinDVD or GoCap.
Even more obnoxious, to get WinDVD current from the version on the install CD, one must install 5 10 -12MB incremental updates (you can't go straight to the last one). Ouch.

And here's the kicker: Since I've been having these issues with one and now two 402s on a variety of systems, I've sent four queries to Plextor's tech support over the last month. None of them have gotten even an automatic response.

I think the missing parts guy and the tech support guy need to swap jobs.

 

[RWIndiana]

Are you saying you DO get a response from most companies you e-mail? You're average is better than mine! I'm not sure if I'm not nice enough or not nasty enough. It sure seems that any decent company which advertizes their e-mail address really ought to answer the e-mails sent to them. But maybe I'm just insane.

 

[Mercutio]

I'm sure that for most "feedback" type addresses, monitoring is only a very small part of someone's job function. That's why I was surprised at getting a quick response over missing parts.

I am equally sure that several people have access to the tech support addresses at most computer hardware manufacturers. Which makes unanswered emails to support addresses a particular annoyance.

I've gotten great email support from Tyan, IBM and Adaptec in the past. So-so from Epox and Sapphire, and very poor service from Plextor and Abit. I guess it depends on the company.

 

[ddrueding]

IMHO Antec has the bast tech support.

1. Actual techs answer their support line within minutes.
2. E-mail responses have ben within an hour.

I'd call that a gold standard for those without support contracts.

 

[blakerwry]

Agreed on Antec.

I've had to call newegg several times now, and while they do answer their phone within a few minutes I can't say that they have EVER helped me.

-Blake

 

[Clocker]

I just had a great experience with Newegg. I purchased the wrong phone. They let me RMA it and waived the restocking fee for me. E-mail replies were usually within 6 hours. I was pretty happy with them. I like how you can check the status of your RMA by logging into your account. They also send e-mail updates letting you know when your RMA was received, when it was processed, etc.

Shuttles RMA service works pretty good. I have gotten the same woman both times (unless multiple people use the Tiffany Fong address). She was prompt in e-mail replies and always had the info I was looking for. Too bad I had to deal with her 2x because the first RMA replacement Shuttle sent me was defective. I eBayed the 2nd one they sent me without even opening it up.

I did an RMA through Multiwave many moons ago, I don't remember it being too difficult. Actually, I guess I have not really had a bad experience with online retailers yet...although I have never used them for tech support issues....only RMAs.

C

 

[Mercutio]

I've had good and bad with Newegg, but I've never asked for their tech support, either, only for RMA service.

 

[blakerwry]

Agreed on Antec.

I've had to call newegg several times now, and while they do answer their phone within a few minutes I can't say that they have EVER helped me.

-Blake

Just to clarify, I was not talking about TS, just RMA service. No way in God's name am I going to ask for newegg tech support.

Newegg's RMA service has sent me the wrong item, to replace a wrong item... and I'm currently dealing with newegg playing peek-a-boo with an RMA.

I've already sent a letter to the manufacturer of the product I ordered (couple hundred dollars in mouse pads), and I'll be calling newegg again as soon as I am at a place where I can record the call... needless to say, I'm not happy and I will be very hesitant to order from newegg again.

 

[Explorer]

I know of LOTS of people who swear by Plextor CD-R/W hardware. As for my experience with Plextor CD-R/W hardware, it seems rather fragile, as the 7 or 8 Plextor CD-R/W drives that I've had experience with (at work) never lasted particularly long before some sort of failure. I this same setting, there are a number of older Yamahas and newer LiteON CD-R/W drives that are still at it, whereas the Plextors have come and gone.

The Plextor CD readers were their best CD type product ever. I have no experience with their DVD products.

 

[GMac]

Until recently, I'd have agreed with you regarding Plextor SCSI CD-ROMS - I have a 5+ year old 40X drive that's still going strong in my younger brother's PC. However a newer version of the same model that I bought to replace it about 3 years back (at the same time as a 1210S burner) is now starting to fail on me (poor audio extraction performance & trouble reading the inner portions of both audio & data CDs), so my opinion's not quite so glowing now......

GM

 

[Bozo]

Is it posible that some of the problems with CD/DVD burners is dirt?
How do you clean the laser?

Bozo :mrgrn:

 

[RWIndiana]

put it in the dishwasher. It may never work again, but the laser lens will be sparkly clean. :wink: