Is Arcam's quality control going down the pan or have I just been very unlucky?

Bought the first one on New Year's Eve and got it home only to find that the sound stuttered with certain discs (and not just DTS soundtracks), the Arcam screensaver screen would keep flickering briefly into view when navigating menus and pressing the skip forward button would sometimes skip you backwards.

Waited nearly two weeks for a replacement and have just got it home to find that when you switch the damn thing on it switches itself straight back off again!

You'd think that considering how much the player costs that it might actually work for more than three milliseconds!

I'm seriously contemplating ditching Arcam altogether now and getting something else instead!

[James45]

i had five duff mitsubishi VCRs in a row once, it was a faulty batch and I'm glad I stuck with them because the quality is great. This will be a similar thing, very few people have cause to complaint over Arcam kit. I'm quite tempted with the DV89

[Matt Horne]

Thats not good

I personally think u have been unlucky..but at the end of the day its up to you as to whether you switch brands.. what would you consider as a alternative?

I also have a DV88+.. Heres my little history (I also think I have been very unlucky..)

Bought Dv88 Feb 2001
Stolen July 2001
Insurance Replaced Aug 2001
Drive Mech Broke down Aug 2002
Replaced Drive and upgraded player to DV88+
Dec 2002 Replacement drive on the blink - back to Arcam..
New Mech fitted and I pick the player up from my dealers tomorrow.

I have also thought is this worth the hassle. My old Pioneer DV606 player has been working for years (now with my brother) and I also think why I am having these problems after paying out so much money..

At the end of the day the sound and picture quality is astounding on the Arcam, and they are a much smaller firm in comparison to Sony/Pioneer, they offer great customer service which helps smooth out these problems.

Look at the problems and glitches associated with a couple of the Denon Higher end players (2800/3800).

Basically if you spend £100 on a player and it breaks most ppl will not mention it and buy the next one, ppl like us who decided to spend considerably more , are therefore far more vocal when they go wrong.. and now I am rambling...

I would talk to your dealer (or Arcam) and see if you can get a player which has been checked before you pick it up.. maybe it was a bad batch...

Hope u get it sorted..

Cheers

Matt

P.S I do admit I am very Arcam biased and really like the player (now that most of the software oddities have been sorted - still hate the remote though ). I cannot see myself changing player now until we move from DVD to the next audio/video format (or it self destructs !) and I am impatiently waiting for ther DVD-A upgrade. I have always been very pleased with the efforts of the customer support ppl who work at Arcam.. and now back to the movies....

Originally posted by Matt Horne
Thats not good

I personally think u have been unlucky..but at the end of the day its up to you as to whether you switch brands.. what would you consider as a alternative?

That's a damn good question, to which I don't know the answer! I'd possibly be looking at the Pioneer 757 and live without PAL progressive, but obviously that's a compromise.

I'm usually a "two strikes and you're out" man but I guess it might be sensible to give them another try, depending on what they can come up with. It's irritating that you spend so much money for something and still you have problems!

What's really irritating is that it's a 50 mile trip to pick up a new player each time..... and the machines are only built five miles from where I live!

[Matt Horne]

Why not pop the machine down to them then to have a look at? .. Maybe they would swap it over on the spot.. try Pm'ing John Dawson for some advice ?

Good luck

Matt

[Spligsey]

Matt makes a very valid point regarding a firm like Arcam's size to the giants of the AV world (Denon, Pioneer etc).

I use Meridian equipment, who many perceive to be enormous, but they are a specialised firm , and like Arcam, are smaller players to the big fish.

You could've been unlucky....Perhaps damage may have been done in transit??
J.Dawson frequents here, & i know he'll be as gutted as you to find out about your problems.

Good luck & hope u get it sorted asap

Adzman

[Nic Rhodes]

Stick with it, I am sure John / Arcam will sort you out. They are a decent lot and I think you will be pleased in the long run.

[John Dawson]

Tipicus -

I am really sorry to hear about your problems - we do take a great deal of care building our DVD players and it is very unusual for this sort of thing to happen.

Why don't you send me a PM with your contact details (day and evening phone numbers and address) and we'll sort it out directly for you and save you a long round trip? AFAIK they are in stock so it can be sorted Monday or Tuesday. What colour is it BTW?

Sincerely,

John Dawson (Arcam)

[Matt Horne]

Just got back from my dealers...My DV88+ is back..currently blasting out the linkin Park DVD-A (on the 5.1 soundtrack..before anyone asks)

Working like a dream...hopefully the next time Arcam sees my player is for the DVD-A upgrade..

Back In Business

Cheers

Matt

Originally posted by James45
i had five duff mitsubishi VCRs in a row once,

I'm glad I stuck with them because the quality is great.

Not my idea of quality control Jimbo