It used to be that little people armed with a slice of toast or a handful of toy soldiers posed the greatest risk to home theatre systems. That generous mouth-like slot in the household VCR was simply too tempting for generations of toddlers to resist.
Videotapes also had the habit of getting tangled up inside the machine and head alignment and cleaning necessitated regular visits to the repair shop.
In these DVD-dominated days, such problems seem to have all but gone away. Toddlers are still drawn magpie-like to mum and dad's precious shiny discs, of course, and remote controls act like magnets. But compared with the days of vinyl and tape we are bulletproof.
Or are we?
Heat and dust are the most common causes of problems with home entertainment electronics, and even quality capacitors and circuit-boards can dry out or crack over time.
It is common for repairers to notice similar problems in a particular brand or model range when the players and TVs reach a particular age, usually three or four years.
Designed obsolescence? Let's assume not, although mass-market TVs were built more robustly even 10 years ago. And how about those never-say-die Philips K9s you still occasionally see on inorganic-waste collection piles?
By and large, DVD players do not need maintenance. Sure, as you would expect, budget brands do tend to break down, but then it is a case of discard and replace as the cost of repair will far exceed the original cost.
A dirty laser component was often the problem and a few years ago micro systems were particularly susceptible. Because of their compact nature they run hot and once turned off the cooler air is drawn in - and with it, dust particles.
Newer models have a protective cover for the laser when it is switched off. . CD and DVD lasers do fail, but the likelihood is that you will be already thinking about upgrading by the time they do.
When DVD players don't operate accurately it is most commonly the software (disc) that is at fault. Those knock-off movie discs from Manila or wherever are remarkably cheap for a reason - quite apart from the copyright issues.
They might work in a similarly cheap player but not in a more expensive one which has tighter manufacturing tolerances. Blame the disc and buy a legitimate copy next time.
Disc jamming can happen, particularly with multi-disc CD or DVD players, and home-burned discs are a common culprit. Write on them with felt pen because sticky labels can lift and attach themselves to the mechanism inside the machine, leading to a hefty repair bill.
The disappearance of neighbourhood TV repair shops reflects increased reliability and low-cost model disposability. Add to that the growth of national repair businesses which contract to distributors or retail chains and look after all their rogue appliances.
They are careful to avoid identifying any common problems and argue that the new TV technologies of plasma and LCD are too new to be proved in any particular way unreliable.
Of all home theatre technologies, plasma screens had the most reliability-challenged introduction but have evolved and stabilised. LCDs had the benefit of trial by computer and are proving reliable apart from pixel dropout, which will usually occur within the warranty period.
For any big-screen TVs the care taken in transport is a key issue. And all TVs should be occasionally turned off completely to allow them to degauss (demagnetise). Oh, and when you're wiping those little egg-yolk fingerprints off, too.
<EM>Hot wired:</EM> Home entertainment systems
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