Medion DVD - From the inside out (Medion UK)

Member Name: hsiboy

Product:	Medion UK
Date:	02/06/03 (4591 review reads)
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I recently got a call from the father in law. His Medion DVD player (bought in Aldi) had stopped working properly. They had had it for more than 18mts, and could not find the receipt, so to save them some hassle (and for a cheaper repair bill) they asked me to look at it.

I cant remember the model number, so please accept my apologies, but I?ll call them, tonight and update this op.

The player was powering up, but the fluorescent display on the front wasn?t lit, and no audio came from the tv, but pictures and the onscreen menu were fine. This problem only manifested itself after a large thunderclap, and the lights going out for a moment.

When I opened the case, I expect just to see a very cheap Korean PCB with everything on the one board. Quite hard to diagnose, and work with. I expected this because more and more products are going this way. Less and less can be repaired.

Instead I found a good layout, with the main processing board kept well away from the audio amplifiers and the power supply. This is a good thing because its stops hum and hisses from entering the audio path. Thus spoiling your film watching pleasure, especially at high volumes.

The PCBs were all screen printed not only with the usual component numbers and markings, but also with the voltages and component values!! This has got to be a first for me. I don't ever remember a manufacturer doing all three. Maybe this is an early production run, i don't know.
This made it very easy to diagnose, and I had found the source of the problem within 3 minutes. It only required two small parts, the only thing wrong of course, is that i had none in stock, and had to buy 100 of the tinkers, still at £0.001 each, they hardly break the bank!

For the most part playback is quite good. I'm no DVD buff, and to be honest i don't by all the hype. Maybe if i had spent £8,000 on a plasma TV, i may notice the difference. But the piece of glass i wat
ch is so big, anything better than broadcast quality analogue is lost on me. Don't even get me started on digital TV, until they can get rid of those "artefacts" i will only ever see it as second rate.

I was very impressed with the layout, design and solid construction of the player. It had been designed with thought for service and repair, instead of cheapness, something that is sadly lacking in many of today?s mass produced electronics.

Should Aldi get them in again, I will buy one myself.

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