Technical services around the globe

[simonfilm]

What about repair services around the world?. With such a big number of units and that low price, it will be necessary at least one technical service per country.

Many people dont trust in buying a camera without a local service, the way Canon, Sony and Panasonic do.

 

[WesVasher]

With my Canon camera and my Apple laptop they send me a box and it's shipped off to a service center. It doesn't bother me that I don't get the pleasurable experience of driving to a service center and dealing with more often than not, rude humans, but that's just me. There'd probably have to be regional service centers of course, for Europe for sure right? Shipping would just take too long if it had to go all the way to CA.

 

[kmikami]

Does anybody really fix anything these days? If you send something to Canon for example don't they generally just give you a new one? This could potentially be a good model for Red to pursue. It would be much cheaper to simply offer replacements than to set up service centers with full time employees around the world.

 

[WesVasher]

I sent my Canon S400 digital still camera into them a couple years ago. I was hoping they'd just give me a newer camera because they didn't make the 400 anymore. No luck, they sent me back my camera which worked for a couple more months at a cost that was actually higher than a new camera. Thanks Canon! Two months later the screws all fell out because they didn't use any lock tight and the camera stopped working altogether... ugggg.

 

[michael zaletel]

I know I'll get flak for this suggestion... but oh well.

How about revolutionizing that part of the industry as well. Here's the rough synopsis of how it would work.

1. Since Scarlet is in development stages anyway, design requirements could include modular assembly where key parts are isolated in sections that can easily be removed for repair. Software would likewise be capable of detecting which (piece) is defective and indicating that on the display.

2. RED would then partner with an international "fulfillment" firm that would stock all of these "modules" and could ship overnight at minimal cost. Defective modules would be returned to RED for repair but the customer would get the new module overnight.

3. Online videos could be created explaining in-depth the process of troubleshooting Scarlet and determining which if any "module" is defective. Videos could also be created demonstrating how to disassemble and reassemble.

No, I am not suggesting customers "repair" their own cameras. Just that RED design and build Scarlet more like a PC where common parts like video cards, hard drives, ram, processors, motherboards and etc. can be easily upgraded and replaced. However, I think the "modules" should be sealed rather than "open" as they are in a PC.

In other words, the assembly should be more like putting a 3D puzzle together as opposed to opening a case and pulling out or installing boards and etc. What would be really cool is if some part of the Scarlet could be removed and used as a tool for disassembly and/or reassembly of the 5 or 6 modules I envision.

-shooter

 

[combatentropy]

Shooter, I like your idea of somehow redoing the way things get repaired.

Part of the solution is already in the design: a metal body, no tape drive, fewer hardware failures to start with.

 

[WesVasher]

Apple did this sort of thing with their first gen iMac G5. Most of the components were user replacable. It was awesome. But they gave up on the experiment with later revisions. Oh well.

I would bet it would be very difficult to do the same thing with a compact camcorder.

 

[michael zaletel]

Shooter, I like your idea of somehow redoing the way things get repaired.

Part of the solution is already in the design: a metal body, no tape drive, fewer hardware failures to start with.

Thanks combatentropy. I appreciate the support.

Regarding the metal body, I am suggesting they also split that up into 3 or 4 modules that fit or even snap together to isolate replaceable components even further. Over time, body-module A may need repair/replacement 4 times more often than body-module B, C or D which would dramatically improve the efficiency of the 3rd-party international overnight fulfillment approach.

-shooter

 

[kmikami]

Part of the solution is already in the design: a metal body, no tape drive, fewer hardware failures to start with.

Yeah, the extreme modularity is a cool idea but it kind of implies that things are going to be breaking down all of the time which is hopefully not the case.

Also consider that increases in modularity inevitably lead to increases in size and cost. You're taking the interchangable lens issue and multiplying that out to every other part of the camera. Consider the enclosure alone. If you make 2 or 3 separate metal body parts that snap together you're increasing the amount of metal which increases the cost and weight and requires more complex machining, etc. Then consider adding the rugged connectors that would be required to get the various modules to connect and communicate. You're talking about adding a whole extra unnecessary layer of cost and potential failure points.

 

[michael zaletel]

If you make 2 or 3 separate metal body parts that snap together you're increasing the amount of metal which increases the cost and weight and requires more complex machining, etc. Then consider adding the rugged connectors that would be required to get the various modules to connect and communicate. You're talking about adding a whole extra unnecessary layer of cost and potential failure points.

You're right kmikami. What are the critical components most subject to failure or need for repair in a device like Scarlet? Perhaps the enclosure could be a single form and then those modules would snap in like compact flash cards do and there could be a little flap like closes over to keep dust out.

Just thinking out loud here... You're right there are lots of things to think about though.

-shooter