Question to the group as consumers.

[UncleDave]

The scenario in mind here is that you purchase a product that costs 1500.00 and is warrantied for 5 years that has an external power supply.

Let's say you use this all day every day from the day you get it.

How long would you expect the power supply to run the product?

How big a deal is it, if it dies in say year 4, but you get a prompt replacement?

How big a deal is paying 60.00 for a power supply if it dies at 5.5 years?

 

[SC Maintenance]

A properly sized power supply should last more than 5 years.

Paying $60 for a part for something that’s $1500 doesn’t sound like a big deal to me either way.

 

[tbm5690]

Prompt replacement, great. Paying $60 after 5 years? No big deal.

 

[Kira]

Identify this product, please.

 

[Pew]

I'd be happy to pay $60 at 5.5 years if I use it every day.

 

[Tdbo]

I'd expect the power supply to last the warranty because it is a vital part of the equipment.
I would expect them to step up and make a replacement if I called them on it..
I would make the effort to make a claim.
I wouldn't waste time or sleep over a $60. power supply; however, I would remember if they didn't honor the warranty when I had to purchase any equipment that they produced.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I'm not sure I understand the question...

 

[UncleDave]

Identify this product, please.

It's not really a product specific question, but intended to be a philosophical buying question.

But - In this case it's this product - https://www.aja.com/products/hi5-12g#F3463

My company makes many such products.

The range is from 400-say 3K on a variety of conversion products for video.

 

[UncleDave]

I'm not sure I understand the question...

If you by a product with a 5 year warranty, does it kill your faith in the company if an external wall wart style power supply dies before the warranty is up - as long as the part gets replaced with no hassle?

What is your expectation of a modern electronic product that you put in service and run 24x7 as to how long it should last after the warranty expires?

 

[UncleDave]

I'd expect the power supply to last the warranty because it is a vital part of the equipment.
I would expect them to step up and make a replacement if I called them on it..
I would make the effort to make a claim.
I wouldn't waste time or sleep over a $60. power supply; however, I would remember if they didn't honor the warranty when I had to purchase any equipment that they produced.

Thanks. Thats helpful.

 

[Cheetah-kins]

5 years goes by faster than many of us think. All the same for such a presumably important/expensive item I wouldn't lose sleep over a $60 power supply.

 

[UncleDave]

A properly sized power supply should last more than 5 years.

Paying $60 for a part for something that’s $1500 doesn’t sound like a big deal to me either way.

It should.

Many complications arise.

One is features added after initial shipment often cause a unit to consume a bit more power that it did when it was initially purchase pushing the combo closer to its max.

Certain areas of the world use 100 cycle vs 120 power - stressing an otherwise fine components just a bit harder. Others just have crappy power. Failure by country is an interesting metric.

Other areas of the world just see more failures using the same gear we ship everywhere else.

The nature of our devices is they often hang off substandard strips and get fed varying voltage and are subject to many power outages that start as brown outs.

 

[The Critic]

Would competitive products suffer from the same issue? Would those products be available at the same price point?

If the answer is yes, then it is fine. If not, then no.

 

[UncleDave]

Would competitive products suffer from the same issue? Would those products be available at the same price point?

If the answer is yes, then it is fine. If not, then no.

Some products are unique, others are similar.

Everything suffers this to some percent.
Where functionality is similar our competitions products are considered throw aways

The MTBF on most products is around 100K hours.

 

[eljefino]

Haha, I used those products all the time back when I worked in TV, funny to hear from one of the makers.

Honestly I'd have blamed ourselves-- stuff got stuffed in a dusty rack with inadequate cooling, or lightning hit the 280' tower in our backyard... again...

Best thing that could be done is to make the supply parameters an industry standard, so I can dig through the bucket of "power chords" (boss' handwriting ) to find a match.

 

[wwillson]

How big a deal is paying 60.00 for a power supply if it dies at 5.5 years?

It's a non-event.

 

[cptbarkey]

This scenario sounds like a personal desktop or laptop computer. It happens all the time, power supplies are the first to go.

 

[SC Maintenance]

It should.

Many complications arise.

One is features added after initial shipment often cause a unit to consume a bit more power that it did when it was initially purchase pushing the combo closer to its max.

Certain areas of the world use 100 cycle vs 120 power - stressing an otherwise fine components just a bit harder. Others just have crappy power. Failure by country is an interesting metric.

Other areas of the world just see more failures using the same gear we ship everywhere else.

The nature of our devices is they often hang off substandard strips and get fed varying voltage and are subject to many power outages that start as brown outs.

Yes, but if you included the Chinese wall wart in the box - you own it. They will blame you.

I presume that the vast majority of your customers would be smart enough to realize it was the PS that failed, and not the entire thing?

I wonder what percentage would actually request a warranty replacement vs just source one themselves. Most people forget about warranties, which is why selling extended warranties is so popular for retail - even if they could use it many people do not.

Very, very different use case, but everything you mentioned is the reason we oversize low voltage PS in the industrial world - even though the supplies themselves are usually underspec'd to begin with if you get a good supplier.

Interesting question for sure.

 

[UncleDave]

Haha, I used those products all the time back when I worked in TV, funny to hear from one of the makers.

Honestly I'd have blamed ourselves-- stuff got stuffed in a dusty rack with inadequate cooling, or lightning hit the 280' tower in our backyard... again...

Best thing that could be done is to make the supply parameters an industry standard, so I can dig through the bucket of "power chords" (boss' handwriting ) to find a match.

Yeah we been around a while, hope we took good care of you!

 

[UncleDave]

Yes, but if you included the Chinese wall wart in the box - you own it. They will blame you.

I presume that the vast majority of your customers would be smart enough to realize it was the PS that failed, and not the entire thing?

I wonder what percentage would actually request a warranty replacement vs just source one themselves. Most people forget about warranties, which is why selling extended warranties is so popular for retail - even if they could use it many people do not.

Very, very different use case, but everything you mentioned is the reason we oversize low voltage PS in the industrial world - even though the supplies themselves are usually underspec'd to begin with if you get a good supplier.

Interesting question for sure.

Most just buy a new supply some send the whole thing back, a small % open a warranty claim although we've got live pros answering the phone empowered to take car of them.

When you say oversize - what do you oversize?
The power over the products baseline consumption?
The MTBF of the entire unit at 100% power?

Oversize by how much ?

Does it make sense to sell a 100K hour power supply with a product carrying a 5 year (50K hour) warranty?

Curious how you do it.