Sony Handycam DCR-HC90 Mini DV Camcorder

I shouldn't say mine died exactly, but it's practically of no use. When I bought this camcorder about a year and a half ago, I loved it. I even liked the touch screen, thinking it was so "new". Well, I regret that now. About 13 months after the initial purchase, the screen started to act up. I was a little surprised because Sony products used to be so great. I don't think so anymore. I have a Sony baby monitor and have had problems with it too after a year of use, but that's another story. Anyway, I called Sony and asked them what was wrong with the screen. They made me reset it, but that didn't change anything. They said (what I had thought all along) there must be a loose cable connecting the screen to the camera. Since the problem was only on the screen itself (it made everything show up as red or green), as annoying as it was, I chose to ignore it. Sony wasn't going to do anything about it without charging me a flat fee that works out to be half of the price of the camcorder. NICE! When I playback the tape through my computer or on a DVD, everything looks fine, so I didn't bother having it repaired. Bad move. Now, the screen is completely black. At first, I figured I could just use the eye piece and look through it just like the older models. That worked fine until I wanted to rewind the tape. The only way to rewind, fast forward, or play the tape is by using the touch screen. I ended up guessing where the buttons were on the screen and usually guessed right. Apparently, the touch system is still in place even if the screen isn't visible. However, for the price I paid, and the expectation that Sony was one of the best manufacturers, I am very disappointed. We have two different higher end Canon digital cameras and haven't had any problems with them. They were purchased about six months before we got the camcorder. (My husband and I each have a camera.) My next camcorder will be a Canon. Sony is no longer welcome in my house.

By the way, in case you were wondering, I take excellent care of my things, which made this whole ordeal even more frustrating. Maybe if I had treated the camcorder like most people would have, it would've broken down during the warranty period. At least then, I could've had it repaired. Now, it's not worth it.