There isn’t much to repair inside the Strato boxes in the typical DIY fashion. If you are an advance repair guy, you can replace surface mount components, ICs, rebuilt the power supplies, re-solder broken HDMI sockets, etc. As long as you don’t attempt to modify or hack the system, only replace faulty components with “in-kind” components, you should have success resolving hardware problems on the board and the power supplies.
The HDD is complicated. Not only it is closed, the software on it is private/secured. Once activated, the HDD might (guessing here) even tattoo itself to its specific logic board with a fixed serial number. This may mean you can‘t use a perfectly functioning HDD from another (donor) unit with bad logic board. I guess Kaleidescape could offer replacement HDDs but I can see their risk in that. The Strato players were not designed to be field serviced. They visibly lack the physical attributes needed for field servicing (ex. tool-less access to HDDs). They might also lack the applicable software diagnostics built in on them. What I am saying is, without proper diagnostics, if the HDD is toast, it is unknown whether it was wear and tear that killed it or something faulty on the rest of the Strato caused it to fail. For example, the 12V rail might be leaking into the 5V rail on the SATA connector for the HDD. On the SATA power connector, the 12V rail spins the HDD platers motor (high current), the 5V rail runs the HDD controller/logic board. 12V on the controller input will fry it for sure. Imagine replacing the HDD and a week later the new one is toast too. So it makes sense that Kaleidescape sees the liability on these specific Strato units with built in HDDs.
I might be wrong on this but I think Kaleidescape offers a hefty discount (with faulty unit traded in) on a replacement unit rather than offering repairs for the Strato player/servers. I like this approach. Yes it does cost more than just replacing the HDD (not cheap either) but you get a brand new unit with warranty. The faulty device trade in allows Kaleidescape to perform their in house diagnostics to all components to identify all issues, perform repairs, replace faulty parts and create a refreshed (refurbished) product.
I believe there is a law in Japan that manufacturers must stock parts for 5 additional years after discontinuation of their products. I don’t know if such a law exists anywhere else including the US.
Right to repair makes sense for products with a decent amount of 3rd party support. As far as I know, there are no 3rd party parts for any Kaleidescape products including the legacy ones. These new EU laws are interesting. I think they will be enforcing user replaceable batteries on cell phones soon. It is ironic, all phones had user replaceable batteries 25 years ago but they all lasted more than a week on a single charge. I remember my Nokia 6110 needed to be charged twice a month or something but I could pop in a fully charged battery in 3 seconds if I needed extended battery life. Newer phones barely make it to the evening but I can’t swap its battery without destroying it
. I am curious how they will handle the water/dust resistant seals on the battery covers. If I recall correctly, Motorola StarTAC 130 was the first water/dust resistant mobile phone in 1998 and you could swap its battery. And then what do we call these changes? Progress? Or going backwards to the 90s methods to move forward?
The tech stuff and its business are so fascinating in general.