Red light of death!

  • Thread starter Biggles
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Biggles

Biggles

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Simcoeace
Ok, been trying to set up my brand new 80gb PS3 (connecting to internet in order to download GT5:P demo), but it's started to crash - flashing red light & shuts off repeatedly - aaaaaargh!!! :ouch:

Is it time to return it to BB? It's really shaken my confidence in Sony - I thought this only happened to 360?! :grumpy:
 
I've always had good luck with calling Sony's technical support for anything that breaks or isn't working properly. You probably should give it a go with them. I called about my camera the other day and they were very helpful.
 
Biggles
Ok, been trying to set up my brand new 80gb PS3 (connecting to internet in order to download GT5:P demo), but it's started to crash - flashing red light & shuts off repeatedly - aaaaaargh!!! :ouch:

Is it time to return it to BB? It's really shaken my confidence in Sony - I thought this only happened to 360?! :grumpy:
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Is there anymore info you can give us, like of exactly what happened...?

Thats the first ever PS3 failure I have heard off on the forum or for that matter anywhere, maybe you were seriously unlucky and got a faulty one, The only other explanation would be that its too hot and wont turn on but unless your room is an oven I doubt it...

Maybe its an 80GB model thing.

Your sure nothing is covering the vent holes?, did you drop it? maybe you are using the wrong type of ethernet cable and its frying the thing??? Are you using the power cord that came with it? Also not all PS3 models are multivoltage...

Its probably worth going back to the place you bought it or Sony and getting a brand new one, thats what I would do if anything happened to mine for the whole years warranty. You wouldn't want this one back even if it was supposedly fixed...

Let us know how things go...

Robin
 
I'm a PS3 newbie which makes it trickier, as I'm not that familiar with how it works yet.

I watched a blu-ray movie with it successfully & also watched sections of 3 or 4 dvds on my 50" Sony RPLCDTV. Then I tried to connect it to my smaller 19" LCDTV & played a section of a dvd on that successfully. However, I could not get the PS3 "home" page to come up on that TV (in order to connect to the internet) & then it started flasing the red light & shutting down. Reconnected it to the Sony & it did the same thing there - flashing red light & then shut down.

It has worked for short periods of time since then but seems to revert to the flashing red light/shut down after a few minutes.
 
I had the flashing red lights just once, and thats when I had the PS3 a few feet from the fireplace...

Playstation 2 and Playstation 3 will shut down and flash the redlight if they overheat. Are you guys sure you're not blocking any of the air vents and the PS3 isn't on carpet or anything? Is it in a hot room? Is it getting plenty of air or is it inside a cabinet?
 
Here's the link to Sony's Online Support website for the PS3.
http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/PS3/Troubleshooting/s_ps3_hs_gt.html

And based on your description the recommended action is:
If the power indicator is flashing red and the system does not operate:

* The temperature inside the system has risen too high. Check whether the system is being used in a hot location or whether the vents are blocked. Touch the system's power button to stop the flashing, and then leave the system unused until it cools down. After it cools down, turn on the system again.
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It sounds to me that the PS3 is not getting adequate ventilation. A photo of where you have it stored when getting this error might be useful. Also calling Sony, as recommended above, would likely be helpful as it's easier to go over a problem like this step by step on the phone. Good luck.
 
The PS3 has just been sitting on the floor & it's been shutting down after being switched on for just a couple of minutes, not playing games or anything.

Spoke to PS3 Help: after running thru all the obvious things, they said "take it back to retailer" (I bought it on Monday). What drives me nuts about this is I just bought a new TV, new HTIB (see other thread!), & the PS3, so I'm grappling with new tech on ALL of these. For that reason it's hard to identify where the problem lies, as I'm unfamiliar with ALL the components. I spent a lot of time fiddling with the different inputs, settings & hook-ups, but at the end of the day it appears to genuinely be a problem with the PS3 itself. :ouch:

I hate spending time on all this - I only bought the PS3 because I got fed up wasting time debating about whether or not to get one, so I thought "just get on with it & get one" Now I feel like returning it & sticking with my PS2 until GT5 comes out. :irked:
 
Is your floor carpeted?

Consoles and carpets don't get along very well, or floors in general as they tend to get kicked around accidentally.
 
Never had any issues with mine.... (60gb for what it's worth). I've had it gaming or folding@home since I plugged it in. Not one lick of trouble. The 360 on the other hand is a different story. If you bought it from a reputable retailer, shouldn't be an issue returning it.

I hope this isn't reflective of the new batch of 80gb units coming off the belt.
 
Never had any problems with my new 80gb. Popped it out of the box and its worked every time I've turned it on since I got it two weeks ago.

Definitely check to make sure your vents are clean and clear and you might want to get some compressed air to make sure your vents are clean.
 
Biggles
I dunno: highly unlikely in 2 days the vents would be clogged up?!

Anyway it's going back to BB...
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Sounds like you've already done your due diligence, so return it in good consciousness. 👍

As good as the PS3's record is as far as reliability and quality of mfr'ing goes, there is every possibility that you simply managed to get one of the duds. As those of owner's here at GTP have attested, by and large the PS3 is rock solid. The only recurring "problem" I have is occasional controller drop out when used in wireless mode (I'm guessing this is because of interference with my wireless router or cordless phone, but that's just an educated guess). Regardless both the newer 80GB and 40GB models have a bluetooth revision in them, of some form or fashion as I've never read a credible explanation of what was modified. I only mention it out of honesty and to underscore I try to remain objective regarding the PS3.

Unless you are just too flustered at this point, I bet if you try a replacement unit it will work near flawlessly.
 
I would say that this is a really isolated case as no PS3's have failed, if its not ventilation then maybe the temp sensor or the fan is busted (does it make any sound at all when its on?).

I wouldn't just disregard the system because of the one unlucky experience, The PS3 is ridiculously reliable, people have been running them for days and nights endlessly using like folding at home (as mentioned above) without a hitch.

The only thing im annoyed about is its a scratch magnet!

Robin
 
As I would mostly use the PS3 for GT5, I wasn't that anxious about getting one right now, but with the latest price drop I thought I would get one & use it for the demos & for playing blu-ray. I watched the movie 300 & wasn't that impressed - nice picture, but to be honest, other regular DVDs look really good on the new Sony TV as well.

I really didn't expect to have a problem with the PS3 - I have never had a problem with either my X box, which I bought used, or my PS2 - but my PS3 really does seem like it is malfunctioning.

I also agree about the shiny black finish - looks nice when it's new, but is rather impractical...
 
Robin ///////
I wouldn't just disregard the system because of the one unlucky experience
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People do it with the 360 all the time. And before anyone jumps on my ass about it, I realise they have problems but just think people turn it into something larger then it is and just write it off. I don't think there is a huge problem with the PS3's but who's to know, maybe the new batch does have a factory defect.

This is NOT meant to turn into a fighting match over the consoles either. Just merely an observation.
 
The unit I have is an 80GB, and I just got it yesterday. It's been on this whole time either charging the controllers, playing, downloading, or Folding@home. I've got my PS3 standing vertically. Heat rises, and I figured having the vents on the top would keep it the coolest.

I can't see how it could be a new problem. All they did was swap the HD. Aren't these things put together on a little assembly line? Seems like all they'd do is give the HD installer a set of 80s instead of 60s.
 
I had the same problem with my PS2. Sony wanted it. They didn't tell me to return it to the store. Odd.

What sounds like the problem is the fan is probably not working at all. Check for fan noise. It's not that loud, but you should hear it. The problem could be as simple as the fan got unplugged during shipping.
 
Solid Lifters
What sounds like the problem is the fan is probably not working at all. Check for fan noise. It's not that loud, but you should hear it. The problem could be as simple as the fan got unplugged during shipping.
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Thats exactly what im thinking, If its powering off after only afew minutes it got to be the fact its running passive! :scared:

Robin
 
Biggles
I dunno: highly unlikely in 2 days the vents would be clogged up?!

Anyway it's going back to BB...
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Best Buy and its Product Replacement Plan: don't leave the store without it. It proved to be a blessing when I bought a 360, and I had to return two failed systems within three months, the first within several days of the initial purchase.

Anyway, there is evidence that you are not the first to be affected by the problem that you have described with your PS3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjAeKMyxt3I
Apparently no one, not even Sony, is perfect.

I no longer have a 360, and I have been running my PS3 a lot since December 24, 2006, without one single problem. Just take yours back to Best Buy and replace it as soon as possible. I have never had a single problem returning faulty merchandise to Best Buy, particularly since I typically invest in the PRP on all high-end purchases.
 
Except with the Best Buy Product Replacement Plan you have to pay an additional fee to get it on your new system. If it's a Sony defect they should take care of it without cost.

When my 360 broke it was entirely my fault, which is what the Best Buy Product Replacement Plan is for.
 
I've never had any crashs, problem flashing lights nothing since i got my 60gb (early september).

Just remember that with the 360 red ring of death mode you can take the cover off when it's overheating, and fry an egg on it in under a minute, its on youtube somewhere :D
 
Biggles
As I would mostly use the PS3 for GT5, I wasn't that anxious about getting one right now, but with the latest price drop I thought I would get one & use it for the demos & for playing blu-ray. I watched the movie 300 & wasn't that impressed - nice picture, but to be honest, other regular DVDs look really good on the new Sony TV as well.

I really didn't expect to have a problem with the PS3 - I have never had a problem with either my X box, which I bought used, or my PS2 - but my PS3 really does seem like it is malfunctioning.

I also agree about the shiny black finish - looks nice when it's new, but is rather impractical...
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That one PS3 is probably defective, but the track record is great. It seems you are taking this entirely too close to 'heart' and thinking that all PS3's will be like this, which is rather silly.

Also, you picked a poor movie to watch in Blu-Ray, as 300 is generally a soft and grainy transfer at heart, but that's the way the movie was intended to be, if it were clean and sharp, it would have a completely different look.

You should buy one of the POTC movies, or anything completely digital (Surfs Up, Monster House, Ice Age, Cars, etc). They are immaculate.

I also have to ask what resolution you're running at, because either way, the color and IQ should be significantly higher than DVD, and if you're not noticing a difference, I can only think you're not watching in HD.
 
300 is encoded in VC-1. VC-1 movies are at a much lower bit rate to fit on the smaller HD-DVD disc and they usually offer a softer, duller picture.

As Jeremy said try one of the POTC movies or Casino Royale, as they are encoded in AVC and being blu-ray exclusive the bit rate is much higher, taking advantage of the higher storage capacity of blu-ray
 
This kind of thing happened with my PS2 a few years ago... I hit the reset button to boot t up, a red light came on inside it, and then i heard a zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz(electrical) noise. Then when my dad took it apart, part of the motherboard was literally melted. Care full, this could happen to your PS3
 
Toronado
Immaculate is about the perfect word describing Surf Up's picture quality.
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The only issue I have with the video quality has to do with the original master which they added pseudo film grain to give it that "telecine film"/soft look, which I wasn't terribly impressed by. Other than that, I really liked the overall image quality... but the real star on that disc is that amazing 48kHz 16-bit uncompressed 'lossless' PCM audio track. :drool: One of the best quality audio tracks for a film.

Granted, animation films have a big advantage in quality audio and video over live action films, for obvious reasons, (this is also why digital animation can look almost like HD even in standard def on DVD) but still, this is an excellent demo disc even if you might not like the film. 👍
 

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