Sony Camcorder (and some more canon/fuji/nikon/minolta digicam and camcorder) blank screen issue

UPDATE2: Just got my Camcorder back. Sony was very quick in repairing and returning (about a week of round-trip). Things look okay now. Will do more testing later. (11/18/05)

UPDATE1: Apparently, Sony supplies CCDs for other companies also, and they are facing similar issues. DPReview covers it HERE. (10/28/05)
Off topic from RebelXT, but worth mentionaing. I had a Sony TRV19 camcorder. After about one-and-half years, in the recording mode, it started giving blank screens. On researching the web, I realized it's not a problem only with my camcorder but a significant number of trv19, trv22 and trv33 camcorders. People were talking about class action lawsuits against sony also.

Now the good news. Sony has agreed to fix the problem at no charge and free shipping. Use this LINK TO SONY'S SITE to start the process if you are affected by this.

From Sony's site:

It has recently come to our attention that a limited number of products, manufactured prior to March 2004, that incorporate a certain type of image sensor device (CCD) may exhibit the following:

• When the product is used in camera mode, the LCD panel and/or electronic viewfinder exhibits either a distorted image or no image at all.

We have determined that this only occurs in a limited number of devices, but may be accelerated if they are exposed to hot and humid environments.

From October 3, 2005 through October 2, 2007, Sony will repair, free of charge, affected products exhibiting the above-mentioned problem where it is caused by the image sensor device. Sony will also cover the cost of shipping and handling to service to correct this issue.

Please contact the Sony Customer Information Services Center for further assistance at 1-866-703-7669.

New Rebel XT firmware (1.0.3)

Canon has released new Rebel XT firmware. The improvements are:

1. Fixes the phenomenon of shots being unable to be taken when using the remote controller RC-1.
2. Fixes the phenomenon of auto play not stopping during playback.
3. Improves communication reliability when using some CF cards.

Doesn't seem like a major update. I have updated my bookmarks with the new firmware link.

Durga Puja 2005 at Sunnyvale Temple

Went to Durga Puja at Sunnyvale Temple last weekend. The idol was exquisite. Here is a shot (Click on the photo for a gallery):