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December 25th, 2013 06:00
WARNING, having VLC player VOIDS warranty!!!
Tech Support will refuse warranty service for speaker problems if the popular VLC media player is installed on the laptop and if the laptop has Windows 7. Also we got a report that service was denied because a KMPlayer was installed on a laptop. The warranty remains valid on the other parts of the laptop. Some 3rd party audio software (VLC Media Player, KMPlayer) pushes our laptop speakers beyond the manufacturer specification tolerance causing crackling, etc. The sofware allows the volume level to exceed 100%. This is not covered by the Dell warranty.
Edit: as of 3/3/2014 the exclusion no longer applies to models that have Windows 8 or 8.1. The exclusion still applies to Windows 7 systems that do not have the latest audio driver and BIOS installed. The exact policy regarding systems with Windows 7 is still not fully clear.
This exclusion is not disclosed in the laptop warranty. I don't know why Dell does not want customers to know about this exclusion. It is perfectly proper for Dell to have exclusions and it does not gain anything by keeping them secret.
The forum moderators have removed the warning I had pinned to the top of the Laptop Audio board and forbidden me from putting it back, so I have put a warning in my signature in an attempt to alert laptop owners to this issue.
Bottom line, if you need to contact Tech Support about your internal laptop speakers, REMOVE ALL MEDIA PLAYERS except Windows Media Player.
There is a full discussion of the VLC problem in this thread: Installing VLC Media Player voids your speaker warranty!.
Jim Coates
6 Operator
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13.6K Posts
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December 30th, 2013 08:00
I am trying to keep this warning at the top of the board so that people will see it. The moderators took down the stickie I had pinned there.
Jim Coates
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13.6K Posts
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March 2nd, 2014 19:00
Thank you for sharing that information. However one person reported that he or she was denied service because tech support found the KM player, so in good conscience I have to pass that along.
Bhushan1987
4 Posts
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March 2nd, 2014 19:00
sir u can install KM player it will not void the warranty.
Bhushan1987
4 Posts
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March 2nd, 2014 20:00
If its true that due to KM player tech suport deneid the speakers replacement, then cust can speak with the tech support manager and can can get the speakers replacement.
Regards
Bhushan Tosh
delluser79
28 Posts
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March 3rd, 2014 03:00
software ampflication uses oudio output limits.
this guarante problem for audio can be send to judge. its illegal.
software sound ampflication using standart limits. only transfer sound to possible output limits. if this is problem for notebook laptop speakers can not handle standart limits.
their technical service not technical or they are defending them to their problematic products.
lots of notebooks using like overclocked very cheap speakers they are bricking when listeing long bass sounds.
osprey4
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October 28th, 2014 17:00
I'll add a link to this Wiki for further information:
How Using the VLC Player Can Affect the Laptop Warranty