My son bought a Sony 3-CD changer, MHC-VX501, 2600PMPO, 5-6 years back, and spent a big fortune on it! We thought it will be a very gorgeous / prestigous family entertainment machine of the household for many years to come.
Within a couple of months, we came to know that VCDs are on the way out and DVDs are in! The visual performance of DVD is better. All the good films are available only in DVDs.
Within a year, the changer system totally refused to change the VCDs and we started to change the CDs MANUALLY! The machine was taken to The Authorised Maintenance Agency , (they do not come to the house to see the problem); and the mechanic told with authority that the spares are no longer available as the models are now obsolete! From my own car experience I am aware that even if the spares were available, we have to buy the originals at very exorbitant prices! As a matter of strategy, the manufacturers sell / supply the original spares at very high prices! Because the owners are now trapped !
We bought VCDs of some old classic movies like Sound Of Music, The Ten Commandments etc. from the Palika Bazar, New Delhi. Those could not be played. We were told that pirated movies cannot be played on Sony Systems.We, of course, never knew that the VCDs are pirated copies.
Now, in next 2 years flat, our Sony 2600w Music System became an antic museum piece!