PS3 owners dealing with broken units have had some problems getting their consoles fixed. The reason? Well, it’s all plain as day for everyone to see in the PS3 Warranty Text:

(2) THE PRODUCT IS USED WITH PRODUCTS NOT SOLD OR LICENSED BY SCEA (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NON-LICENSED GAME ENHANCEMENT DEVICES, CONTROLLERS, ADAPTORS AND POWER SUPPLY DEVICES). YOU ASSUME ALL RISKS AND LIABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH USE OF THIRD PARTY PRODUCTS.

In other words: if you didn’t use a PS3-branded or Sony-licensed HDMI cable when connecting up your PS3, you’ve just voided your warranty. This problem was first found be a user over in the AVS Forums who called Sony with a broken PS3. When he told them that he hooked up his console with generic component cables, they told him that his formerly-under-warranty repair would cost him $150. (Fortunately, Target was nicer to him and accepted it as a 90-day return).

If you’ve connected your PS3 to your TV with something other than a Sony-branded or licensed cable, and you want to get anywhere with Sony customer service, we can only offer one piece of advice: LIE!

Golly, I think it’s been a whole week or two since the last stupid item we discovered about Sony.