Easiest way to remove the package is to very carefully cut the legs off two sides with a very sharp knife then flood both the other sides one at a time with solder (a hube solder blob over all 25 pins) and gently lift that side of the chip up. When the chip is removed, use the flood technique to lift the cut-off legs (loads and loads of solder helps prevent board damage) then tidy up with braid and fit the new chip.
I think I am having a flare-up of MMS (Mere Mortals Syndrome). When I read this paragraph, I get a reproducible visual hallucination that looks *exactly* like the opening scenes to Goldeneye.
I *think* it's a hallucination, anyway.
Actually, what is scary is that I have done enough soldering this year that I think I know what Hugo is talking about.
(Oh, and the fact that y'all might conspire to fix this gent's player is quite cool.)
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Jim
'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.