What killed it, well after reviewing some PS4 gameplay I noticed that it was having audio issues, like it would allow some sounds but not all. It was almost as if it was receiving a 5.1 audio output but was missing the centre channel. Even though the PS4 was set to stereo.
After trying various cables, configs, and boxes. I narrowed it down to this box. Not sure what killed it, whether it’s just old, or that it’s been powered on for over 5 years straight. But its long service will never be forgotten in the hours of Netflix and Disney Plus it passed through to my recorder.
Not who you asked but 100% use a narrow heat gun, no question; it saves so much time alongside not accidentally bringing connectors
Would an oven work?
They can work, though I’m always reluctant to suggest using them, unless you have one that you can spare without worry of ruining the oven (offgassing from components/PCB/flux), the other problem is ovens can be a lot more variable in temperature than you’d think, and in this scenario where it may even be the chips showing their age, subjecting them to very high temperatures isn’t recommended.
Honestly when I bought a small £20 heatgun (smaller than the type you’d use to strip paint), I was kicking myself for not having bought one sooner, they make surface mounted components an absolute breeze Vs using a soldering iron.
The one exception for using ovens is if you’re having to do an intricate board with hundreds of components, then I’d suggest buying a small/medium toaster over, and an oven thermometer for more accurate readings.