I got a letter in the mail today from HandHeld entertainment regarding my ZVue video player. I have spoken about this at length before, but this is the first real bit of new (and unexpected) information I have received about the player in some time.
Apparently, some of the players have had problems with their battery packs shorting out. I assume this could lead to battery explosions, depending on the severity of the short, although the letter doesn't mention this. It does mention that the short may cause shortened battery life and possibly toxic chemical leaks from the battery.
The recall only affects units with serial numbers S/N031201000001 through S/N031201000999. HandHeld sent me a self-addressed pre-paid padded envelope for the return of my unit.
I think it is a good idea for a company to take responsibility for when its products are defective. I also think it's a good idea for a company to make good on its promises to ship goods that you order from them and provide upgrades on which you made your purchase decision.
I ordered a Swing Swing video from the All-American Rejects in December and still haven't received it.
The MPEG4 upgrade has been pushed back once (from January to February), and there is only a week left before February becomes March. This is the primary reason why I bought the player, and I will have wasted all of that money if it doesn't come through. According to rumors I've heard, it will not even play MPEG4 straight-up, requiring a proprietary compression algorithm that I will not be able to playback on any other device. This stinks.
Well, I'll be checking my serial number to see if my unit should go back. I am guessing that my short battery life is indicative of the shorting issue. I'll post more details here as I find them.
Here is a scan of the actual letter that accompanied the padded envelope. It's nice that they've managed to get this to me within a month (barely) of writing it. The letter is dated January 26, and today is clearly not in January.
