Coby TF-DVD7333 7 in. Portable DVD Player

I can't imagine why Coby built this item around such a nice LCD screen. The screen is outstanding. Great color, and sharp video. Thats where the fun ends.

The alternative title I was thinking was The Sand Trap. It is a worthless electronic item from a company that won't back it up. And I'm out $100 (it was originally $150 but as an open box it was off $50) I'm also waiting for a $50 rebate I sent in with the 8-10 week expectation of getting it. It's been near 17 weeks.

First off the battery isn't safe. It caught fire as I was charging it. Fire and Li Ion batteries simply don't mix. Ask the folks with Dell laptops, they should know. The manual tells me there is a battery indicator that tells me when the battery is running low. This doesn't exist. It runs low when lines appear in the video or it simply freeze frames. (the battery died after owning it for 3 weeks)

Next, do not rotate the screen. I found out there's two screws missing. Which I found some that fit and fixed that fiasco, but figured out real fast that there's this wire that goes up the column holding the screen on it's 180 axis and twisting the screen pulls the wire off the motherboard. Which needs to be snapped back into place using some unique fiddling.

Then there is the fact you can see the red laser through the vents. Is that safe? The video sometimes freezes for no particular reason on a perfectly clean dvd. It tends to get quite warm if you leave it in pause mode. And now it's been telling me I've inserted the wrong disc. Whats a wrong disc when I've stuck a real dvd movie in there.

So okay there's a 90 day warranty right? I email Coby for an RMA on the battery and no response. Emailed them 5 times about the battery. This was in May. Sometime in early June I sent a complaint thru the BBB. Still no response. Called them twice and didn't get an answer. Emailed them again that my movies are not playing. Guess what no answer.

This has to be the first time I've bought a product where a company does not honor their warranty. Sure I suppose I could send it in, but I've already heard the horror stories there. Several have sent them in and three months later , still no player. So call it a black hole or a sand trap. You buy this item, your stuck with it. The warranty is useless.

Update 7-13-2007:
Just got a response back from the BBB. They attempted to serve my complaint to Coby via email, phone and snail mail. No response. And they have told me that it fits a pattern with Coby as Coby has an unsatisfactory rating with the New York BBB. (Thats the lowest rating they give out) They suggested I take action via the Attorney General in New York. Which I might take the suggestion.

Now why would I do this? Well about an hour after I wrote this review, it died. The laser no longer turns on, and the display says no disc. No laser, no disc. And $106 paperweight.