Walmart expands Durabrand DVD player recall to 4.2 million
By Laura June 
posted September 1st 2009 2:33PM
posted September 1st 2009 2:33PM
You know what they say about getting what you pay for? Well, the adage has turned out to be truer than normal in this case. Walmart, which sold some uber-cheap (like, $18 - $29 cheap) Durabrand DVD players in the US and the UK, recently issued a recall in the US for 1.5 million of the units due to 12 reported cases of overheating. The malfunctions caused various degrees of property damage, but no injuries, and now, as a result of several more reported cases of the same issue, the recall has been upped to cover 4.2 million devices. The recall, which originally covered only the silver units sold, has now been expanded to cover both the pink and purple DVD players which were sold between January 2006 and July 2009 exclusively at Walmart stores in the US and Walmart-owned ASDA stores in the UK -- Wallmart reached out to let us know that the players sold in the UK were actually a different spec, and thus not a part of the recall. Seriously, this just leaves us wondering: how many of these bad boys did they sell?
I don't know, how many trailer homes are there in the U.S.?
Multiply that number by "1" and you have your answer.
Seriously there is a well-known cardinal rule of electronics: IF IT HAS A VENT, DON'T RUN IT IN A SEALED BOX.
It really just shows how few Americans understand physics, math, etc.
@ Dan
You don't need to know about thermodynamics to know when its time to run the poop pump.
Judging by the number of them rotting on my friends pawnshop shelves I'd say they sold... all of them.
"Durabrand" is now a bitter irony.
Even more ironic: "Brand" in German means a fire.
That's not ironic; that's appropriate.
I *heart* wal-mart.
anybody seen my bumper sticker?
it was recalled...
Who would've thought that an extremely cheap nameless DVD player bought at Walmart would have these issues?
I bet it goes good with a $39 forty inch flatscreen with 480 by 300 resolution.
Well. You bet it goes well.
Wow. Did you really just do that?
I was speaking in a Walmart dialect, professor.
I gotted it.
I'm still trying to find an article saying they're being recalled in the UK. Surely they contain different hardware (PAL/NTSC, Region 2/Region 1, 230V/110V)
I love walmart. You go to buy a stick of deodorant, and the lady in front of you with $300 worth of groceries is arguing about a $.15 difference on some socks she ends up not wanting anyone.
/sarcasm
Why am I not surprised.. i seem to remember some 10 quid dvd players being sold by ASDA, who incidently are part of Walmart's "family", initially being snapped up then suddenly they seemed to disappear, rapidly. Something of that quality is bound to have problems.
sup Moofassa
Ugh! Why do people line up after thanksgiving to buy those pathetic Wal-Mart players?
Go to a pawnshop and get a decent one from just last year for around the same price.
My friend has a Durabrand. Maybe i should let him know...Maybe
Anyway, I got a decent Phillips DVD DIVX player for $40 about a year ago. Still working good. Pretty good deal.
I recently went to Walmart with my sister and she picked out a shirt on clearance. When we went to check out, the register wouldn't allow her to buy it because the shirt had been recalled.
I don't even know what that means. Do their shirts overheat too?
Only when used.
I work there and right now some of the jeans aren't allowed to be sold because they're died a certain color and when you wash them they bleed the die.
Now, I hope everyone knows why blu-ray players are more expensive
/sarcasm
Ouch I bought this.....good thing I gave it to my ex
:)
"Seriously, this just leaves us wondering: how many of these bad boys did they sell? "
Uh, I'll go with 4.2 million?
The wife bought one of these pieces of junk once. I was pissed and let her know why, so when it died one month later, I had her buy the Magnavox model I originally sent her out get, same as the one in the bedroom. Forty dollars, works like a charm and has a great remote.
You let your wife shop at Wal-Mart alone?
Jesus does Apple make these things. BOOM!
/////Playing with slashes is fun! \\//\\//al-mart!
I'm guessing they sold around 4.2 million?
Seems kind of wrong to act like only people who live in trailer homes would buy these and shop at Wal-Mart. I like Wal-Mart for certain items. Not clothing. I'm aware of some of their unfair business practices, but I don't like going to the fancy pants store down the street to buy a single apple for $2! Call me cheap if you want. I imagine some would have bought these for a cheap region free player (if it's possible and it most likely is) or for a secondary player for kids. I've seen a stereo at Wal-Mart from Durabrand. It was HUGE, but must have weighed like half a pound! Seriously! I swear the inside had to be completely hollow.
I'm sure this DVD player was junk and would never go this low when buying a DVD player. Some of the cheap players though can easily made region free. Back years ago I purchased a Daewoo DVD Player for $40 and made it region free and it was the best player I owned. Back then though nobody had heard of progressive scan, DVI or HDMI.
Right now the 1080p Philips players are the best deals. They're decent. I just wish I could buy a second Oppo, but $200 on a second one that's used only on a few times a week will hurt a bit.
We shopped at Walmart figured that no Chinese manufacture would dare to send junk to the world's largest retailer. I guess we were wrong.
heres one thing walmart didnt tell u guys, most of the stuff they sell are made in china.
Attention Shoppers: This recall is valid wherever Walmart sold this units around the world. Walmart owned La Despensa de Don Juan and HiperPaiz have issued a recall as well in El Salvador and probably Guatemala.
So yeah, they sold even more of this units.
Wal-Mart: Save Money. Live Better.
Or, shop here and empower China more. They already own huge chunks of our national banks so why not let them complete the job.
so you know durabrand don't make the stuff. they just put the name on it. regent makes this dvd player and i have that one. is the regent dvd-1000 one recalled too? it is east to change this to region free BTW. i did it even though i don't have any movies that are other regions.
Power On
Open Door
Press 9,7,3,5
Use Blue Left-Right-Up-Down buttons to choose region 00
Exit Setup
apparently lenoxx is involved too some how. so is it jsut the durabrand ones or all of them that are liek it too?