Complaint Review: Magnavox/Funai - GrovePort Ohio

Funai doesn't "control" the company....there just ISN'T a company anymore.  Magnavox, for all intent and purposes, went out of business. Funai bought the NAME, along with the names of several other defunct US companies, such as Sylvnania, Philips, Emerson, Symphonic, etc., in order to cash in on their reputation in the USA.  Unfortunately, none of these once renowned companies now exist.  Only their names remain, and are now being pasted on the front of a multitude of electronic products manufactured in various Asian factories. 

For example, Funai will manufacture a DVD player, and then sell it under SEVERAL different names, such as Magnavox or Sylvania, along the others, or, in some cases, even the Funai name.  But, other than the name pasted on the product, they are all identical DVD players, made in the same factories, by the same employees, using the same CHEAP materials.  In other words  -  JUNK.

power interruptions, especially those that go off the flash right back on are very hard on electronics.

It generate a large spike of voltage that overwhelms a lot of electronic equipment.



I am using two large Monster Cable surge and overvoltage protectors on my home theater.

The cost $400 each and disconnect the power from the equipment for about 15 seconds or until the power stabilizes after an interruption.

Even when your player is "off" part of it is still powered up to allow the remote to turn it on.

I worked over 25 years in the consumer electronics repair field and know what I'm talking about.

I repaired a neighbors stereo and a week later it went out again...same problem.  Beefed up the power supply and a week or so later, same problem.

I repaired it again, ran all tests including current draw and re-installed it.

While installing it, I told the customer I could not find any reason for it to repeatedly fail.

His daughter remarked that her brother liked to rapidly turn it off and on to hear the speakers pop.

His dad ripped him a new one and as far as I know, 10+ years later it is still working.

This is exactly the same as a fast or rapidly repeated power interruption that occurs when the power grid has a fault and the circuits are interrupted at the sub station then rapidly restored, possibly more than once in rapid succession.  Most power companies publish a disclaimer that this can and DOES occur.

I'm with Magnavox on this one, but if you hadn't told them about the power problems, they likely would have fixed it.

If you have a lot of this type of power problem where you live, it will continue to cause you problems and possibly on other electronics as this type of damage is cumulative.

The surge protector(s) may eventually also fail, because the damage to their protective devices (MOV's) is also cumulative.  After the MOV incurs unrecoverable damage, it shorts out and blows a fusible link in the surge protector, requiring its' replacement.

A once great electronics brand, Magnavox, for all intent and purpose signifies garbage today. Our Mag VCR DVD recorder is also a waste of soldering, copper and aluminum resources.

Funai makes a number of once great brands whose independence and quality disappeared long ago.

One lesson to be learned. Don't volunteer info like, your power going out. Just tell them the dad blasted thing stopped working.