[magic]

I've got an Aiptek PDV-919 portable DVD player and the screen on it sometimes goes blank. If I leave it a while, it tends to come back but it's done it several times now. Moving the liftable screen up doesn't fix it when not working, nor does it go off when it is, so I don't think it's a loose connection. The screen lights up, but I don't get a picture on it. There's also an input/output switch. When set to input, I can hear the sources sound, but not see a picture on the screen. When set to output, I can see a picture on the external device's screen, but not on the DVD player screen. Also I often get an electric shock when I touch it so thought maybe static would be a problem?

Secondly, I got it about 5 months ago in a PC fair in Trafford Park, Manchester. The company selling it was "SAC Distributions". They've left a mobile number on it and an address. The mobile seemed to be switched off and the address exists on Multimap, but when I used the BT website to find it (also used Google) I found nothing. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

[chrisjr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by magic

Secondly, I got it about 5 months ago in a PC fair in Trafford Park, Manchester. The company selling it was "SAC Distributions". They've left a mobile number on it and an address. The mobile seemed to be switched off and the address exists on Multimap, but when I used the BT website to find it (also used Google) I found nothing.

Hate to say it but ever had the feeling you've been conned?

Iffy mobile number, iffy address. Doesn't sound like the most reputable of businesses does it?

You could try the Royal Mail website to check out their address. You may have to register with them (last time I looked up a postcode I had to anyway). But it might reveal whether they actually do ocupy the address given.

[magic]

I tried BT's address finder and they couldn't identify the post code with the company, it's likely they've dissapeared from that address. I had a look at Aiptek's website and found that they have distributer sites in the US, Germany and I think it was Tailand or somewhere around there. Which would be the best for customer support?

The DVD player still has the same problem. Screen works ok sometimes and sometimes goes blank. Today I left it on a while when it was blank and it came back on after a while very strange.

[Pablo Diablo]

Aiptek may have a different version for America, Europe and Asia. If they do it would be better to contact the one in Germany but you may have better luck finding a person that speaks English with the US one.

[The Wardster II]

Its not going to be static that will cause you to get an electric shock. Inside the screen there is a cold cathode tube, similar to a florescent tube used in offices and kitchens, but only on a tiny scale.
As these tubes need a high voltage to allow the tube and chemicals inside to produce light, an inverter is used to generate a high voltage.

Techie explanation ;

You have from batteries, DC volts of say 9V. You need to have 200V AC to power the tube.
Dedicated circuit will take a portion of that 9V DC and feed it into a "oscillator". A DC voltage is then fed to a transformer, but the output from the oscillator is "modulated" onto the DC voltage, and hence forth you have a circuit to produce a step up transformer, giving you your output high voltage AC.
(Also known as a step up switch mode power supply)
:yawn:

I would suggest you would have a leak from the high voltage stage touching the casing of the DVD player, and giving you electric shocks. The inverter will only supply a high voltage at a very low current rating, so you won't have a NASTY shock. But I wouldn't touch it if you have wet or damp hands!!!

If you can't get hold of the place or supplier where you got it from, I would try quite hard to source the manufacturer. If you have no joy there, bang it on ebay, get shot and get a new one!!!

HTH Wardster