Keyspan TVI-200C TuneView for iPod classic 4G, 5G (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this product for my boat. The idea was to jack into the AUX of my boat's car stereo, have TuneView Dock plug into that, and remotely control the iPod out on the deck via the TuneView remote.
Initially it seemed to work fine. I even updated the firmware without a hitch. However, near the middle of the boating season for me (May-September), I noticed that the batteries housed in the unit (2 AA) started to rattle around, and if I shook it, they'd easily lose their connection, and the remote would go black.
I opened the battery door and looked a little closer. It appears that the actual housing for the AA batteries is physically larger than it should be, and and the battery terminals have the sole purpose of holding the batteries in place - and thus keeping the power source in tact. This is a pretty serious design flaw. What ends up happening is that over time, those slim metal terminals bend (its not like they are spring-loaded), and eventually the two AA batteries just jostle around in there and its up to the alignment of the moon and stars whether you end up getting power. I tried bending the terminals forward. This is a hack, and did not work in the end...as one of them just broke.
Here's my other issue with the unit: about a month after I had it, a black horizontal line showed up on the LCD and would not go away.
Now, here's my big issue with the company: Keyspan was purchased by Tripp Lite recently (2008). I bought the unit summer 2007. I *should* have contacted Keyspan immediately when I started to have issues...but I did not, and this is my fault.
I contacted Tripp Lite support and I was told that I could ship the unit to them at my expense, and if they thought I had dropped it, then they would simply return it to me. I explained that I felt the battery terminal issue was a design flaw, and I failed to see how that could ever be the result of dropping the unit, and they told me that "Past experience has shown us the bent battery terminals is sometimes a tale (sic) tale sign of the unit being dropped."
Given that, and the fact that I was 2 months past the 1 yr warranty, I did not ship it back. They indicated that if it was not in the 1 yr period, they were not liable to do anything anyway. I can understand that, and it is my fault for not taking more timely action, but still...I paid $170 USD for this thing, and now it is pretty much worthless.
One end of the battery terminals is a removable piece that I can probably re-inforce. The other side is soldered to the PCB, so I have fewer options there.
I felt compelled to post my experience here so others would be warned. I really feel the customer service at Tripp Lite could have taken the high-road here, but they chose not to. Your mileage may vary.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Keyspan TVI-200C TuneView for iPod classic 4G, 5G (Black)

The Keyspan TVI-200C TuneView for iPods provides a new wireless way to manage your music throughout your house or office. The TuneView consists of a universal iPod dock, a 2-way RF remote with an easy-to-view color LCD screen, a USB power adapter, an audio and USB cable, and selected dock adapters for connecting to multiple sizes of iPods.
The TuneView Remote is unlike any iPod remote you've used before. The color LCD screen enables you to remotely view the contents of your iPod, and currently supports four languages including: English, French, German and Spanish. With all its components, this unit allows you to connect your iPod to a stereo or powered speakers using the line out jack, or connect your iPod to a TV using the S-Video jack. You can also use the USB power adapter to charge your iPod from an AC outlet, or use the TuneView dock to sync your iPod with a PC or a Mac, all while browsing and controlling your iPod with the LCD remote via a 2.4 Ghz radio signal that works through walls and floors from around the house.
Designed for use with 4G and 5G iPods with a dock connector--including the iPod 5G/5.5G Video, iPod color, iPod mini, iPod 4G (Click Wheel), iPod nano 1G, iPod nano 2G--this unit comes with a manufacturer's 1-year warranty. Both the TuneView dock and TuneView remote are USB devices that can be updated via a firmware download just like your iPod, and over time Keyspan will release firmware updates that will add new capabilities to your TuneView system.
The remote screen emits a subtle, high-pitched whine whenever illuminated; however, if the remote is put in "sleep" mode, the screen turns off and the noise stops.
What's in the Box TuneView dock for iPod, TuneView remote with 2 AA batteries, 1 USB power adapter, 1 USB and audio cable (3.5mm stereo to dual RCA), dock inserts for; iPod mini, iPod 20GB/U2, and iPod with color display 20GB/30GB/U2, and user's guide.

Click here for more information about Keyspan TVI-200C TuneView for iPod classic 4G, 5G (Black)