On a Clear Day You Can't See Forever or Through The Lens
Written: May 19 '00 (Updated May 19 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Projects View-Master images to create slide shows
Cons: Poor quality control resulting in fingerprints on the lens
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| Home_Birther's Full Review: Pooh - View Master Super Show Projector |
Like many children of the 60’s, I grew up with both an original hand-held View-Master 3D viewer and an electric View-Master reel projector. I still have my family's original View-Master and the projector. While the celluloid reel images have seen better days, the viewer and the electric projector look nearly new, albeit somewhat dated. It is a testament to its durability and appeal, that it has survived 25 plus years in a household with 7 boisterous children.
Recalling my fond childhood memories with View-Master products and knowing from personal experience just how durable they were, I did not hesitate to add a View-Master 3D viewer to my daughter’s Christmas list this past season. View-Master is now manufactured by Fisher-Price another reliable name in children’s products. Feeling confident in my purchase of the 3D viewer, I also decided to purchase the View-Master Super Show Projector and Flashlight. A modern version of my family’s electric reel projector...all of the benefits without the cord.
What is it?:
The View-Master Super Show Projector and Flashlight by Fisher Price is shaped like a large flashlight. It is intended to project View-Master reel images onto a wall, ceiling or other flat surface in a darkened room. The unit also has a separate feature that allows it to function like a flashlight when the slide reel has been removed. Unlike the 3D hand-held viewer, projected images are flat in appearance.
The projector is made of blue, lightweight plastic. A reel is inserted into a top slot and you push a red lever to advance the reel forward and view the next image. To bring the image into focus, you turn a red focus ring located at the front of the projector. Controls glow in the dark, are easily accessible and designed with young children and their developing motor skills in mind.
For optimal viewing pleasure and clarity, the projector should be placed on flat surface and the room completely darkened. 4 “C” Alkaline batteries are required to operate the projector (not included). It washes clean with a damp cloth and mild soap.
They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To, or Why Cleanliness is Next to Godliness:
With trusted names like View-Master and Fisher Price, I never expected my experience to be anything but positive. I was wrong. Not only did it turn out to be a disappointing Christmas gift, it remains one of my most disappointing toy purchases.
When my daughter received her Super Show Projector and Flashlight, she was ecstatic. She had seen one at a friend’s home and loved the idea of her own personal “movies”. Unfortunately, her excitement was short lived. After freeing the projector from its packaging prison and inserting a fresh set of batteries, we eagerly sat down to watch her first “movie” show. Immediately, I noticed that the image in the center of the picture was blurry. We adjusted the focus. It was still blurry. The outer rim of the image was clear and in focus, but the entire center portion was so blurry, that you could not even make out the image.
We adjusted the focus again. No improvement. I then cleaned my glasses, eliminating all other possible contributing factors. Again...it was blurry. Turning on the room lights, I examined the lens with the projector light turned on and was shocked and amazed to see a very large, yet distinctive fingerprint right in the middle of the lens! Thinking the fingerprint belonged to either myself or my husband, we cleaned the lens and once again, turned off the lights. The image was still blurry. The fingerprint was still there and after closer examination, we determined that it was behind the surface of the lens. An area that was not accessible to us.
Not knowing what else to do, we carefully removed the lens and attempted to clean it on the opposite side. While this should have resolved the problem, it did not. The lens is comprised of two separate pieces and the annoying fingerprint was sandwiched between the two lenses. This had occurred during manufacturing while the lens was being assembled. We could not clean it and our only alternative was to return the projector to the store and receive a replacement. Unfortunately, our local stores were sold out and new shipments were not anticipated for several weeks. Not willing to wait, I then decided to contact the company directly to register a complaint and request a replacement.
The Company Response, or What They Got Right:
On December 26, I sent an Email to the Consumer Affairs division of Fisher Price. I was both surprised and delighted to receive a response to my request the very next day. Fisher Price is to be commended for their prompt response...especially considering it was only the day after Christmas and they were probably inundated with Email from consumers. A company spokesman apologized and advised that a new projector would be sent to me free of charge.
Cloudy Skies Once Again:
Our new projector arrived a few days later and the first thing I did was check the lens. Words cannot even begin to describe the immense disappointment I felt when once again, a fingerprint was clearly visible between the two lenses. The fingerprint on the new projector was a bit smaller than on the original and the projected reel images were less blurry. However, it was large enough to adversely effect picture quality and severely limit our enjoyment of the product.
My daughter's elation over the gift has waned and so has mine. It is no longer worth my time or effort to replace it, as clearly this is a manufacturing and quality control issue. Since I ultimately did not have to pay for it (I returned the original to the store for a full refund), we have decided to keep it and simply enjoy our View-Master reels on the hand-held 3D viewer, or on my family’s ancient but reliable, electric reel projector.
Final Thoughts:
I have a background in consumer products and am very familiar with manufacturing methods and factory conditions in foreign countries (my projector was manufactured in Mexico). A defect such as a fingerprint on a lens should have been discovered under routine company (or independent third party) random quality sampling procedures.
Having this occur once is understandable, but twice leads me to believe that there is a serious lapse in quality control standards in this particular factory (whether or not this product is manufactured in more than one location and factory as is routine in most industries, I do not know). Manufacturing of any type of optical equipment and lenses (even if they are only plastic and on a child’s toy), should be done under strict quality control conditions and standards for cleanliness. Fingerprints sandwiched between a lens is simply inexcusable.
While I still have faith in the View-Master and Fisher Price line of products, I cannot recommend the Super Show Projector and Flashlight, unless I would have some type of assurances that the problem has been identified and eliminated. Its not worth the hassle of returning the defective product or the disappointment it will cause your child.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
Home_Birther
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Location: Midwest
Reviews written: 76
Trusted by: 99 members
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