At Chinavasion online electronics wholesale, we get a lot of product returns caused by consumers incorrectly flashing the firmware on MP3 and MP4 players.
It seems firmware flashing problems are one of the most common issues mentioned by members at Ecoustics relating to flash media players.
Here is the link to the Chinavasion FAQ article we use for our customers:
Do NOT repeat NOT Flash The Firmware
Please read that knowledgebase note and we'd be interested in any feedback on that:
Do members here think it's true that many users attempt to flash mp3 player firmware needlessly?
In what situations is it actually necessary to flash firmware anyway?
Is it a bad habit picked up from Apple iPods, where you have to update the firmware and software all the time?
I have a Logik MP3 player (Sigmatel 3550 chip) and soon after purchase the only thing I could do to get it to work again was to re-flash it.
In my view, your warning title about flashing does not read well. The way you use "repeat" is fine for when it is spoken in speech but it looks very different when read quickly.
The actual warning text is far clearer but is it the right thing for it to be tucked away in a knowledgebase and not provided in hardcopy form with the product to the consumer?
ITS BECAUSE YOU BUILD CRAP MP3 PLAYERS. IT IS NOT THE CUSTOMERS FAULT THEY HAVE TO KEEP REFLASHING THEM TO GET THEM TO WORK PROPERLY. BUILD BETTER PLAYERS AND ENJOY THE BENEFITS.
By the way, until you start building quality electronics, stop sending your crap here to the US! It all ends up in our landfills! People like you are polluting our land!
Thank you Bill Smith for your feedback about including the firmware advice with the products. Seems sensible.
Jexx, the point of the "no flashing" policy is 999 out of 1000 of our MP4 Players are working absolutely fine until someone unnecessarily flashes the firmware.
And Jexx, the reason we Chinese are sending so many MP3 / MP4 Players to the USA is that you guys are buying them like crazy!! It's not an evil plot to flood the market... just consumer power. I guess you sound a little prejudiced about the quality of Chinese-made electronics, but the chances are you already own several made-in-china devices which you are happy with.
Regarding landfills... don't all electronics end up there eventually? As for the environment, production facilities in Shenzhen and elsewhere are upgrading to comply with EU WEEE and RoHS regulations. By the time the USA gets round to making such rules, the Chinese producers will be ready! ;)
