102,000 battery packs for Disney DVD players recalled

Weston (FL) - The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Memcorp are recalling about 102,000 battery packs of portable DVD players sold under the Disney brand. There have been 17 reports of the batteries overheating with three reports of property damage, along with three reports of minor skin irritation.

Five different DVD players are affected by the recall: The Princess DP3500-PRN, Fairy Flowers DP3500-FLR, Mickey Classic DP3500-MC, Mickey Mouse DP3500-MKY and Power Rangers DP3500-POW were sold at Disney theme parks and through the Disney catalog from April 2005 through March 2006 for between $70 and $130.

The devices measure about 6.5" by 5.5" and integrate a 3" display. The batteries were manufactured in China by McNair Technology and Unitech Battery.

There have been several notable recalls of overheating batteries in the past, one of which was the famous Dell laptop battery recall in 2003 when users reported that their lithium-ion batteries would overheat and start smoking. The majority of those batteries were made in Japan.

The CPSC is advising owners to stop using the battery pack and to contact Memcorp at www.disneyelectronics.com for a battery replacement pack.

Memcorp, based in Weston, Fla., is a privately held company that manufacturers and distributes Memorex-branded consumer electronics.