My kid is approaching the age where some in-car entertainment is needed.

I was thinking of just buying a 7" portable dvd player and velcro-ing it to the center console lid. What other alternatives do I have?

thanks YT

 

I vote for the portable DVD thing and here is why,

If you have drop down screens with an installed DVD player, everytime the kids get in the car they will want to watch NEMO, or whatever the popular kids movie at the time is. Even if you are just going a couple of blocks away. With the portable one it can be used for long trips and the kids can learn to entertain themselves for the short rides. Otherwise you will hear:

"NEMO!! NEMO!! NEMO!! NEMO!! NEMO!! NEMO!!"

 

This is mine, (and this is as close as a tv will ever get to being in my vehicles...)

 

I don't have any pics of it... but last summer we bought a portable player for my daughter. We wanted something cheap (it's for a kid, so it probably won't last), something with a decent screen size, and a battery that could go at least 2 full movies between charges.

We ended up getting a Kawasaki player at Target for something like $180. The thing has been great. We get roughly 4.5 hours out of one battery charge, it's got like a 6.5" 16x9 screen, dual headphone jacks, blah blah blah. It has saved us on several trips. And for the price, if it only lasts a 2 or 3 years, so what.

It's small enough and light enough to fit on my daughter's lap, however, the bottom of it gets pretty warm... not sure I'd want it on her bare skin - that has been the only down side to this point.

 

werd!

 

How can you see that thing... it's soooo small???

 

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

good idea. This along with the price factor is pulling me towards the portable idea.

Jackson, anything I hand to my boy comes flying back at our heads. I would need to keep it out of his hands until he is older. Have you attached it to the center console? I swear he thinks he's Nolan Ryan

Don't get in the way of his patented binky-curveball.

 

I never have, but I guess there's no reason why you couldn't. I suppose you could also tuck the body of the player in the seatback pocket and let the screen stickout the top - assuming he wouldn't kick it. You might have to rig a way to keep it from sliding down into the pocket completely.

 

Even though I put in headrest monitors, I still vote for portable. If you have a sunroof in order to put in a flip-down monitor you have to build a custom headliner backer to mount it. $$$ unless you do it yourself.

The work needed to put in built in monitors is really not worth it for most people.

 

heres mine

TV in


TV out


DVD player to go right underneath it is on its way

 

It is SO annoying driving around at night and seeing all these cars on their way to Target, the mall, or whatever (short trips) and seeing the screen on in the backseat, kids watching a movie. And we wonder why kids are doing more and more 'crazy' things to entertain themselves.

Personally, I'd go for drop down screens, or put them in the headrest. And tell your children "NO" when they scream "NEMO!! NEMO!! NEMO!!" Too many parents just give in to their every childs whim, just because it's easier. Parents need to be parents.

~Bill

 

Costco has a portable one dirt cheap right now. I think it's an Audiovox w/ 7inch screen for like $130-150. It's not at costco.com, but at the store. I think it came with a car adapter too.

Something else to consider is a laptop. You can get a new one for $500 w/ dvd player. More money, but you get a whole lot more. Realize that $500 isnt going to be real powerful, but plenty to play movies, surf internet, word process etc.

 

I checked out costco.com for one because I found an older thread where a member (I think you) mentioned you got yours a costco on the cheap. Like you said, they have nothing on their website, so I will go to the store.

We have 2 lappys, both that can play movies. But I want something for the car, he is in the car for about 1+ every single day

 

I have two small kids, (now 9 and 11) and having a video system in the car is a great thing for long trips. We have taken 1500 mile drives without a single "Are we there yet?". In addition to DVD, we also take along a PS2. One kid plays games and the other watches movies.

 

now THAT is a setup! spoiled brats..

jk

 

It actually isn't too difficult to cut up your existing headrest and slide in a 7" monitor, and get a cheapie DVD/CD player to replace your current head unit. It is a little bit of elbow grease and a bit more money, but in the end you will have a custom-installed LCD anywhere in your vehicle and the ability for future LCD installs, if you so desire..

All this stuff with car audio is not at all that scary, and with patience, very manageable! I am currently working on a custom amp/speaker/subwoofer rack in the rear of my 4Runner, with a total output of over 600W RMS, and a custom-installed DVD/CD player that recieves iPod signals and will play out to my speakers and my three custom LCDs (two in the headrests, one in the passenger-side dash, right above the glove box). There are several info sources out there to help out with fiberglassing and installations, my personal favorite is here.
That site describes how to work on complex amp/speaker racks, and the FAQ has a demonstration on how to make a custom-installed LCD screen look good anywhere.

 

Here is one thats kinda best of both worlds..its portable plus it has headrest adapter. The store is a Canadian store. Link below


Click here

ah i didnt realize it wasnt a self unit... nonetheless i can stop by there and see if the brackets could be bought.

 

mine wont exactly fit in the truck....

 

I have a smokin' deal on an in-dash, Pionner single DIN 7" head unit--am/fm/cd/dvd with built intv tuner and ipod controller

 

I bought two of the DUAL 4.2" DVD player/Monitor's that strap onto my headrests and ran a 12-volt extension under the carpet to the back of the seats, now my kids can watch movies or listen to music with their headphones. They were only $99 each at BestBuy.

BEST money I have ever spent. They were quiet the entire 9 hour trip to NM and back. Was amazing.

FYI, they are now $69.99.
Link: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1112808523214