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in-car DVD entertainment systems
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Anonymous
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Anyone have any experience with having an in-car DVD entertainment system installed in your car (I'm talking about the ones that flip down from the roof).
We're looking at buying a car but it has no system and we'd like to have one for the kids sometime soon (they're 2.5 and 4 months). It's not a deal-breaker so we won't pass up on the car as it's a great deal. I know it would be better to have a factory install, but am not sure if there's much of a difference to have the dealer or somewhere else (reputable) install it after-market. Thoughts? |
Anonymous
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OK, why? Do our kids have to be staring at a screen EVERYWHERE they go?
Play recorded audiobooks instead. Better for their brains. |
Anonymous
| Why do you want one that's permanently installed? When we need one, we use a portable DVD player. It's much cheaper, less invasive and more flexible. |
Anonymous
OP here. DD currently does not watch TV. Ever. Not by our choice, but simply because she has no interest in it (believe me, I have tried turning Sesame Street on when I'm cooking dinner). We take a lot of car trips and would like to have one, particularly because we will have this car for much of our kids' childhood (and many road trips). So, please... back slowly out of the thread. |
Anonymous
OP here - thanks for the input. I'd rather have one that the kids could share and didn't have to hold - do you have one that you set up somehow in the car (strap to a headrest or something)? |
Anonymous
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We have one of the factory installed models that drops down from the roof of the van. I wouldn't have paid extra for it, but we bought the previous year's model and that was all that was left and it was cheaper than the current year models. You can play videos on it or watch TV. My kids love it. And, I find it convenient when we take long car trips. Also, occasionally they get to watch it while we are local, which I don't feel bad about because they almost never watch TV.
Would I get one again? Only if it didn't cost me much money. It wouldn't have to be free though because I do like it much better than the portable DVD players. |
Anonymous
| use portable ones, once you tap into the electircal system of a car it messes things up and will void your warrenty. We bought a double screen system that each screen attached to the back of the headrests. We only use it if the trip is over 3 hours. |
Anonymous
Hmmm... this sounds like a good idea (OP here). The warranty situation was why I thought maybe having a dealer install it would be worthwhile... although I doubt that is worth the money. I'm sure they'd overcharge like crazy. Perhaps portable is the way to go. |
Anonymous
| I vote for portable dvd players. You know, you can download movies to IPods as well. It's much less expensive than having it installed. |
Anonymous
PP here. She's only 2.5 now but this is going to be a struggle every time you get in the car, once she gets a little older. I still think it's a bad idea. |
Anonymous
| Disagree that you're going to struggle everytime you get in the car. We recently got a new car w/ the DVD system and of course DS (age 4) was very excited but we made it VERY clear that it was only for long trips or times when we're in the car for a long time. It hasn't been a problem. If you stick to your guns, kids learn pretty quickly what the rules are. |
Anonymous
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We have one. Elementary age kids. It does become a struggle often when we get into the minivan, so agree to stick to your rules. Also, don't even have DVDs in the car, so that a really non option.
I have the factory installed model, not aftermarket. I have also used portable DVDs in a different car for long trips. I like the factory installed much much much better. I found the portable DVDs to be very low quality, always breaking, difficult to control and use. good luck |
Anonymous
| DVDs in vans are dumb. Teach them to look out the window and have a conversation with them. |
Anonymous
| We have one and we only use it when we visit my parents in upstate NY. It is an 8 hour drive and it definitely comes in handy. Our next car likely won't have one, but I do like the Ipad idea since dd is almost 6. The interesting thing is that she never asks to watch a video, unless we are going to grandma's house. |
Anonymous
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We use a bracket like this one with a portable DVD player:
http://www.amazon.com/DVD-Mount-for-Car-Black/dp/B002LATS28/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1290780125&sr=1-3 It's great because we can use it in rental cars or other cars when traveling - we didn't want a player permanently affixed because we like talking to our kids and listening to music. We attach it when all else has failed. 
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