Please help me decide which portable DVD player to buy for our next road trip (bridge, airplanes)

[Deez Nuttz]

My wife and I in a few months will be taking a 1000 mile road trip across the mid US to the east coast to visit family. We have decided to purchase a DVD player so our 21 month old child isn't as bored as she was the last time.

Now this will not be the last time we go traveling; this will happen several more times over the years.

Anyways we are looking at these three DVD players, but we are not sure which one to go with:

Walmart.com: Sylvania 7" Dual-Screen Portable DVD Player in Black, SDVD8730: DVD & Blu-ray Players

Axion 7" Dual Screen Portable DVD player - Black (AXN-6979) : Target

Philips - 7" Widescreen Portable DVD Player with Dual Screens - PET7402/37

Which one would you prefer? We want the best bang for the buck.

[Charles]

Why not just use a laptop? That way you have a DVD player and a PC with you rather than two devices?

You can get tons of movies free online (just google the movie name and "torrent" and have utorrent installed on your PC). Most movies are available in avi format at around 700 megabyte file size so you don't have to download an entire 4.3 gig DVD. The video quality is probably about 90% that of a DVD.

Get an inverter that plugs into your cigarette lighter so you can have 115V AC for all sorts of uses in the car (and on a airplanes too).

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by Deez Nuttz

My wife and I in a few months will be taking a 1000 mile road trip across the mid US to the east coast to visit family. We have decided to purchase a DVD player so our 21 month old child isn't as bored as she was the last time.

Now this will not be the last time we go traveling; this will happen several more times over the years.

Anyways we are looking at these three DVD players, but we are not sure which one to go with:

Walmart.com: Sylvania 7" Dual-Screen Portable DVD Player in Black, SDVD8730: DVD & Blu-ray Players

Axion 7" Dual Screen Portable DVD player - Black (AXN-6979) : Target

Philips - 7" Widescreen Portable DVD Player with Dual Screens - PET7402/37

Which one would you prefer? We want the best bang for the buck.

My thoughts are that children should be taught how to travel without being "bored" and without some kind of artificial techno-stimulation. This is a perfect parenting opportunity for you. Run with it.

20yrsinBranson

[Deez Nuttz]

Originally Posted by Charles

Why not just use a laptop? That way you have a DVD player and a PC with you rather than two devices?

Not sure I understand this. We were just planning on just having a DVD player on the back side of the headrest so my daughter can watch movies while we travel. How does a laptop play into this?

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

My thoughts are that children should be taught how to travel without being "bored" and without some kind of artificial techno-stimulation. This is a perfect parenting opportunity for you. Run with it.

So you don't feel it's a good idea to buy a DVD player to keep the kid happy? I mean last time she got real restless and bored just riding along in the car for several hours a day for 2 days.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

My thoughts are that children should be taught how to travel without being "bored" and without some kind of artificial techno-stimulation. This is a perfect parenting opportunity for you. Run with it.

20yrsinBranson

How do you teach them?
What non-electronic suggestions do you have a 21 month old's entertainment on a 1000 mile/65MPH = 16 hour road trip?

Realize there is plenty of positive, beneficial, educational video content available.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Deez Nuttz

Not sure I understand this. We were just planning on just having a DVD player on the back side of the headrest so my daughter can watch movies while we travel. How does a laptop play into this?

For a child that young, holding the laptop won't work. In the past, we have placed the laptop on a flat surface (suitcase, ice chest) on the floor in front or on the seat to the side and it worked.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by Charles

How do you teach them?
What non-electronic suggestions do you have a 21 month old's entertainment on a 1000 mile/65MPH = 16 hour road trip?

Realize there is plenty of positive, beneficial, educational video content available.

I guess you do it the same way parents did it for decades before some genius decided it was SO MUCH EASIER just to plug a kids brain into some kind of mindless drivel for 16 hours.

Traveling with children is nothing new. Not knowing how advanced a particular 21 month old child is, it's hard to say what they are capable of, but CERTAINLY everything should be some kind of learning experience when they are that age, otherwise you are missing a valuable opportunity to teach them something. Even things like.... "Look Snotley, we're going over a bridge", or "Do you see that pretty tree Bratzilla?" or something like...."Look at the cows" or "Look at the boat on the pond" or even "What color is that car?" Of course that requires a parent to be involved and motivated to teach the child something besides push the ON button.

I guess it's just about whether the parent thinks teaching the kid is too much trouble or not. To each his own I guess.

20yrsinBranson

[irman]

Originally Posted by Deez Nuttz

Which one would you prefer? We want the best bang for the buck.

The question was NOT if it was good or bad to have a DVD player in the car, but which one is the best bang for the buck !!!!

Sounds like you have *actually seen and touch* the ones you mentioned.

So ...
What does it look like in *real life* ?
-- Picture visible form a wide angle of view, or do you have to sit right smack in front of it ?

What do the units sound like, taking into consideration the sounds already there while driving ?
-- Some cars are rather noisy at highway speeds.

How do the screens mount to the back of the front seats?
-- Sturdy ? Easy to mount ?

Now make your choice !!

Just our experience (ours came with the car, mounted in the ceiling).
On long trips, interesting for the kids, all depending on what you play for them.
Our grandsons are under 3 years old and we play the *educational* ones ...
We also have the ones with a lot of songs on them and we all sing with them.
In short, a worthwhile investment, depending on how you use it.
LBNL, since it came WITH the car (van) we can play the sound thru the regular speakers and thus can direct the sound where we need it the most, or ... we can use the head sets (not good for small children ...)

Dual screen ? Good choice since there is no way to mount a single screen where the rear seat can see it comfortably.

[Dd714]

Can't resist posting this after seeing some of the comments:

[citybeautifu]

Personally I go with the first one.