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Video in the van: Someone think of the children!

RoundBoyRoundBoy Registered User regular
edited July 2007 in Games and Technology
Here is a twist on all the HDTV threads:

We recently bought a 2007 Toyota Sienna.... and I was originally thinking on adding an overhead DVD player / system...

Since I really don't trust any local installers (best buy, etc) to NOT screw up my car.. I was thinking along the lines of just temporary screens mounted to the seats.

ideally I would like to get 2 plain screens, and a simple dvd player that can be mounted under the seat... but I just can't find anything that has 2 outputs, or offers wireless audio, etc..

I have seen a model where the dvd is on the back of one of the screens, but that just says to me its going to be more painful to replace when it breaks.

A future option would be to hook up a game system as well..

what options exist for video in your car that are NOT in dash systems or portable dvd players with screens ?

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    yalborapyalborap Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    Depends on how many you need and how much money you have.

    If you can get your hands on an LCD screen for the tiny PSOne, the car adaptor for the console will power just the screen, and a standard headphone-jack-to-stereo-RCA cable will allow you to hook up a DVD player(you'll want one that has a grippy spindle item in the middle rather than a little slot, obviously) or game console(same thing).

    There are probably FAR better options, however. This is just how I pulled it off with what I had available to me.

    yalborap on
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    RoundBoyRoundBoy Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    Don't 'car' dvd players come with a few special features that are unique to the installation? Like last potition memory and being better suited to car power systems, etc ?

    I am really trying to avoid paying $200 for a crappy solution... but I also don't want to spend $2000+ to go all custom..

    I would thing in our modern times I have a plethora of lcd / dvd options to choose from.. I guess i was wrong.. unless crutchfield / best buy / circuit city are not the places to look at ?

    RoundBoy on
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    antifoodantifood Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    I would check out Sound Advice / Tweeter. You can see if one is in your area via: http://www.tweeter.com/aboutus/storelocator.asp

    For car audio, Bestbuy and Circuit City are going to sell you overpriced second rate product. However, you really should have a professional do the install, you will be happy in the long run.

    antifood on
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    ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    Cars are funny things but there are many different "custom" solutions you could use. Providing you can give it enough power (or find a DC direct solution) you can get 2 small LCD screens and use a video splitter to provide both with the image and audio. It up to you though to find a screen that has a car mount or finding a custom mounting solution.

    Otherwise, I've seen many simple and inexpensive solutions where it has 2 screens and one of the screens has the DVD built into the back as you stated. They're cheap, so expect that, but if it breaks and you need to replace it, you pretty much just buy a whole new setup and not worry about finding something capatible with your old one.

    If you don't want to do a whole custom installation by a professional, this is pretty much your way to do it. Otherwise you will run into many mounting issues putting LCDs onto a car seat among other things that just aren't worth the money.


    Personally: I suggest you buy your kid a book or a DS. I survived MANY long car trips this way. I expect my kids to do the same. I refuse to listen to spongebob or dora while I'm driving. That will drive a man insane (no pun intended).

    ArcSyn on
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    RoundBoyRoundBoy Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    Sound advice, for sure... but my kids are 1 and 3... so 'dora the explorer' goes a VERY long way in the mental health of everyone on a long car trip.

    The only thing stopping me from getting the "2 screens with a built in dvd" deal is the fact i need to lean around the seat to use the remote... and the cheap connections to the car.

    I forgot all about a video splitter... i have found a dvd player (yet no wireless audio capability) but that plugged into 2 video screens can't be to bad.

    I can wire it all nicely under the seat... hmmmm

    RoundBoy on
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    Librarians harbor a terrible secret. Find it.
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    ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    RoundBoy wrote: »
    Sound advice, for sure... but my kids are 1 and 3... so 'dora the explorer' goes a VERY long way in the mental health of everyone on a long car trip.

    The only thing stopping me from getting the "2 screens with a built in dvd" deal is the fact i need to lean around the seat to use the remote... and the cheap connections to the car.

    I forgot all about a video splitter... i have found a dvd player (yet no wireless audio capability) but that plugged into 2 video screens can't be to bad.

    I can wire it all nicely under the seat... hmmmm

    Then yes, I suggest you just grab a cheap DVD player and grab a video splitter (preferably that handles audio as well) and some nice cables that can be run flat under the seats/molding to the monitors. Shouldn't really be too hard to hook up except for power (just gotta find what will provide enough power for all of it) and mounting the screens (I'm sure something exists, I just never had the reason to look).

    ArcSyn on
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