Of all the technology options you can add to your car, the one that knows no age limits is the in-car DVD player. With one of these devices onboard, kids who get fidgety 30 minutes into a 300-mile trip no longer mind traveling by car, and parents can concentrate on driving — or having an uninterrupted conversation.
According to the install position, there are six main styles which popurlar in the market today, Flip Down DVD Player, Sunvisor DVD Player, In Dash Car DVD Player, Portable DVD Player, Double Din Car DVD Player and Headrest DVD Player. Then let me inform the pros and cons one by one as follows.
Flip Down DVD Player
It also being called Car Celling DVD Player, Roof Mount DVD Player or Overhead DVD Player. According to these name, do you know its install position now? Yes, it should be hanging on the top of car. Therefore, it requires a large space in your vehicle. Usually it is rarely used in a small car. Most of them are installed in commercial vehicles such as MPV. So small and economic car models are excluded.
Sun Visor DVD Player
Like its name, the display of this DVD is in the sun shield of car. The size and thickness of the sunvisor display may be different with the original in your car. So the beauty and the outcome will be a little lacking for this entertainment system. While they are normally less costly than other dvd players.
In Dash Car DVD Player
The in dash DVD player have vary size from 4.3 inch to 7 inch. They are space-saving and usually replace the original radio or CD player in your dash. When not use, the screen can be hidden in the body host or can be removed according the style, which can protect the LCD screen from wear. Most of in dash DVD player are intergrated with GPS Naivgation System, Bluetooth or Digital TV functions in the market today. As the screen is small, the rear passengers only can watch it hardly. While the video signal can be sent to back-seat screens. But the DVD can’t be used when the car is moving, though the navigation system can be used.
Portable DVD Player
It looks like a laptop computer, but it plays only movies, CDs and MP3 CDs. These players come with two headphone jacks and power adapters for use in cars, as well as at home and in hotels. Screen sizes range from 7 inches to 12 inches (provides comfortable viewing for two people). Many portable players sell for under $150, and they also can be used in a hotel, at home, and on a train or plane. Battery life is not an issue, as the player can be plugged into the car. While the device could fall to the floor during a sudden stop. So for safety, buy an unfolding travel case that straps to the front seats and secures the player.
Double Din DVD Player
It is the most popular DVD player in the market today. Like many original DVD players which come together with the new car, its display is the same size with DVD host. In a way, it beautifys interior environment of vehicle, and also with every nice visual effect. It is generally used for luxury vehicle.
Headrest DVD Player
Because watching TV while driving is not permitted by law, the headrest DVD player which be installed in the head of front seat seems safer. A headrest entertainment system handles more than just DVDs. It can also play audio CDs, MP3s burned onto discs and photos burned onto discs. In addition, there’s a connection for a game console or portable video player such as an iPod Video.
Of the 17 million vehicles sold in the United States annually, about 1.5 million come with rear-seat entertainment systems. And RSE systems are added to another 1.2 million vehicles each year, according to Phil Magney, president of Telematics Research Group, which provides intelligence on the automotive and mobile electronics industries.
Rear-seat entertainment systems can cost as little as $100 for a portable player held in your lap to $3,000 for a pimp-my-ride system with multiple screens. All the systems can provide DVD entertainment for two or more people. The differences involve who provides the player, how many screens are used and how the system is installed.
Which kind of entertainment system should you choose for your vehicle? That depends on your requirements, your budget and your kids.