Car DVD players...yay or nay?

[June Mommy]

Do you have one? Do you like it? Do you want one? I'm trying to decide what to put on our Christmas list for the ILs. I know DS would love to watch his DVDs in the car. But on the other hand, I'm thinking that we usually don't have any trouble in the car. He's a pretty happy traveler, unless he's hungry, thirsty or tired (all of which can be easily remedied!) I know if we get the DVD player, he will expect to watch every time he gets in the car. Should I even go there? If you do have one that you like, what brands would you recommend? Sorry if this has already been posted.

[Momof3Labs]

We don't have one, with no plans to add one. If we had long, long car trips planned, I'd consider it, but for normal driving (which, for us, is 1-2 hours max per trip) we're fine without it and I'd like to keep it that way!

[searchdog]

We don't own one, but my inlaws do. We used it on a 5 hour trip a few months ago but only for about 30 minutes. We are again taking it with us on our flight this Friday. We use it in emergencies only, we don't just let DD watch it unless she is upset. So basically we try everything else first and save the DVD player for last.

I think if we owned one and she used it all the time it would totally loose the effect that it has, so we have no plans of getting one for regular use.

[lablover]

We have a portable DVD player. I bought it last year when I was traveling alone with DS by plane. We only use it for long car rides and air travel. We go to the beach a lot in the summer which is at least a 4 1/2 hr drive and I try to make it at least halfway without pulling it out (once we've exhausted other entertainment means). I just sit it in between our seats in the front (every now and then it will slide though). I don't want to have one that is installed in the car because I don't want him begging to have it on every time we drive somewhere. I got mine at Costco last year when they had a discount coupon with it and it was $150. It is a 10" Mintek. A little part did come out of the DVD cover a few months ago so the cover can be taken off without pushing the button, but it is still useable. I don't know if this is typical of the quality or what. I need to take it back to Costco and see about a replacement.

[jd11365]

Get the one that lays flat on the headrest...so just the screen is showing. Otherwise the hanging part is a pain, and for us Kayla kicks it...so it's put away for now. :(

[muskiesusan]

We have one built in to our car and it has been a life saver for Nick. He hates the car, or being restrained in the car seat would probably be more accurate. My hometown is 4 hours away, so all trips prior to the DVD were just unmanageable to me to handle alone.

I thought I would never get one, and I wouldn't have it he was the least bit tolerable in the car, so in your case, I probably would not want one. Unfortunately for Nick, the DVD player only works on trips longer than 45 minutes. Okay, I know there was a thread recently on not lying to your children, but this lie pretty much nipped in the bud all requests to play a movie everytime we are in the car!!!!


Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[ykc]

My kids are good travellers, so I'm going to avoid that temptation for as long as possible. (We did have some Dora episodes loaded on the laptop when we flew to Hongkong, but have never had it on any of our up to 13hr drives.) If we ever get one, it will definitely be a portable, and if/when we buy a new car we won't get one built-in since I don't want to fight the expectation of watching TV every time we drive anywhere. Hard enough to limit TV watching at home, so I just don't want to open that can of worms!

[MelissaTC]

We have one in the minivan (#3 on my list after power rear and dual power sliding doors). We drive to Florida and NY so we found it to be useful. It only gets used on long car trips and even then, not always. When we went to VA in October (3.5 hr drive) we didn't use it. But those 10+ hour trips can be brutal so I am thankful to have it!

[amp]

Well, I think it depends on how you use it and whether it's a portable one or an installed one.

We do have a portable one that we use on long trips, and that's the only time in the car. DS doesn't ever expect to watch dvd's when we aren't either going on a trip or going to get a haircut.

And on long trips it has been a lifesaver!

Ours is a Kawasaki from Target, that we got a great deal on. In our research, we found that every single one of them get good and bad ratings, and many, many, many break within the first year. So, we decided it was best to go w/ an affordable one, without a lot of perks, so that if it died, we could afford to replace it. Spending more money didn't necessarily equal better quality in the reviews we read.

[RwnMayfair]

We don't have one and I don't intend to get one - Taran travels really well in the car, and so far Elowen does too. They really only get upset if they're hungry, thirsty, or need a diaper change, and all of those can be fairly easily fixed. If we really desperately found we needed something like that, we'd probably just end up using one of our laptops (yes, we each have one, we're massive geeks here), and it would only be for a really, really long trip. So far though, we haven't had need of one, and hopefully it'll stay that way. :)

-Melissa

Taran, November 20, 2003
Elowen, August 20, 2005

http://lilypie.com/pic/051031/edeJ.jpg http://b2.lilypie.com/jn4Ym4/.png
http://lilypie.com/pic/051031/bvVl.jpg http://b1.lilypie.com/9Ogqm5/.png

[KBecks]

I would only do one for something like a very long trip -- 3+ hours or something like that, and then play a movie.

[kdeunc]

My boys are getting one from the in-laws for Christmas. We are only planning to use it for longer (3+ hours) trips when I am travelling alone with them or at night. I don't want them to miss out on the "fun" of travelling when they get older because they are watching movies. I do think it will be a sanity saver for me however when DS will watch a movie and I don't have to answer "where is Mammy's house" every 45 seconds for the 3 hour trip to my parents house!!

[bluestar2]

I broke down and got one before I returned home from my last flight with DC ( I flew alone). They rarely watch TV at home so it was not something I considered before. After hearing DS scream for over two hours and only somewhat calmed down when he was able to watch with another baby sitting across the aisle pretty much convinced me I needed to get one for the trip home. I tried everything, toys, snacks, walking but he just couldn't seem to calm down. The return flight went more smoothly and we were able to make it until the last hour or two and it worked for me to keep him distracted and entertained until we landed.

We have had it for a few months and have only used it once more on a long drive. They can't stand to be awake and sitting in the car for more than an hour since they are active toddlers. I try everything before I break it out (toys, snacks, breaks, etc) but honestly, for me, TV watching kids are preferable to screaming kids. It can buy us maybe an hour but that's it. Usually we drive during their naptime so we don't need it but sometimes we can't always schedule it that way.

I would say it depends on your DS. If he's happy and a good traveler, I personally wouldn't get one. In our case, it has been worth it for the rare times when we really needed it. We are traveling again next week (a much shorter flight this time) and I am definitely bringing it but I probably won't need it. It is just another tool in the box so to speak :)

BTW, DC are 22 months so they are at a hard age to travel with because their attention span is so short. I imagine it'll be easier when they are older to keep them entertained longer and we may not need it.

[cvharris]

We have one in the minivan (that came with the van) and DS expects to have it on constantly - even on shorter trips. If not, we never hear the end of the moaning and groaning. He can see the screen folded up in the top of the van when it is put away.

That said, if he misbehaves when we're out, we don't let him watch it on the way back home, which is an easy way for us to punish him.

Carolee
Mama to Ben (6/03)
It's a BOY! Baby brother due 12/18/05

[KrisM]

Can I hijack a little??

I was just looking at these today. We are making a 750 mile drive soon and will return only 4 days later. Lots of car time. DS normally does well in the car, but 28 hours in 4 days is a lot to ask of anyone!

DS is rear-facing. He's too young to hold it on his lap and I think that would be dangerous anyway. So, where does it go? The middle rear seat doesn't have a headrest. Are the screen big enough to watch on an angle from an outboard headrest?

[Toba]

We have a 2005 Honda Odyssey with DVD and Navigation ... the DVD is overhead and factory installed. It is a LIFESAVER!! FWIW, I would never get a portable one unless there was some way to securely fasten it in the vehicle ... you don't want projectiles in the vehicle in the event of a crash. We play either Baby Einstein, the Wiggles or a cartoon movie (like The Incredibles or Finding Nemo). Ours has a removeable, wireless DVD remote that he likes to hold.


~Kimberly Anne~
Noah Nevan, March 12, 2004
*the light of my life*

[kijip]

You could move him outboard just for this trip. Since he is RF, he is still very safe on the side and if it saves your sanity, I'm down with it! Just make sure it attaches securely to your headrest.

[KrisM]

That's true. I wonder if the seat fits well outboard. I might give that a try. He's probably enjoy being able to see out the window better, too. Anything to help this crazy car trip!