laptop or roof mount dvd player

Hi Tim,

I have tried several methods of video/DVD but have yet to do the roof mount. I think this is going to be the best option, but I have not done it yet as I have a roof console and cannot mount it how I want (yet! - working on it).

The problem with any "loose" system like laptop, portable DVD player, 12V TV etc... is that it slides around too much, even those with seatback restraining straps. Also, I had issues with one portable DVD player where bumps would open the lid, a major drama as the DVD would then start again from the beginning. Ended up packing it away for that trip!

If you can get a decent bracket to hold it properly, then a laptop may be OK. But based on my previous experience I reckon the roof mount would be the way to go. My best setup was in my 80 series where I built a special console for a 12V TV/video. It was properly restrained and worth its weight in gold for the kids on long trips.

Another system I have investigated is the rear headrest, but I an too concerned that "prying eyes" will readily see it and one day both the head rests will be gone when I get back to the carpark. hence the roofmount, out of sight, out of mind!!!

If you do decide on a roof mounted one, let us know how it goes.

Cheers

Captain

Hi Tim,

I manage a car electronics company in south melb, the reason that a roof mount dvd player is better than a laptop is that with the laptop you are limited as to where you can mount it for ease of veiwing also to get the sound from it you need to plug in headphones (with a cord) to hear... you would also have to run a power lead to a 12/240 converter so that on the long trips it would keep going without recharging..

we sell roof mounted dvd players with 2 infrared headphones for $2499 installed

you have the main unit with the dvd player mouted to the roof and it is a 10" screen, it has the infrared sender built into it for the headphones, aswell as having rf signal sender built in so that you can tune in the sound just like a radio station. you can also have the extras added on if you wanted to, for the playstation/xbox/camera and plug into it as a playback monitor
there are just so many options...

if you have any questions or just want to know more lease just give me a call

Cheers Andy

Andy, No Limit Car Electronics, 580 city rd sth melb (03)96860023....

Just be careful if you drive through SA with a DVD playing. The boys in blue might ping you for distracting other drivers.

Tim
Not taking anything away from the comments above. I have had one of those small cheap portables for about a year. We can swap it between cars and it sits well on the patrol centre pod really well, attached by velcro. I put an outlet in the center console (off the dual) and have never used the battery pack. Kids have a headset each - pluged into a dual adapter on the dvd - cost abot $5. Being portable means we can pack it away the minute we meet up for the trip. Was it worth it YEP. Kids love it,breaks up the transit and stops the boredom
cheers
Peter

I, like you am having the same thoughts..... I am leaning towards a laptop though simply because I am going to run a GPS map plotter (oziexplorer), and entertain the kids with the one unit. I also think it is more cost effective getting a second hand laptop with a crook battery ($500) and using an inverter to power it ($200). Mounting it is the only issue I am yet to deal with.

I'd go with the laptop (since I already have one). I have used the small screens like above before. They are painful to watch after using a 14.1 or 15in laptop screen. Especially when you take into account the widescreen effects of the black sections top and bottom of the screen. This just makes the screen seem even smaller.
With a laptop you can do a million other things with it too. Like email, storing digital photos and GPS stuff. Only problem could be that when you want to use the GPS mapping I'm sure the kids will want to watch a movie.

What is even cheaper than all this however is to just tell them to look out the window. One big motion picture.

Utemad

A lot has been said about this fairly recently.
I use a laptop with an external 15" monitor. Both can run directly from the cig lighter 12V supply. The laptop is used mainly for navigation, but on long boring stretches can be used for DVDs. Sound is fine. You could use a cheap set of external speakers, or pipe it through the car stereo if bigger sound was needed. If you used iTunes you could store every CD you had on the laptop and play them through your car radio. Ambient light is a problem during dark scenes in DVDs. We found a cardboard hood around the screen helped (thank you Mr VB).
In my second photo you can see the top of the screen being used for navigation (Oziexplorer). In this position, it is easily seen from all seats, doesn't impinge on the view out the front. The screen flips up for access to radio access.

I think it partly depends on how old the kids are.

My 4 kids are basically teenagers , so a laptop is a better option for us.

Has a good size screen so the very rear passengers can also see it (although I'm going to get a monitor for the rear).

Sound on mine (Toshiba Satellite) is good.

Also has the benefits of GPS , download digi piccies to it , Digi Movies , trip reports , etc etc. Even play games if you get that bored.