Cheap DVD player for car

[CU]

I think our 5yr old portable Colby DVD player is starting to die on us. It is having a harder and harder time reading disks. I would like to find another DVD player for our Envoy. It needs to be a two monitor system that can play the same DVD on both monitors. You also have to be able to change the DVD without removing the system from the harness that holds it to the headrest. Our current unit has the DVD player separate from the monitors and sits on the center console / armrest and is easy for my wife to change disks when needed. I cannot find any designed like this anymore. Built in speakers are also required, because our kids are a little young for them, plus that is just something else to break. We also listen to the radio on the front speakers, so playing through the car auto is also not a solution. I would also really like to have SD / USB support. Any suggestions?

 

[The Stigenator]

have you tried cleaning the lens of the dvd player?

use a cleaning disc (CD) or if you can access the lens, a blow of compressed air at it will take care of it.

 

[CU]

Not yet but I plan to. Just doing some early research, because at 5yrs old it may just be dieing. Also the fuse for the aux power blew in the car a few days ago when it started getting really bad about reading disk. It could just be a coincidence though.

 

[Gillbot]

I gave up on DVD players. Do what I did, get a power inverter, two of the Haier 7" TV's from newegg (or whatever comparable item you can find), three RCA Y splitters and whatever cheap-o HDD/USB/Media Card based media player from ebay you prefer. Rip your DVD's, toss them on your preferred media, install it in the media player and viola, no more skips or ever waiting for a movie to start! I like this MUCH better because now no matter how much my kids kick the player it won't skip!!

Personally, I had a HDD installed in mine but I think the heat was causing it trouble. Now I just use a 8GB USB stick and it works fine, although it doesn't hold nearly as much as the 100GB 2.5" HDD I took out. I have also used a 2.5" USB powered HDD with success but I think the power bricks are a bit weak and fade over time so the low power USB stick does better.

 

[CU]

Thought about using some cheap monitors/TV's and a media player. Few concerns though. First sometimes, like Christmas, we leave the family party and go home with new DVD's, but can't watch them. Also, I am lazy and it may take me a few days to rip new disk to a USB/SD or whatever. Bigger problem is how are the interfaces for these types of media players. My oldest son cannot read yet. So, without movie poster icons it will be hard to select the correct movie from the front seat. I do really plan to move to non-optical media though, hence why I really want one with a USB/SD slot.

 

[Gillbot]

most media players come with a remote. place it where you can see a screen and hit the media player with the remote. Or add a 3rd screen for yourself and control away. personally, i navigate the menu so much, i can start the videos without seeing the screen anymore.

 

[Gillbot]

aside from that, use the same setup and get the cheapest dvd player you can find in lieu of the media player if you prefer using the discs. dual screen players are absurdly overpriced and often fail. we went through about 4 or 5 of the dual screen dvd players within 2 years before i swore them off for good.

 

[CU]

I don't really plan on adding a third screen in the front just for navigating a menu. Figure we would just memorize the menu and use the remote. But, it would be nice if instead of file names it displayed cover art. That way we could ask our son is that the movie you want and if he said yes we just hit enter and if he said no we just hit next. Repeat until he says yes.

Wow 4-5 in 2 years. We have a friend that has gone through 1 a year for a few years now. I am totally surprised ours has lasted for 5yrs. The monitors I have now have AV inputs, but the power goes through a special cable that carries the power and AV from the DVD player. I wonder how hard it would be to cut that wire and splice just the power into a normal cigarette lighter plug. Or maybe even splice AV cables into it.

 

[CU]

Forgot, are there any reviews for small portable media players like this around? Mainly just want do see pics of the GUI/Menu system.

 

[Gillbot]

I don't really plan on adding a third screen in the front just for navigating a menu. Figure we would just memorize the menu and use the remote. But, it would be nice if instead of file names it displayed cover art. That way we could ask our son is that the movie you want and if he said yes we just hit enter and if he said no we just hit next. Repeat until he says yes.

Wow 4-5 in 2 years. We have a friend that has gone through 1 a year for a few years now. I am totally surprised ours has lasted for 5yrs. The monitors I have now have AV inputs, but the power goes through a special cable that carries the power and AV from the DVD player. I wonder how hard it would be to cut that wire and splice just the power into a normal cigarette lighter plug. Or maybe even splice AV cables into it.

depending on how it's wired, it shouldnt be too hard

Forgot, are there any reviews for small portable media players like this around? Mainly just want do see pics of the GUI/Menu system.

no idea, I just took a chance on one from ebay and it has worked great
I figured for $20, i'd try and if I didnt like it I could use it as a USB enclosure for a HDD and try another.

 

[CU]

Started looking at media players. More than $20 coming in at just under $100 is the ARCHOS 35 HD. That solves my not seeing what is on the screen to select the right movie problem. We would just use it as a fancy remote / media player all in one. However it appears to only have hdmi out. A little hard to find car monitors with hdmi input. Really would like to find something like this but with the old style AV outputs (yellow, white, and red plugs).