Picking MP3 DVD Players

Mp3 DVD Players

By Anne Ahira

As part of planning a family vacation for the summer with two young children, we decided getting MP3 DVD players was going to be essential.

We’d be in the car for a long time straight so the kids were going to need some type of entertainment.

And that’s why I began looking at the different models available. I was pretty surprised at what I found.

Here are some options you might want to consider.

The Portable Model

I found that one of the most highly rated MP3 DVD players listed on Amazon was a portable unit. It resembled an MP3 player but also played DVDs which was pretty amazing. The screen was a bit small for movie watching.

It was only 7 inches. A nice feature is that anti-skip technology is incorporated so the listening or viewing won’t be disrupted by bumps in the road.

You can also hook the players into other devices, such as another television so you can have a DVD player anywhere you want.

You can also add two sets of headphones so more than one person can watch the DVD at a time. That would have been perfect for our trip with two children. The Coby model sold through Amazon only cost $90 which was very reasonable, in my opinion.

The In-Dash Model

Another option for our trip was to look at MP3 DVD players that could actually be installed in the car, along with a screen.

I was surprised by how reasonable the prices for these units were online but, of course, I realized installation costs would probably add a few hundred dollars.

One of the units we considered was by Pyle, a famous name in audio systems, and could be installed in the dash or under the seat. That flexibility was nice because we weren’t sure we wanted to replace our built-in audio system.

The fact that it included a remote control was also a nice touch because the kids would be in the backseat and could use the remote control to change the songs or skip ahead in the DVD without having to disturb whoever was driving.

It was priced for under $75. Of course, installation and the monitor are going to be separate.

Laptop Style Portable

While we did look at the MP3-style MP3 DVD players, we also wanted to consider the more traditional portable MP3 DVD players that look like smaller laptops.

These are very popular with other families and are more versatile than the in-dash models because the kids can use them in the hotel room, too.

In the end, we went with the Axion model sold at Amazon for about $90. The screen was still only about 7 inches but it did have other features we loved, such as the battery options.

These MP3 DVD players normally ran on batteries but also came with an adapter so it could be used indoors without draining the batteries. Plus, in the car, it could be attached to the cigarette lighter outlet and powered by the car itself.

Here's MP3 DVD Players Selections:

Coby TFDVD7008 7-Inch Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Player (...	Customer Review: Click Here for More Info
Sylvania 9-Inch Swivel Screen Portable DVD/CD/MP3 ...	Customer Review: Click Here for More Info	$79.99
Coby TFDVD7009 7-Inch Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Player, ...	Customer Review: Click Here for More Info
Coby TFDVD7052 7-Inch Portable Tablet DVD/CD/MP3 P...	Customer Review: Click Here for More Info	$119.99
GSI Super Quality In-Car Wireless Hands-Free FM Mo...	Customer Review: Click Here for More Info	$39.99