In-car DVD players with a 7-seater

scheming_gypsy

richard734 wrote: »

Yes, screen each is the way to go - especially with the age differences. what suites the 2yr old will not suit the 8 This way you can head off the arguments before they start... However you will need a big bag for the collection of DVD's that each will insist on bringing! you can also use them at home as they get older which gives you much more control than having a TV in their rooms. (But then I am old fashioned Dad of 2 daughters)

but then you'd need 4 copies of each film as they'll all want to watch it at the same time; and then the arguments start!

JimmyTheWig

Although there is quite a big range of ages, there's not often arguments about what to watch. Would more likely be arguments over who gets to watch what if they all had their own ones. We have one TV in our lounge and rarely have arguments.

So if we go for the 15" one SG linked to (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/D3103Z-HD-Screen-15-XGA-Car-Flip-down-Monitor-DVD-Player-Roof-Mount-Overhead-EU-/270834106758?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item3f0ef88186) (we were looking at this one ourselves last night) we would need to fix it to the ceiling of the car and wire it into the back of the car stereo?
It comes with all the bits to do that?
And it shouldn't be any harder than, say, fitting a car stereo?

The 15" one is (not surprisingly) considerably heavier than the 9" one I was looking at first. Presumably the fittings will be decent enough to secure it to the ceiling of the car.
Does anyone know exactly what they screw into? Is it just the fabric, or does it go further than that? I can see it being a fine line between not being secure enough and damaging your roof!

Am slightly bothered by the Hong Kong side of things.
The item location is Tipton, UK. But the member location is Hong Kong.
Would this be covered by SoGA (and/or PayPal) if it was faulty when it got here? Or if it broke after, say, 6 months?

scheming_gypsy

I think they just screw onto the metal itself and then yep, wire in with the stereo. You can also hook it up to the stereo (depending on your head unit) by the look of some of the cables - although the manual will explain all that.

I've had a couple of Eonon head units and although they're mass produced cheap Chinese stuff they're pretty reliable (website is in English as well to find out more about the player), the only issues i've had have been with misaligned touch screens. No idea with the returns side of thing though.

CKhalvashi

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Doesn't mention a power source.
Does it go without saying that it runs from the cigarette lighter socket?
How long is the cable likely to be? Can you get extension cables for them? (Would rather not invalidate warranty by snipping cable and extending myself! But we need the cable to run from the back of the car.)

I had a 1996 Galaxy when I started the company (Same car underneath)...You’ll find a power socket in the boot on the left hand side, I think possibly in a little cupboard!

Will ask sister later on, as it was her car before it was ours! (I’m sure she had a taxi light coming out the back) :cool:

On second thoughts, it may have been the Scorpio we had at the same time, will check!

JimmyTheWig

CKhalvashi wrote: »

I had a 1996 Galaxy when I started the company (Same car underneath)...You’ll find a power socket in the boot on the left hand side, I think possibly in a little cupboard!

Yes, we've got those. Not in a cupboard, though! And they're still working.
Which is why I was asking about an extension cable as it might be a longer route from them then from the one in the front.

[Currently we have to charge our SatNav up in the boot on a long journey where we know where we're going to then be able to use it on another journey when we don't know where we're going!]

CKhalvashi

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Yes, we've got those. Not in a cupboard, though! And they're still working.
Which is why I was asking about an extension cable as it might be a longer route from them then from the one in the front.

[Currently we have to charge our SatNav up in the boot on a long journey where we know where we're going to then be able to use it on another journey when we don't know where we're going!]

I picked a 3-socket charger from one of the market stalls a few months ago. Literally means that I can charge up iPad (not using when driving, of course), iPhone and Garmin when I’m driving. I think it cost about £6! I’ve got an S-Max now, which only has 1 in the whole car :mad:

My best bet would be to check a reputable seller on eBay, however I wouldn’t bother paying more than about £10 for one!

sillygoose

I think 15" is maybe too big. If your happy driving on just door mirrors then they are OK. If you have a sunroof it may not work if the glass and mechanism slide back under the roof lining - no where to fix screen.

These screens also contain a new interior light as your replacing the cars one with this unit. There may be a permanent 12v supply already up there but it will need wiring in for the light circuit either way.

Good side is these things don't need much connections, parents keep control of remote to operate it and look for one with FM. these basically transmit the movie sound on an empty FM frequency. All you need do is tune the car radio to pick it up and the movie will be heard from all the car speakers as loud as the car stereo will go. Cars are noisy places so this is vital, the inbuilt speakers on these things won't be heard by all seats at motorway speed.

Other advantage of roof screen is its easy to just tuck up out of sight when the car is left and the impression its permanent is some deterent if a thief spots it. The headrest screens really need taking off and hiding away if the car is going to be left as they will attract a break in if left on display.

Flyboy152

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

but then you'd need 4 copies of each film as they'll all want to watch it at the same time; and then the arguments start!

No, the most you need is two.

Flyboy152

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Although there is quite a big range of ages, there's not often arguments about what to watch. Would more likely be arguments over who gets to watch what if they all had their own ones. We have one TV in our lounge and rarely have arguments.

So if we go for the 15" one SG linked to (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/D3103Z-HD-Screen-15-XGA-Car-Flip-down-Monitor-DVD-Player-Roof-Mount-Overhead-EU-/270834106758?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item3f0ef88186) (we were looking at this one ourselves last night) we would need to fix it to the ceiling of the car and wire it into the back of the car stereo?
It comes with all the bits to do that?
And it shouldn't be any harder than, say, fitting a car stereo?

The 15" one is (not surprisingly) considerably heavier than the 9" one I was looking at first. Presumably the fittings will be decent enough to secure it to the ceiling of the car.
Does anyone know exactly what they screw into? Is it just the fabric, or does it go further than that? I can see it being a fine line between not being secure enough and damaging your roof!

Am slightly bothered by the Hong Kong side of things.
The item location is Tipton, UK. But the member location is Hong Kong.
Would this be covered by SoGA (and/or PayPal) if it was faulty when it got here? Or if it broke after, say, 6 months?

This is where you are going to have issues. It is not just the cost of the unit, but the difficulty and expense in fitting. If you get it wrong, it is going to cost you considerably more. With the head-restraint mounted screens, they don't need any fitting and can be removed when finished with and not permanently on display for thieving little scrotes to smash a window and run off with. The four separate screens can theoretically be all linked together to show the same movie.

JimmyTheWig

sillygoose wrote: »

I think 15" is maybe too big.

I did wonder that. Will have a play with sheets of paper in the car and see what would be best.

If you have a sunroof it may not work if the glass and mechanism slide back under the roof lining - no where to fix screen.

Hmmm.
We do have a sun roof, but it doesn't work all that often. Had considered it in terms of placement (i.e. would have to fit the unit behind the sunroof) but hadn't considered it in terms of the sunroof sliding in.
Would be happy to give up the sunroof sliding (we've got air-con and, as I said, the sunroof doesn't often work) but are you saying it would still cause us a problem when fitting one of these units?

The car is old (S reg) and pretty worthless. We're planning on keeping it until it's good only for scrap (we're hoping for two more years). So don't mind if we ruin the ceiling cosmetically in fitting this.