The Best Car DVD Players
Are you a parent that loves family road trips but needs to find a way to keep the kids entertained throughout the long drives? If so, a car DVD player is a win-win for the whole family. Things you should look for when searching for the ideal car DVD player are disc capacity, ease of use, and reliability. Luckily, we’ve already analyzed the best DVD players online and made a list for you. Continue reading to see which ones made it to the top of our list.
Dbpower Portable DVD Player
Most valuable (DVD) player
This device from Dbpower will keep your kids occupied for hours. With its unique and intricate design, it features a swivel screen that can rotate 270 degrees. The swivel screen allows you to turn it into a tablet and easily mount it onto a car seat’s headrest. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about losing your progress. With its “last memory” function, the Dbpower DVD player enables you to stop your show or movie and pick up right where you left off. Additionally, the high-capacity battery ensures you get five hours of playback before needing to recharge it. This enables your kids to watch their favorite cartoons for the entire road trip.
Pros:
- This DVD player has a long-lasting battery that’s perfect for long rides in the car. As long as it’s under five hours, you should be able to watch your favorite movies for the entire trip.
- This player has extremely impressive stability. This means that sudden bumps or turns in the road won’t make your disk skip or interrupt your movie viewing.
Cons:
- This player isn’t compatible with Blu-ray DVDs.
Otic Car DVD Player
Boundless and wireless
This one from Otic has arguably the best Bluetooth feature out of the many portable DVD players available. This Bluetooth function enhances convenience for the entire family as it allows you to connect your headphones or AirPods. This means while your kids watch their beloved cartoons, you can still listen to music or a podcast without it being drowned out by the powerful speakers of this DVD player. Additionally, this model from Otic is one of the most versatile players around, as when your road trip is over, you can bring it inside your house, connect it to your TV, and project your content there, too.
Pros:
- The Bluetooth function allows you to connect headphones/AirPods without wires getting in the way. You can get quality sound no matter where you’re sitting with a nice Bluetooth headset.
- The player is light and compact, but full of features. The picture quality is great for the price, and it even comes with a remote.
Cons:
- The included mounting brackets are durable, but not adjustable.
Sunpin Portable Car DVD Player
Long lasting for long rides
This option from Sunpin has the stamina you’ll want out of a DVD player if you plan on traveling long distances. With its six-hour battery life, it outlasts the charge of your typical car DVD players. Also, the dual earphone design enables your kids to both plug their headphones in; this way, they don’t have to argue over whose turn it is to use the headphone port. This Sunpin player also comes with extra headrest mount straps to conveniently attach it to the back of your car seat. The double speaker setup also delivers crystal clear audio, enhancing your kids’ viewing experience further. Lastly, this portable player supports USB and SD cards, giving you the ability to enjoy your favorite movies directly from a flash drive.
Pros:
- This player is compatible with USB and SD cards, so you can play digital movies from a flash drive. Take all your favorite movies with you on a drive that can fit in your pocket.
- The design is incredibly practical. It comes with a built-in headrest mount and double earphone jacks that allow two people to watch/listen on one device.
Cons:
- The remote control could be more user-friendly.
Our Tips and Tricks
In order to get the most out of your portable DVD player, we recommend buying a model that is able to be mounted on a car seat headrest. Some models come with a headrest mount, while others need an additional contraption to fix it to the headrest. This is a much more natural posture for watching movies, and it can help with car sickness as well. When looking down in the back seat of a car, like you would for some laptops and DVD players that sit in your lap, it’s easy to feel queasy. If you’re looking up and out, this often helps with feelings of nausea. Also, strapping your DVD player to the back of a headrest keeps your hands free. That means you can still text, east, drink, play games, or just relax without needing to keep the DVD player in your lap. For best viewing, we recommend mounting your screen to the headrest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What media formats are supported by car DVD players?
Since there is such a wide variety of media formats, you should always check the product features of your specific model. That being said, most car DVD players have the ability to play DVD-R and DVD-RW. As far as audio formats go, most players also support CD, CD-R, and MP3 audio files.
How do I connect my car DVD player to my TV?
Portable DVD players that have audio-video jacks can be hooked up to nearly any TV with AV inputs. Simply connect one end of composite cables into the jacks of your TV and the other end into the matching connectors on your portable DVD player.