42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very nice system - so far, July 20, 2004
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Audiovox VBP5000 Portable DVD and VCP Mobile Video System with 5.6" LCD (Electronics)
First off, I'm not under 13, I over 35...I just don't have an Amazon.com account and didn't want to take the time to create one! Now, for the review:
I purchased this unit (actually the Eddie Bauer version at Target) along with an additional screen and two sets of headphones in December 2003. Cost was an issue but it was the ONLY unit I could find locally on short notice that had BOTH a DVD and a VHS player. It comes with AC and DC adapter, s-video connectors for the screens, straps, and a nice carrying case. The screens can be placed on the back of a car headrest, held in your hand, or attached to the base unit. The base unit is fairly heavy and bulky so don't forget to strap it down!
Our initial use of the system was on an 11 hour road trip from Denver to Kansas City and then 11 hours back. It wasn't 30 minutes into our trip before my 4 year old was asking if we were almost there! On came the movie and all was quiet. We used the unit that night for probably 8 hours straight and again for about the same amount of time on the return trip with no problems. After that the unit sat in a closet for 7 months until a couple of weekends ago when we used it for an 8 hour trip total. Again, no problems.
What I like about the unit?
First, you can play BOTH DVDs AND VHS tapes. In fact, if you have two screens you can even play BOTH at the same time, one on one screen and one on the other! You select the video source via a slide switch on the front of each screen. Of course you can also plays CDs etc if you want. I also believe you can connect up to 3 or 4 screens in total. I haven't tried any home burned or copied movies so I cannot comment on how well the unit will work in this area.
Second, you can listen to the sound which is fairly good either through the speakers, headphones, or BOTH!
Third, the system's overall flexibility. You can actually use the screens separate from the base unit for other purporses; you can hook up a play station etc and use the system for game play while on the road; you can use the system at home via the AC adapter as a stand alone unit or as a DVD/VHS player; etc. etc. This is a VERY versatile system.
Video quality is good in my opinion. It is good enough for the kids and I watched two movies on it on our first trip without any problems. The screens have a brightness and volume control. The 5.6 inch screens are not very big but when the screen is only a few feet from your face on the back of a seat, it really does not have to be very big. Sound quality is good as well and the speakers will get louder than you'll probably need.
Now for the negative:
Well, nothing too negative really. Like I said the system is pretty big and heavy, mostly due to the VHS player I believe. The base unit fits just perfect between the front seats of my Durango resting on the console but the cords are long enough that you could probably locate it in a lot of places. The carrying case is nice and holds two screens and all the stuff. But, due to the overall size it is probably not something you would want to haul with you on a plane to use on vacation.
With this system you will need a power source. That limits you to home or vehile use unless you wanted to REALLY get carried away and buy one of those portable power sources.
The only other thing I can think of is the headphones. I purchased the headphones that go with the system thinking they would be geared more towards a child's head size. Well, they are big on my now 5 year old so she has to hold them in place...I DO like the fact that they have a volume control on the headphone cord however.
All in all we have been VERY please with the unit and, knock on wood, we haven't had any problems yet. If you need or want to play both DVDs and VHS tapes in one unit, this might be the only one still available. Plus, you really get much more. I hope the systems remains trouble free because I believe the system in total was around $800-$900 which is a lot of money to watch movies in your vehicle. But, given the unit's flexibility, you can use it for much more!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional equipment for the price!, September 1, 2005
This review is from: Audiovox VBP5000 Portable DVD and VCP Mobile Video System with 5.6" LCD (Electronics)
We love the unit. It's versatility was exactly what we were looking for in a portable unit. The ability to play both format simultaneously is awesome. The unit is a bit on the bulky side but it can be managed easily. We've place ours on the floor board of the second row seating....hooked the monitors on the driver and front passenger headrests. The picture and sound these monitors put out are great. The remote is easy to use and fully noted with what is what, etc. The carrying case is excellent with all its storage compartments for all the cords and hook ups. It plays CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes and MP3s with no problem. I have even been able to play recorded DVDs that I made from my home DVD recorder. The cost of our entire new unit was less than 150.00 and that included an extra monitor which I able to find for less than a hundred bucks. If you pay more than 200 dollars for this unit...you have paid too much. There are tons of them out on the internet for less....and BRAND NEW at that! eBay stores has them up for offer at this price. I did my homework when it came to searching for this unit. I can't believe some retailers and wholesalers are still trying to sell it at the huge price of 500.00 and up. Look around -- you will be glad you did. My kids love this unit. We have tons of vhs tapes that we were about to just scrap and repurchase the dvd format ... thank goodness we didn't. You can use the unit in the house as an additional dvd/video player. We use it when we go camping in our camper. When we travel I bring it into the hotel room so the kids can still enjoy it. Heck, it's used just about everyday. I've had no problems with overheating when traveling on long trips. The adapter is long enough to reach the back seat or back cargo space cigarette lighter. Oh by the way...did I mention that you can also hook up a video game system. How cook is that? My oldest plays videos while my youngest one is still watching movies. No more whining over who has control over who had the remote first! A great buy for our family.
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