Please Recommend Your Portable DVD Player

Updated on July 02, 2009
C.O. asks from Waltham, MA
14 answers

We are getting ready for a long road trip with a 1-year old. I've had many people suggest that we should purchase a portable DVD player. Please recommend yours -- including pros and cons. Also, what are some of your/your kids' favorite DVDs? Our daughter really hasn't watched any TV yet and I'll probably just borrow a few DVDs from the library.

Thanks!

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L.C.

answers from Hartford on

Hi. I do not think there is anything wrong with you taking a DVD player. You never said that you are going to keep it on the whole ride!! It is just another good distraction for a one yr old. We have the Sony 9" swivel screen and we really like it. my kids 7 and 9 yr olds only want to watch one movie so why not? i do recommend earphones because the volume does not go to loud and you will not be able to drive with the windows down at all. good luck and have a great trip!

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K.E.

answers from Boston on

We have a Coby 7" widescreen TFT portable DVD/CD/MP3 player. I'm not sure which specific model it is. Anyway, we've had it for years and have never had a problem with it. It's been great on trips. It doesn't skip, and the battery seems to last a while. Just keep in mind that someone will need to sit in the back to hold the DVD player for your daughter.

I know a lot of babies do like Baby Einstein, as the other respondent reccommended. Neither of my kids liked those much, though. I'd try one but not rely on them. I've noticed that my own kids have distinct DVD preferences, so I'd try to take a few with you to cover your bases. Both of my kids really like the Signing Time DVDs and have continued to like them even once they can talk. Even if you don't use sign language with your daughter, the videos are fun and have great music. I recommend in particular Baby Signing Time 1 or 2 and Leah's Farm. I also try to only let my kids watch DVDs that seem educational in some way, and I feel good about Signing Time because learning even a little bit of another language can only be good. Plus, unlike some kids' DVDs, these are fun for parents to watch too.

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M.K.

answers from Boston on

Can't recommend a player, but our kids love the Signing Time DVDs and have learned a lot of sign language from them!

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K.G.

answers from Boston on

We had a Kawasaki portable dvd player that only lasted 2 years. We just went on a trip & it stopped working halfway through the trip. I would not recommend that one. My boys are 3 & 1. Some of their favorite movies are Curious George, Finding Nemo & Cars.

Someone said that someone has to sit in back to hold the dvd player, you can buy a case that straps onto the seat to hold the dvd player in place.

If your child likes singing, the Signing Time & Baby Einstein videos are great. Also Teletubies are fascinating for some reason.

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D.N.

answers from Boston on

I guess I am going to be the bad guy. Please reconsider getting a DVD, and stock up on books, music, and tactile toys instead. There is such a wealth of evidence on the negative effects of watching DVDs, TV, etc. especially for young children. Some of the more recent studies show that children who watch electronic media before age 2 are more likely to develop attention-deficit disorders.

And from the Center on Media and Child Health, Childrens Hospital, Boston:

"Since 1999 the American Academy of Pediatrics has specifically recommended that parents avoid all screen media exposure for children under the age of 2."

"An infant's brain triples in volume in the first two years of life. In order for children's brains to develop in the best possible way, parents should focus on encouraging these ...activities:

Interacting with people - This includes activities like talking, playing, singing, and reading with parents, siblings, and other children. "

"television viewing before age two may be harmful to children’s development..."

"In other studies, the amount of television children watched at home predicted lower IQ scores and reduced language skills. "

No, I'm not anti-TV/videos for kids. I just think they start way too young and watch way too much.

So enjoy this trip with your little one- sing songs, point out things along the way, and interact with each other.

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J.R.

answers from Springfield on

Ours is called Audiovox and get be purchased at Target. It is made of durable plastic, it is made for kids. It's gray and has a blue and white front. Very good it the car. Has continued to work even though it has been dropped and hasn't skipped once. Its cost is $99. We have two kids and each bought them one 2 years ago and have never had any problems with them. I would go to the library and get your movies there until you know what your daughter is interested in. Most libraries have Barney and others for your daughters age. Good luck

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M.M.

answers from Boston on

At this age, my sons liked the Baby Einstein videos. They are images and music - no story line to follow (or lose) so it seemed to keep their attention for longer than "shows" which required a bit of "following" that was beyond their attention span.

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L.S.

answers from Hartford on

At this age my kids liked telletubbies.

We have a portable when we take the three kids (ages 4.5, 3.5, 2.5) on road trips to Florida. It is invaluable!

I would recommend one that has a larger screen and getting the warentee on it. We have had the one from the time my second was about 1 and it has broken twice.. from dropping, pushing buttons etc.

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A.G.

answers from Boston on

Baby Einstien's Baby Shakespeare is great for a one-year-old. My kids still want to watch it and they are 4 & 5!

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L.L.

answers from Boston on

We have a Toshiba and have used it on a few long flights. It definitely helps. WE just used it on a 3+ hour flight to FL. My son who will be 3 in September doesn't watch a full movie, but had fun watching part of Finding Nemo, Elmo, other DVDs we get from the library. Others that are fun and educational are Signing for Children and Spanish for Children. My son loves them both. No cons w/ our DVD player. It is small, easy to use, easy to charge and the battery when fully charged gives you about 4 hrs of viewing time. Good luck!

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R.F.

answers from Boston on

I have to agree with Deb. If your daughter is not used to watching TV as it is then why get her into it while taking a car ride. We never had that stuff when we were kids & my parents used to go on very long drives with us all the time (drove from Mass to Colorado when I was 3). If your daugther is vocal & learning colors or counting you can play games to encourage those skills like "lets see how many blue cars we see in the next 5 minutes" books are good, she can look at the pictures on her own or you can read to her. she can bring her baby or stuffed animal in the car to play with. children who are not constantly entertained are great at playing by themselves and make up some interesting ways of playing to entertain themselves.

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J.W.

answers from Boston on

I do not recommend a portable DVD for a road trip with a 1 year old. There is a lot to see on a road trip and a lot of fun to be had with her. The attention span of a 1 year old isn't too long anyways so a video won't keep her too occupied.

Of course I love rad trips and have taken alot with our kids their whole lives. Road trips are so much fun, you lose alot of it when the DVD player is added.

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M.E.

answers from Boston on

Hi C.,
I just returned from an 18+ hour road trip to Chicago (from Boston) with a 5,a 3 and a 1 yr. old. I certainly wouldn't encourage TV/DVD watching for a 1 yr. old, but a very long car ride is definitely an exception & I felt no guilt about allowing my daughter to watch on the road. We got a great deal on the portable RCA DVD player w/ two screens you can attach to the back of the front seats at Target. My 1 and 3 yr. olds enjoyed watching the Wiggles, Elmo & Little Einsteins (borrowed from library) together for 30-45 min. periods every few hours. We've hidden the DVD player now & will only use it for very long trips in the car!

Good luck & have fun on your trip!!

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L.D.

answers from Providence on

I am in the "no DVD " group at age 1. Although if you decide to try one Baby Einstein would be my recommendation too! Don't get her hooked on TV as long as you can live w/o it! Our culture relies on it too much, a loss for our children's developmental good! It takes away from other things they will do if its not available.
Music, snacks and "walk" breaks are helpful. We traveled from MA to SC w/ our 13 mo old and brought a walking toy and took it out at rest areas and let him push it around! He wasn't walking on his own yet. Brought lots of smiles and positive attention. Travelers at this age will often amuse themselves. They are in dumping stage so fill a bucket with "things" and let her explore and throw them then fill the bucket up again! hours of fun! Good luck!

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