August kicks off a series of travel products that help keep our children occupied and entertained during car and air travels. From books to toys, to healthy snacks to music, and from electronic gadgets/equipment to innovative accessories, your travel time is sure to be easier with the use of these products. Now, with increased imposed baggage fees, we have to be more careful on what we pack and this series will focus on realistic products that will not weigh us down.
Today, Tropical Family Travel takes a look at some audio and video items. As our child was not always a good car traveler and with having to sit around in airports for up to two hours before take off, we discovered the necessity and benefits of a portable DVD player very quickly. We have already been through one, which was a Sony brand, and it definitely was put through the ringer, and alas it gave up. So, it’s a good thing that these products are typically priced under $150.
For this series, we tested Coby Electronic’s 7” Widescreen Portable DVD 7377 player, which is very compact and lightweight. Coby’s product features a 180 degree swivel screen, which allows different viewing perspectives. From an auto perspective this makes the unit very compact. The one oddity for us for car use only was the way it folds because it does not allow for insertion and removal of DVDs and CDs without actually taking the unit out of the seat pouch, which is not convenient if you are the one driving. However, with the remote control, which can be operated from the front seat, it is easier than other units to fast forward to the scene or ensure if the movie does not automatically kick in and a menu screen appears, with a simple click of the remote, the movie begins.
A favorite part of the Coby product is the seat holder as it is very secure and keeps the product in place…the last one we had the DVD player was constantly hanging down and it never stayed in place. The battery pack on the Coby lasted much longer than our past Sony player too, which ensured that we did not have an in-flight disappointment as has happened to us before. Since the Coby DVD player also plays CDs, this came in handy to allow for some variation and not have video overload during our travels. Coby’s DVD player is also very easy to install and to remove for different purposes during your travels.
The Coby portable DVD player retails for under $120 at Wal-Mart or for right at $100 at Amazon.com.
To accompany a portable DVD player, two must-have travel accessories are a collection of movies and music options. Stay tuned for Tropical Family Travel’s kid travel product series and with our next review of different audio/video entertainment offerings.
--Jenn Thomas
Photo Credit: Coby Electronics
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