DVD players on airplanes

[thebrain]

We are thinking of bringing our laptop to play DVD's for our two kids (3& 18 mos). Should be bring headphones for the kids? Or can they listen quietly? I'm not sure that the baby will keep headphones on and I don't want to start a fight with her about it. If we are required to put headphones on, maybe we will just leave the laptop home. Any suggestions or tips on this?

 

[all4fun]

Headphones are usually "required" however ds will never keep them on (or he'd tear them apart in about 10mins). We found if we keep the volume down he's happy and the noise from the aircraft pretty much drowns out the sound anyway, which didn't seem to bother him at all. I've heard people two rows up talking louder than our DVD player and no one has ever complained in all the times we've let him watch w/out the headphones on.

If you're really concerned, buy a couple of cheapo ones from the dollar tree so if they get broken or lost, it's no big deal.

Edit to add - recently we bought a fairly inexpensive portable DVD player that has a screen that flips over because our lap top is rather big and if the plane rows are spaced too close (as often happens) then it becomes impossible to open the laptop all the way, esp. if the person in front of you has their seat reclined. Now we just leave the laptop in the carryon in the overhead compartment (we use it to upload our pics to during the trip) and the portable DVD player is in a smaller bag at my feet, where it is much more easily accessible.

Hth!

 

[detroitmama]

We have done it both ways, with headphones and without. I second the opinion that you can have the volume loud enough for your kids to hear just fine, but not bother any other passengers. That is what we did on our last flight. And yes, an 18 month old will not keep on headphones.

My husband likes to carry extra sets of new earplugs to pass out to any passengers giving us (and 4 kids) dirty looks. So far, nobody has actually accepted any.

 

[DMRick]

My husband likes to carry extra sets of new earplugs to pass out to any passengers giving us (and 4 kids) dirty looks. So far, nobody has actually accepted any.

Hmm..that's interesting. So obviously, the player must be loud enough to annoy other passengers if you are getting dirty looks...they just didn't want to have to wear earplugs you have for the occasion. For myself, I find the noise of the actual airplane means the players go up even louder. I have to wear headphones just to hear mine. I'm grateful to the people with kids who have them wearing headphones. I know in the past many have posted, when this has come up, that the airline attendants have requested they use headphones, because there have been complaints.

People have on other threads, mentioned that there are headphones meant for kids, that they will tolerate better. I know our grands were given two choices on planes...wear the headphones, or the sound doesn't go on. We didn't fight with them..we just taught them that the DVD player only worked with head phones LOL. Sometimes they watched the movie with no sound, other times they tolerated the headphones.

Perhaps you can ask those around you, if they can hear the DVD player, and make that your deciding factor.

 

[homedad]

unless the volume(speakers) of your dvd player are really loud the noise of the plane drowns out the sound, that being said I usually turn the sound off and my kids 5 and 3 don't complain

 

[camouseketeer]

Headphones, please.

We've listened to Sponge Bob from the seat in front of us and it was quite annoying!

The volume does need to be loud to be heard by the child right in front of the screen, let alone in the seat next to it.

I have DD's ages 5 and 3, so I understand your problem.

Your 3 year old may wear headphones. Bring some for him/her. Try some out at home ahead of time to get him/her used to them.

You 18 month old probably will not wear them, but you can try at home, especially if your older one wears them.

When our kids were those ages we bought cheap speakers from Target and a long cord to connect the speakers to the DVD player. That way each child had a set of speakers right in their laps and we could keep the volume at a reasonable level. It was about $50 total for cord and two sets of speakers, but it worth the peace of mind that the kids would hear their show, the neighbors wouldn't, and we could get a breather on the plane.

 

[powellrj]

We have done it both ways, with headphones and without. I second the opinion that you can have the volume loud enough for your kids to hear just fine, but not bother any other passengers. That is what we did on our last flight. And yes, an 18 month old will not keep on headphones.

My husband likes to carry extra sets of new earplugs to pass out to any passengers giving us (and 4 kids) dirty looks. So far, nobody has actually accepted any.

I hope that you were kidding about the other passengers and the earplugs. If they were loud enough that people are giving you dirty looks, than they are too loud. I know when I flew to St Louis a couple of months ago I sat next to a kid with gameboy turned up loud. I had planned to sleep on the plane and I wish I had headphones to hand him.

 

[Spart02]

As a mother of young kids, I understand the need for airplane entertainment, however, on several of our last trips I have found the DVD players without headphones to be really annoying from people seated nearby. I really don't think the noise of the plane blocks out the sound of the DVD enough. I think that if your child is unwilling to use the headphones, a better option would just be to watch rather than watch and listen.
We have had great luck with the Crayola Color Wonder products for flights. The finger paints are also a great thing that we pull out JUST for plane rides and keeps the kiddos entertained for quite awhile. They are NOT messy...just require a quick wet wipe when they are done.

 

[all4fun]

I agree if you turn the volume up to drown out the airplane noise, then of course passengers nearby will hear just enough sound for it to be annoying.

We usually keep the volume low - ds doesn't seem to mind if he can't hear it. Maybe it's because he's seen the video a hundred times already so he already knows what is being said.

If I'm sitting right next to him and I can barely hear it, then I think it's pretty safe to say the people in the row next to us probably can't hear it at all. We've never gotten any dirty looks. I would certainly be sensitive to that!

Also, for a "short" 2-3hr flight we might even bother bringing the DVD player but when your travel day is about 9hrs long, having the player to entertain you LO for a couple of those hours (at best) really does help.

Reading some of these posts does help though. We'll have to start "practicing" more with the headphones at home. I think part of the problem is that the only time he even sees headphones is when we're on a plane, and (dh would say ) that just isn't often enough. Maybe having him use them at home more he'll be more inclined to treat them appropriately when we travel.

 

[Lewisc]

Last flight I heard a DVD player. It was very annoying. I looked around and it was the person behind me. I told the parent to use headphones. She said they didn't have any but would turn it down. I firmly told her to turn it off. Passengers in seats 3 rows away thanked me. There isn't any way the speaker can be low enough for the person to be able to listen without annoying the person next to you and in the seat in front of you.

I certainly hope the poster who offered other passengers ear plugs was kidding. Other passengers don't want to hear your music or the audio part of your movie.

 

[jenseib]

We are taking my 2 year old in a few weeks. My older DD wears head phone with CD palyers and IPODS, so the little one WANTS to try them on alot. We have been practicing wearing them at home while watching her DVD's too. She finds it fun, but they are too big for her head, so they fall off sometimes. So I may try to find smaller ones for the trip. But if she sits in her seat still ,then I don't think it will be a major problem.

For those that are telling people to turn them off or giving dirty looks. I understand to a degree. But my thinking is either these kids will enjoy the DVD with sound (some don't need it , I know) or have a kid being a brat on the plane and being loud that way. I would prefer to hear a cartoon over a bratty kid.

 

[Hannathy]

Not to start a kids on the plane debate BUT I don't want to hear either! The cartoon or a kid being obnoxiously loud. There is no excuse for either. And yes I have flown extensively with children of all ages from 6 wks up. Any child old enough to watch a DVD can behave.

Use the head phones, it is annoying and just because people don't openly complain to you it doesn't mean they are happy, many people don't want confrontations and will seethe in silence.

 

[Lewisc]

I don't understand. You know your kids. If your kids will be "bratty" to the point of annoying other passengers unless they're allowed to annoy other passengers with a DVD player then don't fly. Other passengers may want to read or sleep.

I understand good kids may be restless and I don't have an issue if the parents appropriately tell the kids to stop annoying other passengers. My issue is with parent who know their kids will be annoying other passengers but think they are solving the problem by allowing their kids to use a DVD player without headphones. I go with the third option, DON'T FLY WITH YOUR KIDS.

For those that are telling people to turn them off or giving dirty looks. I understand to a degree. But my thinking is either these kids will enjoy the DVD with sound (some don't need it , I know) or have a kid being a brat on the plane and being loud that way. I would prefer to hear a cartoon over a bratty kid.

 

[goofy4wdw2]

I think it would be fine to use a DVD player without headphones if the volume is at the same or lower than the volume of a typical quiet conversation voice on a plane. People talk on planes, and that's acceptable, so I don't think a movie with similar volume is inconsiderate. I don't agree with turning up the volume to drown out the noise of the plane, but I don't think anyone was suggesting that. Happy travels to the OP!

 

[Lewisc]

I think it would be fine to use a DVD player without headphones if the volume is at the same or lower than the volume of a typical quiet conversation voice on a plane. People talk on planes, and that's acceptable, so I don't think a movie with similar volume is inconsiderate. I don't agree with turning up the volume to drown out the noise of the plane, but I don't think anyone was suggesting that. Happy travels to the OP!

1. Conversations aren't always continuous for hours.
2. Many movies have loud scenes; explosions or fight scenes. It's rude even if only the loud portions bother other passengers.
3. I'd hate to see what will happen if the person in the seat next to you also has a DVD player and also thinks headphones aren't necessary.

Sorry but it's very rude not to use headphones. Passengers complain, the FA will probably make you turn it off. Find headphones that work or leave the DVD player home.

A minor point but a passenger who hasn't seen the movie yet might not appreciate hearing the movie in advance of watching it.

 

[goofy4wdw2]

Lewisc- I don't think that the passenger next to me would be disappointed to know what happens at the end of Sesame Street, which doesn't include any explosives or fight scenes. I see your point about not being inconsiderate with loud or annoying noise from a DVD player, but played very quietly, just like a quiet conversation...I don't agree. My DH and I can talk continuously for hours...and I think it's unreasonable to think you'll avoid constant, quiet noise (even just from coversations) when you're on a plane with 100+ people on a daytime flight.

 

[luvdiz2]

Lewisc,

Honestly, you have to lighten up a bit. There are some people that will be inconsiderate no matter what the situation, and as humans existing on the same planet, sometimes we come into contact with people with different ways of doing things - ie. I HATE smoking and absolutely detest people smoking in doorways that I or my children have to walk through. But you know what.... too bad.

By the way, my kids to always use earphones on the plane with their DVD players. However, sometimes they have trouble hearing with the noise from talkers, or the kids kicking the seats from behind or pulling my hair from climbing up, or... you get the idea

Everyone has a right to fly, maybe people who smell of smoke shouldn't fly because I hate the smell of them, or people with allergies, etc.

I honestly don't usually reply to these types of posts, because of all the flak but this really burned me. Flame away!

 

[jkelly86]

Just FYI, you have to take the laptop out of the bag at the security check point and we find it to be a pain, but worth it for some peace. My kids wear headphones, but if they won't, you might want to consider Baby Einstein DVDs which are mostly classical music and don't require any sound. My kids loved the animal ones at those ages.

 

[lillygator]

I don't understand. You know your kids. If your kids will be "bratty" to the point of annoying other passengers unless they're allowed to annoy other passengers with a DVD player then don't fly. Other passengers may want to read or sleep.

I understand good kids may be restless and I don't have an issue if the parents appropriately tell the kids to stop annoying other passengers. My issue is with parent who know their kids will be annoying other passengers but think they are solving the problem by allowing their kids to use a DVD player without headphones. I go with the third option, DON'T FLY WITH YOUR KIDS.

um, some may have no choice right?

We are doing the westbound repo next May....flying from LA to FL will be a first plane trip for my girls...do I know how they will act? Nope! I will do my best to keep them from annoying anyone though.

I flew to Germany and had a woman next to me cough and clear her throat the ENTIRE plane ride. I would have much rather listed to a kids movie than that!

 

[jodifla]

I brought head phones on our last flight, but couldn't get DS to use them. So I kept the sound low enough that I couldn't hear it next to him. The drone of the plane drowned out the sound.

I'm not sure why people who fly think they deserve silence on a plane. How realistic is that?