TV/VCR Combo something to consider.

[BoyLovesBuzz]

It seems the TV/VCR urge has struck a lot of people again. Since we have had one now for 2 years, and have taken 5 trips in excess of 12 hours, here is something to consider.

If it all fits into your life, consider a TV/DVD player. When many people are worried about how to strap down the TV/VCR they don't think about where you are going to store the 10 - 15 tapes that you bring along so that you can get to them while you are crusing down the road. I know, you are saying its just a VHS tape big deal. Sure its no big deal in the comfort of your living room, but in 88 cubic feet of mini-van, they become elephants.

I am going to seriously consider transferring my movies to CD and modify our setup for a DVD.

Just a thought.

 

[travelitis]

When ours wears out that's what we'll do. We've also been considering a laptop with DVD, so it goes on planes. I would think there'd be a way to connect that to the TV/VCR to play DVDs. We use a milk crate for our VHS tapes which contains them well enough.

 

[disynut]

Good point. We bought ours at Best Buy, and I have been looking at the DVD player to switch out. It will cost around 250, so we're not gonna do it yet, but it would be easier. Ours is the kind with the flip down screen from the ceiling, so the VCR is underneath the passenger seat with the face of it facing the back. Sometimes it is hard to wrangle around from the front and change the tapes or rewind(I have to stop to do this because I'm afraid I'll wreck-I try and find a video long enough to last where we're going!). I wish we had found one you could control from the front, not sure if they make them or not, but it would have been nice. But with a DVD player, there isn't rewinding, just hit play, that would be nice. And I hate to keep buying VHS tapes when I know they'll be outdated in a few years.

 

[Hawkeye314]

We bought a tv/vcr combo about four years ago at a local warehouse club for about $199 and use it every time we travel more than 2+ hours. We are able to prop it up between the front two seats of our van and the kids are able to lean forward to put tapes in/take them out. My wife controls everything else using the remote from the passenger seat.

We find it somewhat uncomfortable for the people in the front seat since we kind of jam the tv between the two armrests (and, sometimes, resting on a milk crate or something like that). It also can limit/inhibit conversation between driver (me) and navigator(wife, who normally jsut falls asleep) but the troubles are worth it when we can drive 3+ hours at a time before someone realizes they need to eat or go to the bathroom.

Only other problem is that the kids get too addicted to the tv. We've now limited movie time in the car and required books and other games to fill in around the movies. Otherwise, the kids would be video zombies (if they had their way).

 

[travelitis]

Once Gameboy Advance came into our lives, the TV was overshadowed. They love having the TV, but it's hard getting them to come up for air once the GB's are in hand. We have to tell them to look out the windows at the cities, etc. My 4 yr. old actually requests to have the TV off part of the time. We also listen to the Harry Potter books on tape and have individual tape players so that each kid can do their own thing. Let's suffice it to say that in the 2 yrs. we've had the TV/VCR we've taken several long trips and are so thankful for that purchase.

About the bag, though, Target told us they've discontinued it. If you want one, you'd better go looking now.