Add DVD headrests- audio through stereo or fm modulator?

[ExplorerTom]

iPads or portable DVD players with headphones.

What are the chances that they are going to want to watch the SAME thing? With my girls: slim to none.

The iPad's can be used for a bazillion other things outside of the car. And the DVD players can be used in a blanket forth in the living room. Or airplane rides......

Streaming live TV in the car?!?!? That's pointless. My girls barely comprehend the concept of live TV. "Why can't we fast-forward?"

I don't know what a headrest install would cost, but I'd imagine you could spend the same by upgrading iPads over your vehicle ownership span 2-3 times. And again- those iPads can be used not just in the car.

 

[Artie]

The factory mounted screens won’t become a deadly flying object in the event of a collision but I think that’s the one and only advantage over a tablet it has. We don’t want to encourage screen time for short trips either so the tablet is only an option when we want it to be. I completely agree with the post above about synchronized tablets, I think the screen rotation is already solved with the screen lock feature.

 

[aggiegrad05]

We’re going this route with our new Expy:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074C443N6/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I42BVTFP3VZKA&colid=CAP3HRN763E0&psc=1

You can play individual movies or sync them up. And we can supplement with iPads if necessary. They’re not terribly attractive with the cords running around, but they will only go up for trips and will live under the floor in the cargo area otherwise. We have headrest TVs in my wife’s car and have used them about 5 times in 4 years; I just couldn’t convince myself to spend $2000 for them in my new ride.

All that being said, headrest TVs are GREAT when we use them and if it was a $500 option instead of $2000, I’d have done it in a second.


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[aggiegrad05]

We’re going this route with our new Expy:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074C443N6/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I42BVTFP3VZKA&colid=CAP3HRN763E0&psc=1

You can play individual movies or sync them up. And we can supplement with iPads if necessary. They’re not terribly attractive with the cords running around, but they will only go up for trips and will live under the floor in the cargo area otherwise. We have headrest TVs in my wife’s car and have used them about 5 times in 4 years; I just couldn’t convince myself to spend $2000 for them in my new ride.

All that being said, headrest TVs are GREAT when we use them and if it was a $500 option instead of $2000, I’d have done it in a second.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Oh, and those DVD players have a USB input so I’d be willing to bet there’s a cord or something you could buy to play from an iPad controlled by the responsible parties in the front seat.

 

[gtnator]

We opted not to get the rear seat entertainment with our 2014 because we were just starting our family and they were both rear-facing. We did the same with our 2017 since one was forward-facing but the other was still rear-facing and we figured we’d go the iPad route and just velcro the one to the rear seat headrest and do the same with front passenger seat headrest for the other. It worked out great during the trial runs but every one of our 1,000 mile road trips we had to stop several times to make adjustments due to sound sync problems, or a screen than got rotated or something else that resulted in one kid or the other upset. I know, I know, first world problems but this time around, they’re finally both forward-facing so RSE was an option we opted for with our 2018.

On a side note, for you iPad/iPhone software developers, here’s an idea for you. Design an app that can sync the video between two or more iPads that are playing the exact same content that could be controlled by an iPhone or a third iPad. Set it up so you can route the audio through the vehicle’s Bluetooth and I think you’ll have an app that would sell $20-30.

I completely agree. Built in screens, if they work, are a lot easier when it comes to kids. The controls are all done up front, no battery problems, no sound problems, no "accidental touch" problems...

With our old car we used iPads and about every 15 minutes my wife had to "fix" whatever issue had occurred. It was almost more trouble than its worth. Maybe if your kids are teenagers, but for young kids, it needs to be fool proof which means they can't control any of it.

 

[wrc7732]

I was in the same situation. I was promised it would all work out, yadda, yadda, yadda. (I didn't want FM modulated and I didn't want to buy multiple ipads, keep them charged and keep track of them. Plus, I would have very little control over what the kids were doing on them while we were driving. Additionally, if they had a problem, I couldn't help. )

I emailed Voxx and here was their reply (11/30/17):

The system that is being offered and installed in the 2018 Ford Expeditions will only be available as a factory installed option, there unfortunately will not be a version available at this time for after sales.
The Entertainment System does come equipped with 2 wireless headphones for listening so that others in the vehicle can still listen to the radio station of their choice.
​

We decided to purchase one with the factory installed headrest. I know it will work and I can control it through from the nav/screen. "You're fighting? No movie." (Yeah, I'm mean that way.)

The factory unit in the 18+ can be controlled via the dash head unit? For sure?


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[Spoiledhappywife]

iPads or portable DVD players with headphones.

What are the chances that they are going to want to watch the SAME thing? With my girls: slim to none.

The iPad's can be used for a bazillion other things outside of the car. And the DVD players can be used in a blanket forth in the living room. Or airplane rides......

Streaming live TV in the car?!?!? That's pointless. My girls barely comprehend the concept of live TV. "Why can't we fast-forward?"

I don't know what a headrest install would cost, but I'd imagine you could spend the same by upgrading iPads over your vehicle ownership span 2-3 times. And again- those iPads can be used not just in the car.

I just wanted to touch on the streaming live tv. I have a DVR at home and Prism through CenturyLink. I can access all of my recorded shows that are on my DVR. I cannot fast forward through the commercials. I also cannot record shows through the Expedition but I have an app that I can use instead. We are thinking of changing to DTV or Cox. I will read out on that once we do.

 

[zarga]

The factory unit in the 18+ can be controlled via the dash head unit? For sure?


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Not that I have figured out yet. It's a real POS. It doesn't help that neither the dealer nor Ford knows how it is supposed to work.

 

[edizzle]

I just wanted to touch on the streaming live tv. I have a DVR at home and Prism through CenturyLink. I can access all of my recorded shows that are on my DVR. I cannot fast forward through the commercials. I also cannot record shows through the Expedition but I have an app that I can use instead. We are thinking of changing to DTV or Cox. I will read out on that once we do.

So you are just using an app on your phone that connects to your centurylink. You are not using the native sling enabled functionality of the expedition. How are you connecting from your phone/tablet to the headrest? Wirelessly or via the hdmi connector?

Also, sling is a service of dish network. I am not sure if having dish network at your home effects the sling service offered via the new ford entertainment systems or not, but I do know that the sling tv you get via a dish network account, is probably one of the best streaming apps available for live tv and tv recorded on your DVR

 

[Spoiledhappywife]

So you are just using an app on your phone that connects to your centurylink. You are not using the native sling enabled functionality of the expedition. How are you connecting from your phone/tablet to the headrest? Wirelessly or via the hdmi connector?

Also, sling is a service of dish network. I am not sure if having dish network at your home effects the sling service offered via the new ford entertainment systems or not, but I do know that the sling tv you get via a dish network account, is probably one of the best streaming apps available for live tv and tv recorded on your DVR

SlingBox is not Dish, it is a additional item that allows you to stream from your TV service at home. I moved my Slingbox to my Mother in laws and I was able to use her service as well (DTV). Now Slingbox has announced that they are stopping the production of these boxes which is insane.

Does this help?