TV in the car – more comfort than luxury

As a car driver, you naturally have little opportunity to use a TV in your car. But what about the passengers? Parents planning long journeys on holiday are always bothered by the question of how to keep the children occupied during the journey. Here, a TV in the car with its many possibilities is a perfect distraction. Because where there is a TV, there can also be a game console connected. And there’s hardly anything else that can keep children entertained for hours on end than unrestricted playing in front of the monitor.

Three ways – one goal

There are three ways to get a TV into the car:

1. Quick option: headrest monitors

2. Advanced option: monitor on the dashboard

3. Professional option: monitor in the headlining

Plug, Play + Lucky – Retrofit headrest monitors

Those in their 40s may still remember the days when the thought of “television in the car” was located somewhere between unattainable luxury and hilarious science fiction.

Well, those times have changed fundamentally: The solutions for a TV in the car available on the market today start at almost unbelievably low prices. For around 90 pounds, you can get entry-level sets consisting of:

– 2 monitors
– 1 DVD player (usually integrated in one of the monitors)
– Brackets and cabling
– headphones

The best thing about these inexpensive and quick-to-install solutions is that absolutely no tools are needed for installation.

All that needs to be done is to dismantle the headrest and fit it with the intended mounting structure for the monitors.

Then everything just needs to be plugged together according to the installation instructions – done!
The power is supplied via the 12V socket. Most cars today have an additional socket on the centre console. This way, the driver is not bothered by a cable hanging over their shoulder. Anyone interested in a headrest monitor set should look out for the following features:

– USB connection
– HDMI connection
– Infrared interface for headphones

• The integrated DVD player is not really necessary. And you should be honest with yourself: At 90 pounds for the complete set, you can’t expect too much from the mechanical parts.
• A DVD/Blu-Ray player will not be very durable in this price range. But if it’s available, you should opt for a set without a player.
• The USB or HDMI interface can be connected to a prepared stick. This way, the passengers in the back seat can enjoy the film without interference, even if the road is bumpy.
• Infrared headphones are very practical and safe. Instead of annoying cables, which in the worst case could even injure the child, they can enjoy the films with wireless audio. This means that even the driver is not disturbed by the film noises.

TV in the car: High-end for DIYers – The monitor in the dashboard

Installing a large monitor in the dashboard makes sense today for many reasons. The driver will only be able to watch a TV on rare occasions. On the one hand, the reversing camera, dashcam, navigation device and additional indicators can be shown on a single screen.

The installation of a monitor on the dashboard, on the other hand, is somewhat more challenging than the previously described headrest monitors for the rear passengers.

However, one should not be too intimidated: Basically, it is just a somewhat extended installation of a car radio.

In addition to the familiar connectors for antenna, audio and power supply, the connections for the decentralised media inputs are added. A DVBT antenna is suitable for the TV.

It is true that most car radios with a TV also have an integrated USB port. But who wants to have an ugly USB stick sticking out of the dashboard? For this purpose, there are also connections for the TV car radios that lead to sockets in the centre console.
The drop in price can also be seen with these devices: Good brand-name car radios with a retractable monitor are available for as little as 180 pounds.

What is less attractive about the retrofit solutions for TV screens in the dashboard is the accuracy of fit. You can usually see the difference between a standard model and the attachment.

In terms of price, however, the retrofitted solutions are unbeatable: While a complete hi-fi system from the factory can increase the price of a new car by almost half, retrofitted equipment is usually available for just a few hundred pounds.

It is important to follow the installation instructions exactly. This especially applies to the power supply. With the assistance systems used today, it is very important that the power supply never breaks down. An incorrectly installed car radio will inevitably drain the battery.

With older cars this was annoying – with new cars you have an error in the fault memory, which in turn can trigger other effects. When installed correctly, you can save yourself the trouble.

Battery for your car now available up from £44,50 to the shop ⇒

Top of the range: The monitor in the headliner

Headrest monitors are quite practical, but they have one disadvantage: they are quite small.

To get a cinema experience in the car, you need a much larger screen.

For this purpose, the market offers monitors that are attached to the headliner of the car and folded down when needed.
The devices themselves are not overly expensive either. Prices start at 180 pounds, but for a decent quality you are well advised to go for devices in the 900-pounds class.

However, the installation is not quite simple:

Unlike headrest monitors and dashboard monitors, the installation of a headlining folding monitor is not reversible. The headliner has to be cut open and cleared out.

Not everyone likes the idea of deliberately cutting away this element of the interior design. But if you are looking for this solution, there is no getting around the use of a cutter knife. A small consolation is that if done correctly and professionally, the damage to the headlining is practically invisible. Nevertheless, this measure will not increase the value of the car.

Moreover, when installing the headlining monitor, a cable should be also laid for the decentralised connection socket for media. This socket is usually fitted to the B-pillar – therefore its cover should be cut open as well.

All in all, the installation of a headlining monitor leads to a very convenient feature.

However, you should strictly adhere to the golden rule of the craftsman: “Measure twice – cut once“. Otherwise, there is a risk of great annoyance if the hole placed does not quite fit the device or the connection sockets.

Foto: ANAID studio, Have a nice day Photo, CHOTE BKK, Syda Productions, Aleksandr Kondratov, Jitchanamont, tetiana_u, Sista Vongjintanaruks, LI CHAOSHU, chombosan / shutterstock.com