DVD Player in a Minivan -- Is It a Must?

We didn't spend the money. I debated too, but I have very fond memories of road trips from my childhood. When I was 4, my parents drove from Massachusetts to California and back again with me and my little brother. We read, listened to music, played, and saw the country. Most importantly, we learned to self-entertain. I hope on road trips, my kids will do the same.

No its not a must.

Kids get used to what they have in the car. What they don't have... will not be missed.

all the best,
Susan

We opted to not get one but we got a portable one instead that we can hook up in the car in seconds if and when we need it. We do not use it for day to day driving around, only for road trips. They're not expensive, much cheaper than getting one in the vehicle, I think we payed around $100 and you can use it other places too, airport, plane, etc. I haven't regretted not getting the one in the car at all.

Not a must... granted I only have 1 child, but I would never buy one. She is just about 3 and we have special car toys (like the travel sized magnadoodle) but on car trips we sing a lot and tell stories. I full expect when she is older that we will play a lot of the games I played when I was a child on car trips like "animal, vegatable or mineral" etc.

It is all about how much you are willing to entertain your child. I am not saying parents who use DVD player to entertain are bad parents, perhaps thier children do not like to play games.

My own opionion, and it is just my opinion, is that children benefit from this type of interaction with their parents, so if you can do it - go for it!

I drive for hundreds of hours all over the country with my son, and in the winter commute 2 hours in each direction to the mountians every day. We SO do not have a DVD player, nor want one. I consider that time precious.

We have 4 kids from 9 yrs - 6 months... We are on our second van and NO a dvd player is not a must...

I drive alone with all the kids at least once a year 10 hours to PA... During that time they read books, color, play with toys, etc... It just means mommy has to be a bit more forward thinking than grab a movie... But we also don't even own a TV set in our house...

We play games, listen to kids cds, talk, rhyme, etc... We also practice being quiet!! Its during that time that mommy can collect her thoughts and mommy and whom ever is riding with can talk...
Usually the kids have their own conversations going and driver and passenger can talk....
If you truly want a window into your kids lives and thoughts listen to them talk to each other and their friends when they don't know your paying attention... :-)
Distraction will only worsen fighting and bickering since they have not had the experience of dealing with the issues... so there will be MORE fighting, which means you'll put another show in to shut them up... No communication at all...

We got our mini van prior to the DVD being an option. Yes, I know that shows the age of our van. LOL However, DVD is not a requirement. We did get an aftermarket DVD unit for our children when we began to travel often (4 hours away). We quickly learned that my son gets car sick, if he watches the DVD for too long. Our kids (7 & 5yrs old.) do just fine with no DVD as we have opted not to use it that often. Although it is a nice addition, if things don't go as planned. Most recently we took a trip leaving at 3am, my 5yr old tried very hard to go back to sleep in the van but it was not to be. He was being very good, but he was very bored in the dark with nothing to look at and not being able to sleep. I would say if you don't go with the DVD, you can always do the aftermarket unit later if you change your mind. Yes, the DVD does help to settle them down, keep them entertained, and cure boredom in the dark. There is no right answer to this question, just know that if you opt for no now, it is not a permanent decision.

absolutely NOT a must - it will, however, encourage the kids to be in their own little world and leave you and dad to travel "in peace". but why would you want to? honestly this is something i feel is wrong with the world today - parents don't really seem to enjoy being around their kids much. i see moms and dads in walmart and the kids are either acting out and being crazy, or they're sitting/walking by the cart in silence. my son is 4 and the best conversationalist i know! we talk constantly, we actually have conversations! we tell jokes and make each other laugh and have a ball. enjoy this time when you can- play I spy and sing B-I-N-G-O and talk and sing along to the radio...movies aren't really necessary. we were loaned one for a 17 hour trip last year, and couldn't even get the darn thing to work on the way there. we had a great experience. on the way back, we got it working, but he only watched 1 movie, the rest of the time we were just enjoying each others' company. it's not really the devil...but it's an unecessary thing, imo.

I haven't read the other replies but I don't think a factory installed DVD / entertainment system is a must. We purchased a DVD player from Target instead. Besides being cheaper, it seemed more practical. We could disconnect it from the minivan and bring it in to hotel rooms or relatives' homes or on airplanes and use it there as well. There are two screens and it plugged into a power outlet when in the minivan, then indoors it would be a regular portable DVD player that could be plugged into a wall outlet.

for long trips it's a life saver.
We have one in our van an only use it when we are traveling.
With 3 kids you'll be flying less often it's going to get really expensive.
It's very easy to set limits. Just tell um they can't watch it unless it's a long ( over 2 hrs) trip.

I haven't read any of the other responses but I personally wouldn't get the dvd players in the car. We have a portable one that our kids watch for rare 4 hour trips to Michigan. Otherwise, when we're in the car, we talk, listen to music or stories on cd, read books, or use magna-doodles. I think kids in general watch too much tv (mine included) and I see no reason to encourage this behavior every time they get in the car. Good luck!

I guess it depends upon how much you want to use it! We try not to watch much TV at all - even at home. My kids get an hour of TV in a WEEK (if they are lucky). The only time we use a DVD player in the car is on a long road trip (and by long I mean more than 3-4 hours). I have noticed that most people with DVD players in the car start out with good intentions of not using it except for long distances etc. but that changes as soon as one of the kids in the back is having a melt down! The kids just learn that having a meltdown will give them TV time in the car. Also in today's world, everyone always seems to be plugged in to some gadget!! There are many more ways to pass time in the car than a DVD! That said, long trips - go for it!! Everyday - its up to you! Maybe a portable player that gets put in only for a few occasions might be a good alternative! Good luck. Every family is different and you need to do what's best for you!!

I must say, I was totally against a DVD player in the car. We recently purchased a new car and it had one in it. I like it...don't love it. I don't use it unless we are going on long trips like the one you described. Only over 2 hours.

The reason I don't think it is a necessity is...one day we were driving and one of my daughters said, "Mom, look how beautiful that mountain is."
She never would have seen the mountain if the DVD was on.

No it's not a must, but I have a portable DVD and for really long trips it has indeed been a lifesaver (like 20 hours in the car - that was a tough one!). I don't bring it for shorter trips. I also use books on CD, and favorite albums, and have played Slug Bug for hours - my 13 yo daughter seems to have VW radar by now :-).

Limits-If I am going to LA and the trip will be 7 hours, then I would allow one movie on the way there and 2 on the way back, when you don't have the anticipation working in your favor.

Your husband is absolutely right. Do NOT get the DVD player. They are horrible.

Can of worms....yep, exactly why we didn't get one. Pretty much the same in our house, I thought it would be so nice to have so that there would be no fighting, my husband thought it would just make them want it on every time they were in the van. I was a little upset about caving in to not having one because he's not the one always driving the kids around. Fastforward and now we a few friends that have them built in and yes it is on all of the time! Even to drive the kids to school, it's on. It really is kind of ridiculous. I asked one of my friends about it and they say "I don't care if it's on all of the time, I like the quiet". I have another friend that insists that's it's not on all of the time, but I see it on every time they are in the car? I'm glad now that it is not built in to the car. We have a portable DVD player that we bought for flying with the kids. If we are going on a long car ride, we bring that along. Of course then there is the fight about what to watch! I couldn't imagin having to deal with that every day. :) Our girls have handheld video games and they play them on car rides. It keeps them busy and quiet. I guess you could try to make rules about when it's on, but let's be honest, if they are begging to have it on and you are driving, you are going to cave, just so you can drive safely. I'm a pretty tough mom, when it comes to digging in my heels with no means no, but I know even I, couldn't deal with whining while I'm driving! Good luck!

While I think a DVD player would be nice, certainly not necessary. What I LOVE is a stereo system that allows my kids to listen to music using headphones and I can listen to what I want to on the radio. It has made for happier people, my kids are 16, 13 and 8 so something to consider as your children get older. We had this in our last van, and while it wasn't a requirement in our current van, I love that it is there. We are looking to get a newer van in the spring, and will certainly be looking for this feature.

I've had a van with a DVD and now one without. My granddaughter used the DVD and enjoyed it but she's OK without it. We only used it for trips.

I suggest that having a DVD built in in the van is helpful but certainly not a deal breaker. You can always use a portable DVD if you want to use one on long trips. You can also use a portable one when you fly. One trip a year is hardly worth the cost, depending on how much it does cost, to have a factory installed DVD..

I always buy used and so I would buy the van with the best value. The first time that van included a DVD. The second time it didn't.

we have a portable we got for when we took a 13 hr trip to ny and it was a life saver for that but for the most part short trips a few hrs or so half the time we bring it half the time we dont we have a 6, 7, and 8 yr old and they can ammuse them selves and we get involved in conversations its not that bad i say its up to you just agree on it and just cuz its there dont mean it has to be on

We have one in our van and it IS a lifesaver on longer trips. I just tell my girls that if we're staying in town (shopping, school, doc appts, stuff like that) then no movie. But if we leave town to go visit or whatever then they're alowed movies - but they have to agree on which ones or I don't put them in. Our girls are 4 ans 2.5 and they learned to comprimise pretty quickly :)

no. We have a portable one if we are taking a long trip but our boys prefer to use their imaginations, play a leapster, or read (in the 3 yr olds case be read to) then watch the dvd player. In 10/12 hr drive they watched 2 movies but didn't even 100% watch them. But their grandparents got a minivan and all the grandkids ask for their dvd player to be put on even if they are just going down the road.

I'm not sure if it's just the ages of my children, but our DVD player has saved our lives and sanity. We use it to most every destination. If I don't, all I hear is screaming. Hopefully sometime soon, we can limit it to long trips only, but for now, it works wonders.

I have a minivan that come with DVD. I feel I have done a big mistaken for letting my daughter watching DVD since she was 2 years old. She would expect to watch DVD quickly when she got in the van. if I don't turn on DVD for her. she would get boring and doesn't want to do anything. . I feel kids should avoid watching DVD in the car. we have many thing that we can entertain her.. such as singing, listening music, playing game, watching view outside. tell her to look for something on the road. or reading books. now i am trying to break her habit from watching DVd. by listening music. but she doesn't like it . she said please turn on DVD... it will be hard to break her habit, only i have to change my van to other car that doesn't has DVD Player. (at home I don't turn on DVD or tv while I am with her at all). I want kids have opportunities to play around and do something else instead of being couch potatoes.

We have a Sienna and leather seats. No DVD player. We drove 2000 miles this summer with our 3 kids, ages 7 months (at the time), 2, and 6. The key was to stop a lot at museums, parks, and friends. we alos had bags of new toys, books, snacks. At night, they slept. It took us 4 days.
When we stayed in hotels, they got to watch the Disney channel (sometimes) which we don't get at home. I am glad we don't have one; I think we'd just be less creative about keeping them entertained.

I agree with hubby on one major point "once they realize....". You'll also have to deal with "I want to watch Cars, but I wan't to watch Barbie".

We had portable DVD players for our kids. 1) cost $50 each (bought on black Friday) compared to serveral hundred 2) each child could watch whatever she wanted 3) it was only used for long trips.

I remember the first time the kids used them, it was so quiet.

I have no regrets about NOT getting the DVD player. I have a portable one that we use for long road trips. The kids don't know what they're missing. Plus I love that my boys know where we are going and how to get there. They enjoy what's outside and we talk about what they see.

Here's a quick story why I didn't want one. Dropping my 4-yr old at pre-school one day and the lady in the van next to us said "oh, just go ahead, I'm waiting for my daughter to finish watching her video." Seriously? It amazes me that some parents let their kids watch videos for a 10 minute drive. I also have friends with a 16-yr old son who had no idea how to get anywhere because he constantly was playing video games or watching DVDs in the car.

DVDs are a life-saver for long trips, but I don't think they should be for everyday use. There's too much going on outside! Good luck!

I only have 1 daughter. We ordered a Durango when I was pregnant and the only options that I bought were:
Leather interior - would never have another car without it - super easy to keep clean with kids & spills / crumbs etc...
Tow package - for my husband's race cars
Built in DVD - wouldn't ever have another car with out it!
She is 6 now, and we travel a ton for my husband's business. I NEVER hear "are we there yet?" "I'm bored" etc... I keep a backpack of DVDs next to her car seat (which since she is the one and only - so it's in the middle) and she can reach the dvd player & remote, switch movies, play games etc.... It's a lifesaver! Ours came with wireless headphones - so if so inclined she can listen to the movie on headphones and we can listen to cd's and radio etc... She does that occassionally but usually we just all listen to the movie!
Good luck....I'd do it if I were you!

I think you should save the money and skip the dvd player. I have 4 kids (8,6,3,4mo) and frequently drive to visit family 4-5 hours away. The kids mostly entertain each other, read, play games, etc. We bought a portable DVD player for a flight we took this past summer (definitely a lifesaver for us on the plane and in the airport), and we have taken it in the car a couple times. While the kids think it is quite a treat to watch a movie in the car, it causes more problems than it solves. There is really no good place for us to put it where everyone can see and hear and they have trouble agreeing on what to watch. It really is much less stressful for us to go without.

This is a vote for a portable DVD player instead. We have 1 vehicle with the DVD player, and 1 without.

I drive the car without the DVD player. We take this car 150 miles to visit my sister, and we live without the DVD player.

We drove from Chicago to Minneapolis. 7 or 8 hours. A DVD player sure did help break up the trip for the kids.

Buy one and set the rules for when it's used.

When I was a kid, we drove from MN to FL every year and of course then such technology was not around!!! We survived, and I remember TONS from the drives.

Driving is actually something kids learn a lot from. They learn about geography, city planning, road design... I know it seem silly, but my boys know a ton about roads because they look out the window all the time.

We do not have a DVD player in our minivan, and take 4+ hour drives with my 5, 4 and 2 year olds regularly. I've never regretted not getting one.

We have a laptop we've used in extreme situations, but it ended up being a bigger pain than you could imagine... fighting about what to watch, when to change it, and not to watch.

J.

we may be mini van shopping too so i've though about this, but i firmly belive that it is ONLY for trips longer than an hour, if i started using it at the end of a long day of doing errands, it would be all over and i'm sure they would whine so bad i would use it all the time, so i will stick with the rule of only using it if we have to pack a suitcase lol. good luck.

I haven't read all the posts, but you really don't need it. All you are teaching your children is to rely on entertainment from TV. We find things out the windows, tell stories, talk, etc... You could get some books on CD at the library for road trips too. My kids are 2 1/2 and 4 and they don't have a DVD in the car and never will. Good Luck :)

I see that there are a lot of responses for and against the DVD player. I just wanted to say that we bought one for our daughter, who is now 6yrs old, several years ago and used it a lot when traveling. And yes, at first she wanted it on all the time, but eventually the newness of it wore off and she was just happy to have it on long trips. Now we have a 2nd child, who is 2 yrs old, and bought a dual screen dvd player and that has been great too. The problem I see in the future is arguments about what to play, but I guess I will cross that bridge when it happens. Over all, I am really happy we have had one and I would probably would have regretted not having one. Good Luck.

my suburban has the dvd player in it..i have an 11 yr old and 9 yr old and almost 2 yr old..they love it and so do I ....HOWEVER WE LIMIT IT!! if they can behave and play games like i spy , or stuff like that for a while then they can watch 1 movie..then we turn it off and sing/color/read a book..etc..then watch a movie..etc

When we bought our SUV a couple of years ago, the only one we could find with some of the features we wanted also had a DVD player (it was year-end so the pickings were slim). My children (6 and 3) are very good travellers even on the 7 hour drive to my parents which we do three times a year or so. I also just had plenty of books and other activities to do. However, now that we have the DVD player it is definitely a nice feature. Our family rule is that we can't use it unless the drive is longer than three hours, and my children don't ask to use it any other time because we have stuck hard to the rule. Even with the DVD player we only allow them to watch for an hour or so toward the end of the trip when everyone is getting a little cagey. We have the wireless headphones because it was part of the SUV, and they are a really great feature. We don't have to listen to Dora and Boots...

When we got a minivan we made sure not to get one. My kids are a couple months from 10, a month away from 7 and 18 months. We got the minivan when my first 2 were 5 months and 3. We listen to music..."grownup" music. They love "real music" just as much as we do. We don't have a lot of kid music. We talk, all the things people do in the car. I've heard so many negatives about them, kids expecting to watch it even for 2 minute runs to the store and back. Knowing my kids they'd fight over it no differently then they fight with each other anyway LOL
Our favorite game when we're in the car is guess what other people are watching on their TVs.

Before I had kids, no. After kids, definitely YES! They don't watch it all the time but it has made so many things easier. It's awful hard to keep a 3 year old boy busy in the car while my daughter's in dance class and it's too cold outside for my 9 month old. I set the limits on when they watch it; sometimes they ask and I say no - they have no choice but to accept that. Besides, it's not just movies. In our dodge caravan, they can listen to a cd or radio Disney on Sirius on the headphones while I get my NPR fix.

We bought a used minivan and it had one in it, so I'm not really sure if we would have gotten one if it didn't already come with it, but it is a nice to have on long trips. We live in TX and my family is in FL and in-laws are in TN. It's too expensive for all of us to fly, so we drive now, but it takes a good 2 days in the car to get all the way to FL, so we use it on trips. I have had to train them that they don't get to watch shows just around town. We listen to music instead. As long as you set the ground rules ahead of time, then there shouldn't be too much of a problem. Once they knew what to expect, they stopped asking for movies all of the time. Now they know that if it isn't a long trip, the answer will be no, so they don't ask! If you don't want to get one built in, you can always buy the kind you can plug in and hang on the back of the seats and take them out of the car if you aren't using them.

I 100% agree with your DH-sorry. I purposely did not get one in ours because I know that what it would turn into is the kids watching it for even short trips. There is something to be said for the downtime during the car and just looking out the window. For drives of over an hour they each have their own portable DVD for the car. This actually works out better b/c unless you get the van with the duel system they have to watch the same thing.

If I were having a new baby I would TOTALLY get the new Odyessey BTW. That thing is so rigged for little ones. The second row fits 3 BIG carseats and the middle seat slides up to bring baby closer. Very cool. Also has a cooler in the front console.

If the drive is more than 3 hours, it really helps. Any drive over five, it's a must. We usually don't turn it on until about three hours into the drive. I pick the movies usually because they don't do it. We have boys so they like Star Wars but also like some of the funny John Candy movies like The Great Outdoors, Uncle Buck. Of course the all time favorites of Toy Story, Monster's Inc., Madagascar, Up, Cars always keep them entertained. We usually buy a new movie for them before taking a big trip. My parents live 8-10 hours away so we always use the DVD player, except on our last trip it broke which made it a really long trip for the last three hours.

We have one but I usually only take it out for trips longer than 1 1/2 hours. After the trip it comes out of the car and they don't ask for it any other times.

I travel up to 8 hours in the car with my kiddos & have since they were babies. They think the portable DVD player only works in hotel rooms... and I am riding that out as long as I can... going on 4 years now. :)

For the car, I have a bin between their seats & it is stuffed with books, Crayola Color Wonder markers & coloring books, travel games, & those stupid Happy Meal toys. They don't get bored. We sing, talk, & play road games.

PS- I also find the cars with them build in, COMPLETELY distracting to drive behind.

Just remember how many of us survived without DVD players in the car!! :)

I love mine. My daughter gets very bored in the car and just kind of sits there. So we put in a DVD player and she loves it. She gets to watch whatever she wants. It makes our trip alot easier and she doesn't have her usual tantrum. We have a dvd burner at home and we tape alot of things off the Disney channel for her. She has her favorite movies at home and now she can take them with her. Plus if we go to someones house that doesn't have a dvd player (and yes there are some lol) she can take it with her. We are debating having one installed in our mini van but for now we have a portable one. Works just as good and is alot cheaper. I have it hanging inbetween the 2 front seats.

I suggest just getting portable DVD players. It is cheaper than the one in the car, they can still wear a headset, the can each watch what they want, and they can go places other than the car (flights, bedrooms, etc.). We went portable and LOVE it! I am with you though...get something to give you a little break! ;)

Wow, 42 answers before mine!

We bought an SUV a couple years ago and made the conscious decision to NOT get the DVD player for a couple of reasons:
1. To your point, we didn't have one when we grew up and I think we all turned out just fine and we learned to find things outside of ourselves to look at (ABC game to play, license plate games, etc)
2. I didn't want my kid(s) to EXPECT to watch a movie or show everytime we were in the car. That's ridiculous to me. It's my job as a parent to help guide their little brains to find other things to do (see point #1 above)

That being said, on super-long car rides (like from Chicago to Colorado or Florida), we do bring our laptop computer with to play movies from time to time. We do drive to Colorado every year (14+ hours) and I would call having movies to play a "lifesaver" for those times when nothing else will do. But it is not on the whole trip! For shorter trips, we do have a couple shows loaded onto our iPods and we'll let our older child watch one or two, but that's it.

I've found that for me and my family, a permanent DVD player in the car can become a crutch or too easy to fight and then takes the children out of a conversation, out of being a part of the family experience. A car ride is a great time to catch up on what happened during the day, learn more about your kids wants/desires...it's just a great time to get to know your family even better. Can it be stressful? Of course! But I much prefer to be more creative than popping a movie in at the slightest whine. I wouldn't do that at home so why would I do it in a car?

In the interest of finances, a portable DVD player that always comes out of the car when you're done would be a great option as opposed to a laptop that has a DVD player (unless you already have a laptop and then you won't have to invest anything at all). Though with a laptop, you're less likely to leave it in the car.

Just my 2 cents. Happy Thanksgiving!

I was never a fan of the DVD in the car either, but then we inherited my mother's vehicle after she passed away, and when she bought it brand-new just months before, SHE thought having the built-in DVD player in the car for our 3 year old was a great idea!

And I have to admit, it's nice to be able to have it on for DD on long trips and help keep her entertained. Often DD wants it on whenever we are in the car but I just tell her no, we are only taking a short trip and it does not need to be on. I refuse to put it on just for the 2 minutes to takes to get to school or the supermarket. She's getting better about that and often repeat back to me, "Only long trips! Only on vacation!" For the 4 hours it took us to drive up north or to Chicago from our house? Oh, you bet! But it can still be a pain in the butt when the wireless headphones suddenly decide not to work or DD decides she doesn't like the movie that is on and she starts freaking out.

However, we are not keep that car much longer (the DVD player is built into the head rest) and when we trade it in, the new car won't have one. Whenever we go out in my hubby's truck, with no DVD player, it doesn't bother DD in the least.

my baby is only 5 months today, but i can see how this would make for a smoother road trip. i recall several times growing up, being in the car with 1 sister or the other diliberately putting a body part on mine to get a rise out of me. 1-you can only take so much and ignoring only goes so far, 2- had they had something to occupy them they may have been less apt to spend so much time annoying me. so i can definitely see where this is beneficial, but i wouldnt call it a die-hard necessity.

I had always sworn that I would NEVER get a DVD player in the car, but when we bought our VW Routan a few months ago, it had one, and I decided it was not so bad since we had a 10 hr trip ahead of us.

Yes, the children WILL want to have it on all the time, but I have found it to be a good opportunity to set limits and to teach them to take turns. The rule is, if they are fighting over it, or if my older son doesn't like what we are watching and starts to whine, it goes off and stays off. We haven't yet used the headsets, so I let them know that sometimes I have to have my turn for "Mommy music" or talk radio. My older son has never been great at taking turns, but he is really learning quickly on this one because I have been firm with it.

we bought a portable DVD player that we can use on planes, in hotel rooms, even in the car. it was a godsend during the weekend long drive from Texas to Georgia. however i have found that kids can be entertained with a deck of cards really. also as a side note, i have heard that they can be hard/expensive to fix.

I use mine all the time. Swore we would never get one either. But having said that. We got one lol. It has become a lifesaver when it is the end of the day and we are waiting for the oldest to get out of one more practice, one more after school club etc. long lines in the bank. or for just trips when I need some time to myself while driving. I don't turn it on every time. but if we have a half hour to wait for one of the older kids to get out and the younger ones are antsy I will put a dvd on without any guilt what so ever.

My friend had a Warner Brothers Edition Chevy Venture, 2002. It was the best van ever invented. It had every comfort and need thought out. She would still be driving it if they hadn't been rear ended while going through a construction area, very slowly, by a driver going about 70. The steel bike rack holding the BMX bikes saved their lives.

It had 3 individual seats in the middle row, one was an integrated car seat, the other 2 regular seats, the seat in the back was a bench style. It had a surround sound stereo system in it, hence the Warner Brothers Edition logo on the tailgate, and the sound was like being in the theatre. The DVD player always had a movie in it, the kids just kept a folder of movies, like a cd case, in the van and she occasionally changed out some new ones. The DVD player went off when the doors opened and started back up where it left off when the van was started again.

Now she has a regular van and has individual DVD players with the headsets. The kids usually only put movies in when we are traveling. They are a bit older now and they like the hand held electronic games or the lap top. The van has several regular household plugins plus the cigarette lighter charger/plugs too.

Here is a link to a van like hers, but hers was silver. The seat with the integrated car seat is the one directly behind the passenger, the headrest flips up and the seat back folds down.
http://orlando.craigslist.org/ctd/2075760149.html

Personally, I love ours...

We load movies on to our i pod touch of our kids. They are great to pull out of your purse at any time. Our Daughter will be 3 in Jan. and she is very good with it. She plays some games on it too. Even our nano has Barney shows on it. I like her to look at the window as we are driving around town, but those long trips she needs and little more entertainment. We also fly a lot and they are best for keeping her quite on the plane. Of course you would need 2 and an after market DVD would be less.