After reading reviews and searching for a DVD player to install in our 2009 Chevy Traverse (no sunroof), we picked up this one from Amazon. We have used this so far for one trip for 5 1/2 hours each way. The Picture is amazing, screen is large and the FM transmitter is amazingly clear on the standard settings. The positioning does block the rear-view mirror when the screen is down, which was as I expected (so get a smaller screen if this is an issue to you).
DVD loading is on the (passenger) side, and one nice feature is there is a Play/Pause button (and a reset hole) on the back of the device allowing the driver/passenger to re-start a DVD when the kids complain in the back The only real problem I’ve had so far is getting the kids out of the car, they just want to stay in and watch cartoons!
I installed it myself just in front of the dome light (used metric bolts for the GM support in the car which I bolted on some scrap wood, then screwed the DVD support plate to that after cutting into the headliner material, which was the scariest part). I simply piggy-backed on the Dome light power and door triggers to avoid having to run long wires or remove any trim and kept the job simple – took around 2 hours to complete. Kids car seats are in the back seat (not the middle), and everybody gets a good view of the screen.
We used just regular DVD’s during this trip (simple to use, and can take advantage of the last position memory), but I can confirm that DIVX movies/shows (with the .avi extention) from an attached USB hard drive device did work fine for me on the player, when I converted a test show to the DIVX format. One quirk was that the DVD seemed to navigate to a nested folder in my USB device and didn’t let me back up all the way, but I just loaded the .avi files in this directory to make them work. DIVX converter programs will cost $20-30 extra if you plan on using this, and most have trial periods with a watermark on the output so you can try it out. I’ve only tried fat-32 formatted drive so far, which does have a 4GB limit on the file-size (so I can’t say if NTFS or MAC formatting works or not which has a higher file-size limit).
I did notice a couple of quirks which don’t seem to affect the usability of the device:
1. To turn on I double-tap (press power once, release, then hold power for a second) – a single press doesn’t always work.
2. Sometimes when closing the screen the device powers off as expected, but other times it doesn’t seem to turn off – so requires a press of the power button.
All-in-all, I believe a great buy based on the features/cost.
Rating: 5 / 5
I looked long and hard for a good overhead DVD player to mount in my Dodge Ram pickup. After coming across this Power Acoustik I was intrigued because of it’s huge screen. After purchasing it, I had it professionally installed. I liked this unit also because it doesn’t weigh much (compared to other units I reviewed) therefore not putting a lot of excess stress on your headliner. It installed easily (so I was told) and now performs very well. Although the FM transmitter built in is not the most powerful (some static when it plays through the car stereo at times), the IR transmitter works great with wireless headphones. The bonus of this particular unit is the massive screen size. I’d recommend this unit.
Rating: 4 / 5
This is third player I’ve put in my Odyssey, and it’s true, you get what you pay for. My local installer recommended Power Acoustik, saying he’s never had one come back and it was good advice. 12″ is a great compromise screen size–not too small, not too big–it’s a great, clear picture and the unit doesn’t weigh too much. The color skins helped match my grey van, and there are three more, very refreshing aspects: the loading mechanism is smooth/sturdy, the remote works well from front/back, and both IR/FM signals are strong and loud. Best of all, the video never skipped or blanked out in multiple movies of varying disc thickness on a long, Spring Break trip. Get this one!
Rating: 5 / 5
We bought this player after extensive research and felt it would meet our needs based on the manufactures technical information on their web page. The pleasant surprise is that it is region free. On the the other hand the manual does not explain the didgital video formats in any detail and indicates compatibility with MP3 files only. I have tried multiple formats using the USB port but the built in software does not recognize any. After 5, yes five attempts I finally received a response from the manufactures customer service that they will look into it. Since today (month later) no response or resolution. The product is ok but the customer service is unacceptable as well as the manual. I purchased the installer card with this product and assumed that the installation would be slightly more expensive due to the nature of the job. The installer charged 2 times the prices and justified it with additional work. I find this disturbing and the price point of the installer card misleading.
Overall a good product that lacks manufacturer support but plays all region DVD’s: watch out on the installation cost. It is a better quality system then the factory installed one at lower cost.
#1 by J. Bryant on July 2, 2010 - 7:03 pm
After reading reviews and searching for a DVD player to install in our 2009 Chevy Traverse (no sunroof), we picked up this one from Amazon. We have used this so far for one trip for 5 1/2 hours each way. The Picture is amazing, screen is large and the FM transmitter is amazingly clear on the standard settings. The positioning does block the rear-view mirror when the screen is down, which was as I expected (so get a smaller screen if this is an issue to you).
DVD loading is on the (passenger) side, and one nice feature is there is a Play/Pause button (and a reset hole) on the back of the device allowing the driver/passenger to re-start a DVD when the kids complain in the back
The only real problem I’ve had so far is getting the kids out of the car, they just want to stay in and watch cartoons!
I installed it myself just in front of the dome light (used metric bolts for the GM support in the car which I bolted on some scrap wood, then screwed the DVD support plate to that after cutting into the headliner material, which was the scariest part). I simply piggy-backed on the Dome light power and door triggers to avoid having to run long wires or remove any trim and kept the job simple – took around 2 hours to complete. Kids car seats are in the back seat (not the middle), and everybody gets a good view of the screen.
We used just regular DVD’s during this trip (simple to use, and can take advantage of the last position memory), but I can confirm that DIVX movies/shows (with the .avi extention) from an attached USB hard drive device did work fine for me on the player, when I converted a test show to the DIVX format. One quirk was that the DVD seemed to navigate to a nested folder in my USB device and didn’t let me back up all the way, but I just loaded the .avi files in this directory to make them work. DIVX converter programs will cost $20-30 extra if you plan on using this, and most have trial periods with a watermark on the output so you can try it out. I’ve only tried fat-32 formatted drive so far, which does have a 4GB limit on the file-size (so I can’t say if NTFS or MAC formatting works or not which has a higher file-size limit).
I did notice a couple of quirks which don’t seem to affect the usability of the device:
1. To turn on I double-tap (press power once, release, then hold power for a second) – a single press doesn’t always work.
2. Sometimes when closing the screen the device powers off as expected, but other times it doesn’t seem to turn off – so requires a press of the power button.
All-in-all, I believe a great buy based on the features/cost.
Rating: 5 / 5
#2 by Kevin Barata on July 2, 2010 - 7:34 pm
I looked long and hard for a good overhead DVD player to mount in my Dodge Ram pickup. After coming across this Power Acoustik I was intrigued because of it’s huge screen. After purchasing it, I had it professionally installed. I liked this unit also because it doesn’t weigh much (compared to other units I reviewed) therefore not putting a lot of excess stress on your headliner. It installed easily (so I was told) and now performs very well. Although the FM transmitter built in is not the most powerful (some static when it plays through the car stereo at times), the IR transmitter works great with wireless headphones. The bonus of this particular unit is the massive screen size. I’d recommend this unit.
Rating: 4 / 5
#3 by Traveling Hoosier on July 2, 2010 - 10:19 pm
This is third player I’ve put in my Odyssey, and it’s true, you get what you pay for. My local installer recommended Power Acoustik, saying he’s never had one come back and it was good advice. 12″ is a great compromise screen size–not too small, not too big–it’s a great, clear picture and the unit doesn’t weigh too much. The color skins helped match my grey van, and there are three more, very refreshing aspects: the loading mechanism is smooth/sturdy, the remote works well from front/back, and both IR/FM signals are strong and loud. Best of all, the video never skipped or blanked out in multiple movies of varying disc thickness on a long, Spring Break trip. Get this one!
Rating: 5 / 5
#4 by T. J. Terry on July 3, 2010 - 12:14 am
It seems all overhead DVD players are rather cheap in construction, I couldn’t find a single brand that was of great quality.
So far this unit has performed well, I replaced another unit that was installed at the dealership and this is a huge improvement.
Rating: 4 / 5
#5 by Patricia Schot on July 3, 2010 - 2:59 am
We bought this player after extensive research and felt it would meet our needs based on the manufactures technical information on their web page. The pleasant surprise is that it is region free. On the the other hand the manual does not explain the didgital video formats in any detail and indicates compatibility with MP3 files only. I have tried multiple formats using the USB port but the built in software does not recognize any. After 5, yes five attempts I finally received a response from the manufactures customer service that they will look into it. Since today (month later) no response or resolution. The product is ok but the customer service is unacceptable as well as the manual. I purchased the installer card with this product and assumed that the installation would be slightly more expensive due to the nature of the job. The installer charged 2 times the prices and justified it with additional work. I find this disturbing and the price point of the installer card misleading.
Overall a good product that lacks manufacturer support but plays all region DVD’s: watch out on the installation cost. It is a better quality system then the factory installed one at lower cost.
Rating: 3 / 5