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What Kids Really Want

Bill Howard
 & Bill Howard

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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    Contents

    Kids like movies, but often they'd rather blast the bad guys themselves. Until the PSP rules the world, here's how to make the GameCube, PS2, or Xbox work in the backseat.

  • Get a 150-watt power inverter that plugs into an accessory outlet and provides 120 volts of AC power. You might want to run a dedicated 15-amp line to the backseat.

  • If you're buying a new van or wagon, a 120-volt AC outlet might be an option. Go for it. (It's also great for charging laptops, cell phones, and music players if you don't have 12-volt car adapters.)

  • Virtually all DVD players have A/V inputs (the standard yellow-white-red composite jacks). Get a 10- or 12-foot cord and run it from the game player to the DVD player, then switch the DVD to Auxiliary Input. Make the kids wear headphones.

  • If you have a roof-mount DVD player, run the A/V cable up the side pillar of the car and across the headliner so the cables don't dangle in the rearview mirror. For $50 to $100, an A/V installer can run a permanent cable under one of the front seats.

  • Save your game and turn off the console before you stop the engine; many power outlets turn off with the ignition.

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