VCR or DVD or Playstation?

Ok ladies and gents...

This is my issue...

Currently, I have a flip out screen (alpine) in my g- with an older playstation hooked up to it (costs incurred to date: system-$1,450 / playstation-$30)

Option A) Sell old playstation and put in a few more bucks and buy playstation 2 - and it will play DVDs too. (cost for option A: ~$200)

Option B) Keep old playstation and purchase VCR for car so I can play videos (recorded off of mtv or the latest friends episode or Fast and the Furious) and hook up old playstation through the VCR. (cost for option B: ~$110)

Sidenotes to think about for the DVD/Playstation:
pros-
- Clearer picture (but does it really matter on a lil 5 inch monitor?)
- Better graphics from playstation2
cons-
- The DVD player will restart from the beginning after turning off the car and turning it back on...
- Can't really make my own DVD (without incurring computer hardware costs) so- custom videos would be out of the question...


WHICH DO YOU THINK IS THE BETTER OPTION?????

I'M LEANING TOWARDS A SONY VCP (video cassette player- as opposed to R - for recorder) which will cost me 110 dollars- and I would be able to make my own video cassettes (although it seems primitive) and it's cost effective... (remember- it's just entertainment- so we don't need to sink in tons and tons of cash for dolby digital surround sound and the top of the line DVD player...)


-clifford

PS2!!!!!

PS2.


...VCR?! Do they still sell those??

:D

PS2 or XBOX

Are you going to my an inverter to power up the PS2? So, why not spend another $60-80 and get a HI FI house VCR.

Can you attach more the one single to the head unit? This way you get the best of both worlds....VHS, DVD, PS2. Not too mention local tv channels thru the VCR.


Late....

Ok- a lot of you guys said PS2 and DVD-

so- the importance of controlling the medium isn't really all that important?

i can put whatever i want on a VHS tape-

but for a DVD- i have to buy whatever is available...

know what i mean?

- clifford...

your thoughts?

Personally, I never make "custom" tapes or record off of TV. There are a lot of DVDs out now and once you go to DVD, VHS looks like complete crap.

PS2 or XBOX :D

PS2 would be the best choice, but if you are low on cash go w/ a dreamcast. I have one in my car and they fit perfectly in most places.

Originally posted by wickedG20
PS2 would be the best choice, but if you are low on cash go w/ a dreamcast. I have one in my car and they fit perfectly in most places.

I just sold my dreamcast to Funco Land for 40 bucks. lol.

ok- so i heard that YOU CAN WATCH VCD'S ON YOUR PLAYSTATION ONE

IS THIS TRUE??????




by the way- already have dreamcast in the house- the playstation in the car is just for shits and giggles...

PS One does not play VCD's

PS2 or XBOX, that way youll at least be able to view DVD's....screw the VHS format, digital is the wave of the future.....

U CAN JUST HOOK UP THE POWER CONVERTER STRAIGHT TO THE BATTERY. SO THAT IT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF WHEN YOU TURN THE KEY.

but if i keep a power line to the DVD unit- my battery will drain...

if u stop your vhs tape- right when u start it again- it will be right where u were.

-clifford

Originally posted by cliffud
but if i keep a power line to the DVD unit- my battery will drain...

if u stop your vhs tape- right when u start it again- it will be right where u were.

-clifford

Same thing w/ a DVD.. If you have a constant power source (ex. battery), it works exactly like a head unit. The DVD player should save where you stopped the movie and shouldn't suck that much power if it is powered off.

Originally posted by frogg


Same thing w/ a DVD.. If you have a constant power source (ex. battery), it works exactly like a head unit. The DVD player should save where you stopped the movie and shouldn't suck that much power if it is powered off.

uhhh...

first off- why would i power the DVD unit if it's going to be off... (i don't think it works like a head unit- where it will draw a tiny bit of juice to remember the time... (we're talking about a playstation 2 remember?)

second- i don't know of any dvd players that will remember where you stopped - IF YOU TURN IT OFF... (let alone the ps2)

third- having a constant power source to the DVD player would drain my batteries... it would draw the same or even more power than a normal domelight to keep that little DVD spinning and if i were to leave the car for a day or two- the battery would be dead.

hrmmmmmmmmmm...

ok- i may just get the vcp... and hook the psx into it. the whole idea of the DVD player not being able to save where it left off kinda sucks... also- i don't think vhs tapes look THAT bad... it's a small screen - and if i'm driving- the picture is gonna be hella blurry anyway just cus of my crazy driving style...

ok- thanks guys for the thoughts...

i'll let u know how it turns out when i get one and hook it up.

-clifford

what is vcp?

ok, you will regret the vcr in a year since most paramount pictures releases and colombia and trihouse will all be dvd rom converted by 2004....vcr is a waste of money and a poor long term investment. People were saying xbox too, i have xbox. Its a wonderful system based on X86 tech (standard PC chipset) which basically means this isnt going out of business ANYTIME in the near future (it will adapt with new computer advances). Also, remember what happened with dreamcast (rips). I predict the japanesse will crack the chipset encoding and will be ripping games and vcds onto xbox within the next 4 months. Go for that, screw ps2. Ps2 is inferior in the graphics game 100 fold (i own both systems), plus the development going into Xbox games is amazing and will only get better with proof of sales and tests. Xbox also has a Hard drive (8 GB), which will eliminate the DVD save process since your worried that when you turn off your car the dvd will start over. WRONG, Xbox will save it. Also, Xbox is coming out with a remote wireless internet connection pci card which will work similar to those on laptops. This broadens your horizons to working online with the built in browser while driving and playing enabled games online against other users all over the world, not to mention with the upcoming release of the mini keyboard. Question your options and take this all into consideration.

you can play vcd's on a dreamcast (which is what I have set-up) with a little bit of programs...

Originally posted by cliffud


uhhh...

first off- why would i power the DVD unit if it's going to be off... (i don't think it works like a head unit- where it will draw a tiny bit of juice to remember the time... (we're talking about a playstation 2 remember?)

second- i don't know of any dvd players that will remember where you stopped - IF YOU TURN IT OFF... (let alone the ps2)

third- having a constant power source to the DVD player would drain my batteries... it would draw the same or even more power than a normal domelight to keep that little DVD spinning and if i were to leave the car for a day or two- the battery would be dead.


1. If a playstation is turned off (connected to battery), it shouldn't draw any current. The Playstation most likely has an interior battery that remembers time, etc. (Regular DVD drives are different and go into "standby" mode like a VCR.. Not sure how much current is drawn though)

2. All of the DVD players I have used remember where you are when you push "stop." Even the crappy DVD players.

3. DVD wouldn't be spinning if it is "off"

PS2, its DVD player and game console built into one.

you need to buy a serial adapter to plug into the back of the PS1 for it to play a legit VCD. all DVD players play VCDs, some even SVCDs and XVCDs

i saw some pretty expensive VCRs on crutchfield... we're talking $400 here... of course they had like every feature imaginable... editing and whatnot.

Originally posted by hybridamp
PS2, its DVD player and game console built into one.

Yeah, that means, you could watch any movie you want, and if you got bored of the movies, you could throw in Grand Theft Auto3, quite possibly the best game ever made.

I agree with most of you rpost although there are a few nagging things that you said that aren't true.

1- the xbox cannot adapt with new computer tech. when is the last time you tried to disassemble your xbox and look at the hd inside of it. last i checked it voided the warranty. also things like the processor, video subsystem, and hard disk are all non-upgradeable (those things make the computer more advanced).

2- crack a dvd xbox game onto what?? games like madden 2002 use very little fmv and when they say that they can rip it at the expense of sound they are kidding you since madden 2002 for the xbox is recorded with dobly digital. making putting it on a cd impossible. (now dvd rips are more likely since dvd recoding media is getting inexpensive, but then you are looking at straight copies of a game and it will still be expensive since dvd media is not the inexpensive [as when compared to cd's])

3- ps2 isn't inferior 100 fold you are looking at maybe a three or four million poygon difference tops. nv20 is not the end all chipset since the geforce3 is very similar and can only produce 18 million polys. shoot the gamecube actually has more actual poly pushing power than both systems if you look at what can be show on screen fully shaded textured and light sourced. (something like 12 million). the xbox is maybe five times as powerful as the ps2 and that is because people aren't using the vector units properly, if they did the xbox would only be three times more powerful.

other than those three things everything else seems to be right.

if you would show me your sources for the things i disputed i'll be very grateful.

Originally posted by BIGbungy
ok, you will regret the vcr in a year since most paramount pictures releases and colombia and trihouse will all be dvd rom converted by 2004.... [snip snip] consideration.

I would say get a ps2, you get some games and the dvd so its straight...

Definently the PS2 :ylsuper and not an XBox. PS2 has way better games, and a 5 inch T.V.? Also, you can leave the PS2 on forever, since it has a built in fan. Just buy a VCR t.v and a PS2. That simple and it doesn't cost to much. Maybe $400, more or less.

just make sure the ps2 is isolated from humidity and vibrations. I just had to take mine apart to clean the laser (those laser cleaning cd's didn't work) because it stopped reading my dvd's and cd's.

Originally posted by cliffud
but if i keep a power line to the DVD unit- my battery will drain...

if u stop your vhs tape- right when u start it again- it will be right where u were.

-clifford

cliff, im sorry but you definately should go with the ps2, videos suck, the quality difference between dvd and video is unbelievable, and its only gonna cost u $90 more, yeah so you cant make your own but who cares start out with one or 2 and then slowly build your collection. Its 2002 you just cant have a video cassette in you car, its so not cool.......:rolleyes:

Originally posted by MoJoRaCeR


cliff, im sorry but you definately should go with the ps2, videos suck, the quality difference between dvd and video is unbelievable, and its only gonna cost u $90 more, yeah so you cant make your own but who cares start out with one or 2 and then slowly build your collection. Its 2002 you just cant have a video cassette in you car, its so not cool.......:rolleyes:


:p :p :p :p :p :p :p

this is sooooooooooooo crazy!!!! hahahaha- i mean like- i get the flip out monitor- because "ohhhhhhhh- it would be so much cooler than a normal din radio" and then i look to branch out - and then it's like- whoaaaaaaaaaaaaa- vhs- oooooooooooooooh- but then- oh wait! - oh my god!!- DVD!!!!!!! (perhaps vhs=normal din radio and - dvd=flip out monitor)

ok- this is what i'm going to do this weekend (i'm going to sound like a nerd right now- but damnit!! i AM a nerd!!!) my aunt brought back my apex dvd player (yes- ;) the illegal one that can rip DVDs) and so I'm going to plug it into the inverter and swap out the RCA cords that run to the playstation and we'll see how good the quality looks. (i almost thought about running this dvd player in my car on a long term basis- but i was afraid that the whole "car moving at 90mph over the bumpy road" thing would throw the laser off it's mark or something rather (come to think of it- it's not much diff than a cd player) so - yeah- that's what i'm going to do...

i will let you all know how it comes out.

and- by the way - if you read this and if you are SICK AND TIRED OF 4X6 SIZED SPEAKERS IN YOUR FRONT DOORS------

GO READ MY POSTING ON HOW TO PUT IN 6.5s IN YOUR DOORS!!!!!!!!!

the secret: A 95-99 CHEVY CAVALIER...


that's right ladies and gentlemen- you can get an adapter plate for a chevy cavalier at your local best buy and mount it in the stock location of your 4x6 speaker mount and trim the door panel a bit (you can't even visually tell that you trimmed it because i'm talking about the side that faces the sheet metal).

ok friends- i'm off to accomplish great things in the world today...

oh- by the way- my car broke the 100,000 mark! WHOOPIEEEEEEEEEEEE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ok - really now... i'm leaving...


now...









now...








now...







i love these forums don't you? :smoker:



-clifford

ok- ust to let you all know what i did- i had a home dvd player and it was doing nothing- just sitting there- so i popped it into my car and watched it today-

NOT BAD...

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

suprisingly the alpine cva 1000 is quite clear and the refresh rate of the pixels keeps up with the action of the movie- i was watching Belly, the movie with DMX-Nas and a few other rappers.

cool film with good cinematography because the director usually directs music videos.

but anyways- yeah- i've got the ghetto hook up DVD system in my car... perhaps later on down the road (about 1 month) i'll pick up a smaller dvd player that's made to run off of the power in the car.

good luck to all of you with screens in the dashes.


:smoker:

-clifford

Go with a PS2, because it uses the same power cords and AV cords that the PS1 uses, so it will be the easiest to install. That and a PS2 is awesome. xBox is really too big for mobile installations, and you need to get a remote to play DVDs on it. With your PS2, you can just play DVDs and use the controller to operate it. Just my opinion. :bloated: