One of the more popular internal things people are adding to cars these days is a car DVD player. If you've ever been plagued by bored passengers (especially kids) you'll probably understand why.

If you're planning to take off on a long road trip to visit family you're certainly going to need something to keep the kids entertained. Anyone with a family is surely familiar with the 'are we there yet?' mantra coming from the back seat on long journeys. A car DVD player can be a great way to keep them engrossed on even the longest trips.

Basically, there are two types of DVD player that can be used in a car: portable systems and in-dash systems. Portable systems have the benefit of convenience (and they're cheaper too). You can take them out of the car and use them in other places. In terms of power for them, they can usually be plugged into the car's 12 volt dashboard-mounted power adaptor so you won't have to remember to bring plenty of batteries.

The sleeker, more stylish option is the in-dash car DVD player that is an integral part of the car's built-in entertainment system which will usually be able to play CDs and have a radio option too. The screen for this type of system will either be in the center console, will descend from the roof or will flip up from the dashboard.

The screens which are situated in the car's center console or which flip up from the dashboard can also double as GPS navigation system displays but, as I'm sure you can imagine, they can be distracting for the driver - how many of us can sit in a room when the TV's on and not look at it? The downside of the screens that descend from the car roof is that they can normally only be viewed by back seat passengers leaving front seat passengers looking for some other form of amusement.

As with all relatively new technology, you can expect car DVD players to get smaller, lighter and cheaper as time goes on. At the present time, the portable DVD would be the unit of choice with most families but expect this to change as more manufacturers have plans to include in-car DVD players as at least optional extras in their up-market cars.

The only problem you may encounter if you install a DVD player in your car is that no one will want to drive, they'll all be sitting on the back seat enjoying a movie.