Audiovox VBP-4000 -InchVideo-In-A-Bag-Inch 5.6-Inch LCD TV/DVD Player
By: Audiovox Average Rating: 2.5 Total Reviews: 37
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 On: 2007-08-26
I bought this for the same reason as most people - to entertain the kids on long car rides. I bought my unit and an additional screen, and it was nice to be able to put one screen in the middle row of my minivan and another in the 3rd row. To that end, the unit was perfect - reasonably priced, easy to set up and take apart, and storage in the bag was a snap, fitting the unit, all the necessary cables, the renmote, and both screens.
I use the device very lightly, basically that amounts to 2 times a year, once while driving 2 hours down the shore and a second time driving back home. I have kept it in its bag and never left it in the car in the heat or cold, etc. So basically Ive used it 4 times in 2 years - OK, 5 times if you count once testing it in my house. And now its dead - it powers on, starts a DVD and dies - shutting itself off about 1-2 minutes into the DVD.
I called Audiovox and they are useless, saying the device cannot be repaired, as they no longer stock parts for it. How can you no longer stock parts for an item you made only a couple of years ago.....avoid this piece of junk and I would assume avoid all Audiovox products. If thye dont stock parts as soon as they stop making a product, you cant get it repaired, so if they wont invest in their products, why should you??
On: 2006-07-31
We bought this a couple of years ago for $400+ On our first trip out it gave problems with the picture intermittently washing out where it was barely visible. I remember pulling over on the I-15 freeway to try to fix it. After 15 minutes we gave up, and then all of a sudden it started working correctly again. It was like it needed to heat up or something. Now after not using it much because of the intermittent problem, I tried it again. The picture is still washed out. If the screen was watchable, itd be a great unit. The sound is good. The bag is good. I left it on the front curb for someone to fiddle with.
 On: 2006-02-28
I had purchased this item from Circuit City several years ago for almost $500. We have been pleased with the purchase and made our 11 hour road trips with the kids easier. I always wanted a second monitor and until I found this item, I could never justify the price. This item was shipped new in the display box, looks like it has never been opened. I am using the monitor with my original unit. You cannot beat the price and it works great, easy to use and it arrived way before the due date. Do it!
On: 2004-12-31
I bought this last March for a road trip with the additional screen. I read some questionable reviews but I saw the Eddie Bauer version and bought it. Three days ago I put it in the car for a road trip and what do I hear as I put a DVD to test it....some very funny noises...when the noises stopped the DVD player read NO disc...when the disc came out it was scratched up. I called Audiovox...it only has a 90 day warranty so I have to pay $85 to get it fixed...funny that it is a flat fee...no examination required....
Anyways, all I can say it was not that great of a player from the start. Skip this one and look at another DVD player...maybe even build your own system with screens and a higher quality DVD player.
On: 2004-11-02
have to wiggle and bend power cord to get it to work if your luckyit will work for 5 minutes.have owned for about a year.more frustation than its worth.having to pull over and fix all the time.mine got thrown out the window on i90.next one definatly wont be audiovox..
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-14
My husband and I bought this dvd system over the past weekend and its worth the money (on sale elsewhere for $199.99 though). My son is 2 and watched his movies on the ride to the beach. The screen mounts to headrest and we are looking forward to buying another screen for our younger son (a little too young still). We love the idea that we can play cds in it and can play dvds inside our beach home. We recommend it, for sure. The only draw back is the smaller screen, but hey, you dont want it too big since your child is practically right on top of it anyway while in the car:-)
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-13
I purchased this just before our vacation. It was wonderful. With the option of purchasing the additional monitor, I was able to fulfill all my childerns dreams. My younger children watched movies, while my older child disconnected the additional screen and attached it to his PS2. The versitility was wonderful and provided enough entertainment for our 8 hour drive.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-23
Read all the reviews please! You will find that the reviews that are "glowing" are from new buyers/users. I have yet to find one review on this product that is from a buyer past the 90 warranty that isnt having problems.
I bought this is May 2002 when it was introduced. It worked great the firts couple weeks and then for a trip from FL to TX with 8 kids it was a life saver. After that trip it was stored in a closet for about 2 months. Which was just past the 90 day warranty period. I set it up and inserted a disc and after it tried to load the disc and every disc I tried it said "NO DISC".
I contacted Audiovox and was told for a flat fee of $165 and I pay the shipping they could look at it/repair it. I out it away to deal with later. A year later my son got it out and the darn thing worked. We played part of a dvd and put it away. Now we are about ready to leave for another long TX to FL trip and we set it up again only to get the message "NO DISC" again.
What a waste of my money! This unit is NOT worth the $300+ dollars and then the $165 (plus shipping) = $500.
Its sad because the concept was great and other then the controls being in a bad spot and disc insertion and ejection spot falls where the seat is when hung between seats and the remote doesnt work from the front seat.
Yeah... I warned you... it sucks!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-19
This product is horrible. On its second use the screen began emmitting a thick white smoke and compleatly fried. Thank goodness I was in the back seat with my 2 year old. After calling audiovox, I found out this product only has a 90 day warranty, says alot for the quality if product. (...)Beware!!!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-15
I Hav had this player for a year and a half, And i love it . It works well, and is of an ok quality. it recently had a problem when the eject broke and i couldnt get a rental dvd out. i had purchased an xtended warranty fom circuit city, and they told me that audiovox doesn take broken ones, and i was given a great new one, and it works well, although sometimes the screen just blacks out while using the rca jacks
On: 2004-03-21
If you are looking for compatibility it is here from VCD to CD-RW. However, it is not really portable because it is heavy and need to use AC or DC adapters for it to work. It sounds great and picture is pretty good. I dont like that when you put in wrestling DVDs it is hard to get to the main menu you have to fast-forward it instead of pressing the menu button. If you dont mind these annoyances it is a great product.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-22
I use this product in my Sienna minivan. Even during daylight I can see the picture on the LCD display. When we stay at hotels I can easily hook-up the thing to the hotel TV and my toddler love it. The only drawback is that it is a little bit bulky and if you try to use it behind the drivers seat and a toddler in a toddler seat behind you, you have to move your seat to the front dangerously close to the steering wheel.Yo uso este producto en mi minivan marca Sienna. La pantalla LCD se puede ver aun durante el dia. Cuando nos quedamos en hoteles traigo el producto al cuarto, lo conecto al TV del hotel y tengo un DVD; a mi bebe le encanta. Lo unico malo que le veo al producto es que es un poco grande y si trata de usarlo detras de la butaca del conductor y al frente de un bebe de 25 lbs. o mas en sus sillones de auto, no hay suficiente espacio y tiene que mover su butaca hacia al frente, muy cerca del volante.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-16
We purchased our first unit yesterday from a local circuit city only to find that the screen was defective, 3-4 bright red pixels right in the middle of the viewing area. On exchanging this unit for another today, we could not believe our eyes when we turned this unit on. Clear as day there is a DVD menu burned into the screen, this I can only presume being done by a previous owner of this unit. Both units looked to be factory sealed new boxes, so I can only assume that audiovox just re-ships out its returns?
On doing a google search for issues with this unit, I found this page on amazon. I could not believe what I read from a previous reviewer (An electronics fan from PA United States ), he states that his unit had a burnt in image, that being "Western Hero", this is EXACTLY the problem with the unit I have just purchased as new stock.
So I can only conclude that there is:
a) someone inside audiovox factory burning this image into the screens.
b) I have just purchased the SAME UNIT that the other reviewer returned, despite it being clearly flawed, audiovox just repackaged it and sent it out to retail again, as new stock.Be Warned.. For what little we have seen of this so far, it looks like it could be good, but after reading the reviews here, and seeing first hand their quality control, we just may be returning this unit for good next trip. Two brand new units purchased, two faulty screens.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-05
We bought this product for road trips with our kids. The flexibility of adding and detaching screens was why we chose this product. Our first trip was at night and you could see the screen clearly as long as you were directly in front of it. The screen got very hot as reported in other reviews. The next time we used it was during the day and we could not see the screen clearly. Even if you placed the unit in your lap, it was difficult to make out the images. We tried it out in the house under different light conditions and in all instances the screen was difficult to see. The only time it came out clearly was when played back through our own TV or in darkness. We returned it and opted for the TV/DVD combo unit instead so we would not have to worry about picture quality. This unit was also less expensive.
On: 2003-08-14
We bought the Audiovox DVD in a bag and it was great the first time we used it. It gradually broke down on the next two road trips though. It tends to overheat and then it would just stop playing altogether.
PLUSES: 1)monitor detaches and the unit can accomodate additional monitors, 2) the bag can be mounted in several ways making it very functional. MINUSES - Hardware has an overheating issue after periods of use, cigarette plug adapter problems developed after several uses; unit wouldnt power on without help
On: 2003-07-14
We received this as a gift. We have taken it on several short(3-4 hours) trip and on 2 long trips (24 hours). We never had a problem with our DVD player. It kept 2 kids in the back entertained. When my 18 month old slept, the 6 year old put in the earphones to watch her movies. We have loved it.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-07-07
Just purchased this and it was a lifesaver for a long car ride with a 15-month old. However, there is a faint logo on the screen that reads "Western Hero." When the screen is dark its not visible. This is there no matter what disk we put in. Its driving us crazy--we have no idea what this means. It seems to be permanently imprinted on the screen. We will most likely be returning it since it is flawed.
On: 2003-07-03
Really functional but returned unit because DVD quality lost on poor picture clarity. Too dark in dark scenes and washed out in bright ones, colors in animated movies very dull and tinted. Do not recommend, too much money for poor picture quality.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-06-05
We purchased this unit to make a long move easier. The first time we used it, it only played half the movie and then locked up and would not play any more DVDs. We exchanged it and the next one seemed to work, but half way through our 24 hour car trip, it did the same thing. We returned it and gave up. It would be a great product if only it would work.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-06-03
This is a great piece of equipment. However, if a young child (not thinking) pulls the monitor out while it is playing a movie, the screen dies (not to ever be used again). I heard a pop sound and could smell a buring scent where it had been connected. I looked through the manual several times and nowhere is there a warning that this will ruin your screen. It is also very hard to replace just the screen.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-05-09
this system is awsome we set it up in like 5 min and it worked the first time we used it, the glare is funny but if you put it in the right spot it is fine!!!
by: Anonymous On: 2003-04-23
I was very satisfied with this product within the first couple months of receiving as a gift. I even recommend to others to purchase. After a couple months the machine began to cut off unexpectedly and I assumed that the power had blinked or the children had messed with it. Now, no matter if using in the car or home, the VBP 4000 overheats and cannot complete a single DVD. I have since researched this product and found other similar and same common complaints. The company will not admit to this as being a common problem, but does offer that I can send it in for repair at a cost of 165.00 plus my shipping. Final note, the majority of the problems began at 2 weeks post warranty. If you should decide to purchase this product, PLEASE consider buying the extended warranty from the store.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-04-10
We purchased this product 2 weeks ago from ... Our thinking behind the purchase was to utilize the videos we already own. While the player plays well, its not worth the time or effort. Its extremely heavy and the 5" screen gets hot to the touch about halfway through the first movie. It does not have a battery pack nor can you purchase one separately. In the end we returned it and are now looking for a DVD player.
On: 2003-03-28
I recently purchased one that was inoperable after two days usage. I exchanged it for another one, and it became inoperable just after the 90 day warranty expired.
Based on the other review that was written that noted the same problems, Id consider buying another brand. Sadly, Audiovox seems to have the corner on the market on mobil DVD players. If they continue to have the lions share of the market -- they need to be forced to put out a better product.
On: 2003-02-16
Do not purchase this unit unless you can get an extended service contract. I had to return the one I purchase from Target after two days when it failed to operate. They exchange it with a new one which was used only 40 hours over 6 1/2 months then it failed to operate. The warranty is for only 90 days and to repair the unit and you must send it to Audiovox which charges at a flat rate of $165 (plus shipping) whether its a minor or major repair. Look for a unit with a longer warranty.
On: 2003-01-18
I love this unit. I bought one back in July for my 4 year old for his birthday. At least once a month my son and I travel 4 hours each way to visit relatives and he loves it. I love the fact that he can use headphones and I can listen to the radio and we dont disturb each other. We used it on vacation in the hotel and ive even taken it when he had to go to meetings with me. He can sit and watch Sponge Bob DVD and I get to enjoy my meetings. I love the fact that it can be used in a car but can also be plugged in. Mine was actually stolen out of the car 2 weeks ago. So, tonite i plan on going to Targets to get another one! I cant imagine leaving in the morning for another trip without one! Well worth the cost.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-01-08
I purchased this DVD player in July 2002 and in less than 6 months, and about 10 uses, the monitor died!! The screen is bright white with absoltely no image.
When I contacted the Audiovox customer service dept. they told me to send them $165 and they would be happy to take a look at it...my 90-day warranty had expired...there was nothing they could do.
When I read the other reviews on this site I was shocked to see that others have had the same problem (and other problems) with this product. Since this is a new product (introduced in June 2002)I would think that Audiovox would want to investigate and improve design isses, instead of keeping this junk on the market. BUYER BEWARE!!
On: 2002-12-09
Well, I first have to say that I absolutely LOVE it....it has been all over the country in our car, played hours upon hours. BUT, we bought our first one back in early June, and I am now getting ready to put my fourth one back in the box and return it. The monitor broke on the first two, and these last two kept eating DVDs. They would get stuck in the player and on the way out they would get scratched awfully. Unfortunately Ive lost about 5 DVDs. I like it so much though that I keep exchanging that...this time not so because I just cant afford to lose more movies, Im going to keep looking around for another brand. So keep your reciept and your box for a while just in case...thankfully Target has been great at exchanging them so far.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-04
I bought this predominately for a long trip at Thanksgiving. My two kids used it the whole trip (which was over 30 hours drive time round trip). The only regret I have is that I didnt have a second screen, which I plan to investigate. When it wasnt playing movies, it was playing X-box. It hangs between my front bucket seats perfectly and it is also nice to have in the hotel (assuming the tv has external inputs).
I would reccommend this to anyone traveling with kids, teenage or younger. It can also serve as an extrs DVD player at home. The remote is a nice feature when using at home.
On: 2002-12-01
Loved the concept and was extremely excited to try out for first time. Lots of great features, connectivity, etc. Put first DVD in and could not get brightness to adjust enough to see that Tom Hanks was the star. Then tried Cartoon DVD, Santa Claus is coming to town. Very dissatisfied when could not get picture to come clear. Maybe just a bum unit. But expected alot more for the money. Luckily bought it at Circuit City and will be returning tomorrow. Anyone else with this problem???
On: 2002-11-26
I bought the DVD Video-in-a-bag along with the extra LCD screen (the VBPEX5, the VBPEX56 was not available at that time). This unit is great for taking those long road trips, plus it gives you a DVD player you can use once you arrive at your destination. The only drawback I have found is the size. This is a pretty large unit considering it does not have batteries. You must provide external power from a wall outlet or a car adapter. You can connect up to 3 LCDs to the unit. One connects through the normal connection, the other two through a special cable. Each screen also has stereo speakers and local volume control. You can also use the remote control by pointing it at any of the LCD screens, the remote detector is built into the screen housing. The power for the screens comes through the cable, so you dont need extra power for each screen. The screens are switchable between the DVD player and a set of external A/V connectors for game machines, or anything else that provides a video signal. We put one screen on the back of the seat for the child in the back seat, and the other in the front seat so my wife can monitor and control the DVD with the remote. I will buy the VBPEX56 (a 5.6 in screen, identical to the one that comes eith the unit) next so we have two in the back seat , one for each child.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-11-04
This is a great little system for the money and its very versatile. The LCD monitor is detachable and can be used seperatley from the DVD player.The monitor itself has A/V inputs and headset jack inputs as well as the Dvd player, which has A/V inputs & A/V outputs.We just take our Monitor & Playstation for short trips, which is very compact.The monitor comes with a seperate case to attach to the front seats. The DVD player has various formats, including VCD & MP3. The DVD player can be used on any tv set without the Monitor. Very nice feature.You can add 2 Monitors to this unit as well. We have 3 monitors which is nice for long trips. Those that wish to play a game can play games while others watch a movie. Very well worth the money and you can do all of this for under $1,000.The versatility of the use in vehicle or home is a big plus for your investment.We were hestitant about buying this product because of the reviews about overheating? We have not had any overheating problems with our unit. The only drawback is the screen size, which is 5.6". Wish it were available with a 7" or larger screen.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-09-16
I would have given this item 4 and a half stars if it didnt break in 2 and a half months. The DVD player wouldnt accept the DVDs into the slot and when it did, the DVD wouldnt register, telling you to insert the movie.... The kids really loved it and it had a nice picture, but you had to adjust the screen a lot due to sunlight. Its really too bad, they have a good idea. It needs some fine tuning.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-08-30
I used it on a 12+ hr. trip and did not experience any overheating problems. Volume was a little on the low side, it was hard to hear up front sometimes.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-08-30
This thing is a lifesaver for long trips, especially with kids. We bought one recently and it worked flawlessly the entire trip. the picture is great and so is the sound.
On: 2002-07-20
I bought the DVD in a bag to take on long trips. I like the fact that it came with all the cables, a case and also a remote. I used it both in the house on AC and in the car on DC. The unit worked fine both times. In the car I used it for close to four hours without a problem. The screen is a little small and does require adjusting but it is removable and can be hand held. At present time Im happy with it and it has done what I expected to do.
On: 2002-07-05
This product has many good features and options. It has a detachable screen. It can be powered by DC in home or in your car. But it has no battery alone option. The screen has to be adjusted to the proper angle vertically for horizontial viewing angles. Thus, a person standing and a person sitting can not both get a good screen. The biggest problem is that the unit overheats in the bag and will not restart on a new DVD until it has cooled for an hour or more. This is a major problem with kids on a road trip (the reason we bought it ). There must be better choices.
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