Written by James Fohl

Portable DVD players are great for a wide variety of reasons. Topping the list of why portable DVD players are so great is the fact that you can strap one onto the back seat of your car and entertain your children for hours without the old "Are we there yet? / I'm bored!" syndrome.

The Audio Problem With Portable DVD Players

While portable DVD players have really come into buying perspective for parents in recent years, the units are not without their faults. One of the major faults of almost every portable DVD player on the market today is the super low volume of the built-in speakers. While the picture is of course small too, the sound output of most portable DVD players is simply ridiculous. Almost all of the portable DVD players on the market today also come with a headphone jack, but what happens if you have more than one person who wishes to watch the movie, or worse off nobody in the vehicle has a set of headphones.

The Solution To The Problem

To solve this issue, many companies such as Belkin are now releasing small electronic devices known as wireless FM transmitters. Usually powered by two triple AAA batteries, these devices plug into the headphone jack of any consumer electronic and convert the audio signal into a radio signal that is intercepted by your car's radio.

The end result is the audio from the portable DVD player can now easily be heard by everyone in the vehicle, as it is emanating from all of the vehicle's stereo speakers. It sounds absolutely remarkable, and there were no internal wires that had to be messed with.

FM Transmitters Are Easily Obtainable In Stores Everywhere

Wireless FM transmitters can now easily be found in discount retailers, such as Wal-Mart, as well as electronic shops such as Radio Shack and Best Buy. They usually start out around twenty dollars for a very basic unit that only allows you to move a switch to select one of four stations you wish the transmitter to broadcast. More expensive units, starting around the thirty to forty dollar range give the user a LCD (liquid crystal display) to select settings, such as a specific radio station, or strength of the signal. For users who just want to have their portable DVD player's audio broadcasting through their vehicle's speakers, the basic twenty dollar model will do just well.

The wireless FM transmitters usually transmit on FM stations around 860 - 890, and will usually overtake a radio station unless the radio station has a very powerful signal. The transmitter also only transmits a few feet beyond your vehicle, so don't be too concerned about frustrating other motorists because they want to listen to the morning talks how, and you are transmitting the audio from Beauty and the Beast to them.

These Devices Are Great, But They Eat Batteries For Lunch

Wireless FM transmitters can save your family from a lot of headaches. They work absolutely wonderfully, but if you ever find the signal to be distorted, or simply not there, just replace the batteries; these devices tend to eat battery power pretty quick.