Thread: Help with new project with multiple LCDs

Heya, Well I’ve spent the good part of week reading this forum and I picked up quite a bit as far as CarPCs are concerned. I build most of my own systems so I’m no stranger to a PC, and if I had to just put the CarPC in I don’t think it would be much of an issue.

But here’s my current situation. Last December a local audio shop installed a DVD player and 2 6.5” Kenwood LZ-6500W LCDs into the head rests of our ’05 Tahoe. The LCDs in back use an RCA out from the DVD player to a distribution block which I’m guessing came with the Kenwood or was supplied by the installer. From that block there is a single cable to each monitor. They ran the sound through an FM modulator into the stock head unit and also put wireless headsets so when the kids get older they can use those while my wife and I can listen to the piece and quiet.

They did a great job on the install, but the DVD player is having a lot of problems playing home made DVD’s it will do it but you have to eject the damn think about 4 time, blow the dust off, wipe it on your pants and then maybe it will play. All the while I have 2 kids screaming for Elmo or the Wiggles. They placed the DVD player under the back seat behind the driver so its pretty easy to get to for the passenger.

Well 6 month of this has shown me a few things.

1. Rarely are there 2 people in the car when the kids want to watch a DVD. So it makes the drivers life hell to change them.
2. Once you get the DVD loaded navigating the menus is a *****, the kids aren’t old enough to do this so we have to.
3. When you get in the car the DVD they want to watch is always in the house DVD player.

When I approached my wife with the CarPC idea, its her car after all, she was up for it, but she veto’d the idea of a screen to replace the stock head unit. So here’s my plan. I want to put a touch screen LCD up front in the console somewhere, probably in the cubby hole between the console and the dash. I’ve measured I can get a 8”LCD in there easily. (I know I’ll have to fabricate up something for this, I’ve never done something like that before, but I’m reading the fabrication forum and have a good idea of what I need to do. I’m sure I’ll have a ton of question on it when I start in on that.) This LCD in turn will connect to a CarPC. I want to use the CarPC for DVDs playback to the 2 LCD monitors in the back and still be able to use the TS LCD up front for GPS.

Here’s my gray area, From the CarPC I just use the VGA out for the front LCD and a TV out for the rear LCDs? If so I just need to find a MB that has a VGA out and TV out, that it? Such as one from Via, the M10000 for instance.

Assuming this is the case. Is there a way navigate the menus from the DVD on the front LCD?

Thanks in advance.

Matt