Help/Advice needed - ICE for Minibus!!!

[michaeldavies]

Hi all,

I'd just about given up and then came across this site. I need some help/advice. Really don't know much about this stuff other than the stuff you can get in Argos etc...

I work for a Youth organisation and we are getting a new Minibus... yes thats right a Ford Minibus and I we want to get a decent entertainment system in to it for the kids.

First we were thinking about head rest mounted things but they will just get broken so thought about coaches with big screens and dvd players. I need some help in where to go to look at prices or get it fitted...basically everything!

We are an engineering bunch of staff and if it means fitting it ourselves then fine.

Some other things i am interested in is possible divX HD players so we could put the films on to that and play.

Any help/pointers/advice...anything would be great.

Thanks in advance

Michael

[paul_mcneil]

You're probably better off visiting a couple of local car hifi specialists as theres lots to consider.

How many screens do you want, what size should they be? where should they be fitted? (consider sitting in each seat and trying to watch, not forgetting the front seat passengers)

Same with speakers, how many? what size? where?

The amount of speakers then determines if you'll need seperate amplifiers to power some of them or if the four channels of a head unit would suffice.

Also, do you want the system in the back and front to be able to work independently? i.e. would you want the radio on for the driver whilst the passengers watch a film? This may mean you want two head units, e.g a head unit for the rear that can play dvds, this way you wouldn't need a separate dvd player and maybe an amp as the head unit could do it all.

Once you've worked all this out you can get into a wiring diagram, deciding cable lengths, any switching boxes or video signal boosters required.

This is all without knowing the size of the minibus or the budget.

Hope this helps