Have you ever been in a situation where you were on your way somewhere and found yourself lost in the middle of nowhere? That could be really daunting, and quite a hopeless situation, particularly for people who have no sense in direction whatsoever.

Thankfully now mobile phones exist so that if you are lost you just need to call someone up that knows how to get to your destination and then ask them for advice. But what if you don't know where you are at that time?

Wouldn't it be a great thing if you find another cool use for your DVD player and cell phone – like helping you get to where you're going using GPS capabilities? A great number of the cell phones and car DVD players now have GPS functionality.

These accessories can pinpoint your exact location and help you get to the destination you want to go as accurately and safely as possible. But which device would be right for you? Let's take a look.

What's Available

The following are some of the most common and easily available GPS, or Global Positioning System, devices that you can access.

• Car DVD Players with GPS Capabilities

Most of the modern aftermarket car DVD players and pre installed Automotive DVD players installed today have some form of Global Positioning Satellite System onboard. Aside from using satellite technology to pinpoint your location, these devices has its core purpose built-in around playing those rare CD's and DVD's that took an eternity to collect.

The device is fed directly to your auto battery eliminating the need to recharge it before you utilize it and is hooked up directly to your car's sound system for superior audio quality. What makes car DVD players with GPS and Picture In Picture functionality even sweeter is that they can perform two functions at once allowing you to multitask no matter where you are.

• Handheld GPS Navigators

These portable gadgets can be snapped on or off from a mounting unit on your dashboard and would require no intricate installation. To make them accessible to people who drive cars the makers have installed FM transmitters giving the driver the ability to make handsfree phone calls just like they would with a car DVD player. Although the biggest feature is its price which is between 30% and 50% less than car DVD systems.

• GPS-Capable Cell Phones

Mobile phones didn't really appear in the GPS equation until 2005 when the FCC said that all mobile phones (smart or otherwise) needed some form of GPS tracking device. This functionality is good for two additional purposes aside from having conversations and sending SMS on your mobile phone. First is that the cellular phone can be used to get driving directions to get you to where you are going, and the second one is to guide services like the fire service, ambulance and police service to get to your exact location should you be the member of a vehicular accident.

Which GPS Device Will Suit You Best?

New and upcoming GPS devices are packed with a wide variety of features that go beyond their intended purpose of giving positional information that it would seem very difficult to choose which device would be right for you. The comparison that follows can provide some insight to help you in this regard.

• Comparing Car DVD Players with Portable GPS Navigators and Cell Phones

People who choose car DVD players with GPS capabilities usually do so for three reasons: its GPS functionality; connectivity to cell phones allowing hands-free calling; and its core function of playing CDs, DVDs and a number of other multimedia files. The LCD screen varies in sizes but a wide number of units come with a 7-inch, 800x400 pixel resolution that provide ample viewing quality for normal use.

Now compare that to a portable GPS navigator with a seven inch screen, you might think you're effectively looking at the same thing but there are slight differences.

GPS navigators can't play CDs or DVDs directly, but they do reproduce converted music and other multimedia loaded into its memory. The sound output may not be as great as DVD players as GPS navigational devices make use of its FM transmitter or Bluetooth functionality to hook up to the car's sound system. The big difference however lies in its superb portability that is not possible with built-in car DVD players. And it goes without saying – the big price difference.

While comparing a car DVD to a smartphone is a pointless exercise there is a lot of merit in comparing portable GPS navigation units to cell phones.

While smartphones may fit easier into pockets or handbags portable GPS units have a larger screen which makes them more convenient while navigating to destinations on the road.

And again portable GPS units usually work out to be much cheaper than smart phones.

Selecting the right form of GPS all boils down to your preference as to what is most important to you. If you are after audio quality and multimedia functionality then car DVD players will suit you well. If its portability and price you want, then decide on portable GPS navigators or even cell phones. The choice is yours.