Member
If you are against watching video while driving, READ NO FURTHER, MOVE ALONG!
Greetings!
This post is by a computer tech with 20 years experience, who finally bought his first BMW. Of course, awesome car. However, I am very used to watching hundreds of hours of tv shows on a tablet velcro’d to my dash on my old SUV (2003 Ford Escape) as I drive a lot, but that did not work so well in a convertible! (Sun washes out the screen, not much room for a tablet).
And of course, this is all IMHO. I am not affiliated with anyone or any business mentioned in this post.
And of course, correct me if I am wrong. This is intended as a place to share info.
My vehicle is a 2012 328i Convertible with iDrive/Navigation, standard stereo.
Goal #1: To be able to watch videos while I drive, especially tv shows or movies I have seen before, so I don’t have to “watch” the screen, I just glance from time to time while enjoying the audio.
Goal #2: To make a kick-ass DVD of music videos of all my favorite songs, so instead of just listening to music, I can enjoy the music videos while driving.
Goal #3: To share what I have learned so far, and perhaps learn more from others. If you ask me a question, I will try and reply with what I know or have read (with links).
DVDinMotion - Lucie Vernerova - Sales Manager - $170 (or less due to Euro)
Allow DVD playback while driving (verified)
Allow iPhone video playback when used with the iPhone Media Snap In Adapter (unverified)
Disable “Accept” prompt everytime you start vehicle (verified)
Score: 10/10, does what it promises
http://dvdinmotion.com
ConvertXtoDVD Software $50
Burn avi/mkv tv shows/movies
DVD+R (8 hours) or DVD+DL (16 hours)
Can fit 22 half-hour (22min) episodes or 11 one-hour (45min) episodes per DVD+R
Bonus: Can set volume boost level to 100% so DVD playback audio volume is not so much lower than music playback.
Bonus: 5.1 Audio is maintained (AC3).
e.g.: Just made one DVD+DL with the following movies (original source 720p BluRay encodes): Captain America, Fast Five, MI: Ghost Protocol, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Serenity, The Fifth Element, Thor.
e.g: Burned each season of Arrested Development to 1 DVD+R each…C’MON!!!
Score: 10/10, awesome and easy to use software, DVD videos look great on screen
Will post the settings I use at a later date.
http://www.vso-software.fr/products/convert_x_to_dvd
BMW Apple iPhone Media / APPS Version Snap In Adapters ($250)
Score: UNTESTED, not sure it’s worth the money, need more info
http://www.shopbmwusa.com/ProductDet...ProductId=3276
Some forum info (I am so confused!):
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=546371
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=577913
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=532233
Equipment:
* iPod Classic 60 Gb (old wheel type) in the armrest for music, connected to usb with Apple white cable. Album title, Album Art, Playlists working. No video.
* iPhone 4 in pocket over Bluetooth. Music, Pandora, BMW Connected (Internet Radio, Facebook, Twitter) working and can be controlled by steering wheel controls. No video. I do not use BMW Connected.
* I do not have rear screens etc, so I can only post what I know so far.
The story so far:
* Purchased a new 328i Convertible in April 2012 with iDrive/Nav, stock stereo/dvd player.
* Purchased DVDinMotion’s “fix” burned CDR to enable video while driving (works for DVD player and (unconfirmed) iPod Snap-In Media Cradle Adapter ($200+).
* Have not purchased a BMW iPhone Media / Apps Snap In Adapter yet, may never buy one
* I am a download “hoarder”, meaning I download (bittorrent) almost every popular tv show and movie to external hard drives. Therefore, I can burn to DVD+R using ConvertXtoDVD software tons of tv shows and movies. (see examples posted above).
* From what I have read on the forums, when you play video from the iPhone Snap In Adapter, you cannot split-screen the Nav, and if the videos are low resolution, they will not fill up the screen.
* So far, every video I have converted to DVD (using ConvertXtoDVD) has played back with a correct aspect ratio full screen on the center console, and since the screen is not that high in resolution, you can safely fit 8 hours of video on a DVD+R and 16 hours of video on a DVD+DL without losing video quality (besides I don’t watch the screen that closely, I only play TV Shows and Movies I have seen before).
Comments:
* DVD video playback while driving – Success.
* DVD video playback with Navigation split-screen – Success
* Burning avi/mkv files of TV Shows and Movies to DVD+R and DVD+DL – Success
* Playback of Pandora from iPhone 4 over Bluetooth – Success, iDrive control
* Playback of music from iPod Classic over usb in center armrest with Playlist, Album , iDrive control – Success
Final Thoughts:
* If you want to watch videos while you drive and you have a convertible, the DVDinMotion software is worth it.
* If you want to load 8 hours onto a DVD+R instead of 2-3 (regular DVDs), and 16 hours onto a DVD+L, get some DVD converter software (e.g. ConvertXtoDVD). Simple menus, no FBI warnings, etc.
* So easy to jump from iPod music, to iPhone Pandora, to Sirius radio, to DVD video playback
* Is the iPhone Snap-In Adapter worth it?
* Not really integrated with iDrive/Nav (no split screen)
* Some videos do not play full screen (black borders on all four sides)
* Have to snap phone in and out every time you get in/out of the car
* Pandora quits when you exit Pandora mode using cradle
* (correct me if I am wrong! Would be much easier to play all the videos from my iPhone)
That is all for now!
Last edited by trickycdr; 05-04-2012 at 01:11 PM.
Member
Well, I for one am sure glad that I'll be driving nowhere near you.
Member
Haha! Accident free.
Perhaps you have never tried driving with video on, no more distracting than Nav, Twitter, Facebook, etc that a lot of people have enabled. I have 100's of hours of watching Scrubs, Big Bang Theory, Sunny in Philly etc.
For example, I am currently re-watching the tv series Eli Stone, episodes play one after another with no intervention, continue where they left off, and I only have to glance at the screen once in a while (like Nav) since I have seen the show before.
Don't judge until you have tried, it's an awesome way to pass the time when you have a 3 hours each way drive ahead of you...really makes the time fly (I volunteer for a Basset Hound Rescue, and often have to pick up dogs all around the east coast, of course, I use the SUV for that!!!)...
Right now I am going thru my music concerts to make an 8 hour DVD+R, some Linkin Park, some Green Day...
Last edited by trickycdr; 05-03-2012 at 11:03 PM.
Member
Distracted driving is distracted driving. Period. You're accident free partly because other drivers have "compensated" for your shellfish driving habits. Having to "compensate" for driving habits such as yours takes the pleasure out of driving. I have driven extensively in Germany including long trips on the autobahn. Never did I see shellfish, distracted driving such as what to which you ascribe.
Go ahead and install your screen. Just don't be surprised when an other drivers "negatively" react to your driving habits.
Member
Out of my way, I am watching Tv!
1) Clarification, I have enabled the built-in screen of the iNav to play DVD video while driving, no hardware installation required.
See [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_sapeCl6JY"]this video[/ame].
2) So a 30 year accident free driving record is because everyone else is getting out of my way, haha, I wish that were true! That would be awesome, cut my daily commute time in half...(oh and I do love shellfish while I am driving).
3) My next project is to install a gaming console in the car, so I can play Call of Duty while driving...got the bluetooth headset...should be easy...*BOOM* Got the sniper! (I kid, I kid)...
Anyways, this will be my last reply defending watching video while driving. Some people are comfortable and capable with video while driving. Operating the iDrive while driving is a hundred times more distracting, the Navigation system has tons of settings you can adjust while driving.
I would like to hear from those with the iPhone Media Snap-in Adapter in detail about how video playback from the iPhone works on the console screen, e.g:
a) Do the videos go full screen
b) Do they play the correct aspect ratio (or stretch)?
c) Can you split screen NAV and video playback?
d) Do videos continue where you left off on exiting vehicle and returning?
So far, happy with the burned DVD+R's.
Last edited by trickycdr; 05-04-2012 at 01:48 PM.
Member
Please reread my post I wrote that your accident-free driving record is partially due to other drivers having to adjust their driving habits.Originally Posted by trickycdr
Roadrunner
I'm biting my tongue here, but might i recommend if you have a smartphone or a tablet, to download something like "This American Life" app. Hundreds of shows streaming. I use it for long drives, and it makes it go by quite pleasantly, and no video (ok thats all I'm going to say about it).
Member
Constructive information, thanks! Perhaps others will also benefit from your suggestion.
Member
You can do this for free with coding. No need to spend 200 dollars on a DVD! Works in my f01
Member
The DVD in Motion product works great. Does anybody know if you can watch movies stored on an iPhone 4/4s on the car's navigation screen using the BMW snap-in adapter?
I'm sure that's true - but after a little research on coding, I thought it would take many hours of learning what to do, getting the equipment and then hopefully doing it right. I thought paying $150 to have someone do the work for me was a fair deal. Although I do wish that I could do some of the other things that people report can be done with coding.
Last edited by cashman88; 02-22-2013 at 08:42 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Member
I was hoping that you still do or remember a few things about this as I know some time has passed. My goal is to burn a music video DVD that will automatically play the next track and ideally show the video titles in the idrive menu (CIC).
I have went through about 20 dvd's so far, with very limited success. I tried all different combinations using your suggested ConvertXtoDVD Software. It seems like a very capable program though.
Hardware - So far it seems that the only disk that will play is specifically Maxwell DVD-R. Verbatim +or- R wont work nor does some generic brands. It seems that you use +R, correct? Biggest question is have you experienced the same problem (Format Unreadable) using others and most importantly what brand and format works best for you.
Software - Thus far I have only created one DVD that detects and reads but I can not recreate what I did despite many attempts and much frustration. iDrive doesn't seem to be able to use the menu types available from the ConvertXtoDVD sofware. The one success I had was using the large thumbnail menu format (idrive wont allow me to naigate those thumbnail to select them but but I have found a workaround I can live with through the options menu, and by "selecting title" I can make it work but it has only chapter #'s 1-50 but will not utilize the actual titles despite many attempts to modify this in the setting.
Success would be to:
1) Have a repeatable settings configuration and brand / format of DVD disk that iDrive CIC likes where I can convert and burn music video compilations
2) Have the continuous video in sequence, ie. auto play the next track without having to go to options and select from a list each time a track ends
3) Have the titles of the tracks show up in the chapters menu so I'm not blindly trying to remember what track is what number on what disk... BTW FettyWap My Way is 41
4) Bonus would be a menu that actually works in idrive.
If you could help me out in anyway that would be hugely appreciated!!
Member
Now with USB flash drive video playback!
It's April 2016 now, just bought a new 2016 428i xDrive Convertible. Bimmergurus has the unlock DVD and USB Player option, I purchased and installed, so now I can:
Press "1" for DVD - Music Videos play (ConvertXtoDVD 6, drag and drop first video, then use Merge button to add 29 more videos, auto-create chapter marks for merged videos, use Prev/Next to advance to next music video)
Press "2" for iPhone - Switches to iPhone over bluetooth for Pandora or Google Play Music (my entire mp3 collection is uploaded here, at least 50GB)
Press "3" for USB Play, 128gb Flash Drive in center console (can play back mkv, mp4, avi), currently watching Grimm.
Each remembers where they left off last as you switch between media, awesome!
What is great about USB play is I just copy everything straight from pc to flash drive, no converting to DVD or mp4 required as so far everything plays (mkv with AC3/DTS even)...so I only use the DVD player for music videos now...
Also with original AC3/DTS audio + the Harmon Kardon 16 speakers, sounds...amazing.
BMW iPhones Apps are very buggy and gave up on those, keep gettings "Only 1 device can be used at a time" and have to reboot my iPhone...so I just bluetooth stream.
Member
I think the people that are complaining about this don't understand really what's happening here. I've been doing this since the first aftermarket units came out that were capable (My first was an Alpine CVA 1000 that needed a special hack to actually watch movies), never once in the 15 years I've been "watching" movies in the car have I ever had that panic braking moment from almost hitting something because I wasn't watching the road.
The reason for this is very simple, you're not really watching it. It's like you have the TV on in the background and are occasionally glancing at it. It is the exact same thing as glancing at the speedometer or the rear view mirror. If you can honestly say that you never check your speed or mirrors then judge, because it is the same.
The illusion that it provides is nice though, because it does make the time pass.
Member
Hi, I have my mp4 file in USB and can play with idrive but only when stationary, may I know how to unlock it?
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