Television Option (pictures for Rudy)
Well maybe for 05 MY. Nice car DD.
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From: US (Bay Area/So Cal) and Europe (UK + Germany)
Teletext in PAL and SECAM regions is basically the same to decode. The bigger problem now is digital terrestiral TV coming on line has killed alot of teletext services and they have move to digital text.
Doctor Diesel... curious if BMW will down the road have to force a digital decoder anyway as what is, 2010 or 2015? or so when some stations may not have to provide the analog feed?
Doctor Diesel... curious if BMW will down the road have to force a digital decoder anyway as what is, 2010 or 2015? or so when some stations may not have to provide the analog feed?
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Scotland
Does anyone know where the aux input for video goes? It would be nice to connect a rear-view camera or portable DVD player to it (until the software shows up to let the nav-drive play dvd's
Seems all the info on the net covers older nav and tv systems such as those in the E39 and current X5 etc.
Seems all the info on the net covers older nav and tv systems such as those in the E39 and current X5 etc.
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Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Connecticut USA
I have been researching this for some time and have been told that for the 3's and 7's, if you put in the standard bmw tuner, the system will recognize it. Nav-tv, Nav-with-tv, and NavonTv all offer these solutions here in the states. You can also just purchase the module yourself and put it in.
For the 5, it is a different situation. I have been told that the tv has now been outlawed in Germany for all models other than the 7, and if you put the tv tuner module into a new 5, the idrive will not recognize it. I can't confirm this, except to say that all of the american suppliers of these systems have told me the same thing.
Doctor Diesel, however, seems to have the tv option in his 5, so maybe for uk spec cars it will work. I inquired directly about the 545i, not the 530 or other 5's but the information I was told was that all new 5's will not be able to recognize the module.
If this is true, there are potentially other solutions. What I'm planning on doing is to put a switched harness behind the nav screen and connect up a video module/tuner directly to this harness. I'll have to mount a phisical switch (or ir switch) somewhere to change between the nav/idrive and tv/dvd display, but at least it will work. The bad thing is that I will not be able to change the channels or inputs from the steering wheel. This will have to be done with a remote.
As far as audio, that is a different matter. Right now, most of the guys are using fm modulators to get the audio into the system, but the sound quality is not that good. My dealer informed me that the aux-input for the new 5 series will be available within 1 month. That would put the audio directly into the system on the analog side before the digital processing, and you would be able to switch it. This seems like a much wiser solution.
If any of you guys here in the states have actually put in a system on the nav screen in a 2004 5 series, I'd like to hear about how you did it.
For the 5, it is a different situation. I have been told that the tv has now been outlawed in Germany for all models other than the 7, and if you put the tv tuner module into a new 5, the idrive will not recognize it. I can't confirm this, except to say that all of the american suppliers of these systems have told me the same thing.
Doctor Diesel, however, seems to have the tv option in his 5, so maybe for uk spec cars it will work. I inquired directly about the 545i, not the 530 or other 5's but the information I was told was that all new 5's will not be able to recognize the module.
If this is true, there are potentially other solutions. What I'm planning on doing is to put a switched harness behind the nav screen and connect up a video module/tuner directly to this harness. I'll have to mount a phisical switch (or ir switch) somewhere to change between the nav/idrive and tv/dvd display, but at least it will work. The bad thing is that I will not be able to change the channels or inputs from the steering wheel. This will have to be done with a remote.
As far as audio, that is a different matter. Right now, most of the guys are using fm modulators to get the audio into the system, but the sound quality is not that good. My dealer informed me that the aux-input for the new 5 series will be available within 1 month. That would put the audio directly into the system on the analog side before the digital processing, and you would be able to switch it. This seems like a much wiser solution.
If any of you guys here in the states have actually put in a system on the nav screen in a 2004 5 series, I'd like to hear about how you did it.
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Pittsburgh, PA USA
My Ride: G30 M550i
Model Year: 2018
I don't know for sure but installing the "A/B" switch for the display, which is a good idea, might generate a fault condition on the car when switched away from displaying iDrive.
If that's true, the fault most likely won't go away once switched back. Many of these faults can only be cleared by a dealer. (Like the airbag fault that many have experienced while trying to dim the passenger airbag warning light.)
If that's true, the fault most likely won't go away once switched back. Many of these faults can only be cleared by a dealer. (Like the airbag fault that many have experienced while trying to dim the passenger airbag warning light.)