kapusta

Here's the total TV nirvana - Live digital TV - King 5 News from Seattle on 3 screens:


Here's iPod integration:


Here's the glove box where the TV tuner can connect via the A/V wires and a USB hard drive or stick can connect via USB:


List of components:

• E60 Multimedia Interface ($350 - http://cgi.ebay.com/BMW-E60-E61-E63-E70-E71-E90-Navi-Multimedia-interface_W0QQitemZ170280549291QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCar_Video_Navigation). It comes with 3 A/V inputs, rear camera input, Navigation screen video output, 2 headrest video outputs, audio output. There is currently a group buy going on as well for this product organized by member brabusw209amg
• WD TV HD Media Player (~$90 at various on-line stores). It comes with 2 USB inputs. Has standard A/V output (in addition to HDMI which we won't use) and can play back any media file from 1080p HD videos through MP3 music, iPod videos, NTSC and PAL DVD rips, blu-ray rips etc. The unit runs directly on 12V.
• Free digital TV tuner - use your U.S. government issued $40 coupon to get yourself a free digital TV tuner. (Free after the coupon from various on-line sources) You will need to add a small and cheap (~$10) 12V to 120V converter to power it. The tuner will convert all HD stations to SD video
• Spec.Dock ashtray iPod mount ($149 - http://stores.homestead.com/2point5/-strse...0V2I/Detail.bok
• 2 headrest monitors (~$100 each) I got mine along with their holders on eBay - I wanted them to be quickly removable hence the holders, see them removed on the picture at the end of this post.
• PAC IR-X infrared IR repeater (~$30 at various online sources)

Here's the WD player being installed behind the glove box above the fuse box:


The install is long but straight forward:

• put both the multimedia interface and the WD media player along with the PAC IR repeater above the fuse box. Do not put anything in front of the air bag. The IR sensor I mounted out of sight on the side wall inside the air vent tunnel.
• attach the spec.dock USB cable to one of the WD USB inputs. use a USB extension cord between the other USB input on the WD and your glove box.
• attach the WD to A/V input 1 on the interface
• run A/V wires from the interface's A/V input 2 to the glove box. You can then put your free TV tuner or any other temporary A/V source in the glove box.
• run A/V wires from the interface's A/V input 3 to the rear console so that kids can connect their game console there. Run the two headrest video wires there as well:
• connect everything and you're done.

ShadeZeRO

Not a fan of the screens, I prefer the in-headrest ones.

But Props on the wiring, and concept work.
Great job!

oh, is that the new iDrive (CIC) in front?

kapusta

No that's the WD media player interface. My car is a 2006 model

ShadeZeRO

I noticed it didn't take up the whole screen.

Do video's play 3/4 screen as well?

kapusta

You have a choice with the interface to either play in 16:9 format or take the full screen. The screen is wider than 16:9, so if you choose the full screen your videos will be distorted.

ssibaroma

did you hardwire the WD media player as well? How are you supplying the power to it?

kapusta

yes, above the fuse box, next to the interface as in the pictures above
it uses 12V, so I just cut the wires of it's external power supply and tapped the lines going to the cigarette lighter plug below the glove box - see the two red arrows: