UUronL

Yeah, but not unprecedented. I remember the older connector - there was some conflicting/bad info that got floated about that as well.

Sans

Agreed on all counts. I'm more fearful now, however, that the Bluetooth solution is nowhere near ready and won't be as cool as I'd hoped. If it took BMW/Apple this long to program the hardwire version and they ended up with the "CD1 means this and CD2 means that" methodology, the BT version will be additionally complicated. Sound quality alone has been rumored to be challenging through bluetooth.

Bummer.

netjazz

I would never give up my CD changer for the convenience of my Ipod. Can't compare the sound from an Ipod to that of a well recorded CD in the changer when listening on the premium sound system.
I find there is a very big difference in sound on my home component system when comparing the two, and I am sure that will be true in the car also.
I guess a lot depends on the type of music you listen to and how critical your ear is.
Convenience and variety versus better fidelity. An individual choice. If it is true BMW is going to force this trade-off on us, it's not a good situation.
I PASS.

Hopco

Let me speculate (and hope) a bit about Woodcliff Lake's cryptic announcement.


Quoting Woodcliff:

• "The new Interface will also allow users to incorporate their iPods directly into their car's sound system, but with the newly available capability to sort their music according to their own playlists, as well as by artist, album, genre, podcast, and finally, a random selection of 500 songs from the user library. Artist, album, and song title will appear in the Display Monitor.
  
  A promise for a complete a set of choices: song, playlist, or album ? selected through the BMW control system ? i.e. the steering wheel buttons and the iDrive. No we won't get a click wheel.
  
  
• "It will enable audiophiles to bring their entire music collections with them, plug directly and effortlessly into a superior sound system while maintaining uncompromised control over their driving experience.
  
  "effortlessly into a superior sound system" ? Could this mean the interface plugs into the CD slot in the glove box?
  
  Yes, that would back out the CD changer option ? but even if the changer cold read and play MP3 files, which it cannot in its present form, those 6 MP3 CDs would hold only 4.2 GB of music files vs. up to 60 GB on an iPod.
  
  I certainly prefer the iPod or a hard drive to MP3 CDs. In fact, I held off buying the CD changer for my 530xiT (March 2006 delivery) hoping that BMW would soon offer an iPod interface. Was I clairvoyant or just lucky?
  
  Sound quality ? I have ripped my CDs @ 320 kbps ? not the Apple iTunes standard of 128 kbps ? so the files take up a lot more room. They should deliver CD or better quality and hard drives are cheap.
  
  But then my 66 year old ears are down in treble ? and my music preference runs to classical, opera a folk. I have found the MP3 CDs that I have played on my single CD player to be more than adequate quality in a none to hospitable audio environment ? I95 at 55mph.
  
  
• 'The seamless integration of iPod makes it effortless for drivers to control their music through their existing audio system and the multifunction steering wheel. The new BMW Interface for iPod enables drivers to easily access their entire music library, shuffle songs, skip between tracks and adjust volume -- all of this with no loss of sound quality or driving control.
  
  Let's hope so ? I did see that the http://www.ipodyourbmw.com website was jointly sponsored by BMW and Apple. This could mean that they shared code to achieve such a seamless interface. Of course they may share royalties or profits as well.
  
  
• "Since the new Interface is compatible with SIRIUS satellite radio as well as the recently introduced HD Radio, owners will be able to enjoy a broad selection of high fidelity broadcast music sources as well.
  
  While we may lose the option for a CD changer ? we can still buy the $500 SIRIUS or HD radios.
  
  
• "The new BMW Interface for iPod will be available for owners of the new BMW 3 Series Sedans and Sports Wagons as well as the 5, 6, and 7 Series. It will also be available for the new M5 Sedan and M6 Coupe.
  
  Yeah! It should work in the E60/E61!
  
  
• "Features and operation may vary depending on vehicle model and option content.
  
  Uh Oh! ? Some of us won't get all the features!
  
  
• "The original BMW iPod Adapter will continue to be available for 2002 and later BMW models: X3, X5, Z4, and previous generation 3 Series."
  
  Sorry about that: you E46/E35/E83/E85 owners ? the new interface is not for you.

My order is in!

I don't know where that leaves Dension and Dice:: I for one prefer an OEM interface to the complex MOST bus vs. a third party interface. BMW, et. al., know the codes - can one have confidence a third party system will have at worst a benign impact.

jdubbs

Honestly, pretty disappointed now that I've seen the video... using CD1, 2, 3 to browse by playlist, artist, album, etc. is janky. I expected more... an iPod menu heading similar to/replacing "Aux", with a dedicated menu hierarchy, not a bastardization of the CDC. I am hoping the Denison/MOST solution comes closer to this ideal. Requiring me to bring my iPod with me for every trip would be a drag (given the sacrifice of my CDC), unless I decided to dedicate a separate iPod to the car, which I guess I could do... but still, that's another few hundred out of my wallet. If it kills Sirius too, there's no way I would go this route, even though I think Sirius' sound quality sucks balls.

EBMCS03

Ok I just watched the video demonistration... I dont want it. thats a very hokey way to "seamlessly intergrate" the iPod. ARGH... so I'll still be stuck in the stone age... 6 disc Audio CD changer... not even a MP3 campatible single slot CD... *sigh*

EBMCS03

Wait... do you guys think you might only lose the CDC when the iPod is plugged in? and not permently?

lasseblund

I'll never go that Ipod way if I have to rip out my CD-changer. It would be plain stupid to sacrifise sound quality for this cheap cannibalistic integration!

cobradav

I wonder if it could be like what I BELIEVE I see Denison about to do. From the words and the cable/hardware shown for the Gateway 500 (and maybe 400 too), it appears that their system will plug into the CDC slot, the MOST bus, and their controller. The black colored interface device also plugs into the controller electronics box. You keep your CDC and the controls provide a switch selection between the CDC or your input device, thereby giving you a choice of sources and not eliminating anything. BMWs system description is not as clear so I am unsure at this point what, if any, audio sources are lost. Again, I do not need to rush into anything and I can afford to wait untili the rubber hits the road and see what real owner/users experience.

UUronL

That sounds marginally better, but I'm not crazy about a switch or switch box. That smacks of 80s cable TV.

While I'm underwhelmed by the new interface, I guess I see why something like it needs to exist. The power, audio, and control channels exist in all BMWs (they're all wired for the changer I believe). This hits the largest number of vehicles and makes it possible to deploy in a very widespread manner. It does have the unfortunate side effect of the CD naming artifacts and a 6 category limitation.

Bluetooth doesn't hit enough cars -or- iPods for it to be a big hit -yet-. That doesn't mean though that it shouldn't be added soon. I'm not talking about passing audio - that is/can be very problematic, especially when the phone handset is in use. The switching back and forth might be very hard to get right. The iPod -should- need power, so why not hardwire sound as well. What I have supported for a while now is a solution that would simply pass the control information via bluetooth, via a profile called AVRCP - Audio Video Remote Control Profile. This would allow the screen updates on the iPod - things like song name, menu visuals, etc to be passed to the iDrive screen. It would also permit the control input from the car's various buttons, dials, and wheels to be sent to the iPod to manipulate and select items. This requires almost no bandwidth, and if BMW scopes it to only iPods, there only needs to be R&D, coding, and support for one platform. Shouldn't be rocket science.