AngelEyes

hi all,

i found this item on ebay which seems to be very interesting since the price for an ipod interface that you get of a dealer goes through the roof !
so, can anyone tell by pictures if this product is any good, and if it is the only thing i require to have my ipod playing and control it through the Idrive?

here is the link

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/iPOD-Interface-Adaptor-Kit-BMW-3-5-7-8-Z3-Series-Mini_W0QQitemZ330408877732QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Audio_TV_Electronics_In_Car_Entertainment_GPS_In_Car_Audio_Players_PP?hash=item4cede75ea4
one more question, that's not related to the first, i have seen this site: http://www.bmw-maps.co.uk/ and they claim that they give you a dvd that can recognize cameras and more importantly, 7 digits postcode, which is very useful for someone like me who lives in the UK (and is it safe to pay those guys through online payment !?)

i would very much appreciate your help in these two matters

thanks

v_therussian

The iPod interface will not work on an E60. Have you checked the compatibility chart they provide right there in the description?
Unfortunately, there is no cheap way to do this. My advice: go with the Dension 500 unit, so you get more inputs and can play videos from the iPod.

Don't know that particular site for Nav DVDs, but I do have one here in the States that has cameras as one of the points of interest. In this case, it erases some other not very important POI's, so there is a small price you pay. Haven't tried putting postal codes into it - just never needed to, I guess. More importantly, the dvd you can get from the internet for free with a little bit of searching and burn it yourself - save a few quid

AngelEyes

OH !
let me get this right .... if i get the Dension 500 unit then i can play videos on my iDrive and i can control the music and videos through the iDrive control?!
does that mean its better than the actual BMW ipod interface?

thanks for ur reply

v_therussian

Short answer: yes, it is better than the OEM BMW interface.
And yes, you'll be able to control your iPod through the iDrive controller.

Slightly longer answer: there have been some issues reported with it, so do your research before you purchase it - especially, since its not cheap. There are a few threads on this forum - each of them I highly recommend studying before you pull the trigger. However, I know several local members who have it and all swear by it. Of the people I know personally, no one ever had ANY problems with it.

AngelEyes

thanks, i'll do that, i've also been on their website and i tried to find the answer for: does it allow you to play the video of the ipod ON THE iDrive screen? where the navigation shows up !
but i couldn't find the answer there ... i wonder fi you can answer this question with yes or no, because i know i've been very annoying

v_therussian

As far as I know, yes you can.

And its ok, I'm also very annoying

travis

Where do you recommend purchasing the Dension 500 unit? I suppose it would still require a programming appointment with my local dealership?

nigxdoof

You guys can try to get the Dension Gateway 500 from member Fantastic 5 (Joe). He's the one that usually sells it on the forum.

As for playing video, Yes you can play your Ipod on the Idrive screen, but only if you have a few things. You need to buy the AVR unit for the Dension Gateway 500 AND you need to have a video interface on your car. (OEM TV, or some type of video interface to tap into your idrive).

And I also do recommend getting the Dension Gateway 500. I had the OEM Ipod Integration Kit before and the Dension just blows it away. The Dension is so much faster, you can upgrade the firmware, use USB flash drive or Harddrive, Aux input and much more.

Please check out this link I have to compare the two. Its pretty clear cut.

https://5series.net/forums/topic/715...ost__p__801911

BlaSTiWi

As Mike said ... +1 ... No comparison w/ OEM iPod module ...