Either a USB stick or a DVD player may play movies in a BMW. You must enable the USB Video player or Video & Services in Motion options in order to watch movies in your BMW.
The phone that is connected to your BMW iDrive will determine what happens. In order to mirror YouTube material on the screen of your BMW, you must activate Android screen mirroring on your Android smartphone. Add BimmerTech’s CarPlay MMI Prime for iPhones and access the YouTube app directly from your iDrive display.
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Though I haven’t tested it much,.mkv does function. I believe it will read the majority of common types. The best approach to learn is to give it a try.
Almost any DVD burning program will do. Find a LifeHacker article about this. The original file type won’t matter because the files are recorded to the disc using the DVD standard type.
Nothing that I’ve encountered hasn’t worked. Download handbrake, a free video converting program, if you’re worried. Read up on its usage. The resolution on Tech Pkg I Drive is 1280×480, I think.
Hmm, I believe I coded this when I coded everything else. So what movie file formats can I play from a USB stick?
Almost every video file type can be enabled by a variety of codings. Until you discover anything that doesn’t function and then you provide a response to your query, I would worry less about what doesn’t work. Nothing that doesn’t work yet has been discovered by me.
One issue I’ve found is that if your files are too big (too high bit-rate or too “high-def”), it appears that the playback software either chokes or there is a bottleneck at the USB connection (I’m not sure if it’s USB 1.1/2.0).
Just to be clear, my current 325i does not have idrive, but my next vehicle will.
I’m confident that someone could find a solution if they tried really, very, really hard. Hell, the iPhone was compromised!
However, you can show video on the screen. For this, BMW sells a TV tuner. However, I’m rather confident that it would be in PAL-16 format (Europe) and not NTSC (US).
I would first get a tuner and capture the control messages that are sent between the tuner and the navigation system if I were to try to accomplish this. After that, I would create a device that connects to the navigation system and transforms the DVD format to PAL-16 and audio. The DVD player would then have a y-cable that can switch between the nav or the box. The navigation system would mistakenly believe it was speaking with a TV tuner, making it difficult to control the DVD player. But I’m not going to try this.
Only the navigation disc can be played on the stock DVD drive; otherwise, MP3s can be burned to a DVD and played from that drive. A DVD cannot be played on it.
That functionality is present in Europe, but due to government constraints, it is disabled in the US. One intriguing fact: I’ve heard you can play mp3 files through the radio by inserting a dvd with them in it into the navigation disk.
This is untrue; you can use the navigation system to watch a DVD, simply not while the car is in motion. I completed it last week. Also, cars from 2009 and after can be programmed to let you see it while driving.
You’re responding to a query about a navigation system that is no longer produced that is FIVE YEARS OLD. Since this topic was posed in 2007 the older CCC iDrive has been replaced with the more recent CIC iDrive.
HOW IT OPERATES:
VIDEO PLAYBACK ON USB:
Using our most recent software, watch movies or your preferred downloaded music videos right on your screen.
Software for USB video playback. Similar software to that shown in the video in motion can be used to enable this capability. The vehicle can play the majority of popular video formats, including MP4, AVI, MKV, MPG, and others, up to full HD definition. Up to 256 GB USB sticks passed our thorough testing and were functional. It is not advised at all because different hard drives may operate differently due to power consumption.
The audio player and video are both found in the same menu, and they function fairly similarly. The automobile will have USB video function enabled once you’ve used our USB Video Playback program, and you should be able to view a submenu labeled “video” as seen above.
Can I watch movies on the screen in my car?
All you need to do to view movies on your car’s screen is connect your phone or USB stick to the vehicle using a USB cable. You may either utilize the built-in apps on the head unit or mirror your screen using the phone.
How can I watch Netflix on the screen in my BMW?
You can’t share and watch your favorite shows with your friends and family in the car since the screen on your phone is too small. The amazing thing about BMW is that you can use screen mirroring to stream Netflix from your Android or iPhone into the iDrive screen. BMW screen mirroring is an easy idea to understand.
With this technology, you may mirror the material on the screen of your phone on the iDrive display and stream audio through the vehicle’s speakers.
If you combine the screen mirroring module with your mobile device, you may instantly access your favorite apps, like Netflix to play a movie for your passengers. However, screen mirroring is only possible when the automobile is parked.
The steps are as follows for setting the screen mirror:
- Visit the car’s communication area.
- Decide on “Mobile Devices.”
- Tap or click “New Device” in the right section.
- Once you tap it, you’ll see a “Screen Mirroring” option; select that.
- Enter your phone after you’ve finished that. Turn on “Smart View” by slidding down on the taskbar. You can perform a screen mirror using this.
- When it detects BMW, you will see it on your phone and can tap it.
- Tap “Yes” to approve the connection on the car’s screen. Give it some time to click.
- Your phone will now appear on the screen precisely as it is, indicating that you are now connected. Only your phone may be used to control it; not your iDrive display. Finally, you may select Netflix on your phone, and it will start playing on the screen in your car.
The YouTube video embedded below demonstrates how to screen mirror Netflix in your BMW.
Can I use my car’s screen to stream Netflix?
To play Netflix content in your car without downloading third-party apps, you can alternatively use MMB, or multimedia box, devices. Connect the MMB gadget to the car audio for this. After doing so, the MMB gadget will become compatible with CarPlay, and you can use it now.
On CarPlay, are movies available?
The same apps you’d receive with CarPlay built in are still available with a BMW Apple CarPlay retrofit if you drive an older vehicle. There is simply a hardware installation required.
The CarPlay MMI Prime retrofit from BimmerTech for BMW links to the iDrive system and the original dashboard screen in your vehicle. It combines Apple CarPlay and iOS screen mirroring into one convenient bundle that’s useful for both getting the most recent directions and mirroring other iOS content. On CarPlay MMI Prime, you can play videos, indeed!
It also features Android Auto support, so everyone will be able to cast content from their phones if your friends and family are Android users.
Nearly all BMWs from the last few generations that don’t have native compatibility for Apple CarPlay are still compatible with CarPlay MMI Prime. There is no reason not to use CarPlay if you have been waiting to do so (along with a few Apple CarPlay video hacks).
How can I download apps to my BMW?
Learn in this video how to use your My BMW App to download and install a Remote Software Upgrade. The process is as follows:
1. Your My BMW App notifies you via a push notice when a new software update is accessible for your BMW.
2. To save money and time, we advise using Wi-Fi to download the software upgrade.
3. In the mobile devices menu of your BMW, check your connections and pair your phone with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
4. To connect to Wi-Fi, select “New device,” “Internet, apps,” and then use your smartphone to scan the QR code.
5. As you drive, the upgrade is now uploaded to your BMW.
Follow the installation instructions on the Central Information Display once the upload is finished.
Anytime the connection between your smartphone and your car is re-established and the engine is running, the upload procedure will immediately resume. Please see the installation process in our other How-To video.
Can my BMW reflect my iPhone?
Another trustworthy technique for integrating the screens in your car with iPhones is CarPlay. It enables iPhone users to access apps like maps, iMessage, audiobooks, and many more on their iPhones and display their screens on the navigation screen of their BMW. Simply adhere to the instructions below to utilize this tool to screen mirror an iPhone to a BMW.
- Activate Siri and start your BMW. Next, use a lightning wire to connect your iPhone to your vehicle.
- Tap CarPlay on the navigation screen of your BMW.
- Then your BMW will be mirroring and connected to your iPhone.
My BMW app is it free?
The My BMW app is available for free download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and works with both iOS and Android devices. It serves as a new, universal interface with the car, giving information on the status of the vehicle whenever needed.
Do I have screen mirroring on my BMW?
For vehicles made after July 2016 and equipped with the NBT Evo ID5 / ID6 iDrive system, BMW has officially enabled the screen mirroring functionality for Android phones. Since then, MGU head units have had access to it as an OEM feature. However, neither the iDrive system version nor the screen mirroring capability are necessarily determined by the year of manufacturing, thus it’s vital to check it with other methods of verification. Decoding your VIN on our website is one way to go about it.