[Got f1?]

Anyone know how to get the iPod to shuffle tracks through the integrated unit? I have pressed the shuffle button on th head unit, but is does not suffle the tracks.

[JSpira]

There is a pop up menu when you select a track which includes play etc.

Two options are random directory and random all. They do the same thing.

They will pick a random track.

[Got f1?]

What pop up menu are you talking about? I have a non iDrive car. I initially select CDC as source then disc 1-6 (iPod folders i guess) then a track starts playing. I see a random soft ket which I press and it randomly selects a song. However, when I select the next track, it goes to the next one in order not at random.

Also, where is the menu to sort by song or artist like tou can do on the iPod?

Thanks!

[SpanX]

This is a flaw I have found in the integrated unit - I have the idrive so im not a help at all for your solution - but for me the unit WILL NOT "shuffle". It will pick 1 random song and then continue on in order of the playlist. If someone has a solution for this I would love to hear it.

To be honest, aside from sound quality, integration with my idrive, and not having to have the ipod and cables out in the open - I have not been impressed with the integrated unit. There is no such thing as shuffle, and shifting through playlists is slow.

Hopefully they will have updates or something down the road that will be a little more impressive to make up for the expense.

[Got f1?]

Glad to know I am not nuts or an idiot. Thanks.

[rlc]

Originally Posted by SpanX

This is a flaw I have found in the integrated unit - I have the idrive so im not a help at all for your solution - but for me the unit WILL NOT "shuffle". It will pick 1 random song and then continue on in order of the playlist. If someone has a solution for this I would love to hear it.

Behavior of the RANDOM function is well documented, both on this site and in the owner's manual.

When random is active songs will be selected Randomly. If you are playing a song and then hit the RANDOM soft key the system will randomly select a song immediately and play it. If you select NEXT track the next SEQUENTIAL track will play and if you do nothing else the following track will once again be randomly selected. I understand that this is not the norm for most audio systems these days, and it is a flaw in the design of the stereo, but that is the way it works in our BMWs.

Also, this problem is not with the iPod adapter - it is with the stereo control unit. If you play a CD or MP3 CD random operates the same way during playback of those formats.

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by Got f1?

What pop up menu are you talking about? I have a non iDrive car. I initially select CDC as source then disc 1-6 (iPod folders i guess) then a track starts playing. I see a random soft ket which I press and it randomly selects a song. However, when I select the next track, it goes to the next one in order not at random.

Also, where is the menu to sort by song or artist like tou can do on the iPod?

Thanks!

Hello fellow ohioian! Where about are you? Anyways I too do not have iDrive and personally think the iPod integration is a load of junk. Too many features suck about to make it useful. The people with iDrive see a lot more on their screen and have better use to search, but us people w/o it are just left up shits creek w/o a paddle. Searching by artist is practically worthless. Why? Well it starts at 1 or A and has no jump by alphabet, so that leaves you to have to turn the far right dial for nearly an eternity to get the D, then the kicker is the system only loads 225 artists so unless you have hardly any music on the ipod you won't get to the lower artists. Playlists seem to be the only way to go, but if thats the case then whats the use? You're left cutting out a big chunk of music on the ipod which is the point of bringing the ipod along in the first place.

Recently I've found myself using my AUX monster cable more unless the iPod is about to die and it needs a charge. I feel the AUX cable sounds just as good, as long as you spent the money on a nice AUX cable. For MAYBE the slight increase in sounds quality the iPod interface is not worth it. Which makes me glad I only paid $200 installed. But you know what I say to the difference in sounds quality between the 2,

1. You download shit quality music.
2. You're using a $4, crap AUX cable. Go spend some $$(We all know you got it, if you didn't you wouldn't be driving a E9X)and get a monster cable.
3. Learn how to adjust the sound settings on your logic7 or standard radio system.
4. Get your ears checked!

Neither sounds that bad, I can go back and forth between the 2 systems and not tell a difference. If you still have a problem then get a hearing aid you old fart!

Until BMW does something the Ipod kit is a waste of money! Do not buy it unless you have iDrive. That is all - rant over.

[tintivilus]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

Searching by artist is practically worthless. Why? Well it starts at 1 or A and has no jump by alphabet, so that leaves you to have to turn the far right dial for nearly an eternity to get the D, then the kicker is the system only loads 225 artists so unless you have hardly any music on the ipod you won't get to the lower artists. Playlists seem to be the only way to go, but if thats the case then whats the use? You're left cutting out a big chunk of music on the ipod which is the point of bringing the ipod along in the first place.

I'm getting the ipod adapter, mostly because I use my iPod differently than you do. I have an 8GB nano and all my CD's ripped in Apple Lossless. This means I get ~15 CD's on the iPod at a time, plus miscellaneous podcasts and whatnot.

My nano's basically a virtual CD changer. Instead of bringing my cartridge inside to shuffle disks like I did on my e34, I bring the nano in and plug it into my PC. Seems like an improvement to me

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by tintivilus

I'm getting the ipod adapter, mostly because I use my iPod differently than you do. I have an 8GB nano and all my CD's ripped in Apple Lossless. This means I get ~15 CD's on the iPod at a time, plus miscellaneous podcasts and whatnot.

My nano's basically a virtual CD changer. Instead of bringing my cartridge inside to shuffle disks like I did on my e34, I bring the nano in and plug it into my PC. Seems like an improvement to me

Oh, don't get me wrong. I have nearly 100 full cd's ripped onto my iPod + all the other random downloaded music. I have a collection of DMB that most people(that like him)would die for. But you get what I'm saying. Either you have to keep things to a minimum(like you) or have everything categorized to the T to use the iPod adapter without any problems.

[Got f1?]

[QUOTE=darkcloud]Hello fellow ohioian! Where about are you?

I'm in the Columbus area. Thanks for the info to all. I will work on the play lists. I also do alot of podcast listening and would rather not deal with controlling the iPod directly when I am driving. Audio quality is a HUGE leap from my old Saab where it was FM modulated.

[Emperor]

Originally Posted by SpanX

This is a flaw I have found in the integrated unit - I have the idrive so im not a help at all for your solution - but for me the unit WILL NOT "shuffle". It will pick 1 random song and then continue on in order of the playlist. If someone has a solution for this I would love to hear it.

To be honest, aside from sound quality, integration with my idrive, and not having to have the ipod and cables out in the open - I have not been impressed with the integrated unit. There is no such thing as shuffle, and shifting through playlists is slow.

Hopefully they will have updates or something down the road that will be a little more impressive to make up for the expense.

I have had the exact same experience with the Random function most of the time. Usually it picks one random song and then continues playing the list from that spot. If I hit Random again, nothing happens.

Sometimes I hit Scan, then Random, and it will shuffle for 2 or 3 songs, before it resumes playing the list. The behavior is very erratic. If I'm in the car long enough, and I keep hitting Scan then Random, eventually it does stay in shuffle mode until I shut the car off.

Frankly, it's pretty disappointing.

[Emperor]

Originally Posted by rlc

Behavior of the RANDOM function is well documented, both on this site and in the owner's manual.

When random is active songs will be selected Randomly. If you are playing a song and then hit the RANDOM soft key the system will randomly select a song immediately and play it. If you select NEXT track the next SEQUENTIAL track will play and if you do nothing else the following track will once again be randomly selected. I understand that this is not the norm for most audio systems these days, and it is a flaw in the design of the stereo, but that is the way it works in our BMWs.

Also, this problem is not with the iPod adapter - it is with the stereo control unit. If you play a CD or MP3 CD random operates the same way during playback of those formats.

You're right- it's documented this way, but it doesn't actually work this way, unless you do a lot of messing around like I mentioned in my post above. Frustrating to say the least.

[rlc]

Originally Posted by Emperor

I have had the exact same experience with the Random function most of the time. Usually it picks one random song and then continues playing the list from that spot. If I hit Random again, nothing happens.

Sometimes I hit Scan, then Random, and it will shuffle for 2 or 3 songs, before it resumes playing the list. The behavior is very erratic. If I'm in the car long enough, and I keep hitting Scan then Random, eventually it does stay in shuffle mode until I shut the car off.

Frankly, it's pretty disappointing.

Originally Posted by Emperor

You're right- it's documented this way, but it doesn't actually work this way, unless you do a lot of messing around like I mentioned in my post above. Frustrating to say the least.

The only time I have seen this type behavior is when I had the 'Shuffle Songs' option in the iPod settings disabled. When the Shuffle Songs is enabled Random works as documented without fail.

I agree that the way Random is set up to operate on our radio is both disappointing and annoying, especially when I go use the aftermarket Alpine deck in my E36 and have none of this crap. Despite the shortcomings I still like the iPod adapter because I don't get distracted trying to control the iPod while I'm driving.

[drude]

I just got the iPod adapter fitted to my non-iDrive e90 and I have to say I'm a little disappointed too. Leaving aside the fact that installation killed my bluetooth (back to the dealer again tomorrow - 6th time in 6 months of ownership) I'm not impressed with the way it handles playlists.

Unless I am being lame there is no way to browse the playlists by name and select one. Instead I get a directory that effectively is one playlist containing all the tracks on all the playlists. I've been using a 4gig iPod so far but it would be a nightmare to browse my 60gig

I listen to a lot of audiobooks so I like the idea of an incoming phone call pausing the iPod. However, since bluetooth no longer works I can't confirm how this feature is. It is nice to change tracks with the steering wheel though, but so far I don't think it was worth the money.

[obLu]

PS. an elegant way around this is to create a smart playlist in itunes that randomizes the tracks. You still get the next song on the playlist when you hit next in the car, but it's not really the next song in an album or artist etc.

Then, next time you sync your ipod just select all in your smart playlist, delete and your smart playlist will automatically repopulate in a new random order.

[rlc]

Originally Posted by drude

I just got the iPod adapter fitted to my non-iDrive e90 and I have to say I'm a little disappointed too. Leaving aside the fact that installation killed my bluetooth (back to the dealer again tomorrow - 6th time in 6 months of ownership) I'm not impressed with the way it handles playlists.

Unless I am being lame there is no way to browse the playlists by name and select one. Instead I get a directory that effectively is one playlist containing all the tracks on all the playlists. I've been using a 4gig iPod so far but it would be a nightmare to browse my 60gig

I listen to a lot of audiobooks so I like the idea of an incoming phone call pausing the iPod. However, since bluetooth no longer works I can't confirm how this feature is. It is nice to change tracks with the steering wheel though, but so far I don't think it was worth the money.

I doubt the iPod adapter killed your BT. More likely the setting got reset during the coding procedure or they updated progman after your install (it did on mine). Have you tried going through all the steps to detect your phone again?

As for the playlist problem - you can see all tracks in any playlist. I'm not sure if you have IDrive but for the non IDrive it's easy to list the files. They will normally display in the order you set them up on your iPod. For instance I usually sort the iPod file by Artist. When I display them in the car they show up in alphabetical order of the track name within each artist. To display your tracks in the playlist/folders hit the soft key for LIST to display tracks. Tracks will display and you can scroll through the list. To select a dfferent folder hit the soft key Up arrow to display folders/playlists and use the right radio knob to scroll and push to select.

[Emperor]

Originally Posted by rlc

The only time I have seen this type behavior is when I had the 'Shuffle Songs' option in the iPod settings disabled. When the Shuffle Songs is enabled Random works as documented without fail.

I agree that the way Random is set up to operate on our radio is both disappointing and annoying, especially when I go use the aftermarket Alpine deck in my E36 and have none of this crap. Despite the shortcomings I still like the iPod adapter because I don't get distracted trying to control the iPod while I'm driving.

Ahh, now that's an interesting bit of info. I'll have to try the shuffle songs setting and see if I get better results. I'm also wondering if it's just that I have so much music on mine. Over 6000 songs- the artist listing on my IDrive screen stops listing artists whose names start with something after the letter R, I think.

[rlc]

Originally Posted by Emperor

Ahh, now that's an interesting bit of info. I'll have to try the shuffle songs setting and see if I get better results. I'm also wondering if it's just that I have so much music on mine. Over 6000 songs- the artist listing on my IDrive screen stops listing artists whose names start with something after the letter R, I think.

I believe the limit on listing is 255 folders (each artist would be a folder) and 500 tracks per folder. If there are more they will still play, they just won't display in a list that exceeds the limit. This is the reason you need to split your files into playlists. For instance, I created 5 playlists to cover all the artists (A-D, E-G, H-L, etc.).

[ALPINE6SPD]

Originally Posted by Emperor

I have had the exact same experience with the Random function most of the time. Usually it picks one random song and then continues playing the list from that spot. If I hit Random again, nothing happens.

Sometimes I hit Scan, then Random, and it will shuffle for 2 or 3 songs, before it resumes playing the list. The behavior is very erratic. If I'm in the car long enough, and I keep hitting Scan then Random, eventually it does stay in shuffle mode until I shut the car off.

Frankly, it's pretty disappointing.

You feel like sending me all of your DMB? It sounds like you have some great stuff.

[MBrown1003]

I got my iPod-interface-equipped E92 last Saturday. First thing I did was connect it up and try to use it.

Sound quality is great.

Usability is AWFUL.

I have around 1,900 songs on my iPod. Shuffling through ANY dimension is impossible -- artists, albums, songs....they all take for-freaking-ever.

The only thing that makes it CLOSE to tolerable is to keep a VERY small number of playlists, and use those. At that, with about 80 songs in the playlist, scrolling thru the list of sings is a misery.

I dunno if the issue is the car, the iPod, or the interface, but I'm HUGELY disappointed in the (lack of) performance.

[Emperor]

Originally Posted by rlc

I believe the limit on listing is 255 folders (each artist would be a folder) and 500 tracks per folder. If there are more they will still play, they just won't display in a list that exceeds the limit. This is the reason you need to split your files into playlists. For instance, I created 5 playlists to cover all the artists (A-D, E-G, H-L, etc.).

I did that too. I'd need a playlist per letter to get even close to managable, and even that would suck for a letter like B, where things are bad just because I have every Black Sabbath album ever. Or A, where I have every ACDC and every Aerosmith album. Ugh. Oh well. Hopefully some future update will improve it.

It's still cool because the sound quality is far superior to the aux in.