[bsd107]

The new iDrive coming on the LCI E90 is using an in-dash combo DVD/CD drive. From what I understand it can not only play CD-Audio discs, but also DVD-ROMs that have MP3 files on them. (It possibly may be able to play ACC and WMA files of CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs.)

Hopefully this new in-dash CD/DVD drive will support CD-Text for CD-Audio discs.

[I don't want to start debate about CD's vs iPod/MP3-Players/USB-Storage. Personally, while I am a fan of the 6FL and new 6NF options, and will get them, I still like the idea of the 6-disc CD-changer in the trunk. Sometimes it's easier than having to rip music, and I prefer the sound quality over lossy-compressed MP3/ACC/WMA files.]

Does anyone know if BMW will offer a new in-trunk 6-disc CD/DVD Changer to go along with the new E90 LCI iDrive?

I'd love to have this option IF it had:
- CD-Text support
- ability to play CD-ROM & DVD-ROMs with MP3/ACC/WMA audio files on them

Even better would be if it was available as a Port-Installed option (to save on installation costs), like the Alarm now is.....

[I've seen in a different thread that the current trunk CD-Changer does not support CD-Text, despite the fact that the current (2008) in-dash CD-drive does support CD-Text.....]

[cstavaru]

I don't think the new in-dash CD/DVD suppors playing music off DVD discs, the DVDs can only be used for navigation maps. If DVDs could be used for playing music it would appear in the press release or in the explanation of the feature on the BMW German web site.

[Xiaofeng]

Actually, the current pre-LCI E9xs with iDrive can already play DVD audio. If you take out the Navteq DVD and put in a DVD with MP3s, it will play just fine. The only problem is that the navigation won't work.

The new LCI navigation system is hard drive based, so the navigation data is read off the HDD. You can also rip music into the HDD, which would help eliminate the need for CDs altogether. With the DVD drive free though, I don't see why you couldn't use it to play DVD audio, as it already works with the current generation of iDrive.

[nyc_dude]

The pre-LCI 3 Series had a CD Drive and a DVD Drive for Navigation, so there were two slots in the dash. The new LCI 3 Series with iDrive 2.0 eliminates the DVD Player since the Navigation info is all on a Hard Drive. Not sure if the CD Drive is now a CD/DVD Player, but I doubt it.

My CA laughed at me when I asked about a 6-CD Changer for the trunk. Very 1994...

$900 for a BMW 6-CD Changer installed. The car is pre-wired for the CD Changer.
You can buy several iPods for that money. Maybe go for Sirrius Sat Radio for $595.

You might be able to rip higher bit rate MP3s instead of lossless audio to the iDrive 2.0 HD or play them on a iPod.

Oh plus Logic 7 is now a $875 option...there went your CD-Changer for $900.

Cheers,

[bsd107]

Originally Posted by cstavaru

I don't think the new in-dash CD/DVD suppors playing music off DVD discs, the DVDs can only be used for navigation maps. If DVDs could be used for playing music it would appear in the press release or in the explanation of the feature on the BMW German web site.

Yes, it's the only optical disc drive in the car. And it's described in the original press release on the new iDrive as having all these functions (I'm not making them up).

[bsd107]

Originally Posted by Xiaofeng

Actually, the current pre-LCI E9xs with iDrive can already play DVD audio. If you take out the Navteq DVD and put in a DVD with MP3s, it will play just fine. The only problem is that the navigation won't work.

The new LCI navigation system is hard drive based, so the navigation data is read off the HDD. You can also rip music into the HDD, which would help eliminate the need for CDs altogether. With the DVD drive free though, I don't see why you couldn't use it to play DVD audio, as it already works with the current generation of iDrive.

When you say "DVD audio", do you mean actual discs in the official "DVD-Audio" format (i.e. the competitor to Super Audio CD)? Or do you mean only DVD-ROM discs with MP3 files on them?

[bsd107]

Originally Posted by nyc_dude

The pre-LCI 3 Series had a CD Drive and a DVD Drive for Navigation, so there were two slots in the dash. The new LCI 3 Series with iDrive 2.0 eliminates the DVD Player since the Navigation info is all on a Hard Drive. Not sure if the CD Drive is now a CD/DVD Player, but I doubt it.

My CA laughed at me when I asked about a 6-CD Changer for the trunk. Very 1994...

$900 for a BMW 6-CD Changer installed. The car is pre-wired for the CD Changer.
You can buy several iPods for that money. Maybe go for Sirrius Sat Radio for $595.

You might be able to rip higher bit rate MP3s instead of lossless audio to the iDrive 2.0 HD or play them on a iPod.

Oh plus Logic 7 is now a $875 option...there went your CD-Changer for $900.

Cheers,

Yes, it is a fact that the new single disc drive in the LCI E90 is a DVD-ROM drive. This is stated in the intial release of information on the new iDrive by BMW.

I would have liked to have been there when your CA told you that. I would have smaked him up-side the head, first with my iPod Nano and then with my iPhone. I don't need to be educated about the existence of portable audio players - I know all about them (and will be getting both 6FL and 6NF). The real reason he was laughing was that you had just put him in the uncomfortable position of justifying the outrageous cost charged by most dealers for this option....

You do make a good point (and I had thought about the same myself) about the cost of the CD Changer being more than multiple iPods. But there are still advantages to a real CD Changer (sound quality being one of them) if it had certain features (described above).

Unfortunately the new iDrive is a joke in terms of it's ability to store music. It will ONLY rip CD-Audio discs in WMA 128kbps format. IMHO, the sound quality at that bit rate is laughable. Part of the reason this is the case is, no doubt, that there is only 12GB space available for ripped or downloaded music.

The iDrive needs a much bigger hard drive, and also needs to support some lossless audio codecs, which it doesn't.

Sirrus Radio is also good to have (as is HD Radio), but both are like poor quality MP3 (in sound quality and also in actual bitrate)....

Let's not start talking price justification of the CD Changer - that's a dangerous game for any option on a BMW (we don't buy these cars for price!). As I stated in my post, I was trying to avoid a debate about CD's vs iPods vs USB devices, etc., and sticking to specifics about the current (and new, if there will be a new one) CD Changer and in-dash drive. (Admittedly I've now contributed to that debate...)

Thanks

[Xiaofeng]

Originally Posted by bsd107

When you say "DVD audio", do you mean actual discs in the official "DVD-Audio" format (i.e. the competitor to Super Audio CD)? Or do you mean only DVD-ROM discs with MP3 files on them?

No, not the "official" DVD-Audio format (that I know of, at least - never tried), but just a DVD-ROM disc with a bunch of MP3, WMA, etc. files on it. 4.7GB of music on a single disc.

[The New Guy]

Whooah so you guys are telling me that the BMW 3 series does not come with an IN DASH 6 disc changer???

This blows!!

[Staszek]

Originally Posted by bsd107

Yes, it's the only optical disc drive in the car. And it's described in the original press release on the new iDrive as having all these functions (I'm not making them up).

L7 is an option now? On the 335 to? That sucks glad mine was standard

[WDW1Fanatic]

Originally Posted by Staszek

L7 is an option now? On the 335 to? That sucks glad mine was standard

Yes on '09 335i's.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by bsd107

Part of the reason this is the case is, no doubt, that there is only 12GB space available for ripped or downloaded music.

The iDrive needs a much bigger hard drive, and also needs to support some lossless audio codecs, which it doesn't.

The mystery for me is that the new iDrive HDD is reported to have a capacity of 80GB... but only 12GB for music. What's up with that?

Is the whole world map data in there?

[bsd107]

Originally Posted by Xiaofeng

No, not the "official" DVD-Audio format (that I know of, at least - never tried), but just a DVD-ROM disc with a bunch of MP3, WMA, etc. files on it. 4.7GB of music on a single disc.

Thanks. Since you've played WMA files on the drive, have you checked to see whether the drive will play files in "Windows Media Lossless" format on a DVD-ROM disc? This is an official Microsoft variant of WMA, but many WMA-compatible devices don't support it.

Playing Apple Lossless Codec files would be even more convenient, but I'd take ANY lossless codec at this point: I.e. Apple Lossless, Windows Media Lossless, or even FLAC....

[bsd107]

Originally Posted by Technic

The mystery for me is that the new iDrive HDD is reported to have a capacity of 80GB... but only 12GB for music. What's up with that?

Is the whole world map data in there?

Don't know, but they originally were quoting 8GB for music - they have since increased to 12GB. I doubt they have a whole world map data in there.

It's also been confirmed that the 3-series will NOT be getting the on-hard-disc manual that the 7-series will have, so that can't explain it, either....

One thing it WILL have is a CD-database - i.e. like those online databases that identify a CD-Audio disc when you load them into your computer, PS3, etc. It will have a copy of this on the hard drive, to identify CD-Audio discs that you stick in the in-dash drive (I wonder if this will also be supported on the trunk changer?).

[Technic]

Originally Posted by bsd107

Don't know, but they originally were quoting 8GB for music - they have since increased to 12GB. I doubt they have a whole world map data in there.

It's also been confirmed that the 3-series will NOT be getting the on-hard-disc manual that the 7-series will have, so that can't explain it, either....

One thing it WILL have is a CD-database - i.e. like those online databases that identify a CD-Audio disc when you load them into your computer, PS3, etc. It will have a copy of this on the hard drive, to identify CD-Audio discs that you stick in the in-dash drive (I wonder if this will also be supported on the trunk changer?).

I was joking...

[Xiaofeng]

Originally Posted by bsd107

Thanks. Since you've played WMA files on the drive, have you checked to see whether the drive will play files in "Windows Media Lossless" format on a DVD-ROM disc? This is an official Microsoft variant of WMA, but many WMA-compatible devices don't support it.

Playing Apple Lossless Codec files would be even more convenient, but I'd take ANY lossless codec at this point: I.e. Apple Lossless, Windows Media Lossless, or even FLAC....

I'm not sure about WMA Lossless, as I don't have anything encoded in that. I remember reading some threads where people were trying that on their cars, and it seemed to work, but I think they were using the 6FL USB port, not the CD/DVD drives. I suppose it might be worth a shot though. Couldn't hurt, except maybe having an extra coaster if you didn't use a *-RW disc.

[apw2607]

Originally Posted by bsd107

Unfortunately the new iDrive is a joke in terms of it's ability to store music. It will ONLY rip CD-Audio discs in WMA 128kbps format. IMHO, the sound quality at that bit rate is laughable. Part of the reason this is the case is, no doubt, that there is only 12GB space available for ripped or downloaded music.

Thanks

There are several ways now to get music onto the hard drive.

Certainly you can rip them, as you mention

You can also copy music files from a data CD or DVD from the indash drive to the BMW hard drive. MP3, WMA and AAC are all supported.

In addition, the new system also has an additional USB port (found in the glovebox) which is used to copy music to and from the BMW hard drive. This USB port has nothing to do with the existing 6FL usb port found in current cars.

So many different options to get music onto the hard drive. The biggest short coming however seems to be the size of the hard drive in the car. 8GB or 12GB will fill up very fast for many people I'm sure. MY 2010 will probably see larger hard drives and we'll be forever in that cycle with larger drives coming each year I'm sure.

[bsd107]

Originally Posted by apw2607

You can also copy music files from a data CD or DVD from the indash drive to the BMW hard drive. MP3, WMA and AAC are all supported.

So many different options to get music onto the hard drive. The biggest short coming however seems to be the size of the hard drive in the car. 8GB or 12GB will fill up very fast for many people I'm sure. MY 2010 will probably see larger hard drives and we'll be forever in that cycle with larger drives coming each year I'm sure.

Yes, I've seen all that - but again my main issue is the fact the no support of lossless codecs is mentioned. Actually, they don't mention which bitrates are supported for any of the formats (other than mentioning that the car only rips into WMA 128kbps). Some devides don't support the latest VBR WMA formats, for example.

I agree that at 12GB, there isn't a whole lot of storage available anyway. But, personally I'd prefer to have the lossless codec option and take the hit on space. I've been doing that with my 1st Gen Nano for years.

I'm hoping that maybe they can add lossless support in future firmware updates for the MY09 LCI iDrive hardware....

Thanks