Love the fact that the CD plays MP3 - BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum

abdulh · 05-24-2005, 11:07 AM

i was reading the manual yesterday and discovered that you can setup folders on the disc and the stereo allows you to browse the folders, open them and then play the songs within. I assumed initially that i would end up with about 100 tracks and i would have to scroll through them all to get to the last few, instead by creating folders it works just like a CD autochanger would.

One question, how much more compressed are the wma files compared to mp3? i know i can get about 7 CD on on a single disc in mp3 format, how many do you reckon i can get if they were wma.

RedStripe · 05-24-2005, 11:13 AM

My experience has been that .wma and .mp3 are just about the same in terms of compression. Obviously you can set at what rate to compress (128k, 192k, etc.), but if you compare a .mp3 and a .wma of the same song at the same compression rate, you will get a very similarly sized file. In general, the .wma will be a little smaller.

voltron1011 · 05-25-2005, 08:39 AM

I doubt that it will play WMA files though..... MP3 is an industry standard while WMA is Microsoft's own standard.

abdulh · 05-25-2005, 10:49 AM

according to the user manual it does play wma files, anyway i have ripped about 13 cd's to mp3 and they will all fit on a single disc, no need for an autochanger then

romeo26 · 05-25-2005, 06:07 PM

do you need to have the idrive to play mp3?

abdulh · 05-25-2005, 06:14 PM

i dont have i-drive and it works on mine

NuovoTech · 05-25-2005, 07:13 PM

Quote:

do you need to have the idrive to play mp3?

No! But if you have the iDrive then you need the CD changer option to play mp3's. IE the single-CD/Radio that's used with iDrive does NOT play mp3's. Strange huh? But this is all in the E90 brochure...

E90Toad · 05-25-2005, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by romeo26

do you need to have the idrive to play mp3?

In fact it is the opposite.

This is from the "features and options" page of bmwusa's web site.

"If vehicle is equipped with BMW navigation system, MP3 capabilities only available with a BMW center-installed six-disc CD changer (accessory)."

1st post, I'm a bit slow.

romeo26 · 05-25-2005, 08:50 PM

okay now iam offically confused.

abdulh · 05-26-2005, 04:46 AM

simple really:

If you go for the standard cheap option you CAN PLAY MP3
If you specify SatNav then you CAN'T PLAY MP3
UNLESS you specify a cd autochanger

Gary · 11-11-2006, 02:48 PM

I have idrive and a single disc CD player, and it plays mp3's just fine. Haven't tried it with folders but have 120 songs on the CD and just scroll thru til I hit the artist i want to listen to (or just go random).

VoyagerDude · 11-11-2006, 04:41 PM

I have iDrive and Nav and have NO cd changer.
My CD drive plays mp3 just fine.
I've yet to try it with the DVD drive. 4 or 8GB of music, mmmmm

I wish both drives were DVD readers, actually I wonder if we can replace the top CD drive with a DVD drive.

"White Chicks" was an awf · 11-11-2006, 11:02 PM

The original post is quite old. Newer software allows the single CD player, idrive or not, to play MP3s.

The DVD slot on my idrive also works.

It doesn't play WMAs, but I heard the changer does. (Why this is true, god only knows.)

NiTeRideRII · 11-17-2006, 02:44 PM

what version of software you guys have? it seems not working for me with iDrive/nav.

cdp1276 · 11-19-2006, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NiTeRideRII

what version of software you guys have? it seems not working for me with iDrive/nav.

This bulletin states what formats will play: http://www.alldata.com/tsb/BMW/11596...6/6527061.html

Second it is a retrofit to software version 20+ that you may need to have done to your CCC to allow MP3 CD Playback per SI B65 30 05. See the attachment on this issue.

RedStripe · 12-07-2006, 02:45 AM

Wow, old post. I can't even believe how much time I spent trying to get mp3 on my '05 e90. Thanks for the summary cdp1276.

needabmer · 12-07-2006, 04:24 PM

ok - i use itunes and i cannot copy those apple files into MP3 format. Only the CD's i have bought previously. Correct? SO FRUSTRATING. I spent 600 bucks on Itunes stuff and they handcuff me!!! HELP!

steveww48 · 12-07-2006, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by needabmer

ok - i use itunes and i cannot copy those apple files into MP3 format. Only the CD's i have bought previously. Correct? SO FRUSTRATING. I spent 600 bucks on Itunes stuff and they handcuff me!!! HELP!

Here's the workaround:
a) Go into iTunes and burn a regular audio CD.
b) Then bring up any of several audio players (e.g., WinAmp, Windows Media Player, etc) or any CD burning software (e.g., Nero, Roxio, etc) and have it rip the audio CD from step (a) to mp3 files on your hard disk.
c) Repeat (a) and (b) until you've converted as many of the iTunes songs as you like.
d) Bring up the CD burning software again and copy the mp3's from your disk to a new CD.

Obviously this is quite clumsy if you have a lot of iTunes music, since in step (a) you'll only be able to get 15 to 20 songs on a CD in regular audio format. So you may need to create a large number of audio CD's. But this definitely works.

MBrown1003 · 01-02-2007, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveww48

Here's the workaround:
a) Go into iTunes and burn a regular audio CD.
b) Then bring up any of several audio players (e.g., WinAmp, Windows Media Player, etc) or any CD burning software (e.g., Nero, Roxio, etc) and have it rip the audio CD from step (a) to mp3 files on your hard disk.
c) Repeat (a) and (b) until you've converted as many of the iTunes songs as you like.
d) Bring up the CD burning software again and copy the mp3's from your disk to a new CD.

Obviously this is quite clumsy if you have a lot of iTunes music, since in step (a) you'll only be able to get 15 to 20 songs on a CD in regular audio format. So you may need to create a large number of audio CD's. But this definitely works.

Thx for the advice. My e92 is due in the US next week (1/8/07), my iPod is due today, and I installed iTunes last night. I was wondering if I'd be able to get iTunes music into the CD player in case I don't want to grab the iPod.

Do I understand correctly that a data DVD with MP3 files on it would also be playable thru the Logic7 system? That would get a LOT of music onto one platter! Do you have to do anything to get the stereo to recognize the DVD drive as an audio source? And does having a data/music DVD in the drive mean that you can't use the nav system?

(My car is a 335i, so Logic7 stereo. I also have nav+iDrive.)

Thanks for the help, everyone!

BK · 01-02-2007, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBrown1003

1 - Do I understand correctly that a data DVD with MP3 files on it would also be playable thru the Logic7 system? That would get a LOT of music onto one platter!

2 - Do you have to do anything to get the stereo to recognize the DVD drive as an audio source?

3 - And does having a data/music DVD in the drive mean that you can't use the nav system?

I added numbers to your questions to make them easier to answer.

1 - Yes. The number of songs is limited, though, to a particular number... maybe 1000? Maybe 500? Something. I forget, but you can try a search.

2 - No.

3 - Yes.

IMO, because you have to remove the nav disk and because you can fit a lot of MP3s on a CD anyway, it's not worth the trouble to use a DVD data disk. But yes, it can be done and the car recognizes the DVD as an audio source.

FirstClass · 01-02-2007, 10:55 AM

Never buy songs from iTunes, its stupid. Restrictive DRM, debatable quality, price similar to a CD. Buy the CD or download it somewhere free.

txusa03 · 01-02-2007, 11:26 AM

Did you also know that my e90 (purchased in May 2005) and has new program 23 can play mp3 file created on cd-RW disc. That means I can erase the disc if I am tire of those 100 songs and add other songs using 1 cd and not have to create 10-20 cd and not know what is in the cd and have too much cd cluttering around.

My only complain with the cd player is that it does not keep my mp3 display setting (track display vs Listing display vs Title display) after I restarted the car. I think that is very easy for bmw programmer to program into the cd player. In the software, just created a display variable and set it to either "track", "listing", or "title" and when you restart the car, have the cd player check for this variable and set the diaplay accordingly. I hope bmw is reading this.

Yes, easier said then done but common, one day worth of programming, testing, and tweaking.

05-24-2005, 11:07 AM	#1
abdulh Private Drives: E90 320iSE Join Date: May 2005 Location: London UK Posts: 49 iTrader: (0)	Love the fact that the CD plays MP3 i was reading the manual yesterday and discovered that you can setup folders on the disc and the stereo allows you to browse the folders, open them and then play the songs within. I assumed initially that i would end up with about 100 tracks and i would have to scroll through them all to get to the last few, instead by creating folders it works just like a CD autochanger would. One question, how much more compressed are the wma files compared to mp3? i know i can get about 7 CD on on a single disc in mp3 format, how many do you reckon i can get if they were wma.
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11-11-2006, 04:41 PM	#12
VoyagerDude First Lieutenant Drives: 07 E90 335i Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Calgary, AB Posts: 207 iTrader: (0)	I have iDrive and Nav and have NO cd changer. My CD drive plays mp3 just fine. I've yet to try it with the DVD drive. 4 or 8GB of music, mmmmm I wish both drives were DVD readers, actually I wonder if we can replace the top CD drive with a DVD drive. __________________ 2007 BMW 335i E90 (got it Oct 27, 2006) manual, sp.graph, limon dakota, sport, premium, navi, bluetooth, alarm, stoneguard, 18" winter m5 reps w/Dunlop 3D 2005 Ducati 749S

12-07-2006, 04:24 PM	#17
needabmer Private First Class Drives: 06 330xi TI/SP/PP/NAV/Blue Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: ONTARIO Posts: 134 iTrader: (0)	MP3 DUMB question ok - i use itunes and i cannot copy those apple files into MP3 format. Only the CD's i have bought previously. Correct? SO FRUSTRATING. I spent 600 bucks on Itunes stuff and they handcuff me!!! HELP!

01-02-2007, 11:26 AM	#22
txusa03 Major General Drives: TS330iPPSP6MT Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 6,614 iTrader: (2)	Did you also know that my e90 (purchased in May 2005) and has new program 23 can play mp3 file created on cd-RW disc. That means I can erase the disc if I am tire of those 100 songs and add other songs using 1 cd and not have to create 10-20 cd and not know what is in the cd and have too much cd cluttering around. My only complain with the cd player is that it does not keep my mp3 display setting (track display vs Listing display vs Title display) after I restarted the car. I think that is very easy for bmw programmer to program into the cd player. In the software, just created a display variable and set it to either "track", "listing", or "title" and when you restart the car, have the cd player check for this variable and set the diaplay accordingly. I hope bmw is reading this. Yes, easier said then done but common, one day worth of programming, testing, and tweaking. __________________ under construction!

05-24-2005, 11:13 AM	#2
RedStripe Captain Drives: 2006 BMW 325i Join Date: May 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 662 iTrader: (1) Garage List 2006 BMW 325i [0.00]	My experience has been that .wma and .mp3 are just about the same in terms of compression. Obviously you can set at what rate to compress (128k, 192k, etc.), but if you compare a .mp3 and a .wma of the same song at the same compression rate, you will get a very similarly sized file. In general, the .wma will be a little smaller.

05-25-2005, 08:39 AM	#3
voltron1011 Colonel Drives: 2011 135i, FJR-1300 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wiesbaden Posts: 2,912 iTrader: (2)	I doubt that it will play WMA files though..... MP3 is an industry standard while WMA is Microsoft's own standard.

05-25-2005, 10:49 AM	#4
abdulh Private Drives: E90 320iSE Join Date: May 2005 Location: London UK Posts: 49 iTrader: (0)	according to the user manual it does play wma files, anyway i have ripped about 13 cd's to mp3 and they will all fit on a single disc, no need for an autochanger then

05-25-2005, 06:07 PM	#5
romeo26 First Lieutenant Drives: e30 325 (no lette) Join Date: May 2005 Location: anaheim, cali Posts: 348 iTrader: (0)	do you need to have the idrive to play mp3?

05-25-2005, 06:14 PM	#6
abdulh Private Drives: E90 320iSE Join Date: May 2005 Location: London UK Posts: 49 iTrader: (0)	i dont have i-drive and it works on mine

05-25-2005, 08:50 PM	#9
romeo26 First Lieutenant Drives: e30 325 (no lette) Join Date: May 2005 Location: anaheim, cali Posts: 348 iTrader: (0)	okay now iam offically confused.

05-26-2005, 04:46 AM	#10
abdulh Private Drives: E90 320iSE Join Date: May 2005 Location: London UK Posts: 49 iTrader: (0)	simple really: If you go for the standard cheap option you CAN PLAY MP3 If you specify SatNav then you CAN'T PLAY MP3 UNLESS you specify a cd autochanger

11-11-2006, 02:48 PM	#11
Gary Private First Class Drives: 2007 Arctic 335I Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Norcal Posts: 61 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 330XI [0.00]	I have idrive and a single disc CD player, and it plays mp3's just fine. Haven't tried it with folders but have 120 songs on the CD and just scroll thru til I hit the artist i want to listen to (or just go random).

11-11-2006, 11:02 PM	#13
"White Chicks" was an awf ul movie Drives: 2006 BMW 325xit Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Northern California, USA Posts: 11 iTrader: (0)	The original post is quite old. Newer software allows the single CD player, idrive or not, to play MP3s. The DVD slot on my idrive also works. It doesn't play WMAs, but I heard the changer does. (Why this is true, god only knows.)

11-17-2006, 02:44 PM	#14
NiTeRideRII New Member Drives: 330i Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: nyc Posts: 3 iTrader: (0)	what version of software you guys have? it seems not working for me with iDrive/nav.

12-07-2006, 02:45 AM	#16
RedStripe Captain Drives: 2006 BMW 325i Join Date: May 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 662 iTrader: (1) Garage List 2006 BMW 325i [0.00]	Wow, old post. I can't even believe how much time I spent trying to get mp3 on my '05 e90. Thanks for the summary cdp1276.