Touchscreen, iDrive retrofit for E53?

[TerminatorX5]

i did not hear from anybody using the CP600BMW - is that thing too new on the market, or it is not that good after all?

[chas3]

Last time I checked, the maintronic product had a ridiculous price. Most of the people probably go for grom or the dension products.

[TerminatorX5]

As I continue digging around, it seems that there are several possible routes that can be taken here...

1. the simplest route - get the CP600BMW, and basically substitute the SDs for the CDs. This route does not require a monitor or anything else, and only needs CD changer connection. All I-BUS cars in the US sold with pre-wired for a CD Changer, even if not installed. About $350, and if you have original changer, you might be able to offset the cost by selling the old unit.

2. Completely going out of way and getting EVERYTHING there is to get. This route will call for a computer. Obviously, a computer can do the MP3, the video in whatever formats, you can get a DVB-T USB dongles, you can get navigation, skype, wi-fi, even 3g/4g... the list is endless...

This route is most difficult and expensive - I checked current prices for an ITX-form computer on eBay, a machine running UBUNTU (Linux), with 1TB HDD, 2GB RAM, automotive power supply, wi-fi with BT card running about $400-$450 delivered.
Then you need to get an IBUS controller that will feed the video to the monitor upfront and whole bunch of other things - you might end up paying in vicinity of a $1000 for the hardware, plus the labor... However, this will resolve 95% of your multimedia requirements... maybe even 99%... lol...

the debate is still open...

[Virgil]

Another good variant :

YouTube - ‪DVB-T MPEG4 BMW i-BUS MK4 1/4‬‏
YouTube - ‪DVB-T MPEG4 BMW i-BUS MK4 2/4‬‏
YouTube - ‪DVB-T MPEG4 BMW i-BUS MK4 3/4‬‏
YouTube - ‪DVB-T MPEG4 BMW i-BUS MK4 4/4‬‏

for the U.S. market I can replace the DVB-T tuner for ATSC. For Brazil - ISDB-T

[Dubs]

Bump
Anyone got any new info on the probability of running iDrive on an older car?
I'd love my E53 to run it.

Dubs

[nigwhyrito]

I was told not possible for the 06 and below X. is possible for the 07 and up x.
Theres a canadian company that does the retrofit.
They looked over every aspect of idrive for 06.. just not possible.

[TerminatorX5]

That russian site that i mentioned at the beginnig should allow you to do the idrive in an i-Bus car, even as old as 1997 e36. The price is ridiculous - that is why nobody is going for it.

[TerminatorX5]

I just heard, that the russian's guy email is bouncing, even though his site is up... just be careful with that guy, i don't know him, his info just came up in the search...

[nigwhyrito]

Okay let me clarify because maybe we are misunderstanding each other. I read your post and you say Idrive retrofit by russian guy. This is not a true Idrive retrofit. All its doing is expanding on the ibus and existing software using a encoder module and probably the resler interface to emulate the buttons on the face of the bordmonitor. Think of it as 2 usb mice connected to a computer. they both are used to control the pc. When I say Idrive retrofit. I dont mean just the gimic hardware mouse. I meant complete retrofit. hard drive, cic, computer software that the 08 and up runs menus sensor, navigation.
Carputers are cool but very very tedious work. Also I heard all those tv antennas are pretty much crappy in the US market when you start driving. Alot of reviews at MP3car.com. For USA the best way to get television is satelite but that module will run you 1,000 used to 3,000 new KVH tracvision A5 and A7. But you need to have directv then its 5 bucks added on your monthly bill otherwise like 50 bucks. Also all these upgrades where they do the computer to the e53 never show gps. Mainly because 1 of 3 things you either lose your oem gps, 2 you have to rely on computer gps software which at the time was the IGO, Inavigation, google maps, microsoft streets and trips... All were buggy 3. Most of the carputer setups they physically remove the oem monitor and add an another lcd a vga monitor to the housing they have to trim the lcd to make it fit the housing but the new lcd does the holy grail resolution of 800x480 which in the carputer world is perfect for touchscreen apps or for carputers skins and icons.. With carputers dead reckoning gps was not developed to well. meaning the software holds your postion when you lose sat signal. Thats what oem units have that carputers dont. Lets not forget the ocasional frozen screen or the bsod or devices not coming out of standby. I had a car pc in my last car it was freaking awesome when it worked. Maintenance and program updates and patching was always a headache. Heck theres a guys that make front ends (skins) specifically for bmws called ride runner free (formerly road runner) and DFX free to. What I used for tv in my last car was a tethered internet connection to my slingbox at home. that was as best i could do for a clear pcture on the move but there was a buffering issue (4g wasnt out yet) sorry for the long post just trying to get on the same page with you.

[TerminatorX5]

You are correct, that guy in Russia is only moving the knob off the monitor into the console area and has nothing to do with the real CIC and other retrofits.

But I was under impression, that the new cars have the MOST bus and that is not really retrofittable to the older cars (I guess one can rip all the original signal wiring and overhaul with the fiber optic for MOST?), so the CIC and the newer navs and other toys stay in new cars.

The older cars, which are the i-bus cars have been extensively hacked into and there are possible solutions for the "i-Drive" look-alikes as well whole slew of other things.

I have a factory TV module that was working good stationary and just ok while in motion in the US, and a bit better while in central America. I did not have much luck in Russia, as the local intelligence service screwed my car to the point that I am still recovering from some of their butchery - as they planted and then removed their "bugs" they screwed up my rear wiring: the camera is dead, the rear compartment lights are dead, the subwoofer and the rear speakers make noises. So, I did not have a chance to test the TV in Russia, as it was screwed as well.

I looked at the A5 for satellite but I was not going to spend $3K for that (it i had an RV I might have considered).

I am entertaining the carputer idea because i do not know any better, and I was hoping to stir up some motion to hear opinions - and your opinion comes very handy - I will look out for those pitfalls you are talking about. I was not going to lose the OEM screen, but it seems that resolution might not be the best. I was thinking about the CIS-IBUS device that would have taken care of the monitor and the i-bus control.

The jury is still out...

PS. You are in Herndon? I guess we are in general vicinity of each other...