Digital TV on your factory BMW TV tuner/Video module
 

Everyone is worried about what happens to the TV tuner when it goes to digital.

Nothing is going to happen except, you will get better picture, more channels, you WON'T be able to change the channel with the navigation screen "knob" and you will have to make a A/B switch box for the A/V input to the TV tuner.

As for scanning/changing the channels you will have a remote control that comes with the converter box, so just find a place to mount it or just buy a IR eye extender $10 and install someplace in the front of the car, I put mine with the "cabin" sensor for the alarm.

You will need the A/B switcher box if you have a DVD player and etc or you will have to walk around to the trunk to remove and swap the RCA's every time you want to switch between the TV and the DVD player.

The old TV amps and TV antenna's in your car will work now, you will just have to find an adaptor to go from SMB to TV cable plug, not hard to do at all. You may have to buy a "Male SMB plug", a "Male cable plug"
and a little bit of wire to make your own adaptor cable, that's what I did.

You can also buy an aftermarket car TV antenna $20, I'm sure they work, as I have seen them being sold with BMW TV tuner's before on ebay and different BMW board's!!


Go to DTV2009.gov and apply for the 2 $40 rebates and then go to Walmart or etc and buy your box, it's about $12 out of your pocket.

Hope this clears up a few things!!

Note the above post refers to ATSC in the USA
 

For DVB-T systems as used in the rest of the world, options are:

1. OEM BMW DVB-T "hybrid" TV tuner. Good for DVB-T MPEG2, but won't work with MPEG4

2. After-market system, connected in a similar manner to what 740iL describes, although cost will vary hugely country by country.

Sorry forgot to add that...

The good thing is USA is offering rebate checks $40 X 2 :)

Hello 740iL,

Thanks for the information.

Could you plese post some photos?

Trying to get a few pictures up, will get to that soon.

I drive an e38, so it's a lot different then the X5, but all the same navigation parts.

The setup is kind of cool, I just need to wait till 2/2009!!

Don't forget or dismiss the other input option:

You can always use the RF modulator in the digital receiver to create a UHF TV channel containing the digital TV signal.

In a similar way, you can add extra cameras or other devices, all operating on separate modulated UHF channels. They become mini TV transmitters.

That way you can put say a front camera in the car, and instead of cabling the video signal, use the RF modulator.

Likewise, when towing a trailer, fit an RF modulating camera on the back of the trailer.

I am interested in which converter box (model and size) and where 740iL mounted his converter box and IR eye.

Has anyone else in the US attempted this type of modification?

Thanks,
dmoney98

I mounted mine in the trunk and put the IR on the cabin "Roof" alarm sensor...

Can't find my camera to take a few pictures...

Search Walmart, Kmart, Target, Sears, SamsClub, Bestbuy and CurcuitCity.com and search for "Converter Box", I bought the cheap one from Walmart it was the smallest!

Passive is both analog and digital signals, so this is the one you want, but then again we can recieve analog signals on our TV tuner.

What type/size inverter did you use?

Hello 740iL,

Have you found your camera?

:stickpoke

Thanks,
dmoney98

How many channels do you get??

http://www.ezdigitaltv.com/Digital_TV_Stations.html

Hello 740iL,

We are still looking for pictures of you set up.

:banghead:

Thanks,
dmoney98

Hey Lyon, which converter did you use??

converter = "receiver" or "tuner"

Jochen, you are getting technical on me, LOL. The digital television converter or better known as the "ATSC Digital TV Tuner".

Yeah, just me being pedantic. Do you call your existing TV receiver a "converter" ? After all, it also converts the transmission into picture and sound.

I assumed you meant a voltage converter , ie. 110v-12v :cool:

I fitted a 12v one............

Brand name or model No. of digital to analog unit is what I meant to ask lyonsden.

Thanks for a LOT of help from Jochen, and only a small bit of help from me, J A M E S on e38 bimmerboard.com has tested out the digital TV system on his 750iL. See his posts there. He has tried 2 different units, one 12 volt and one 9 volt. We put together a cable so the car antenna could be used. It runs through the video module AV input. Jochen made it all work! The car is in the LA area.

Still waiting for some pictures...

Well it didn't work once the car started to get going. Signal broke up. It seems that mobile applications need a diversity tuner like those used in the European BMW hybrid video module. Unfortunately the screwed up US system so far has no one making a diversity tuner for the ATSC system. The European system is DVB-T and has diversity tuners that work fine.

Well it didn't work once the car started to get going. Signal broke up. It seems that mobile applications need a diversity tuner like those used in the European BMW hybrid video module. Unfortunately the screwed up US system so far has no one making a diversity tuner for the ATSC system. The European system is DVB-T and has diversity tuners that work fine.

I found this part when searching for a tv module for my e53 "65 50 0 397 393 analog/digital TV" anyone know if this will receive digital channels in USA?

BMW only make analogue/digital TV tuners for the European DVB-T digital TV standard, which is not used in the USA

BMW do not make any digital TV tuners for the American ATSC digital TV standard, and are unlikely to, as they normally do not offer TV in the USA as an option.

Additionally, the E53 vehicles, and the architecture they are built on, is being phased out of production and I don't believe any more development will occur.

If you really want digital TV; use an after-market tuner and connect it to the analogue AV-In or use an RF-modulator.

I still have not heard of or found any digital diversity tuner for the US system.
It may be some time before anyone comes up with one. The US company, Microtune, has no plan that I know of to make a tuner chip for the US although they do make the chip used in the BMW Euro hybrid video module. I am pissed that the US came out with the ATSC system as I have already lost one of my main channels.

I saw a hybrid tuner for sale on eBay.... guess it wont work in USA

Nope. Wasted money. Get the analogue if you want tv for a couple more months.

factory antenna connection to digital tuner
 

hi
i bought a twin mini connector to single f connector to connect original e38 740i ac schnitzer factory aerials to non oem digital tuner but get no signal at all. i read somewhere that some sort of blocker has to be fitted to get it working any help would be greatly appreciated thanks

I think this is what you want. Go to Google and put in "F connector dc blocker". Are you in Ohio or UK? I found one at the local electronics parts store.

Truly the only solution for tv in the car is a satelite dish if your in the USA. If you have an X5 and your in the US get a tracvision A5 or A7. Its directtv in the car low profile and mounts to your roof rack. I rode in a jeep cherokee with it and I'm sold. Im saving up for one. New models cost $3000, used can be had for like $1,000 on fleabay but you have to also pay for directv monthly. If you already have direct tv than it an additional 5 bucks a month. Its worth it if you want clear tv channels while doing 70mph.

Factory tv antenna
 

Hi all
I'm wondering when using factory antennas does antenna amplifier need to be connected to analogue tuner to power it as well as being t'ed to digital tuner for reception. Also where it's t'ed I guess I need dc blocker to stop digital tuner drawing power from antenna amplifier thanks

I'm running an Erisin 777A in my X5, which is Android based and tethers perfectly fine to my phone for Pandora, Netflix, Crackle, Hulu, etc etc...spending $1000 on a used antenna and then paying for DirecTV would really on be justified if someone took that many roadtrips, but for around town, my system works just fine.

They do make an Erisin 778 for the EU marker that has the DTV-b whatever that is needed...lucky bastards :)