Problems with MP3/Audiotext

[Oscarguitar]

Hi,
First post but I have been viewing since November 05 since I got my X, this is a great forum with really good articles. I have upgraded to Xenons and my amp (Genisis Profile 4 and passive crossovers) using advice picked up here.
I have a CDC which will play MP3s from the discs I have created from itunes. The headunit, (with NAV) has a checkbox in the info screen for audiotext which I can check. However I cannot get the ID3 tags to display. I have tried using different versions of the tags 1.x, 2.x and 3.x as the article in bimmernav suggests but I cannot get the track names to show.
The (UK) car was build in Aug 05, before the 09/05 cut off, but since audiotext is an option I should be able to view the details on screen, can anybody help?

Thanks,

Oscar.

[RichardP1]

If you have the AudioText option then you have the correct radio and the CD Changer is sending the ID3 data to the radio (the radio then relays it to the Nav computer which displays it on the screen). If the radio does not send the ID3 info messages then the AudioText option is not there.

There is only one possibility I can think of, your Nav software is not late enough to support the new text screen. The text display mode was added in V24, although no one knew what it was at the time. Which Nav software version do you have (Settings menu top right, it should be 4-1/40 or higher)?

[Oscarguitar]

Thanks for the reply.

The software version is SW 4-1/50 so it should work OK.

So the ID3 tags are getting to the head unit. The head unit can work with ID3. The display has the software to show the track info but it doesn't show up! It might be time to visit the dealer. Problem is I probably know more about this by now than they will! Still it is all still under warranty so it is worth a try unless you have any other ideas.

Is it possible to get a commercial MP3 disc that is known to work in this set up? I'm still suspicious of the discs I have produced other than the fact that the audiotext option comes up.

Thanks again

Oscar

[RichardP1]

with 4-1/50 (v25) its worth upgrading to v27. Although the Nav computer understands the type of display required to show the text, it may not know what to do with it. Try the update, you may find it then works.

[apw2607]

Burning Mp3 disks from iTunes even with the default tag settings (v2.3 I think), works everytime for me !

If you goto the "SEL" screen, is the radio able to navigate across directories/folders on your MP3 disk ?

Tip: Prior to burning your MP3 tracks to a CD in iTunes, if you order by Album name, iTunes will create seperate folders per album on your Mp3 CD. Ideal to use the directory search capability on the BMW radio.

[Oscarguitar]

Richard,

Thanks for the further reply. How do I get the software upgraded. Will the dealer do this or is there some other route.

apw,
Thanks again. I don't seem to be able to select across folders, I have to tab through every track, which with 188 can divert you attention from the road.

Finally, spoke to local audio shop yesterday about putting in a stealth sub. Recommended a custom box (His guy is a UK competition winner) with Diamond D3 driver and Genisis Profile Sub Amplifier. This is to compliment a Genisis Profile 4 amp with pasive drivers connected to the original speakers. Any comments?

Thanks for your help here.

Oscar

[RichardP1]

Originally Posted by Oscarguitar

Richard,

Originally Posted by Oscarguitar

Thanks for the further reply. How do I get the software upgraded. Will the dealer do this or is there some other route.

You can either get your dealer to do it, they may charge you - but it's only a 5 min job so they shouldn’t! Or you can do it yourself by downloading the software from here http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/all-bmw/navigation/9483-bmw-navigation-operating-system.html use Nero, or whatever CD burning software you have (use a slow burn speed on a good quality CD), to create a CD, then insert the CD into the Nav computer instead of the map DVD. The software will update and prompt you to enter the map disk again, job done! There is a 'small' risk with doing it yourself, if the software CD is not burnt correctly it may fail half way through, or if you turn the ignition off while it updates, but this is pretty unlikely.

[Oscarguitar]

Thanks for the advice again. I got the dealer to do the upgrade foc, since the X was in having a PDC sensor changed under warranty. I've got 4-1/71 now and the perspective view for the Nav is brilliant, and the arrival time and all the other Nav bits work great.

Unfortunately I still can't see the ID3 tages on the screen. Possibly I don't have the right hardware, but the fact that I get Audiotext as an option in the INFO screen would indicate that the CDC is sending the info and the unit is picking it up so it should work. I'll try burning another disc sometime to see if that makes a difference, but if you have any further advice please let me know.

apw2607, I can navigate across the folders, I just wasn't using the controls properly, dooh!

Oscar.

[RichardP1]

I've not used the BMW CD Changer with MP3 compatability my self, so this is a shot in the dark. Assuming that the CDC is Alpine based (which I'm, reasonably sure it is) and it is similar in functionality to the CHA-S634, then it's possible that it will only read Version 1 ID3 tags and not Version 2. Version 1 tags are pretty simple, just text for Track, Artist etc. Version 2 can contain things like Album Art etc.

So if you are burning another disk, make sure the tracks have Version 1 ID3 info, its quite possible to have just V1, just V2 or both.

[apw2607]

I would check the part # of the radio and then look up in realoem the part # of the radio they are putting in the 9.2005 models. At least that would verify if you have the same radio. BMW do some very odd things with their parts !!

Have you being into the Radio Service menu? Can you specify a radio location. In the USA, the BM53 allows this, but not sure if the BM54 (Euro radio) allows it. Perhaps resetting this might help?

THe BMW CD Changer definitity reads ID3 V2.x tags fine !