[rjs]

has anyone actually got the cabe for free?

[NFS]

Originally Posted by bob mushroom

Well I was finalising my thoughts with a $tealer today! When I asked about the lead he replied that it was not bmw who was responsible for the lead and it would cost me $40!!

i immediately knocked it off my options!!

I think this is bollocks on the basis that it is clearly included in the USA.

The issue is that it is a dealer supply item not factory fit, so they need to order and pay for it separately. So if you want it free you have to ask them to throw it in.

[silverbmwz3]

Knocking an iPod interface off your options for the sake of a $40 cable seems a bit like "cutting your nose off to spite your face". I agree it should be included for that money but dropping the option because they were going to charge seems a bit excessive.

[skansa]

well come October when the uSB is included on all spec models i forsee the cable being an upsell item.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by silverbmwz3

Knocking an iPod interface off your options for the sake of a $40 cable seems a bit like "cutting your nose off to spite your face". I agree it should be included for that money but dropping the option because they were going to charge seems a bit excessive.

This is a completely bespoke cable though.

Does anyone know if USB connector that comes with the ipod will work and provide the appropriate functionality?

If it does then the argument would be that this could be used with a phono cable from the headphone port to the aux input.

The problem is that you don't get line out sound quality this way.

The only alternative to the BMW cable would be the sendstation pocket dock which provides a USB out AND a line out.



I'm pretty sure that the 6fl must put the IPOD in hard disk mode so the head unit reads the library and playlist information directly of the IPOD's hard drive.

This would also explain why it is not a retro-fit option. The head unit is essentially browsing a hard drive .....

This being the case, any cable SHOULD work, but it would be interesting to know if the standard ipod USB cable does the job.

[silverbmwz3]

I think elsewhere someone said that the standard USB cable does work however it was slower, implying that the box of tricks that is attached to the 6FL cable does some processing....

[NFS]

Originally Posted by silverbmwz3

I think elsewhere someone said that the standard USB cable does work however it was slower, implying that the box of tricks that is attached to the 6FL cable does some processing....

Interesting ... I wonder what's in the 'box'.

If it's a speed issue could it be that the ipod cable is USB compatible, but the BMW one is USB 2?

[silverbmwz3]

I think we need someone to take the cable apart and see what's going on? Any volunteers ?

[bob mushroom]

Originally Posted by silverbmwz3

Knocking an iPod interface off your options for the sake of a $40 cable seems a bit like "cutting your nose off to spite your face". I agree it should be included for that money but dropping the option because they were going to charge seems a bit excessive.

Well £205 for a function that wont work as advertised!! I TBH feel that i listen to my ipod for an album and then move to another or listen to playlists so to reach and jog wheel (as i do currently) doesn't seem a bad option.

I just feel it is bmw charging us because they can for a "revolutionary" way to listen to music that seems wholly innappropriate and damn right cheeky!.

[rjs]

I might just cancel my car completly because of it!

[bob mushroom]

Originally Posted by rjs

I might just cancel my car completly because of it!

now I'm not going to go that far!!

[NFS]

Originally Posted by rjs

I might just cancel my car completly because of it!

How about we swap cars and I'll buy the cable

[greatbm]

Got my E93 with 6FL without cable, tried straight away with standard cable 80gig iPod worked, listed tracks but would only play in shuffle mode. Dealer supplied iPod interface cable free of charge, iPod shows straight away, genre, artist, album and tracks, have not found a way to play all tracks on shuffle. All other functions work ok, will shuffle album tracks but only selected album. Anyone else been able to get full Ipod to shuffle ?

P.s. will not shuffle even when iPod set to shuffle songs

[rjs]

Originally Posted by needforspeed

How about we swap cars and I'll buy the cable

I'm so incensed i'm going to have to switch brands!

Originally Posted by greatbm

Dealer supplied iPod interface cable free of charge

On second thoughts, I might keep it now

Phew!

[NFS]

Originally Posted by greatbm

Got my E93 with 6FL without cable, tried straight away with standard cable 80gig iPod worked, listed tracks but would only play in shuffle mode. Dealer supplied iPod interface cable free of charge, iPod shows straight away, genre, artist, album and tracks, have not found a way to play all tracks on shuffle. All other functions work ok, will shuffle album tracks but only selected album. Anyone else been able to get full Ipod to shuffle ?

P.s. will not shuffle even when iPod set to shuffle songs

I wonder what's in the BMW cable then ... sounds like you need this particular cable to achieve the necessary functionality.

Very strange - you would have thought that it would be set up to work with a standard ipod to USB cable.

[Trigger2007]

The dealer cable includes an interface to give Serial connection to the ipod.

This way it uses the ipods menu, and also directory. It doesnt put it into Hard drive mode, this is what happens when you use the normal ipod cable. Using the standard cable the car will read the file structure. Using the interface cable the car will read the ipod structure.

Pretty important as if you use Apple Macs, then the car cannot read the directory without the interface cable! I believe its also important if you have a lot of DRM music. As you are playing via the ipod it works fine, but if you are using a normal cable you cannot play the music, I think? Anyone confirm this?

Hope this helps, had a long discussion with a clued up dealer. Forgot to find out if the cable was free though, although they did order it without telling me any cost. I have heard that they need to order it against the VIN then its free, don't know how true that is for UK cars?

[NFS]

Originally Posted by Trigger2007

The dealer cable includes an interface to give Serial connection to the ipod.

This way it uses the ipods menu, and also directory. It doesnt put it into Hard drive mode, this is what happens when you use the normal ipod cable. Using the standard cable the car will read the file structure. Using the interface cable the car will read the ipod structure.

Pretty important as if you use Apple Macs, then the car cannot read the directory without the interface cable! I believe its also important if you have a lot of DRM music. As you are playing via the ipod it works fine, but if you are using a normal cable you cannot play the music, I think? Anyone confirm this?

Hope this helps, had a long discussion with a clued up dealer. Forgot to find out if the cable was free though, although they did order it without telling me any cost. I have heard that they need to order it against the VIN then its free, don't know how true that is for UK cars?

Makes sense - this would explain slower performance with the standard cable.

Obviously different cables do affect the ipod 'mode', because it hops into disc mode on connection to a PC, but remains functional on connection to my monster cable.

[silverbmwz3]

My dealer has confirmed that the leads are in the UK and that the lead will be £165 and the blacklines £39.95. I have a feeling he has those the wrong way round. I'm arguing that like others here the lead should be provided. Did others have to argue this and were they succesful?!

[Trigger2007]

There have been several posts that people in the UK have got the leads included, but I don't think there is a hard fast rule.

Even at £40 I will still take it, BMW know they are on to a good thing, and basically have the consumer over a barrel. In the grand value of a £40K car andother £40 is irrelevant, principally I totally agree that it should be thrown in though!

They can argue that the adaptor is a USB adaptor and not Ipod, the lead makes it Ipod specific? They could be giving £40 leads away for nothing!

Either way still can't wait for it to arrive, hopefully my powers of gentle pursuasion will get the lead thrown in!

[NFS]

Originally Posted by silverbmwz3

My dealer has confirmed that the leads are in the UK and that the lead will be £165 and the blacklines £39.95. I have a feeling he has those the wrong way round. I'm arguing that like others here the lead should be provided. Did others have to argue this and were they succesful?!

Just buy the blacklines for £39.95 and go to another dealer for the cable

Seriously though, my argument would be that the USB interface does not function correctly without the BMW cable. On this basis the cable has to be included in the option price.

It would be like selling the navigation system, but not including the disc.

BMW would be miss-selling otherwise and arguably this could be a matter for trading standards.

[silverbmwz3]

NFS - is that true though? To my knowledge, as Trigger says it is describe as a USB interface (can't recall exactly what spec says) and in a sense if you plug a USB memory stick with MP3s on into the adaptor it will work fine. I'm trying the "its an ipod interface" argument so we'll see. Also advising that I'm aware uk dealers are supplying with it.

I suppose the key is - how is it described on spec?

[NFS]

Originally Posted by silverbmwz3

NFS - is that true though? To my knowledge, as Trigger says it is describe as a USB interface (can't recall exactly what spec says) and in a sense if you plug a USB memory stick with MP3s on into the adaptor it will work fine. I'm trying the "its an ipod interface" argument so we'll see. Also advising that I'm aware uk dealers are supplying with it.

I suppose the key is - how is it described on spec?

Fair point, but I don't think it is unreasonable to expect the interface to work with an ipod, given that the ipod is the most popular MP3 player on earth.

The problem is it doesn't. if, as Trigger says it doesn't play DRM music downloaded from i-tunes and doesn't support album structures then it is a half arsed piece of junk.

BMW clearly know and acknowledge this, which is why they have produced the cable - which is also included in the option in the USA.

The 6fl does not function with an ipod without the cable ... therefore the cable should be included.