I saw a mention somewhere... a reply in a thread, about the DVD drive for the Nav system being able to play MP3s if a disc filled with said was inserted...

Just curious if anyone else has done this, how does it work?

Also, where exactly is the DVD drive in the car? Anyone have a pic?

Thanks all...

 

Edit: I was wrong- see below!
From what I've seen, the CD player as part of the radio will play CD's burned with mp3's, but not DVD's. The NAV DVD drive is dedicated to the mapping software's data, or can be used for software upgrades, and isn't really accessible since it's underneath the passenger seat...

 

That makes sense...

The DVD isn't just for upgrades? It actually reads its data from that disc as you're using it, correct?

 

Not true... The DVD drive in the second generation MINIs will indeed play a DVD+R disc that has been loaded up with (LOTS of) MP3 files. Since you have to remove the nav disc when doing so, you won't be able to use the nav (as a navigation device) when the MP3 DVD is loaded. Also, the DVD drive is indeed in the car, it is located in the center stack just below the radio controls. The plastic font trim pops off and the DVD gets inserted in the drive located behind it.

On the older first generation MINIs (including the 07 and 08 convertibles), the nav system is located beneath either the passenger's seat (hardtops) or the driver's seat (convertibles). Those cars include and older nav system that can't play MP3 DVDs.

 

Well, whoops... Thanks for correcting my dis-information OfficeMaven.

I even searched a bit to confirm what I was remembering... I guess I must have stumbled on r53 info? So much for trusting the internet.

 

No worries... I only know this information because we have both an R53 with nav and a (soon to be arriving) R56 with nav.

 

Cool! I am going to have to try that!

 

So, you got to play with one on an R56 before your order? There wasn't an R56 with Nav at NW Mini when I went down to visit, so I'm going based on the descriptions I've seen on NAM and a couple videos on YouTube. Even the manuals section in the OL doesn't have nav or radio manuals up.

 

Yes, my MA had a R56 with nav on the lot and he popped in a MP3 DVD just to show me how it worked. It was very cool to see how the nav system displayed all the song info for the playing MP3 files. I even tried pairing my cell phone with it and tested out the Bluetooth. It was really nice being able to check out the nav before I ordered it (especially since it's such an expensive option). The only thing the car didn't have was PDC and the Sirius radio. I would have liked to have been able to play with those as well.

 

Got a picture of this?

 

No, but I'll have my car this coming weekend and so I'll post one for you then if someone else doesn't beat me to it first.

 

The CD player will also play mp3 files on a CD without disabling the NAV. I haven't tried the NAV DVD player.

 

Do you know the center console piece that has the volume control **** on it? The drive is behind it. There is a button on the right side of it that you press in order to release the piece from the console.

 

A couple of trivia questions just for fun:

• If you put an MP3 disc in the DVD player and an audio disc in the CD player, which one takes priority?
• If you burn a copy of your DVD map disc and add MP3 files to it, does it display maps and also play music from the disc?

 

Ok, I got it. I'll have to check it out in a few weeks.

 

@rkw,

Good questions. Will have to try those out when the MINI arrives.

 

To answer the first question. I believe when you put in a disk other than your NAV disk you have another option added called DVD. So the menu choices would be something like this AM > FM > CD > SAT> AUX > DVD

(those may not be in the correct order but you should get the idea). At least I remember seeing DVD as an option at one point of time when I was experimenting but I do not recall exactly what I was doing at the time. I do have the NAV unit as well so my display may be different than yours.

 

Cool- that would explain what the DVD voice commands are for too.

 

Interesting. I'll have to try #2, since # 1 was already answered. I want to "have at" the nav disk anyway, to see if I can get some bloody british voices on it somehow!!

 

On mine the choices are FM - AM - CD - AUX and when you choose CD there is a sub menu that says DVD - CD. I think it only shows up when theres a DVD with MP3's loaded. Just a side note, if the DVD is loaded with other files as well as MP3's the MINI system seems to ignore those and only list the MP3's.

 

Does anyone know how this DVD drive interfaces?

If it were USB perhaps one could install a hub and add an additional drive dedicated to music...

It'd take a little investigating, the connector be different but using the same protocol.... be curious to know!

 

that's pretty dissapointing. is there an update to the computer that can "teach" it to learn how to play MP3's? I have an 07 convert.

 

Nope, I'm afraid not.

However, your nav system has the advantage of being completely user configurable as far as the firmware goes (not that this has anything to do with the ability to play MP3 files mind you). Whereas the nav system in the 2nd generation MINI's is completely locked down and requires a trip to the dealer in order to perform even a simple firmware update.

As you can see, each system has its own set advantages and disadvantages.