Is there a way to watch videos when the car is in motion? Not for me when I'm driving but the passenger on road trips.

 

Must be set up so that the driver is specifically unable to see it. Euro set ups are the same as far as I know from prior cars with any front video function.

 

Why watch movies while motoring when you can do that at home with beer and pizza? Just asking, from an old guy who remembers Saturday matinees with a soda and popcorn for 2 bits.

 

What exactly does one watch videos on when parked? Does the NAV dvd slot accept movies?

And to backup the OP - with 3 kids in the car, I'd love to get their eyes on a screen for a while - when they're all squeezed in like sardines! Trust me, I have no interest in Sponge Bob and wouldn't look!

 

Exactly. It's simply to shut my little brothers up on road trips so they can watch downloaded TV shows or movies that are located on their iPod touch's.

 

On the new MINI Connected system you can watch videos on the NAV Screen. Older European models had a TV function available that could watch TV or videos on the nav screen. We could not buy the parts here but could have them shipped in from Europe.

I understand yours and the OP's issue but unfortunately with the laws in the US if it could be done it would be illegal in ALL 50 states as the driver can still see it, even if they do not want to watch it.

Now of note is that Mercedes has come up with a dual view screen that will show video to the passenger only and NAV etc only to the driver all on the same dash board screen at the same time.

 

Then you only needed to find TV stations here in the US broadcasting in PAL.

 

I don't know if there are any laws exactly, but there is certainly legal liability that would get involved if something should happen.

I know on after-market NAV/DVD units, they have a wire that senses if the parking brake is set or not, and uses that to allow/disable DVD movie playback. For those, all you need to do is to connect that wire to, say, ground, and the DVD playback would always be enabled. Possibly, if someone had the wiring diagrams for the MINI factory unit, a similar wire could be found?

 

Many states like California have come up with specific laws regarding this, while others use a distraction law that cover it. So YES in all states there is a law that make it illegal.

it is part of the programing of the car. if the car is not in park or neutral with the e-brake on then it will not play. It is not just a wire. Now it should be able to be programed to work but again there is the legality issue so a dealer Can Non and Will Not do it.

 

That's what most aftermarket installers claim, until you slip them a $10. Then magically it works.

 

it will commonly take an input from the GALA (speed sensor) wire. And, if it's an integrated NAV system, guess what happens to Nav. now that the car thinks it's stopped to get the video to work?

 

Horrible idea, end of story.

No matter how much you don't think you'll watch SpongeBob, at some point it'll catch your attention, and all of the sudden, BLAM!!! you've just killed a family of four in a minivan.

Don't do it. Some laws are in place for really good, logical reasons.
This is one of those laws.

If your brothers or kids already have an iPod Touch, why can't they just watch that, while they're in the back seat? If they can't effectively share the iPod like civil people, then be a proper authority figure, and take it away, and make them suffer by looking out the windows at the scenery (God forbid), until they CAN share...

 

Yet, Mini Connected allows you to read news feeds, facebook, and twitter status' while driving. What seems worse? Reading an entire paragraph or glacing at some Spongbob? Lol

 

Texas has specific language in the laws here forbidding watching video, kind of vague though... Now they're working on banning texting while driving statewide, they already do in Austin.

My aftermarket DVD player has a wire that is supposed to go to the parking brake switch, but it was wired to a toggle under the dash. The head unit looks for a change of state twice to enable video viewing, and then you have to press an OK icon on the touchscreen accepting a legal disclaimer.

You could trick your factory unit, but what a pain in the *ss it would be for little gain.

 

If you ask my opinion, I think there's too much technology in cars already. Nav systems are bad enough, but MINI Connected is just too much.

I know I sound old-fashioned, curmudgeon-like, but doesn't anyone just want to drive anymore? Especially in a MINI, where we're supposedly all about motoring and such. Leave the technology at home in your office, or in your pocket, (in the case of your smartphone). Just drive your car.

Too many people take this for granted, but YOU SHOULD BE DRIVING YOUR CAR, and paying attention to your surroundings, looking out your windows, and maybe occasionally at your gauges and mirrors; not down at your phone or MINI Connected screen to see what Charley Sheen just tweeted...

 

Now I do not have "Connected" but from everything inhave read you can not actaully read posts while driving. I could be wrong but that you be just like texting which IS illegal in many states now.

 

You would think, but I can confirm that I can both send a receive tweets and Facebook Statuses while driving. The thing is, I think MINI connected gets away with it because the law states "no hand held devices"... But MINI gets away with it because it's a joystick. Clever.

 

Do you have to have the Nav option to play videos?

 

You can play videos thru your iPod touch or iPhone but I believe you need the nav option if you want to play DVD's. But what's the point if you can only play then in park mode?

 

The video feature doesn't play DVD's.

 

If it's worth the wear/expense on your brakes, I have heard that if you pull your handbrake up just one click you can play videos.

 

Well don't stop there. Try pulling it up 2 or 3 clicks.

 

That doesn't sound good at all. I wonder if it's possible in tweaking the sensor so it always thinks that the parking brake is on.

 

Then you would have that constant chime and the brake light on

 

Oh yeah. It's hopeless I guess. Unless I can find a MINI Connected jailbreaker! haha