Watching videos/movies while charging

[Eperigny]

with the big flat screen in the middle of the car, is there a way we can play videos from an iPhone while charging? I have Netflix and I would be very happy if I could find a way to push video on the car's screen instead of watching it on my phone.

 

[Ruffles]

I'd like to know about this as well.

 

[user 2331]

Me also. Any way to play video from USB or an iPhone while stopped for a charge?

 

[Leasi3]

This is potentially wildly dangerous stuff that could turn your i3 into a ton-and-a-half paperweight. Be careful.

(I have the professional navigation, your mileage may vary.)

USB video playback is available with coding. I do not know if iphone playback is.

It is also possible to enable playback while the vehicle is moving, but I didn't enable that because I think it is illegal for good reason- it could be wildly distracting. You can play video tracks while moving, but if you don't change the speed/motion settings you only hear the audio, you aren't shown the video.

Steps I took to get this working.

Again, this is potentially wildly dangerous stuff that could turn your i3 into a ton-and-a-half paperweight. Be careful.

0) Have a windows computer and the necessary ethernet to OBDII cable.
1) Ask for link to download coding software from the infamous bimmerfest thread, download and install the software. Wait 12 hours after install, and token generation, to choose chassis for sofware. Read the included training material while your waiting to be able to choose your chassis. Read it again. (The delay is to reduce commercial use of the free tokens. )
2) Follow instructions on this blogpost to enable video. Do not rely upon software sent out by the owner of that blog, it is a little out of date and it will not work if your i3 has up to date software.

Finally, this is potentially wildly dangerous stuff that could turn your i3 into a ton-and-a-half paperweight. Do not attempt unless you are generally competent and widely respected as the most tech savvy of your cohorts.

 

[jasleinstein]

Why would you want to do that? the i3 screen resolution is quite low. Also BMW would have to support Airplay or UPnP the standard for Android users, if you wanted to stream or some USB video which would be a kludge. Why not just watch the movie directly on the tablet?
When we first sat in the i3, my wife and I both had the same thought. Why didn't BMW simply mount a iPad mini on the dash where the display is? Nav would be better, music would be better, voice control would be better. It was cost BMW a fraction of what they spent on the custom design low quality screen. BMW could have worked with Apple or Google to make this happen, but BMW has to do it "the BMW way" and forge their own path.

 

[spinball]

Low quality screen? It's the highest resolution/quality screen I've seen in any car yet.

I mean it's no iPad, but to say it's low resolution seems odd. From where the driver sits the resolutions is already high enough that increasing it probably wouldn't be noticeable.

 

[Jaypi]

You can play videos via USB when you enable it through coding.

let me know if you want instructions!