Beat the handsfree dead horse.....

[unluky]

OK,

So I have searched and there seems to be a ton of posts on this, but I did not find anything that seemed to be cut and dry. My car is a 03/04 build date, it has the controls on the steering wheel and the BMW assist buttons in the rear console. When I hit the R/T button I get the "no phonebook" message on the radio and when I hit the talk button I get the dial and the "you have no account " message. But when I start the car my Blackberry, Ipad, GF's Android phone, Dads POS flip phone - can not see the car. So I assume I do NOT have handfree capabilites in this car. If I am missing something - I am happy to try, but from what I have searched - this is the deal.

So I am looking at the DICE products and see a LOT of bad reviews of them from several years ago, but not so much about the mediabridge with bluetooth. Is that because they improved it and now this unit is much better than the silverline, etc?

I would like to have hands free, but I have no CD changer or MP3, so the media bridge would be nice to use with a USB or plug into my BB or use the Bluetooth connection for music at the same time.

Anyone have a 2004 with this that can say I should run like hell or theirs works good without all the resetting I keep reading about the older units?

Sorry - there are a ton of posts on this issue, but I can seem to find anything that will say before xx/xx date, you absolutly have no handsfree.

Thanks,

Matt

[Huz-Z]

On my 2006, which has Bluetooth, if I press the R/T button after starting the car, the radio display says "searching.....".

[ssummers]

I tried the media bridge route, for me it was a pitiful failure.

So I upgraded the complete system in my wife's car. At a minimum a replacement head unit will jump you a decade in technology. Bluetooth streaming, vastly superior handsfree setup. The Alpine unit I bought was about $220, far less than I wasted on the media bridge.

[WestCDA]

And for yet another opinion, I installed the Mediabridge 1500 along with a Parrot Evolution for the Bluetooth telephony. Has worked perfectly, no reboots required. I used the Parrot for Bluetooth telephony instead of the Mediabridge as there is a harness adaptor available for the Parrot that allows full use of the OEM steering wheel controls. Also, the Bluetooth phone integrates (receives and mutes) in all of the head unit input modes (CD, radio, and Mediabridge USB, iphone, or AUX), and this solution allows full SIRI voice control with my iphone. I use the iphone voice dialing contact directory as well as voice navigation, music control, etc., all accessed via the 'call' button on the steering wheel.

I also use a specdock hideaway iphone mount (30 pin) in my ashtray, which allows digital wired audio playback as well as charging. I have a 4S - I don't think they have an iphone 5+ dock available yet, with the lightning connector.

[unluky]

Originally Posted by WestCDA

And for yet another opinion, I installed the Mediabridge 1500 along with a Parrot Evolution for the Bluetooth telephony. Has worked perfectly, no reboots required. I used the Parrot for Bluetooth telephony instead of the Mediabridge as there is a harness adaptor available for the Parrot that allows full use of the OEM steering wheel controls. Also, the Bluetooth phone integrates (receives and mutes) in all of the head unit input modes (CD, radio, and Mediabridge USB, iphone, or AUX), and this solution allows full SIRI voice control with my iphone. I use the iphone voice dialing contact directory as well as voice navigation, music control, etc., all accessed via the 'call' button on the steering wheel.

I also use a specdock hideaway iphone mount (30 pin) in my ashtray, which allows digital wired audio playback as well as charging. I have a 4S - I don't think they have an iphone 5+ dock available yet, with the lightning connector.

Keeping the steering wheel controls is a big plus. Did you install it yourslef? Easy to do? I am fairly confident in my car working skills, so I am not scared of a little work.

So you hide the Parrot controls somewhere and then just use the steering wheel controls then for a nice hidden use? I assume the caller ID and stuff does not display on the radio - correct?

Like to know more about your set up - that sounds interesting. Do not want to install something with known issues, but something like that would be nice. I can always burn Cd's for the car....... =)

[WestCDA]

Originally Posted by unluky

Did you install it yourself? Easy to do?

Yes, and a qualified yes to the 'easy' part. The additional Connects2 wiring harness to use the MFSW controls is plug and play, as is the Parrot unit. The biggest part of the Mediabridge install was running the cable from the trunk CD changer connectors through the pass-through opening behind the passenger subwoofer grill, then up alongside the transmission tunnel into the cavity under the AC controls. Not a major job, with very little disassembly required.

The tricky stuff was dismantling the OEM microphone housing and replacing the innards with the Parrot mic (I actually used a Garmin mic as a 'guinea pig', which is the same as the one supplied with the Parrot). Not a requirement, but I wanted this to look 100 percent OEM, with no visible wiring, controls, or add on microphones. It also took a while to do 'real world' testing using different resistors in-line with the microphone, at different speeds with the top and/or windows down - that was to find an optimum amount of resistance to reduce wind and background noise and maintain the best voice quality. Again, not required, but I wanted the best possible call quality and voice recognition for voice controlled features.

Originally Posted by unluky

So you hide the Parrot controls somewhere and then just use the steering wheel controls then for a nice hidden use? I assume the caller ID and stuff does not display on the radio - correct?

Yes, everything is hidden with no exposed wiring, displays, or controls. The small Parrot remote is used once to set up the system (pair the phone, set volume and options), and it's been coiled up out of sight in the corner of the glovebox ever since. The radio display shows 'phone' when in use - but as I have the iphone mounted in the specdock hideaway ashtray mount it displays the caller's picture, number, etc. in far more detail anyway. The Mediabridge displays the song info, etc. from the iphone on the radio display, and the iphone shows the song name/artist and album art.

The steering wheel 'phone' button brings up the Siri voice prompt. All the iphone voice features are available - voice phonebooks, voice prompted navigation, voice music control, voice text messaging, ask it for sport scores, weather forecasts, whatever. Everything plays with great fidelity through the stereo, and volume is controlled by the steering wheel buttons, as is phone call or voice control termination/hangup and music track selection.

The Parrot and iphone work great together - incoming calls mute the iphone if its currently playing music, but also the radio and CD as the Parrot is connected using the head unit 'mute' line. Voice prompts from the iphone navigation (e.g. turn left on Main Street in 100 feet) also mute the music, but that's all standard phone behavior.

As I've said before, using the iphone as the 'brain' for telephony, internet access, multimedia, etc. gives features to this car that the factory never dreamed of - and it keeps getting better every time they update iOS.

Additional details are in this earlier post.

[RobMCoupe]

I recall Bluetooth was added to 05s.

[unluky]

Originally Posted by WestCDA

Yes, and a qualified yes to the 'easy' part. The additional Connects2 wiring harness to use the MFSW controls is plug and play, as is the Parrot unit. The biggest part of the Mediabridge install was running the cable from the trunk CD changer connectors through the pass-through opening behind the passenger subwoofer grill, then up alongside the transmission tunnel into the cavity under the AC controls. Not a major job, with very little disassembly required.

The tricky stuff was dismantling the OEM microphone housing and replacing the innards with the Parrot mic (I actually used a Garmin mic as a 'guinea pig', which is the same as the one supplied with the Parrot). Not a requirement, but I wanted this to look 100 percent OEM, with no visible wiring, controls, or add on microphones. It also took a while to do 'real world' testing using different resistors in-line with the microphone, at different speeds with the top and/or windows down - that was to find an optimum amount of resistance to reduce wind and background noise and maintain the best voice quality. Again, not required, but I wanted the best possible call quality and voice recognition for voice controlled features.



Yes, everything is hidden with no exposed wiring, displays, or controls. The small Parrot remote is used once to set up the system (pair the phone, set volume and options), and it's been coiled up out of sight in the corner of the glovebox ever since. The radio display shows 'phone' when in use - but as I have the iphone mounted in the specdock hideaway ashtray mount it displays the caller's picture, number, etc. in far more detail anyway. The Mediabridge displays the song info, etc. from the iphone on the radio display, and the iphone shows the song name/artist and album art.

The steering wheel 'phone' button brings up the Siri voice prompt. All the iphone voice features are available - voice phonebooks, voice prompted navigation, voice music control, voice text messaging, ask it for sport scores, weather forecasts, whatever. Everything plays with great fidelity through the stereo, and volume is controlled by the steering wheel buttons, as is phone call or voice control termination/hangup and music track selection.

The Parrot and iphone work great together - incoming calls mute the iphone if its currently playing music, but also the radio and CD as the Parrot is connected using the head unit 'mute' line. Voice prompts from the iphone navigation (e.g. turn left on Main Street in 100 feet) also mute the music, but that's all standard phone behavior.

As I've said before, using the iphone as the 'brain' for telephony, internet access, multimedia, etc. gives features to this car that the factory never dreamed of - and it keeps getting better every time they update iOS.

Additional details are in this earlier post.

Excellent - thanks for the info. I might skip the media bridge altogether then and just hook up the Parrot. I don't have an iphone (returned it after a few weeks - not for me / not very work friendly), but my BB works great with all the Bluetooth cars I have used it in and works like you said. The "talk" button launches the voice control, and you can do everything handsfree from there. I am sure this would be about the same. For under $200 - I will be happy to find out. I did not think about putting it in the OEM mic location, I was looking at the over head light fixture I have seen people mention. That is a good idea.

I assume the connection module was a parrot item that is just ordered by car type?

Edit - I see now - requires a part from a 3rd party - got it!!

[unluky]

FYI for anyone planning to do this, the Connetcts2 kit will NOT work on and cars with an amplifier on them. If your Z4 came with an amplified system - you can not use the Connects2 adapter. Trust me, I found out the hard way.

FYI

[Megawatthour]

I just purchased the Media bridge 1500 for my 2005 Z4. It was easy to install and hookup with the exception of the connection to the car itself. After several hours of troubleshooting, I found the Media bridge unit working as it should but suspect I may have a problem with my factory radio or need another converter/interface adapter.

I've seen lots of threads on the media bridge. Some like it some don't. I purchased the unit on-line from a stereo shop in Bradenton FL. Great customer service and he even exchanged the unit free of charge when I thought the unit was the problem.

Here are some youtube links for you to see the functionality as well as installation instructions. Good luck and happy motoring

youtube.com/watch?v=VZMLtW_kui0

youtube.com/watch?v=KBnL_JuKnbQ