BMW stereo display-can one make it read Chinese characters?

tranquility · 12-02-2010, 09:51 PM

I know the ipod itself can display the Chinese characters but when the song is shown on the BMW stereo's display, it just shows "?????????": is there something that can be done?

maxzander · 12-04-2010, 07:56 AM

mine does tat too...

mav5125 · 12-04-2010, 07:25 PM

i'm sure that the entertainment system doesn't have unicode support. I'm sure it can be loaded. I mean, what do they do with all the z4's being sold in China.

Alext · 12-04-2010, 07:40 PM

Mine can do greek and russian and arabic.

Memphis1 · 12-04-2010, 10:14 PM

i would think there are language packages depending on where the car is going.

can someone in china or india show us they're idrive or radio to see if it shows characters or question marks?

Land_Shark · 12-05-2010, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Memphis1

i would think there are language packages depending on where the car is going.

can someone in china or india show us they're idrive or radio to see if it shows characters or question marks?

I ordered my car from BMW hong Kong... The sales man asked me if I wanted the Chinese Language installed to my iDrive in addition to the English... I don't read Chinese, so I did not have it installed...
You should ask your dealer to install the Chinese Language package...

dcs2k · 12-05-2010, 06:07 AM

my car doesnt come with an IDrive system, and the factory headunit had been replaced by a aftermarket unit. Whenever chinese songs are played, the screen display appears blank.

juztinl · 12-05-2010, 07:36 AM

mine displays ipod chinese characters.. i can even choose chinese as my default language for idrive.

tranquility · 12-05-2010, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Land_Shark

I ordered my car from BMW hong Kong... The sales man asked me if I wanted the Chinese Language installed to my iDrive in addition to the English... I don't read Chinese, so I did not have it installed...
You should ask your dealer to install the Chinese Language package...

I don't have iDrive but I'll ask my dealer if there is such a software for the BMW stereo headunit. Thx.

Bigmouth Studio · 12-09-2010, 09:56 AM

Sorry for the late response because I am in Japan.
If you have iDrive, for cars in China & HK, you can chose Chinese as the default language & Chinese can be shown.
However if you only have Business or Professional head unit, Chinese is not support because dot-matrix display can not support Chinese.

tranquility · 12-09-2010, 03:02 PM

^Darn. At least I know now. Thx.

Alext · 12-09-2010, 04:06 PM

I think I saw a friend's X5 without idrive display a shorthand form of chinese characters in the BMW stereo in HK.

Bigmouth Studio · 12-10-2010, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alext

I think I saw a friend's X5 without idrive display a shorthand form of chinese characters in the BMW stereo in HK.

I don't think so.
Even my 2008 E70 does not have Chinese display on the iDrive. It started to have Chinese version of iDrive from this year onwards for X5 in HK.
However, for X6, they have Chinese iDrive for few years.

But in HK, you can easily install Chinese navigation system with entrainment system around 1500 US, it also support hand writing input (which is much better than the original BMW system)

12-02-2010, 09:51 PM	#1
tranquility sportscars only 3236 Rep 3,194 Posts Drives: 2011 Z4 sDrive 35i Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Montréal iTrader: (0)	BMW stereo display-can one make it read Chinese characters? I know the ipod itself can display the Chinese characters but when the song is shown on the BMW stereo's display, it just shows "?????????": is there something that can be done?
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12-04-2010, 07:56 AM	#2
maxzander Private 9 Rep 99 Posts Drives: z4 e89 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: singapore iTrader: (0)	mine does tat too...
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12-04-2010, 07:25 PM	#3
mav5125 Private First Class 36 Rep 133 Posts Drives: E89 Z4 35i Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Sydney, Australia iTrader: (0)	i'm sure that the entertainment system doesn't have unicode support. I'm sure it can be loaded. I mean, what do they do with all the z4's being sold in China.
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12-04-2010, 07:40 PM	#4
Alext Banned 138 Rep 2,042 Posts Drives: B M W Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Everest iTrader: (2)	Mine can do greek and russian and arabic.
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12-04-2010, 10:14 PM	#5
Memphis1 Lieutenant Colonel 89 Rep 1,838 Posts Drives: Z4 SDrive 35i Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: CT iTrader: (0)	i would think there are language packages depending on where the car is going. can someone in china or india show us they're idrive or radio to see if it shows characters or question marks? __________________
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12-05-2010, 06:07 AM	#7
dcs2k Lieutenant 55 Rep 438 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Singapore iTrader: (0)	my car doesnt come with an IDrive system, and the factory headunit had been replaced by a aftermarket unit. Whenever chinese songs are played, the screen display appears blank.
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12-05-2010, 07:36 AM	#8
juztinl First Lieutenant 26 Rep 332 Posts Drives: 535i Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Hong Kong iTrader: (0)	mine displays ipod chinese characters.. i can even choose chinese as my default language for idrive.
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12-09-2010, 09:56 AM	#10
Bigmouth Studio Lieutenant 285 Rep 514 Posts Drives: BMW Z4 M40i Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: HKSAR iTrader: (0) Garage List 2020 BMW Z4 M40i [8.00]	Sorry for the late response because I am in Japan. If you have iDrive, for cars in China & HK, you can chose Chinese as the default language & Chinese can be shown. However if you only have Business or Professional head unit, Chinese is not support because dot-matrix display can not support Chinese. __________________ BMWCCOZHK, The official BMW car club of Hong Kong My IG: Hong Kong BMW G29 Z4 M40i
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12-09-2010, 03:02 PM	#11
tranquility sportscars only 3236 Rep 3,194 Posts Drives: 2011 Z4 sDrive 35i Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Montréal iTrader: (0)	^Darn. At least I know now. Thx.
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12-09-2010, 04:06 PM	#12
Alext Banned 138 Rep 2,042 Posts Drives: B M W Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Everest iTrader: (2)	I think I saw a friend's X5 without idrive display a shorthand form of chinese characters in the BMW stereo in HK.
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