Hi guys. My X5 has the factory fitted rear-seat entertainment system (screen mounted to rear of front armrest and DVD player mounted below) and I'm having an issue with the DVD player. It only reads some of my copied DVDs and causes much anguish for my daughter when she wants to read one that it doesn't read! They are all the same brand DVD-R's, copied on the same computer, using the same software, so in theory they should all work (or not). My local BMW dealer are being their usual arrogant selves and will not offer any decent level of service what so ever by way of at least trying to offer some advice! So I've been asking around and done a bit of research on the good old internet and I think that it is to do with the coding/formatting of the original disc and that some contain something that is not liked by the BMW DVD player (never had such issues with my Audi system - please don't hate me for "swearing", it's the lack of support from my dealer that drives to saying such things!). Anyway, does anybody know of some software that can be used to copy the discs that are proving troublesome in to a different format which might work? Thank you.

My X5 has exactly the same problem with the rear dvd player, it hardly plays any dvd's... shop bought ones, off the shelf normal everyday dvd's wont play at all.. just comes up 'cant read disc'

yet the odd bootlegged dvd from china it plays... really frustrating.. spoke to several bmw dealerships, and it's like,"book it in for diagnostics" at £146 per hour... "yes sir, your factory fitted dvd player wont play normal dvd's,... that's £175.20 please including the vat"..

Ive checked so many forums including international ones, and this is a common fault/characteristic.. but there doesn't appear to be a solution..

can anybody help???? Please!!

Seems BMW DVD readers are fussy things (Nav and Entertainment) have you tried running a head cleaner to see if it helps? You could try Cartronix they seem to be able to upgrade/fix most BMW bits (Dash, Nav, BM radio, etc)

If your really brave with steady hands you could try changing the DVD reader head yourself.

Any way as an old bloke children should be bored in the car it was part of the journey when I was a kid, "are we there yet"

Thanks Greydog,

I dont think its a cleaning issue as it plays the bootleg dvd's perfectly... I'm thinking it maybe something to do with 'multi-region' dvd's, the bootlegged ones were bought in China, and I assume they are multi-regional (they can play anywhere... if there's such a thing?)..

I bought the vehicle in Northern Ireland where it was registered... but NI is part of region 2, which covers the whole of Europe, and some.. so there shouldn't be an issue with it playing region 2 dvd's, unless the region setting has been changed on the vehicle..

I called Cartronix and spoke to some women there, but I couldn't really get a word in edgeways, as soon as I mentioned the rear dvd player , she was "no, no, can't be done, we just fix pixels,, thats bmw fitted, no ,no" Not helpful at all.. I was also going to enquire about re-mapping but she had such an eloquent phone manner she blew it..

That's not very helpful and kind of blows their reputation a bit !!

I don't have rear entertainment (the baby is 35 this year) so don't know the system? Is it stand alone ? or controlled through the front screen?

Just a thought a lad I shoot with changed the DVD player for a PS2 in his X5. I think he could do it as it was stand alone? It lets his kids play games and DVD's I can ask when I see him if it's any use

The DVD players are fussy and also jump when you go over bumps in the road. We found the best solution was to hook an IPad up direct to the central screen using a cable. On long European journeys it was a god send as no leaning over to change DVDs from the passenger seat just flick to next film on the iPad. Easy simple and cheap solution.

All the best Jungle.