Apple Car Play - Netflix / Prime Video when sat in car

[keefysher]

How can I watch a Netflix / Prime video in the car when sat in it without engine running?

Have the apps on my iPhone, want to use the in dash screen to watch content whilst waiting for hours for daughter etc

Without jailbreaking the phone.

Can watch a DVD disc, so what is different?

 

[Alfie]

How can I watch a Netflix / Prime video in the car when sat in it without engine running?

Have the apps on my iPhone, want to use the in dash screen to watch content whilst waiting for hours for daughter etc

Without jailbreaking the phone.

Can watch a DVD disc, so what is different?

Have you got Apple CarPlay / Android Auto in the car?

 

[keefysher]

Have you got Apple CarPlay / Android Auto in the car?

Yes.

 

[Botus]

use the wire and watch it ?

the battery will drain down rapidly, most modern cars have so much going on they run flat fast

 

[keefysher]

use the wire and watch it ?

the battery will drain down rapidly, most modern cars have so much going on they run flat fast

It is plugged in with a wire (an Anker pukka lead), through the port in the central cubby, but it won't play video. Music, messages, maps etc... but not Netflix, Amazon Prime Video.

The soundtrack plays, but no imagery. Hence my q.

 

[jimbg]

I presume you mean Map,messages are initiated via Apple CarPlay?

I presume you mean you are initiating Netflix from the phone not from CarPlay?

If so then you will only stream audio as it is being used as a "music" source in that mode.

 

[keefysher]

I presume you mean Map,messages are initiated via Apple CarPlay?

I presume you mean you are initiating Netflix from the phone not from CarPlay?

If so then you will only stream audio as it is being used as a "music" source in that mode.

OK so how do I initiate from Car Play not the phone? Might be getting somewhere now Thank you thus far. I'll have to go sit in the car and fiddle.

 

[Blobcat]

I'll have to go sit in the car and fiddle.

Be careful where you do that...

 

[Botus]

• the best thing would be to check via a chassis decoder what features your car actually has
• then ensure ALL software on the comand is running the latest stuff (most car Manu have part finished bodge software running throughout all their cars, meaning certain stuff is flakey or plain not even working. Its perfectly normal inside anything made in the last 12 years. (most finally moved on allowing the owner to update in car entertainment themselves, - but not sure where Mercedes are on that idea).
• once you have a fighting chance to get things to work, then sit with the owners manual and go through step by step how to do it (using genuine leads [from apple or Mercedes], most "charging and data cables" are just charge leads and they lie about it

People are often fighting cars that can never work, but remain adamant a software update is a mistake. It's a real annoyance of mine. For instance, a mate just bought a low mileage great condition Pug 308 made April 2016. I was looking to see whether there's any updates and there is for his. It is still running every part of the original software it came from the factory with... even though there have been 4 software update releases for the entertainment / sat nav / phone system for his car. The entertainment unit update alone is a 1.1 gig software patch I'll need to apply.

This last update stops the head unit rebooting itself every 2 minutes if you have picked up the BBC national DAB multiplex !!!

 

[Botus]

Some cars need it in P with the handbrake on before video plays

 

[keefysher]

• the best thing would be to check via a chassis decoder what features your car actually has
• then ensure ALL software on the comand is running the latest stuff (most car Manu have part finished bodge software running throughout all their cars, meaning certain stuff is flakey or plain not even working. Its perfectly normal inside anything made in the last 12 years. (most finally moved on allowing the owner to update in car entertainment themselves, - but not sure where Mercedes are on that idea).
• once you have a fighting chance to get things to work, then sit with the owners manual and go through step by step how to do it (using genuine leads [from apple or Mercedes], most "charging and data cables" are just charge leads and they lie about it

People are often fighting cars that can never work, but remain adamant a software update is a mistake. It's a real annoyance of mine. For instance, a mate just bought a low mileage great condition Pug 308 made April 2016. I was looking to see whether there's any updates and there is for his. It is still running every part of the original software it came from the factory with... even though there have been 4 software update releases for the entertainment / sat nav / phone system for his car. The entertainment unit update alone is a 1.1 gig software patch I'll need to apply.

Some cars need it in P with the handbrake on before video plays

This last update stops the head unit rebooting itself every 2 minutes if you have picked up the BBC national DAB multiplex !!!

Car has Apple Car Play - From the data card:
16U SMARTPHONE INTEGRATION APPLE CARPLAY

It had a software update in December to fix a tow bar deployment fault.

On operating Apple Car Play via the Comand system it shows some icons on my iPhone, including Amazon Music, but not Netflix nor Amazon Prime Video.

Car in P and Handbrake on.

I'll try a pukka Apple lead in place of the Anker one, next. If I can find where my daughter has left one!!!!

 

[jimbg]

Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are probably not available in CarPlay.

The only apps allowed are ones that are deemed safe to use on the move, there is no ability to distinguish between being static or not.

On the iPhone go into Settings->General->CarPlay and you will see the list of apps that you can add/remove.

This a debate for an Apple forum really, the car manufacturers just have to implement the interface and have no control on the content.

 

[Botus]

Car has Apple Car Play - From the data card:
16U SMARTPHONE INTEGRATION APPLE CARPLAY

It had a software update in December to fix a tow bar deployment fault.

On operating Apple Car Play via the Comand system it shows some icons on my iPhone, including Amazon Music, but not Netflix nor Amazon Prime Video.

Car in P and Handbrake on.

I'll try a pukka Apple lead in place of the Anker one, next. If I can find where my daughter has left one!!!!

sadly that doesn't mean they updated the radio software. If they were any good it might have....

Only BMW do software correctly. BWM flash every module with a matching compatible update and or refresh of any software in any module on the car, as one procedure.

Mercedes like everyone except BMW, still do every single module as a one by one update process. My car has 50 separate modules and would be more than 24 hrs of chargeable work - Rather than the 1 hr BWM charge.

Half the fun is that mad way of doing updates one by one. What comes next is the exact reason BMW do it properly. When one module is completed another might then accepts a later update, once that's on the car, the original might then take yet another later update. So need to go round again etc. Its utter madness. Some modules impact another module, but the most current integration won't apply till a third module is updated. Thus it takes a lot of tech time and effort (and may introduce faults as they don't ever check if it has impacted other modules) so they mostly do none ever !!! Mercedes pretend each module doesn't impact another. That's just rubbish. It took three years before we found what allowed one update I wanted to go on the car...

Its very likely if it was in for a tow bar fix, then it was a simple 20 min job flashing a SAM module. This update had absolutely NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the in car entertainment features.

What should happen but NEVER does, at a main dealer service. Plug in to validate faults / confirm its dying exactly as designed. Then:
Update service records
Check for safety related software updates. They don't bother.
Check for engine or gearbox updates. They don't bother
Apply in car entainment updates. They don't bother,
Then if a comand based car and inside 3 years, apply current sat nav maps. They don't bother.

 

[keefysher]

Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are probably not available in CarPlay.

The only apps allowed are ones that are deemed safe to use on the move, there is no ability to distinguish between being static or not.

On the iPhone go into Settings->General->CarPlay and you will see the list of apps that you can add/remove.

This a debate for an Apple forum really, the car manufacturers just have to implement the interface and have no control on the content.

Thank you, it appears you are correct.

It shows only 'MB Infotainment', then on clicking another menu 'Customise', then a list of Apps, some of which can be removed. But no Netflix nor Amazon Prime Video or any other options to add any others.

So after years of being able to play DVD through Comand (stationary and on the move, with the split screen ability where the driver couldn't see the movie) on my previous MBs; and where the handbrake wiring limited the ability to watch on the move, or otherwise if the wires were disconnected!!, the new tech is useless.

Have to go back to using an iPad with a flash drive loaded with movies and sit it on the shelf of the in built tablet/Comand screen. That's progress.

Watching a movie on a phone screen is hard work on my old eyes.

 

[jimbg]

Agreed new technology does not always mean progress!