Thanks so much for this video. Very helpful. We are also super disappointed in the 2021 suburban rear media. We are an iPhone family with 4 kids and unable to connect to the screens. I bought a usb-iPhone cable and looking at the instructions thought that would work but no. Much preferred the user and family friendly dvd system of our suburban 2015. Now it looks like I have to buy a chromecast to be able to even use the screens for the kids on a super expensive car!
Hello Amy. Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope Apple develops a compatible casting app as well. There are many IPhone users out there that share your struggle. I personally like the switch from physical disk to streaming capabilities since the days of the physical disc are quickly coming to an end. However, it would have been nice to make it an option to play discs rather than completely cutting it out.
Awesome video. I want to buy a new Suburban (Well same screens in the Tahoe), and I was wondering if the screens are a good option or just skip them and install some custome screens, but this is awesome you resolved all my questions, thank you, excellent video.
Jonathan thanks for the feedback. To answer your question, I personally really like the new rear seat media system but I can definitely see where someone could have issues with it. First off, the screen does not currently have direct compatibility with Apple products. Second of all, it may be difficult for younger kids or non tech savvy people to use the rear media system since it is partially complicated. The rear media system is a $2,490 add-on from the factory. If you can get a custom Media system for less than that, it my be a better route for you to take. However, after market add-ons typically do not hold their resell value if you are looking long term. Hope this helps.
What would you recommend that works best if we are an iPhone family? I have tried the hdmi apple converter and only sound works so I will be returning that.
Hello, I just got the 2021 Tahoe with the media in the back I also have a Galaxy S21 I'm able to Miracast my phone but when I try to play Disney+ or Netflix on it all I get is the sound no video I can only see my recorded videos & RU-vid on them, is there a way I could watch these 2 apps on the screens through my phone? Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.
Hello Chio. If you are mirroring your phone to the media screen, it should show everything on your phone to the screen. So once you pull those applications up on your phone, it should also appear on the screen also. I have a Google phone and I have never successfully mirrored my phone to the screen without the use of a Google Chromecast. I guess that would be my solution is to use a Google Chromecast, Amazon Firestick, or some other type of streaming device to stream those apps.
Thank you for the video. I had the same exact feelings as another person above about a waste of money on the vehicle... I have young kids and totally love having a DVD player and didn’t realize this didn’t have it. Is it possible to actually hook up a DVD player to the HDMI outlet?
Hello Melissa. Yes it is possible to hook up and external DVD player using the HDMI port and the rear three prong plug in. Like I mentioned in the previous comment, this system is meant to be a solution to the declining physical disc industry. The days of physical discs will be completely gone before we know it. I do hope that General Motors simplifies the connecting process in future vehicles to make it more child friendly.
This is a great question and I should have answered it better in the video, but I didn't. Short answer; yes they can. Apple products can't connect directly since they don't use Miracast like androids do. The easiest way to overcome this is to use a cable and connect directly into your phone. If you really want wireless connection, it is possible. The only way I know of is to connect your phone using a cast system such as chromecast. Here is the way I know how to do it. 1) Hook your chromecast up to the HDMI port in the back 2) For IPhone users, download the Chromecast app on your iPhone or iPad, and while it is installing go to Settings, turn on Wi-Fi, and connect to the Chromecast option. 3) Open the Chromecast app, which at this point should have automatically located and connected to the device. You will now be given the option to name the device and select which Wi-Fi network you would like it to run on. Make sure your iPhone or iPad are on the same network as the Chromecast, and just like that you should be ready to start streaming. 4) Now you should be able to cast from your iphone to the rear media system using the chromecast app. Hopefully, apple will make an app to simplify this process, but this is the only way I know how at this point in time.
GM Bullfrog thanks so much, that was extremely helpful. My owners son just got a 2021 Tahoe and I couldn’t figure out how to hook up his iPhone haha. Thank you so much for the steps! I will let him know he must purchase a chrome cast and follow those steps :)
We just got the 2021 Yukon with the 2 tvs. And we are so unhappy with it. We have 3 kids under 6 years old. And this will not work with kids that don’t know how to pick the inputs. Are we missing something? We have had many Yukon’s and Tahoe’s in the past with tvs/ DVD player. And that was so much better for kids. Please help if you can. We now feel this was a waste ok $70k
I completely understand your frustrations Ian. GMC made A LOT of changes to the Yukon and some are not so easy to adjust to. The new rear media system is more involved than expected, and there is not a whole lot of sources to turn to when things are not going as expected. I myself am still learning the details of the system. The new set up is meant to be a solution since the days of physical discs are dying and streaming is taking over. The easiest way to set it up for your younger children would be to pre-set the casting system before you begin your journey, or set up a streaming device such as Roku or Amazon Fire Stick that you may be already using in your home. That way your kids can use the same remote that they are accustomed to. You can also connect your phone or a passenger's phone that way you can control what your kids are viewing from the front. I know you are uncertain right now, but you should absolutely not feel like you wasted your money. Even if you completely remove the rear media system all together, the new Yukon is still an amazing vehicle. If you need more information on setting up your system, please reach out to me. I am more than happy to help anyway that I can.
Great video, very informative! What video format plays through the USB video option? Will MKV or MP4 work? I have searched the internet and cannot seem to find this.
That is a very good question levilear1. I can't confidently answer that one for you. The only thing I know in regards to playing video files from USB is that your USB must be formatted to FAT32 since this is what most smart TV's use to read USB files.
Hello Jamie. I think I may be able to help you with your question. To put the rear media system in pairing mode, you will see a settings gear icon in the lower right corner of the screen. When you press that button, one of the options will be Bluetooth Headphone Setup. The next screen you will see add new headphones. Using this process, you should be able to use any Bluetooth based headphones. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks for the info. I do not have an Apple phone so I do not have the opportunity to test different set ups. I did say that Apple does not use Miracast and you would need some kind of casting system to get it to work. Apple TV and HDMI adaptors are additional things you would have to buy to make Apple phones work.
Thank you for the comment LovethisNation. To use any of the streaming services, you have to have some sort of internet connection. Ideally this would be a data package from ON-Star that turns your vehicle into a wireless hotspot. You could also use your phone as a hotspot if you have that capability. You could also use a mobile hotspot like the Verizon global hotspot, but that would be less cost efficient then getting ON-Star.
Hello Beverly. Google Chromecast is designed more for Android devices. If you are trying to use an Apple product with it, you will have to make sure you have the Chromecast app downloaded to your Iphone.
I just got the 2022 tahoe lt the basic package. Can I still install the headrest monitor but on the screen I see no rear media option and the back only has 2 usb-c ports? If so what will the cost be around?
Hello G_Mason. You unfortunately wont be able to install this specific system without spending a WHOLE LOT of money. There are headrests that you can purchase with screens built into them, but these wont be integrated into your vehicles infotainment system. However, basic package or not, you have a beautiful vehicle. I really like EVERYTHING Chevy did to the Tahoe.
GM really dropped the ball on the rear entertainment system. My 5 year old or 3 year old can't run the screens. How do I set the rear screens up from the front instead of reaching around and selecting which hdmi or miracast to use.
Hello Dillan. I completely agree. I like the direction that GM is going with these entertainment systems but they are not very user friendly especially for little ones. You do have some controls from the front seat but it is very limited.
Sorry John. I am not super familiar with that model of phone. The easiest way to battle Miracast connection issues with these vehicles would be to use a casting system (firestick, Chromecast, Roku, ect) or to use an HDMI adapter to fit your phone. You could also download shows to a USB and play them that way.
Yes Marcos I can do that. I do not have an Amazon firestick since all my "smart" products are powered by Google. I will see what I can do to get ahold of a Firestick for you.
Hello Staci. In this video, I set up my Google Chromecast to the vehicle. You will have to have an internet connection to your vehicle in order for it to work. The process is a little different depending on the type of Google Chromecast device you are using. To give you the short version; Plug Chromecast device into rear HDMI slot. If power cable is also needed, plug power supply in rear plug in. If you have an Apple product, download the Google Chromecast app from the app store. Use the Chromecast instructions to help set up a profile and establish a connection. Once the connection is established, you will be able to cast your phone to the screen using the cast function on your phone. Your phone and Chromecast must be on the same Wi-Fi network to work.
Hello Boba. Assuming you have this system equipped on your vehicle. The rear media button is on the front screen to allow the driver to control the back screens if needed. Maybe you have a few back seat passengers that are fighting on what to watch, you can shut that down from the front seat.
Hello Tom. Your vehicle may not be equipped with in-vehicle navigation. If you press the navigation button and it prompts you to contact ON-Star, then your vehicle does not have "in-vehicle" navigation. For this video, I used a Google Chrome device to connect my phone to the rear media system.
Hello Chaklit tea. If you are planning on using a highpowered gaming system like the PS4 or XBOX series X, I would HIGHLY recommend getting a power inverter to be able to handle the extra wattage. That is a great question that I did not cover in my video so thank you.
Yes Felix. I have been trying to find another Yukon or Tahoe with this rear media system, but they are REALLY hard to get ahold of. As soon as I can get my hands on one, I plan to do a video that covers several of the issues people have been commenting on.
I'm trying to get my Ipod MP3 player to work in my 2021 Chev Tahoe High Country without success. I tried plugging it in to the USB port under the infotainment center but that didn't work. Do I plug the cord in to a rear USB port? My MP3 player worked fine in my 2019 C7 Corvette so I know it works.
Hello Big George. You would not need to plug it into the rear USB unless you are trying to pay it through the rear DVD system. You should be able to connect to the USB port in the front and play it through your infotainment system. The only thing I can think of is if it is an older device, it may no longer be supported.
Hello Sherif. I intend to do a video on wireless Carplay/ Android Auto. I can't tell you exactly how to connect with an Apple device since I have an Android, but the process should be very similar. 1) Turn on your Bluetooth on your phone 2) Get inside your Tahoe with the vehicle turned on 3) On your infotainment system, press the Apple Carplay button. If your phone is not already connected via Bluetooth, your vehicle will instruct you to do so. 4) Once your vehicle and phone are connected, press the Carplay button on your infotainment screen and you are now connected to Carplay. Hope this helps
How did you get your chromecast to work on your Tahoo? After the set up it says its connected but it can't find the chromecast and that I may need to turn off AP isolation. How do I do that on the Tahoe WiFi?
Hello Swiift. I am not sure what AP isolation is. I did not have to do anything with that when I set up my Chromecast in the 2021 Tahoe. I am intending to make a video showing exactly how to connect the Google Chromecast but I don't have access to a 2021 Tahoe/Yukon rear media system at the moment. Here is a summary of what I did. 1) Hook your chromecast up to the HDMI port in the back 2) For IPhone users, download the Chromecast app on your iPhone or iPad, and while it is installing go to Settings, turn on Wi-Fi, and connect to the Chromecast option. Android users will have this built in. 3) Open the Chromecast app, which at this point should have automatically located and connected to the device. You will now be given the option to name the device and select which Wi-Fi network you would like it to run on. Make sure your iPhone or iPad are on the same network as the Chromecast, and just like that you should be ready to start streaming. 4) Now you should be able to cast from your iphone to the rear media system using the chromecast app
Hello Jerome. The Tahoe's and the Yukon's have went to a completely streaming based media system. There is no option to play a DVD unless you hook up an external DVD player. The Traverse and the Acadia's have the ability to do both DVD and streaming.
Hi can you tell me how to get iPad mini 5 to work on this ? I bought a new 2021 suburban and the salesman told me it works with apple and now I find out it doesn’t really. Please advise how to use the iPad mini 5. I have tried connecting with the usbc but it only allows to listen no video. My kids want to use their movies, Netflix, Hulu from their iPad. Do we need hdmi? If so how many wires do we need thank you very much
I can absolutely help with that Robyn. The media system will not connect directly with any Apple product without an adapter of some sort, but if you buy an HDMI adapter you can project the screen of any Apple products to the rear media system. I will post a link below for the adapter and a link for an HDMI cable if you don't already have one. It doesn't have to be those EXACT products but the links will give you an idea of what to look for. If you need help setting the adapter up, let me know. Hope this helps! Adapter: www.walmart.com/ip/Apple-Lightning-Digital-AV-Adapter-Lightning-to-HDMI-adapter-HDMI-Lightning/44705398 HDMI Cable: www.walmart.com/ip/QualGear-10-High-Speed-HDMI-2-0-Cable-with-Ethernet/46164767
Thank you for your response. I ordered both. Once I get it how do I connect ? HDMI in the port on truck then to the adapter ? Will that make the iPad mirror on the screen or will they still have to pick the movie on the iPad and just play on the screen? Also what is the purpose of the usb c port ? I originally thought I could connect that way. Thank you again !
You are most welcome Robyn. Thank you for watching. Once you get the products, all you have to do is connect one end of the HDMI cable to your vehicle and the other end to the adapter. Then connect your phone to the adapter using the charge cable that came with your phone. Select either HDMI 1 or HDMI 2 depending on which port you are plugged into and then give it a minute or two. After that your iPad should mirror to the screen. The USB-C port is just a charging port for products that use a USB-C cable. Many of the newest smartphones have switched to USB-C since in typically provides faster charging times.
What do I need to connect to use an apple device (iPad or iPhone)? Amazon fire stick or google chromecast? Will those allow me to mirror content from my apple devices to the screens?
Great question Camden. Unfortunately there is no way to directly connect an Apple product to the rear media system since Apple does not use Miracast. The only way I have found to combat this is to download the Chromecast app from the apple store and connect your phone using a Chromecast device. If you do this then you can cast material from your I products to the screen but it will not be a "mirror."
Not a very good use case. They are basically monitors that don’t have a video source and require a lengthy setup. No one wants to spend 5 minutes doing a set up for a 15 min trip. When you can just get them a tablet. Most of the time kids are in the back, don’t know if them sending directions to the front like that is useful . They can just take over wireless CARPlay . Can believe GM released this
Thank you for the comment Julie. I understand why GM did what they did as far as making the screens stream/casting compatible. It would have been nice if they could have incorporated the DVD as well instead of completely removing it. I believe that if new technology like this is going to be invented and implicated that GM should have taken baby steps to get there instead of going in the deep end right from the gate.
@@gmbullfrog1004 do you recommend a way to do it? we tried but kept getting an error stating we were connected to the wifi but internet connection failed?
Hello Kor. I know that you can share sound and picture between the two rear screens. I don't believe you can play video on the infotainment screen in the front, but I could be wrong about that. To share the video between the two rear screens, you select which screen you want to share and then press the button that has two boxes and and arrow on it. That is the "transfer" button. Hope that helps
Hello. This system is not in itself a streaming system. It is meant to connect to some kind of device and stream that way. You can use a firestick, chromecast, or some other type of streaming device. You can also use a USB drive or connect a device via HDMI cable. What kind of video are you trying to get to work?
@@gmbullfrog1004 yes, I know, but unfortunately I have tried the Google Cast, ROKU, and nothing works. I keep getting errors and whatever I try to use is not compatible. I even went to the dealership and they couldn't even get anything to work...they asked me to go and buy both Google cast and ROKU again and still nothing.
That's an odd one. I will make a quick video for you to show you how I got my Chromecast to work and maybe there is a step missing somewhere. Hopefully that will help and it is not a problem with the system itself.
Phenom that depends on what you are trying to accomplish. You will need Wi-Fi if you are trying to use a streaming service, but you don't if you are casting a screen from your personal devices.
Hello Nick. For the time being, Apple does not have direct compatibility to the media system since Apple products do not use Miracast. You can connect them by using a streaming device such as chromecast and downloading the chromecast app from the Apple Store. I have not tested it but you may also be able to use an HDMI adapter and connect your phone with a cable.
Hello Christopher. The easiest way to use your iPhone would be to buy an HDMI adapter that your iPhone plugs into. Otherwise, you would need to purchase some kind of casting device (Google Chromecast, Amazon Firestick, etc..).
Hi, can you please tell me why when I hooked up my iphone it came up on the screen just fine but when I tried to play something for instance netflix from my phone, the little circle thing just keeps going round and round and nothing plays.
Hello Darlene. That is strange. Could you tell me what you used to connect your iPhone and are you trying to use the in-vehicle WiFi or WiFi from your phone?
Just bought the 2021 Yukon Denali. Purchased a Roku streaming stick. Plugged the Roku stick into the hdmi port and the usb cable ( keeps stick charged) inside center console. The video is streaming on both screens but no sound. Is there a way to listen on car speakers as my babies won’t wear headphones. They are too young.
That is a really good question Stormi and you are not the first person to ask so do not feel alone. You can play the audio for one source at a time over the speakers unless you use headphones. 1) On your infotainment screen in the front, swipe until you see a button that says rear media. Click that button 2) On the next screen, you will see 3 buttons on the left of the screen: 1/2, 1, 2 3) Select either screen 1 or 2 depending on which audio you are wanting to play 4) When you select the screen, there will be a button towards the bottom that says listen. When you press this button it will play the audio over your car speakers. Hope this answers your question Stormi
Hello Victoria. Does your radio play music through all the speakers or just the front? If your music is set to play through the front only then the media will use those same settings.
It is not the same screen in the Traverse. This specfic screen is only on the Tahoes, Suburbans, Yukons, and Yukon XLs. The Traverse also has a rear media system that has streaming capabilities, but it is very different from this one.
Hello Jeff. I think I may be able to help you with your question. To put the rear media system in pairing mode, you will see a settings gear icon in the lower right corner of the screen. When you press that button, one of the options will be Bluetooth Headphone Setup. The next screen you will see add new headphones. Using this process, you should be able to use any Bluetooth based headphones. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions
They are connected automatically by vin number just select something to play cut the headphones on and your good to go,the stock headphones contrary to popular belief are NOT BLUETOOTH,so searching for them they won’t pop up because they are already connected.I know this because I just spent 3 hours trying until I just played a movie and it came over the headphones.
Hello Allie. Unfortunately you have to have some sort of WIFI to cast from your phone to the screen since the Google Pixel's don't use Miracast. I have a Pixel also when I made this video. The way I got it to work was to connect a Chromecast device then cast my phone that way.
this is such a horrible set up, when u have young kids u just want to get in the car slide a dvd in and go, nobody wants to have to pay more money to buy the wifi and then take the time to stream things. tempted to look at an expedition just because they actually have a dvd with theirs.
Thank you for the comment Ryan. I agree that this system needs to be more user and kid friendly. This is GM's first shot at it and I think they will improve it in later models. A couple things you could do to make it easier is hook a device up using the HDMI port, or download videos to a USB drive and play that way. I can walk you through it if you would like.
