.... and a few questions, too, for JK, Soundproof and others who have hooked up the Apple TV.

 

Well, I've finally got my BV8 hooked to both the Apple TV and a cable box.  I'm using IR blasters to control both boxes with the Beo 4.  The Apple TV is tethered to the TV via HDMI and the cable box via component input (with the help of a scart-to-RCA convertor).  I've also attached two BL3 speakers directly to the TV.  I've been using it for about three weeks now.

Here are my humble observations:

-I feel that the PQ of the BV8 (assuming good source) is superb.  Though no expert on PQ, I have installed many Apple TVs on other, fancy flat-panels for friends and associates.  In the process of doing so, I've gotten to see first hand how other brands do with a variety of inputs and, LCDs' inherent difficiencies aside, I feel that the BV8 LCD panel stacks up very well in the PQ category.

-the sound of the BV8's inherent speakers is superb.  There are times where sounds actually appear to be coming from behind me - very impressive.  My set-up is somewhat of an experiment as I wanted to see how well the Apple TV fared with a minimum of B&O equipment, and I purposely wanted to try and avoid using a "receiver" or B&O music player.  I've therefore been relying on the digital-to-analog convertor in the BV8 to transmit music encoded in Apple Lossless to the BL3s.  I really find the concept elegant.  When listening to music, I shut off the TV's speakers and simply use the BV8 as a LCD display to peruse my catalog of music.  My next set-up will involve the BV7, though, and I'll therefore move the BV8 to another area where it's inherent speakers will be solely relied upon to play my music.  I feel confident that it will sound very good in the small room in which it's going, even when simply playing music from the Apple TV.

-the Beo 4 controls the cable box (a Motorola with HD DVR) and the Apple TV very well.  As I'll mention in a moment, it doesn't turn either of those devices off (which may have some other implications), but in terms of everyday operation, it works great.  Even the scrolling / fast searching on the Apple TV works well via the Beo 4. 

-I don't like that the BV8 still slightly tilts backward at it's most upright.  I can't say that it adversly affects the viewing experience, though.

-I find it ridiculous that this TV has only one HDMI input and a one component input that also requires the use of a SCART convertor (at least in the USA).  I had to figure out how to get the component thing to work, and I resent having had to do so with a $4K TV.  My 2 year old Samsung LCD (26") has 3 or 4 HDMI inputs!  Also, with the cable box (which is coming in via the SCART convertor), I sometimes see a delay between the picture and sound and I suspect that this is secondary to the audio going through the convertor.

-the Apple TV has been somewhat finicky.  I'm wondering if some of this has to do with the fact that it's always "on" status is causing it to overheat.  The BV8 / Beo 4 don't shut it or the cable box off.  Likewise, the IR cable covers the IR port on the Apple TV such that you can't shut it down with the Apple TV's own remote.  My Apple TV has had times where it's slowed to a crawl and had trouble playing back HD stuff.  For the record, I have two other Apple TVs (one hooked to a smaller LCD panel in our small gym and one hooked to the kid's large CRT).  Both of those Apple TVs get shut off after use and both have stellar operating records.

OK, that about covers my comments.  I'm looking forward to eventually hooking the Apple TV to the BV7 / BS3 combo as I feel that the DACs in the BS3 coupled with a fiber optic line bringing internet in to my house will make my minimalistic dream of getting rid of the cable company and many AV components a possibility.

I do have a couple of questions for those other BV8 / Apple TV owners out there like JK1002, Soundproof, etc.:

-are you guys having issues with your Apple TVs staying on all the time or have you found a "work around" for shutting it off?

-does anyone expect B&O to eventually offer codes in their software that will allow us to shut-off the Apple TV or is this something that won't happen?

-do the B&O IR codes ever turn set top boxes off?

-have any of you guys noticed occassional disconnects between the sound and picture when using the component / SCART convertor input (i.e. "AV 2")?

 

TIA,

Mark 

Dear Mark D:

Please tell us about your experience with your future set up, BV7, Apple TV, and fiber optic.  Which company will provide the fiber optic?  

Would you please say more about the DACs on BS3?  

Thank you,

Dario 

 

Have to second your opinion on the BV8's image quality. I don't miss more connections, but then that's probably because I'm using it in my office/study. I have the DVD-player connected through the STB, and the AppleTV goes into the HMDI.

Have you used the options for setting up the IR with the STB? On my television I can choose between various modes, with the STB being independent of the TV, or following the TV. In the latter mode, the STB is switched on and off by the Beo4.
I believe that setting this correctly will take care of your AppleTV issue, as well. My AppleTV goes on standby on its own when inactive, I've set that in the ATV settings.
And I think it's best to set the IR-eye so that it doesn't cover the entire eye on the unit you're attaching it to - that lets you use the original remote for resets, etc.

No drop-out of image with SCART as far as I've noticed. Very stable - but I've only used SCART1.

My only beef with the BV8 is that the FORMAT on mine doesn't automatically set for full widescreen. Maybe there's a solution. It says in the manual that FORMAT 3 is the default format, but I have to set this manually when I begin watching. This could be a result of the various TV-stations sending a lot of different formats, there are a couple of stations where the BV8 starts with the correct setting (FORMAT 3), but they are few and far between. I don't understand why this isn't the one set as default, rather than the zoom-in that it uses.
(And there could be a very simple fix - if so, I would be grateful if you share it with me!)

Here are the AUTOMATIC STANDBY settings from the manual, for the setting of the IR commands to perifpherals. The last option is the one I'm using:

When you register a set-top box in the
CONNECTIONS menu, you can also select
an ‘AUTO STANDBY’ time for your set-top box.
This means that you can select if the connected
set-top box should switch to standby automatically.
The options are:
AFTER 0 MIN … The set-top box switches to standby
immediately when you select another source.
AFTER 30 MIN … The set-top box switches to
standby 30 minutes after you have selected
another source*.
AT TV STANDBY … The set-top box switches to
standby when you switch the television to standby.
NEVER … The set-top box does not switch to standby
automatically.
FOLLOW TV … The set-top box switches on,
when you switch your television on and it
switches to standby, when you switch your
television to standby.

 

Dario,

Regarding the fiber optic:  I may have been too vague in the way I worded that; I'm not planning on using a fiber optic to connect any of the components to the BV8 / BV7, HDMI should be sufficient for that.  The digital out line on my Apple TVs isn't used in my set-ups.  When I was discussing fiber, I was referring more to my ISP.  I live in a moderate sized metropolitian area in the South that won't have the fiber offerings from AT&T or Verizon for some time.  I've therefore talked some friends who own a fiber optic company in to running a line to my house.  The company sells fiber to the Department of Defense and other commercial entities.  Interestingly, their biggest customers right now are AT&T and Verizon who are both realizing the advantages of running fiber to cell towers.  However, they're not licensed as a residential "cable" company.

Regarding the DACs in the BS3:  I don't know much about them.  However, when I was setting-up my BV8 to test my ideas about a minimalistic AV system, I did a bunch of inquiring on these forums and the consensus was that when I eventually moved to a BS3 via the BV7, I'd appreciate better quality audio owing to the fact that the BS3 had higher grade DACs than the BV8.

Mark 

Soundproof,

As always, thank you for your input (I greatly value it).

Regarding the PQ: your endorsement thereof as well as my experiences are enough proof IMHO to debunk the idea that the BV8 is somehow the *** stepchild of PQ in the B&O TV line-up.

Regarding the default format:  mine does default to "format 3" which in my experience makes the sizing of the movie picture vary.  My video consists of movies and TV shows rented or purchased from Apple as well as movies, TV shows, and kids cartoons transferred from DVDs.  Of course, I'm also using the cable box, too.  With movies (regardless of original source), it sometimes fills the screen and at other times gets letterboxed.  Most of the TV shows that I've either purchased or burned to the Apple TV or formatted 4:3 and therefore have bars on either side.  The HD channels on my cable box (there are only a few) tend to completely fill the screen.

Regarding your suggestions for IR connection settings:  I tried the "follow TV" command for the cable box.  It does shut off the cable box, but it doesn't turn it back on when I hit "TV" on the Beo 4 to bring the TV out of "standby" mode.  Also, when I set the Apple TV connection to "follow TV", it doesn't shut off the Apple TV.  I tried perusing the Apple TV menu to see how to put it in standby mode on it's own after a certain timeframe, and I can't find out how to do so.  Any advice on how to set the Apple TV to do this?  Also, any solution for the cable box not turning back on when the TV is taken out of standby?

 

Mark 

The STB issue could be a function of the STB. My cable provider's box responds to the commands from the BV8 when using Follow TV, and switches both off and on as it's supposed to.

Try connecting the STB as DTV, that's what was recommended by my dealer. 

As to the ATV, I have set the screen saver to NEVER engage, after a while the ATV just stops sending an image if it's not in use. Try that. I believe that the ATV never switches fully off, though. To do that you have to pull the plug ...

OK, with my STB, I appear to be SOOL.

With my Apple TV, I have it set to the same settings as you.  However, the light on the front never goes off and the unit stays hot.  When I unplug it to let it cool off and then turn it back on, it doesn't have any of the problems that I previously mentioned (slowness, pausing, etc.).

Is your Apple TV's little white light shutting off after a while with your current settings?

As an aside, I really appreciate B&O including the IR codes for the Apple TV (they call it "iPod Remote") as this is essentially them supporting a competing product.  I hope that they continue to do so (and further develop their support for this device like making it so that the Apple TV can be made to go "off") as my decision to continue to purchase B&O TVs will be dependent on my ability to seemlesssly connect and integrate with what I see as the emerging, de-facto "digital hub" (i.e. Apple's system).

 

Mark 

My AppleTV light dims from bright white to dim yellowish when it goes into standby.

Try setting DTV instead of TV as your tag for the signal from the STB. 

Mine just stays bright white.

I have the Apple TV under DTV right now.  Are you suggesting that I change the Apple TV to the "TV" button and the put my STB on the "DTV" button?

 

Mark 

Try putting your STB on DTV, and your AppleTV on PC (adding it through LIST).

My STB responds to on/off through DTV, and the AppleTV behaves nicely with the PC assigned to the HDMI. 

Soundproof,

A few quick questions:

-in B&O speak, what does "DTV" stand for (I'd assumed digital TV and that's why I liked having that button dedicated to the Apple TV)? 

-how do I add "PC" through LIST?

-when you have the Apple TV assigned to PC, does the light on your Apple TV go off when you put the TV in standby?

-on your BV8, when the TV is "on" do you see a green light in the top left corner where the red standby light is located?  My green light only comes on momentarily when turning the TV "on" or "off".

 

Mark 

 

A few quick questions:

-in B&O speak, what does "DTV" stand for (I'd assumed digital TV and that's why I liked having that button dedicated to the Apple TV)? 

They use DTV for satellite, digital, etc. My STB is digital, and the manual recommends using DTV for STB control. 

-how do I add "PC" through LIST?

Standby+List simultaneously on your Beo4. Press GO when you see ADD? Scroll through using up/down until you see PC. Press GO again. You now have PC in your LIST menu and can access that. 

-when you have the Apple TV assigned to PC, does the light on your Apple TV go off when you put the TV in standby?

Not immediately. I don't think the AppleTV accepts outside commands for shut-down/standby. But it goes into standby. 

-on your BV8, when the TV is "on" do you see a green light in the top left corner where the red standby light is located?  My green light only comes on momentarily when turning the TV "on" or "off".

The light is on all the time when it's operating. I think your tv is confused because you're using TV (which is used for analog reception) instead of DTV for the STB. And PCs/Macs are supposed to be connected through PC.

 

Think you'll find things sorting themselves out once you make these changes. 

 

>>When I unplug it to let it cool off and then turn it back on, it doesn't have any of the problems that I previously mentioned (slowness, pausing, etc.).

 Mark, 

 

I am leaving my Apple TV always on. I don't watch much HD, however I don't have any stuttering issues.

 

From the notebooks I know that when they are assembling these things they apply some sort of thermal paste that transfers the heat. If that is not done right it has a huge impact on heat. I am assuming they do something similiar and would recommend to send yours back for exchange.

I think I have switched my TV to no screensaver, however the light stays always on too. Will take another look at that. 

@Soundproof, are you using 2.0?

 

Thanks

JK 

CORRECTION: I'm not using NEVER on the screen saver for the ATV, I'm using 5 minutes. But if you don't have any images in the photo folder, the screen goes dark when it engages.

Soundproof,

Thanks for the info on adding "PC" to my Beo4.  However, when I do this, it doesn't give me that option on the TV under the connections menu.  How to I assign AV1 (the place where I have the Apple TV coming in via HDMI) on my BV8 to "PC"?

Regarding the standby mode, I do have pics synced on the Apple TV and I'll try removing them to see if the light goes off on the unit after 5 minutes (but I doubt it will).  I have the same question for you that JK1002 had as I'm gradually becoming convinced that, at least with the newer software, the Apple TV is incapable of going in to standby except if you use the Apple remote:  what software version are you using on your Apple TV? 

 

M 

Go to the connections menu on the BV8.

I use AV3 for the HDMI. Choose that. You now get a menu with various options - on SOURCE use the right button until you see PC. Mark YES for HDMI in the same fashion. Also indicate your IR blaster's port for the ATV. 

Store your selections with GO. 

When you choose PC from LIST you'll activate this afterwards. 

Soundproof,

I guess I'm unlucky.

I did as you said and I'm able to list PC as a source under AV3, but when I do so, it doesn't give me the option of designating which set of IR codes to use (i.e. my Beo 4 is useless as a control for the Apple TV).

Likewise, my Motorola HD DVR set top box still doesn't turn on when it's put under the "DTV" button.

Also, on my BV8, the green light in the top right hand corner goes out a couple of seconds after the TV is turned "on" or "off" (are you sure that your green light stays on?).

 

Mark 

If you have both IR-ports assigned, then you won't get another one to choose from when you place PC on AV3. You have to deactiveate one of the IR ports you already have activated.

And you're right, the green light does go out - it's the red one that stays on. Just checked! (Rubbing eyes.)

Too bad about the STB - mine's not a Motorola, check with your dealer as to whether you've picked the right box. 

Green Light mystery cleared up. When watching television, the green indicator light goes out after a few seconds.
But when I listen to the radio from the Beosystem, or when I use the BeoLab 2000 in the kitchen to access the BV8, the green light remains on, while the screen is dark.
Must be what confused me!