Dear Gang,

First off, I'd like to thank so many of you for helping me with pre-purchase questions regarding the BV8; those answers helped make my purchasing decision a lot easier.

I just received the TV today and though I haven't actually hooked it up yet, it's beautiful.  And, the B&O label on the front speaker is really not very apparent (yeah!).

I was very excited about hooking up my cable box / DVR, but after trying to read B&O's horribly designed instruction manual (just my humble opinion), my enthusiasm was tempered by the realization that I'd need to do some "work arounds" to accommodate B&O's strange input choices for the BV8.  Amongst other things, I realized that I'd probably need an RCA to Scart convertor as well as a powerlink splitter.  Why B&O hindered this TV with Scart inputs for the American version is beyond me.  They have component and composite inputs, but the component input has no "audio in" except via the Scart!

This lack of inputs has made me think up some questions that I'd like to pose to the group (any input would be greatly appreciated):

1.  Are Scart inputs of comparable quality to component inputs?

2.  Is there such a thing as a component to Scart convertor so that I can make use of the otherwise useless Scart inputs on my BV8?

3.  Has anyone tried using a HDMI expander on one of these TVs?  Regardless, can you think of some problems I might encounter trying to use one of these devices to effectively run a cable box, Apple TV and DVD player through the one HDMI port of the BV8?

4.  I'm going to try to install the infra-red cords from the IR blaster to two components (probably the Apple TV and a cable box).  How hard is this for a neophyte like myself to do?  What brand of IR cords does the group recommend?

5.  If you were me, how would you implement the connecting of an Apple TV and a Motorola STB to the BV8 taking in to account the fact that I'm going to use BL3s when listening to music, and that I'll probably work toward ridding myself of my STB as soon as my ISP gets faster.  Detailed instructions or insights are welcome.  Also, I'm so dumb about how to hook this stuff up that even seemingly mundane insights would be appreciated.

 

TIA,

Mark 

 

my brother has an rgb scart expander ( 1-10 ) and a component expander ( 1-5 ) as he has similair problems with his sony tv

they all seem to work really well , but unfortunately they're not very nice to look at and all the cables look a mess

i've heard good things about hdmi expanders - just make sure you buy a good one and if it doesn't work you can take it back for a refund ( hdmi is a bit picky imo - the hd handshake  stuff ) 

This lack of inputs has made me think up some questions that I'd like to pose to the group (any input would be greatly appreciated):

1.  Are Scart inputs of comparable quality to component inputs? Yes, they'll feed your tv with a good signal, just remember to select RGB out from your STB.

2.  Is there such a thing as a component to Scart convertor so that I can make use of the otherwise useless Scart inputs on my BV8? I am completely mystified that your dealer didn't supply you with one. I own a BV8, and wonder whether the smaller converter plug will fit inside the connection well once you have the component cables attached - if not, then use the version with scart at one end and component plugs at the other end of a cable. But again - for a television in this price range this should be a dealer freebie in the US.

 

3.  Has anyone tried using a HDMI expander on one of these TVs?  Regardless, can you think of some problems I might encounter trying to use one of these devices to effectively run a cable box, Apple TV and DVD player through the one HDMI port of the BV8?

Shouldn't be a problem. 

4.  I'm going to try to install the infra-red cords from the IR blaster to two components (probably the Apple TV and a cable box).  How hard is this for a neophyte like myself to do?  What brand of IR cords does the group recommend?

Very simple. Remember there's one IR cord in your setup package, just get the same kind - I think that's one interconnect that's actually cheap at B&O stores. 

5.  If you were me, how would you implement the connecting of an Apple TV and a Motorola STB to the BV8 taking in to account the fact that I'm going to use BL3s when listening to music, and that I'll probably work toward ridding myself of my STB as soon as my ISP gets faster.  Detailed instructions or insights are welcome.  Also, I'm so dumb about how to hook this stuff up that even seemingly mundane insights would be appreciated.

The HDMI input on the BV8 has audio and video sense, which means that's your best connection bet. You'd then connect your BL3s to the PL-ports of your BV8.

I don't know how the analog out from the AppleTV compares to the analog out from Macs, have only used the optical out from all, as the analog out from the Macs is not of sufficient quality to get the best out of BL3s.
 

Soundproof,

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions.  At the risk of becoming a pest, I wonder if I couldn't talk you in to expounding further on a few points.

This lack of inputs has made me think up some questions that I'd like to pose to the group (any input would be greatly appreciated):

1.  Are Scart inputs of comparable quality to component inputs? Yes, they'll feed your tv with a good signal, just remember to select RGB out from your STB.

RGB is the "color space" or a connector?

 

2.  Is there such a thing as a component to Scart convertor so that I can make use of the otherwise useless Scart inputs on my BV8? I am completely mystified that your dealer didn't supply you with one. I own a BV8, and wonder whether the smaller converter plug will fit inside the connection well once you have the component cables attached - if not, then use the version with scart at one end and component plugs at the other end of a cable. But again - for a television in this price range this should be a dealer freebie in the US.

From reading these forums, I realize that you have a BV8, too.  Please share your insight regarding the following issues.

As best I can tell, the "AV1" input is Scart only.  I figure I'd therefore need component and RCA "audio in" jacks on any convertor if I wanted to make use of this input.  Does this type of convertor exist?

The "AV2" input has Y-Pb-Pr plugs and a Scart.  I guess I'd need a RCA (red and white) to Scart convertor to get audio from a component source in to the TV via this input.  Does a RCA to Scart convertor exist?

 

3.  Has anyone tried using a HDMI expander on one of these TVs?  Regardless, can you think of some problems I might encounter trying to use one of these devices to effectively run a cable box, Apple TV and DVD player through the one HDMI port of the BV8?

Shouldn't be a problem.

Thank you. 

 

4.  I'm going to try to install the infra-red cords from the IR blaster to two components (probably the Apple TV and a cable box).  How hard is this for a neophyte like myself to do?  What brand of IR cords does the group recommend?

Very simple. Remember there's one IR cord in your setup package, just get the same kind - I think that's one interconnect that's actually cheap at B&O stores. 

Thank you again.  I'll call my dealer to see if I can get an extra IR cord.

I was also thinking; assuming I wanted to connect an Apple TV, a cable STB, and a DVD player to the TV, my best bet might be to try and find a used B&O DVD player with a Scart output.  That way, I could use one of my Scart inputs (without convertors) and I could control the player with my Beo4 despite the fact that I won't have enough IR blaster ports to feed it.  Do you recommend looking for a used DVD1 or DVD2 (I'm not even sure if they made these for USA voltages)?

 

5.  If you were me, how would you implement the connecting of an Apple TV and a Motorola STB to the BV8 taking in to account the fact that I'm going to use BL3s when listening to music, and that I'll probably work toward ridding myself of my STB as soon as my ISP gets faster.  Detailed instructions or insights are welcome.  Also, I'm so dumb about how to hook this stuff up that even seemingly mundane insights would be appreciated.

The HDMI input on the BV8 has audio and video sense, which means that's your best connection bet. You'd then connect your BL3s to the PL-ports of your BV8.

I don't know how the analog out from the AppleTV compares to the analog out from Macs, have only used the optical out from all, as the analog out from the Macs is not of sufficient quality to get the best out of BL3s.

Let me make sure I understand you correctly on this one.  I've heard others mention that the analog out from the Macs and Apple TV (RCA jacks and mini-jacks?) might not be of great quality owing to inherent insufficiencies in Apple's audio out hardware.  However, assuming I hook the Apple TV to the BV8 via the HDMI, I'd have a purely digital hook-up and presumably pristine sound coming out of the BL3s (i.e. is the digital out from the Apple TV via HDMI affected by the insufficient quality of Apple's sound converting hardware)?  I ask as my whole goal has been to avoid having a traditional "receiver" or BS3 type device involved in my AV set up with this particular TV, yet I want to take advantage of the Apple lossless formatted music coming through the Apple TV.

  

Thank you again for being so gracious about answering my questions,

Mark 

 

Hi Mark,

1.  Are Scart inputs of comparable quality to component inputs? Yes, they'll feed your tv with a good signal, just remember to select RGB out from your STB.

RGB is the "color space" or a connector?

RGB is the color profile. You can probably choose between NTSC and RGB in your Video Signal Out settings on the STB. Without RGB, you are not feeding the component red/green/blue information. All STBs have this setting option. 

 

2.  Is there such a thing as a component to Scart convertor so that I can make use of the otherwise useless Scart inputs on my BV8? I am completely mystified that your dealer didn't supply you with one. I own a BV8, and wonder whether the smaller converter plug will fit inside the connection well once you have the component cables attached - if not, then use the version with scart at one end and component plugs at the other end of a cable. But again - for a television in this price range this should be a dealer freebie in the US.

From reading these forums, I realize that you have a BV8, too.  Please share your insight regarding the following issues.

As best I can tell, the "AV1" input is Scart only.  I figure I'd therefore need component and RCA "audio in" jacks on any convertor if I wanted to make use of this input.  Does this type of convertor exist?

The "AV2" input has Y-Pb-Pr plugs and a Scart.  I guess I'd need a RCA (red and white) to Scart convertor to get audio from a component source in to the TV via this input.  

Does a RCA to Scart convertor exist? YES. You sometimes get these with digital cameras and video came consoles. Just make sure you get the proper ones - and your dealer really should have them, if not then B&O USA should get on the ball pronto.

 

 

I was also thinking; assuming I wanted to connect an Apple TV, a cable STB, and a DVD player to the TV, my best bet might be to try and find a used B&O DVD player with a Scart output.  That way, I could use one of my Scart inputs (without convertors) and I could control the player with my Beo4 despite the fact that I won't have enough IR blaster ports to feed it.  Do you recommend looking for a used DVD1 or DVD2 (I'm not even sure if they made these for USA voltages)?

Couldn't tell. Have never used either - but the plan's a good one. But why not use the Mac? You can put the dvd in your Mac, and rip the dvd to its harddisk, and then access the file using AppleTV ...

Let me make sure I understand you correctly on this one.  I've heard others mention that the analog out from the Macs and Apple TV (RCA jacks and mini-jacks?) might not be of great quality owing to inherent insufficiencies in Apple's audio out hardware.  

It's more than good enough for plastic PC speakers, but it really is starving your BL3s to just feed them the analog out from a Mac. 

However, assuming I hook the Apple TV to the BV8 via the HDMI, I'd have a purely digital hook-up and presumably pristine sound coming out of the BL3s (i.e. is the digital out from the Apple TV via HDMI affected by the insufficient quality of Apple's sound converting hardware)?  

Yes, this should be a perfect solution. I'm going to hook up my own AppleTV to my BV8 later, just to try this - which may lead me to purchase another AppleTV (damn you, Steve Jobs!) just to have that convenience and quality. 

I ask as my whole goal has been to avoid having a traditional "receiver" or BS3 type device involved in my AV set up with this particular TV, yet I want to take advantage of the Apple lossless formatted music coming through the Apple TV.

I don't know about the quality of the Digital-to-Analog converter INSIDE the BV8, but I would be very surprised if that was sub-standard. B&O are proud of their sound, with a reason, and I'm pleased with what I'm hearing from my BV8 (and actually quite amazed that it seems as if the sound is coming from places above and to the side of the set!)

Therefore, by connecting your AppleTV to the HDMI-IN on the BV8, you have set yourself up. You can play whatever is on the AppleTV, and you can stream from your other Macs/disks to the AppleTV, and get that quality through to your BL3s using PowerLink from the BV8. 

What you won't get is a way of processing the digital-surround information from your AppleTV, and B&O should really take a long, hard look into the mirror and rethink that decision.

Hi Mark,

 

1.  Are Scart inputs of comparable quality to component inputs? Yes, they'll feed your tv with a good signal, just remember to select RGB out from your STB.

RGB is the "color space" or a connector?

RGB is the color profile. You can probably choose between NTSC and RGB in your Video Signal Out settings on the STB. Without RGB, you are not feeding the component red/green/blue information. All STBs have this setting option.

Thank you for the info.

 

 2.  Is there such a thing as a component to Scart convertor so that I can make use of the otherwise useless Scart inputs on my BV8? I am completely mystified that your dealer didn't supply you with one. I own a BV8, and wonder whether the smaller converter plug will fit inside the connection well once you have the component cables attached - if not, then use the version with scart at one end and component plugs at the other end of a cable. But again - for a television in this price range this should be a dealer freebie in the US.

From reading these forums, I realize that you have a BV8, too.  Please share your insight regarding the following issues.

As best I can tell, the "AV1" input is Scart only.  I figure I'd therefore need component and RCA "audio in" jacks on any convertor if I wanted to make use of this input.  Does this type of convertor exist?

The "AV2" input has Y-Pb-Pr plugs and a Scart.  I guess I'd need a RCA (red and white) to Scart convertor to get audio from a component source in to the TV via this input.  

Does a RCA to Scart convertor exist? YES. You sometimes get these with digital cameras and video came consoles. Just make sure you get the proper ones - and your dealer really should have them, if not then B&O USA should get on the ball pronto.

I'll definitely contact my dealer.  Now that you mention it, my XBox has something that looks like a Scart connector on the back with a yellow video input in addition to the red and white audio inputs - is this a Scart on the XBox?

 

 

4.  I was also thinking; assuming I wanted to connect an Apple TV, a cable STB, and a DVD player to the TV, my best bet might be to try and find a used B&O DVD player with a Scart output.  That way, I could use one of my Scart inputs (without convertors) and I could control the player with my Beo4 despite the fact that I won't have enough IR blaster ports to feed it.  Do you recommend looking for a used DVD1 or DVD2 (I'm not even sure if they made these for USA voltages)?

Couldn't tell. Have never used either - but the plan's a good one. But why not use the Mac? You can put the dvd in your Mac, and rip the dvd to its harddisk, and then access the file using AppleTV ... 

You're right.  That was my original idea and it certainly makes for a more simple set-up.  The DVD player was mainly for the in-laws who now live in town (no comment). 

 

 

5.   Let me make sure I understand you correctly on this one.  I've heard others mention that the analog out from the Macs and Apple TV (RCA jacks and mini-jacks?) might not be of great quality owing to inherent insufficiencies in Apple's audio out hardware.  

It's more than good enough for plastic PC speakers, but it really is starving your BL3s to just feed them the analog out from a Mac. 

However, assuming I hook the Apple TV to the BV8 via the HDMI, I'd have a purely digital hook-up and presumably pristine sound coming out of the BL3s (i.e. is the digital out from the Apple TV via HDMI affected by the insufficient quality of Apple's sound converting hardware)?  

Yes, this should be a perfect solution. I'm going to hook up my own AppleTV to my BV8 later, just to try this - which may lead me to purchase another AppleTV (damn you, Steve Jobs!) just to have that convenience and quality. 

Please, please let me know how this works for you.  Trying to figure this out sure seemed a lot more simple when I originally asked the B&O people if what I wanted was possible and they said, "yep".

 

 

I ask as my whole goal has been to avoid having a traditional "receiver" or BS3 type device involved in my AV set up with this particular TV, yet I want to take advantage of the Apple lossless formatted music coming through the Apple TV.

I don't know about the quality of the Digital-to-Analog converter INSIDE the BV8, but I would be very surprised if that was sub-standard. B&O are proud of their sound, with a reason, and I'm pleased with what I'm hearing from my BV8 (and actually quite amazed that it seems as if the sound is coming from places above and to the side of the set!)

Therefore, by connecting your AppleTV to the HDMI-IN on the BV8, you have set yourself up. You can play whatever is on the AppleTV, and you can stream from your other Macs/disks to the AppleTV, and get that quality through to your BL3s using PowerLink from the BV8. 

What you won't get is a way of processing the digital-surround information from your AppleTV, and B&O should really take a long, hard look into the mirror and rethink that decision. 

I'm OK with no Surround (that's one of the few things I did know about the BV8 before I purchased it).  You mentioned in the "Mac to BL3" thread that you might be mistaken about audio coming in to the BV8 via the HDMI.  In looking at the instructions to the BV8 (I haven't hooked it up yet as I'm missing the proper connections), I notice that the set-up menu shows that the HDMI port can be assigned to any of the "AV" modes and that the HDMI itself isn't assigned an "AV" number.  Do you think this means (as you alluded to in the other thread) that I'll have to use something other than the HDMI coming out from the Apple TV to get the audio to the BV8?  If so, this has got to be one of the dumbest designs I've ever seen.

Thoughts?

Anyone else care to add input?

 

Sorry about this thread being so long,

Mark 

Well, this should make you happy.

I just connected the AppleTV to my BV8, using the HDMI cable, and that's the only cable needed between the AppleTV and the BV8!

Wonderful image - I ran an HD-movie (Nightwatch with lots of fast moving visual effects and very tricky colour transitions). Looked brilliant on the screen, really the best image I've had from the BV8 until now.

But the issue is sound. Came through excellently, in stereo. Had to turn up the volume some relative to my usual listening volume, which means you want to remember that if you should go back to DTV or TV.

I set the AppleTV up as PC, adding that to LIST, and assigned HDMI as source in the Set up MENU for the BV8. I wonder whether I can add another iR-cord to control the AppleTV, anyone know? I have an IR port free, the other one controls the STB.

Tried SPEAKER 3, and got nice sound from my BL3s and the BV8's speakers.

Enjoy! (Was quite nice to be streaming video and audio from my various sources to the BV8 in this fashion. I just used  P-MUTE to have the screen go black when I was just listening to music.

I kept the Dolby Digital ON in the AppleTV's Audio settings.
 

I hooked my A TV up through HDMI. I am still fiddling with the 1st sync. Unfortunately the ethernet port in my imac seems to be bust and wireless is so slow.

I think the HDMI expander is a bit limited. You can assign the HDMI only to one source so you can control only one device through IR blaster / STB. So connecting a cable box and the apple tv and expect them to be controlled via Beo 4 is a no.

For the IR Blaster cable, there should be one in the box. I concur it is easiest to get a 2nd one from the dealer. The one that came with my TV had double sided tape on the IR plug, I just had to stuck it onto the IR eye of the A TV. No rocket science here.

If I were you, I would connect whatever you use most to the HDMI and the STB.  For me it's the A TV.

 

The HDMI will provide sound for ATV. o no extra cable needed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@ Soundproof: My BV8 / Beo 4 controls the Apple TV without issue including fast scroll. I would definitely invest in a cable and try it, maybe even check with dealer or a STB update. The control is awesome, it works as smooth as with the Apple Remote.

 

For your issue with volume, Surround movies are generally recorded lower then lets say music. This is to achieve a greater dynamic, i.e. when there is an explosion, to make it really stand out and shake you on your couch. The same is valid for most DVD players I think.

Hello

And thanks to Your all for all good information. But, it is possible to control AppleTV with Your Beo4 via the IR-blaster cable? What settings do You use?

Edde 

jk1002:

@ Soundproof: My BV8 / Beo 4 controls the Apple TV without issue including fast scroll. I would definitely invest in a cable and try it, maybe even check with dealer or a STB update. The control is awesome, it works as smooth as with the Apple Remote.

 

For your issue with volume, Surround movies are generally recorded lower then lets say music. This is to achieve a greater dynamic, i.e. when there is an explosion, to make it really stand out and shake you on your couch. The same is valid for most DVD players I think.

I didn't have a problem with the volume, just worth pointing out that if you have increased it, to watch a movie from AppleTV, then you'll probably jump in your seat if you go to TV or DTV withouth reducing volume first!  

I think I'm dropping my STB now that I've tried this out. My cable provider will be less than happy! 

On my US BV8 it works flawless. I chose Ipod Remote. 

I will be switching to ATV too as I am more after movies then TV. What surprised me a bit is, that the CNN news pod casts are a day old. What is up with that? But that should go into a different thread.

Soundproof and jk1002,

 

Thank you so much for your investigative work.  If I'm reading you posts correctly, it looks like my "poor man's stereo" that forgoes a traditional receiver or a digital to analog convertor works.

 

Do you guys feel that the Apple TV (assuming lossless audio) connected to the BV8 via HDMI with output to BL3s via the BV8's power-link socket is about as pristine as is possible?

 

Soundproof, you mention using SPEAKER 3 that gave you great sound from the BL3s and the BV8's inherent speakers.  How is the sound quality when you shut off the BV8's speakers and just use the BL3s for sound and BV8 to peruse your music catalog?

 

Regarding getting rid of our cable STBs (as both of you guys alluded to), I find this an appealing option on several levels and that desire coupled with my love for Apple and B&O products is what led me to try and configure this above combo, my "poor man's stereo".

 

TIA for all your help,

Mark 

Since you have the BL3s connected to the BV8 it's worth actually trying SPEAKER 3, to see if you like it. I had BL3s on floorstands and got a very nice soundstage. BUT - I also like just having the sound out of the BV8's speakers.

At any rate - built into the BV8 you have all you need to get B&O control of your music and movies. Connect an AppleTV to that, as suggested above, and you're rolling. I bought an AppleTV the other day and have been having lots of fun with it. I can do many of the same things using my Mac mini - but the simplicity of the integrated AppleTV menu/functions, and the downloads, are a bonus. Since AppleTV can connect to up to five computers (with their harddisks), I have access to an enormous amount of music and movies already, in addition to downloads.

I wouldn't call what you've put together a poor man's stereo -- it's a very good solution, that combines the best of harddisk playback and internet streaming with an excellent conduit for image and sound - the BV8. I've mentioned this before, if B&O had fully enabled this set, it would be moving out of the stores in truckloads now. Imagine urban dwellers, with limited space, who can put together the kind of system you have in the works now, with HD images, great sound and simple operation through one remote of the tv, the music source, etc. With Surround for movies and games it would have been perfect (last time I'll mention that.)

I think it was Linder who mentioned that the audio out through the HDMI is line and not digital. I'll look into that to make certain. To get the best possible sound, you might want to consider using a stand-alone DAC, but then you have the issue of moving that music into your BV8 and have it synchronize with the images. I find what I'm hearing from the BV8, using the HDMI, more than satisfactory, and don't think it's worth it to complicate things in that respect.

soundproof:

I think it was Linder who mentioned that the audio out through the HDMI is line and not digital. I'll look into that to make certain. To get the best possible sound, you might want to consider using a stand-alone DAC, but then you have the issue of moving that music into your BV8 and have it synchronize with the images. I find what I'm hearing from the BV8, using the HDMI, more than satisfactory, and don't think it's worth it to complicate things in that respect.

As an engineer, I should have known better when talking about HDMI.  It is of course digital but the result from the connection to the TV looks and sounds as if it were line level. You are correct.  There is a big distinction.

I agree the combination of a Beovision 8, Beolab 3s, and an Apple TV is a cool setup.  It is ideal for small living spaces, an entry level system or for simplicity itself.  B&O could sure use ideas like this to sell their products.

Bill 

HDMI is digital audio believe per definition. Not to beat the dead horse, but most urban dwellers live in condos and condo law number one if you want to stay friends with the neighbors is drop the surround. Also dealing with the cables for the rear is often tricky. I think the truckload ain't happening because it is still a very expensive TV for most.

I agree on the soundstage. For movies I choose definitely speaker 3, for music and concert I stick to speaker 2. I dont want to muddy the waters of the Lab 3 when it comes to music. I think it sums it up that the BV8 internal speaker is awesome for speech, the Lab 3 rule for music. It's probably a discussion like using 2 speaker or 4. Some may like speaker 3 for music.

I would not start playing with external boxes, connection the BL3 through PL and feeding the audio from ATV through HDMI is fine. There is definitely a difference in sound then going through line out of my imac. Same is valid for Airport Express.

JK 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soundproof,

I hear what your saying about the BV8's speakers being good all by themselves, and from what you've said it sounds like you think the Apple TV to BV8 via HDMI is a great little set-up (i.e. it's perfect without the BL3s).  However, I'm still interested in trying to use my BL3s when listening to music from the Apple TV (I won't use the BL3s when watching programs on the BV8, only with music).  When you listen to audio sourced from an Apple TV and fed through the BV8 to the BL3s with the BV8's speakers shut off, are you saying that you can tell it is inferior to having the BL3s hooked to other sources (like a BeoCenter 2)?  Is the "line in" quality of sound that obvious?

 

Linder,

Regarding the above, is it "a big [enough] distinction" using the HDMI without any DAC (other than any DAC inherent to the BV8) that I'd be better off not bothering to re-import my CDs in Apple's lossless format and simply continue to use the compressed audio that I currently have stored on my computer (128-256 kbs)?  Should I just use the BV8's speaker and not bother hooking up the BL3s via the PL?

 

JK,

Just to make sure that I'm understanding you correctly -- you feel that the Apple TV connected to the BV8 via HDMI and then put through PL to the BL3s is superior to in sound to the "line out" from your iMac or from the Airport Express? 

 

Mark 

Soundproof,

I hear what your saying about the BV8's speakers being good all by themselves, and from what you've said it sounds like you think the Apple TV to BV8 via HDMI is a great little set-up (i.e. it's perfect without the BL3s).  However, I'm still interested in trying to use my BL3s when listening to music from the Apple TV (I won't use the BL3s when watching programs on the BV8, only with music).  When you listen to audio sourced from an Apple TV and fed through the BV8 to the BL3s with the BV8's speakers shut off, are you saying that you can tell it is inferior to having the BL3s hooked to other sources (like a BeoCenter 2)? 

No - that's not what I'm saying. The sound out of the BL3s from BV8/AppleTV is very good, and I feel it's more detailed and dynamic than when I connect the BL3s to the analog out from my Powerbook.

The signal being sent along the HDMI is digital. I got a little confused when linder said that the signal was analog line out, as that didn't compute. And while I haven't been able to confirm the existence and kind of DACs that are in the BV8, there's clearly something quite adequate that's converting the digital feed from the HDMI to a signal for the speakers.
The reason I don't use BL3s regularly with my BV8 is a question of space where the set is now - the BL3s aren't needed. But you'll enjoy having them connected for both music and movies.

Is the "line in" quality of sound that obvious?

I think you're conflating my post with that of others. And while I can't document it I believe a digital signal is fed the BV8 and converted by that - and there shouldn't be any difference between the sound that goes through PowerLink to your BL3s from the BV8, and that which would have gone from a BeoCenter 2. 

The signal is nicely resolved and pleasant to listen to. I had lots of detail and weight when viewing Nightwatch and music playback was also very good.

I'll take a stab at your question to JK: 

Just to make sure that I'm understanding you correctly -- you feel that the Apple TV connected to the BV8 via HDMI and then put through PL to the BL3s is superior to in sound to the "line out" from your iMac or from the Airport Express? 

 Yes - with the reservation that if you pulled the toslink optical from AppleTV/iMac/Airport Express and had that processed by a good receiver or DAC, you might end up with the best analog signal to your BL3s, as we don't know what DACs are in the BV8.

But for the purposes of controlling the BV8 in the most convenient manner, using the HDMI and not bothering with extra components is the best solution.
 

In a nutshell. the speaker of teh BV8 is optimized for speech. The BL3 are not. In fact for speech alone I would always prefer Bv8 over Bl3 speaker. For music this is a whole different story. The way I use it is, for music Speaker 2 whihc means I have my BL3/Bl2. For Movies I use Speaker 3, so the entire thing is running. 

And yes, the BL3 connected through PL with the ATV as a source are better then the crappy line out that all my Apple stuff has. In fact, this was my main reason to buy the ATV over a mini mac (which also resulted in the BC2 purchase which i love for it's looks and which I would have owned for years if that ridiculously cheap MK3 BS9000 wouldn't  have been on ebay.

So, get a HDMI cable, attach the ATV to your BV8, get the PL splitter connect the BL3 to the TV. You will be very happy. Again, trust your ears. If the BL3 are new you will need around 100 hours to run them in. 

 This is an awesome setup. If you are not happy, consider buying a BL2. BL3 / BL2 in combination come very close to BL9 and Bl5 level. So close that for most the quality of the average CD (mastering) will have more impact then the speaker. My opinion at least. Very view of my Cds live up to my speaker combination.

 

Cheers

JK 

 

  

jk1002:

 This is an awesome setup. If you are not happy, consider buying a BL2. BL3 / BL2 in combination come very close to BL9 and Bl5 level. So close that for most the quality of the average CD (mastering) will have more impact then the speaker. My opinion at least. Very view of my Cds live up to my speaker combination.  

As a proud owner of both BL3/BL2 and BL5 setups, there is huge difference ! The BL3 and BL2 is a nice combo with great sound for the size, however, you only need a couple of seconds to hear the differennce to a Lab5.

My Lab3 and Lab2 are connected to a BV3 in my office and do a great job. 

Karsten 

I don't feel there is any necessity for bass reinforcement with the BeoLab 3s - they can produce quite a lot of bass by themselves. If you do feel the bass is slightly lacking, you'll get much better 'sound per pound' to move up to BeoLab 9s than get a BeoLab 2, although the latter will still give a very good sound...

Soundproof and JK (as well as everyone else),

Thank you so much for being so patient with me and my redundant questions.  You guys have been absolutely great.  As a neophyte when it comes to this sort of stuff, I wanted to make sure that the system I'd envisioned for my family would work, and I obviously got routinely confused by some of the info (for instance, I'd never really heard of a DAC until I started to ask these questions).

I will eventually get a bigger B&O TV with a BS3 so this digital processing stuff will be a moot subject (I think), and at that time the BV8 will become a stand alone TV for the bedroom.  However, for the time being, I want to get the best bang for my buck (no pun intended), future-proof-ness, and maintain a simplified system that could let me see and hear the video and audio stored on my Apples (which, incidentally, is where I see things going) - y'all have helped me create this.  The last part of the puzzle for me was that I also wanted the BL3s to sound good enough to discern the difference between compressed and non-compressed audio, and it would appear that will be the case with my "poor man's stereo" (yahoo!).

Thank you again.  If I can ever return the favor, please let me know.  I'm an eye physician so if you have any eye related questions, PM me (that goes for everyone else, too).

Mark 

@Alex. The BL3 use grip at a certain volume. the BL2 remedies that if you use them in a bigger room and like to turn up a bit.

& Karsten. Yes. And my next set of speaker will be the 5 or equivalent. But for now, the recording quality of most CDs I listen to does not justify that.

 For those interested in listening to the BL2/BL3 I would recommend the Alicia Keys MTV unplugged session. It shows very nicely what that combination is up to.