My disappointment about the Beosound 5 is getting even stronger when I see what this product could have been. Besides multimedia players like Apple TV (299$) and WD TV (99$) more nice products are following. Please check the LaCinema Black Record (450$) which is a 1  Terabyte full scale HDTV multimedia player and recorder with HD TV Tuner, HDMI, WiFi and and and.... It even has digital audio outputs. 

Does anybody know if this device will be controllable with the Beo4 over Beosystem 3 (IR transmitter) ?

To me this is no alternative.

BeoSound 5 is not claiming to be a mediaplayer. It is a musicplayer.

It would be like having an Audi TT and complaining about the lack of space to sleep in the Car. It is simply not meant to offer that.

If you need a mediaplayer, buy that. If you want a cool music player, get a BeoSound 5.

The mediaplayers I have tried (TviX and PopCorn Hour) are very very nice at playing video content, but the interface sucks for playing Audio. This is where the BeoSound 5 is strong.

Agree.

Stefan

The Beosound 5 has a very nice design, made of precious materials and with e beautiful user interface. Practically I'd prefer to use my Beo4 to navigate through the menus on my Beovision 4, like I do now with Apple TV.

The heart of this concept, the BeoMaster 5 is where potential was wasted. It's simply a reduced media box with a harddisk that claims to be a dedicated music player (without digital outputs for my Beolab 5's). This doesn't make sense to me, since it's no big deal technically. I'm afraid that B&O failed to enter the digital media market forceful. 

".... Practically I'd prefer to use my Beo4 to navigate through the menus on my Beovision 4, like I do now with Apple TV."

You will be able to navigate with Beo4 as you could with BM1. Should be in the next update

"The heart of this concept, the BeoMaster 5 is where potential was wasted."

???

"It's simply a reduced media box with a harddisk that claims to be a dedicated music player (without digital outputs for my Beolab 5's)."

Sorry, you are wrong, I wouldn`t call it a "reduced media box". As macsat said, it?s a music player....or an advanced music player.

And wrong again: BM5 has a digital output.

Stefan 

It´s a Fantastic Music Player with much better sound than the BS 9000. It also have some add-ons like 1000+ internet radiostations and photo display on your TV. The websurfing feature I don´t find so exciting though.

Brgds Ingvar

stefan:

You will be able to navigate with Beo4 as you could with BM1. Should be in the next update

Too bad, I thought it's possible already. Is this upgrade scheduled already ? Will we be able to connect BeoMaster 5 over wifi ?

stefan:

Sorry, you are wrong, I wouldn`t call it a "reduced media box". As macsat said, it?s a music player....or an advanced music player.

Well, it runs embedded Windows, it has a harddisc, you can browse photos and connect to the internet. The video functions are disabled. How do you describe a media player then ?

I understand that B&O didn't want the Beosound 5 to be a media player, but this makes no sense to me, when they already licensed Windows. Unlike B&O's nicely engineered speakers, Beomedia 1 and Beomaster 5 are simply harddiscs with an embedded OS. Beomedia 1 was a nice start but never received a software upgrade to become a serious media device. Similar technologies are available from many other computer manufacturers (!!) starting at 99$ ! Why wouldn't B&O license a 400 bucks media player like Popcorn Hour, add their own interface and combine it with the BeoSound 5 ?

The BeoSound 5 / Beomaster 5 combo reminds me of my first Beovision 4 with BeoSystem 1. The Beosystem 1 was a totally outdated device (VGA connections to the plasma) when they brought it into the market. At that time every Panasonic plasma TV was HD ready and had DVI connections. Luckily I could upgrade my plasma connections and switch to Beosystem 3 later.

Beomedia 1, Beomedia 5 and Beosound 5 seem to me like unfinished premature digital products that fail to compete with todays technical demands of B&O's customers. I'm wondering if B&O ever asked their customer base what digital devices should be like ? I can't believe how noncompliant B&O reacts to market and technology developments. As a B&O enthusiast I can't understand that this behavior of B&O is justifiable.

stefan:

And wrong again: BM5 has a digital output.

You're right, I was wrong in this case. Thanks for the information.

"Well, it runs embedded Windows, it has a harddisc, you can browse photos and connect to the internet. The video functions are disabled. How do you describe a media player then ?"

Sorry, I thought you were talking about BS5. BM5 can be a media player - with photo and web function. BTW why are video functions disabled?

I managed to play movies, even HD movies, on BM5. You can read about that in older threads here in he BS5 forum.

BS5 is a music player, just with audio functions N.MUSIC and N.RADIO. So I don`t think LaCinema Black can`t be an alternative to BS5. I can understand that you are disappointed, because you expected a media player and Beo made (just) a music player (for now). For me the BS5 is a great device for music - I don`t listen to mp3s - and the Tvix a great device for movies. This way I have the best integration for music with timer control, automatic standby and even links to my macs incl. Beoplayer and Itunes. And I can watch a movie in a linkroom and listen to N.RADIO/N.MUSIC  in another linkroom or in the mainroom or vice versa...at the same time.

I don`t like the windows system on the BM5 - I`m a mac user - but BS5 don`t let me see or feel it....

"..Beosound 5 seem to ........ fail to compete with todays technical demands......." What is this? The first "todays technical demand" is: the product must be cheap, I think  - not more than 99.95 XXXX. So it is not worth to repair it after  a year when it doesn`t work anymore. Just spend another 99.95XXXX . Sorry not my demand.

Second "todays technical demand": the product has to be able to do everything: not only play music in every single audio format that exists in the universe, play movies, maybe 4 simultanously, baking cake, cooking coffee, feed the fishes......but nothing done really right. Also not my demand....I have no fishes.

So for me BS5 seems to be right. After trying popcorn, mac mini, BM1, Tvix6500, BS5 ...I will keep Tvix6500 and BS5.

Stefan

I fully agree with Stefan,

now that my BS 5 works  like it should, I simply love it. It is a joy to touch the aluminium wheels and simply to look at it.
It is so decent and nothing of this cheapo plastic looks like all the 99,- Euro 1000 Watt Surround sound systems that everybody wants ;-)

I'm currently missing some small features, but that's all.

Cheap mediaplayers like the one mentioned above are only cheap mediaplayers, nothing more ...

TWG:

now that my BS 5 works  like it should, I simply love it. It is a joy to touch the aluminium wheels and simply to look at it.
It is so decent and nothing of this cheapo plastic looks like all the 99,- Euro 1000 Watt Surround sound systems that everybody wants ;-)
...
Cheap mediaplayers like the one mentioned above are only cheap mediaplayers, nothing more ...

I think we all can agree that we prefer the look and touch of B&O designed hardware, especially the BeoSound 5.

Here is why I mentioned the "cheap mediaplayer" LaCinema. I wanted to demonstrate what simple consumer products are capable of.

What I find disillusioning is the fact that the Beomaster 5 does not have more technology than the so called "cheap mediaplayers" and still has less features. Even Wifi has to be added with a USB dongle. It's solely a licensed Windows XP, not much B&O engineering I suppose. 

stefan:

I managed to play movies, even HD movies, on BM5. You can read about that in older threads here in he BS5 forum.

Thanks for this useful information. I'll go through those threads.

stefan:

 BS5 is a music player, just with audio functions N.MUSIC and N.RADIO. So I don`t think LaCinema Black can`t be an alternative to BS5. I can understand that you are disappointed, because you expected a media player and Beo made (just) a music player (for now).

Well,  'for now' is a widely usable notion for B&O. I'm really looking forward to see how B&O will expand this concept, because with the licensed software and todays digital components it's not a big deal.

stefan:

 For me the BS5 is a great device for music - I don`t listen to mp3s - and the Tvix a great device for movies. This way I have the best integration for music with timer control, automatic standby and even links to my macs incl. Beoplayer and Itunes. And I can watch a movie in a linkroom and listen to N.RADIO/N.MUSIC  in another linkroom or in the mainroom or vice versa...at the same time.

Sounds great.

stefan:

I don`t like the windows system on the BM5 - I`m a mac user - but BS5 don`t let me see or feel it....

Me too. That's probably why I was upset when I heard about Win XP in the box.

stefan:

So for me BS5 seems to be right. After trying popcorn, mac mini, BM1, Tvix6500, BS5 ...I will keep Tvix6500 and BS5.

Great experience. Maybe you can agree with me on the Beomedia 1. 

Stefan,

what made you choose the Tvix 6500 in place of the Mac Mini ?

E.

>>BTW why are video functions disabled?>>

It seems simple to do but if we look carefully what all is missing to make it a decent music player and how complicated that seems to be it might have been a good idea.

WMA beeing the only choice for gapless playing is just one example. Just doesn't fly when you are on  a Mac.

B&O is planning on having a video access similar to tivx installed on future B&O tvs.  Until then, B&O is having dealers recommend that clients set up a wired network and use the tivx 6500 for video media. This could explain why B&O didn't focus on the Beomaster 5 for video media. Still, I don't see why it couldn't accomplish this in the future. I'm actually glad to see B&O focussing on ironing out the bugs for audio first before tackling video. I see the Beomaster 5/BeoSound 5 as an evolving product with a lot of future potential.

Another reason why B&O may have held off on using the Beomaster 5 for video media (at the moment at any rate) could be that there is not yet the capability to add an external network drive. Customers could start complaining that the 500 GB internal drive gets filled very quickly when adding video media. B&O IS adding the capability to add an external network drive in a software update in the near future. We should watch to see what happens.

IF B&O is planning on making the Beomaster 5 an access point for network video distribution in the future, this could explain the omission of wifi in the Beomaster 5. B&O is encouraging a wired ethernet network for video distribution with the tivx 6500. For anyone who has used Boxee with an Apple TV for streaming high def video, this makes a lot of sense. When we start distributing high def video, the quality is just much more consistent and stable with a wired network. Sure, we can use a wifi network if we so choose, but B&O certainly wouldn't want to be blamed for the loss in quality.

erg4000:

Stefan,

what made you choose the Tvix 6500 in place of the Mac Mini ?

E.

 

E.,

like a lot of people here I wanted the mac mini as a media center. But the mac is too much computer and not so much media player. I planned to use Front Row for music, movies and web. Front Row uses Quicktime player for video, but QT doesn`t play mkv HD movies ...(!) VLC can do it, but not properly. Second thing was remote control. The Beo PUC does a fine job to translate the apple remote, but this six button remote can be a pain in...for navgation. So I tried the Tvix. Great interface, easy to configure, automatic standby, plays everything I want, a really great PUC for the Tvix remote with direct access to audio, subtitle, main menu. It even plays two different HD movies at the same time. First via HDMI on my BV7, 2nd via network (wireless!) on my macbook. Tvix is able to output digital and analogue audio simultanously - important for linkroom use.

The mac mini is back in my home office connected to a Mermaid monitor and does a nice job as a computer and music player with Beoplayer - using it to rip CDs and transfer music to BS5 and movies to the Tvix.

Stefan

jk1002:

WMA beeing the only choice for gapless playing is just one example. Just doesn't fly when you are on  a Mac.

AFAIK gapless playing is possible in iTunes too. Apple lossless plays on Windows Media Player as well. I don't see a reason to exclude Apple Lossless in the BS 5.

beojeff:

B&O is planning on having a video access similar to tivx installed on future B&O tvs.  Until then, B&O is having dealers recommend that clients set up a wired network and use the tivx 6500 for video media. This could explain why B&O didn't focus on the Beomaster 5 for video media. Still, I don't see why it couldn't accomplish this in the future. 

I'm looking forward to see B&O adding video access.

beojeff:

Another reason why B&O may have held off on using the Beomaster 5 for video media (at the moment at any rate) could be that there is not yet the capability to add an external network drive. Customers could start complaining that the 500 GB internal drive gets filled very quickly when adding video media. B&O IS adding the capability to add an external network drive in a software update in the near future. We should watch to see what happens.

Why wouldn't they just enable the connection of external drives from the start ?

stefan:

erg4000:

Stefan,

what made you choose the Tvix 6500 in place of the Mac Mini ?

E.

 

E.,

...

The mac mini is back in my home office connected to a Mermaid monitor and does a nice job as a computer and music player with Beoplayer - using it to rip CDs and transfer music to BS5 and movies to the Tvix.

Stefan

I went to my local dealer yesterday to get the newest information on BS5. Currently they are waiting for a software update that will enable the BeoMaster 5 to be controlled by the Beo4. They want to sell the Beomaster 5 as an add-on for the Beovision 9. I was really looking for some reasons to buy a Beosound 5, but the dealer couldn't give them to me. Their MacMini integration was more convincing than their Beosound 5 installation, but I agree on the problems with VLC. 

What I'm missing on the Beosound 5 is a connectable disc player for converting my audiophile CD's into WMA directly. This would attract many B&O customers who don't want to deal with PC's. Maybe a Beosound 5 with an integrated slot drive for DVD/CD would have been the best solution. 

erg4000:

What I'm missing on the Beosound 5 is a connectable disc player for converting my audiophile CD's into WMA directly.

You don't have a computer?

Stan:

You don't have a computer?

Why would you think that ? 

B&O could have adressed two different types of customers:

- Solution for computer enthusiasts: Easy synchronisation like Apple TV or full access with all media formats, open interfaces

- Solution for non-technical customers: Integrated CD slot that digitizes audio files automatically to WMA

Both solutions are not realized forceful in the Beomaster / Beosound 5 concept. 

Once you own and use a BeoSound 5, you'll understand why an actual computer is essential. Music that is ripped from a CD requires quite a bit of tag editing. Even the online tagging services that we have make quite a lot of mistakes that must be cleaned up. Also, the current tagging services do not fit the need of providing high resolution cover art for the vast majority of a music collection. Before I owned a BS5, I never noticed the errors and shortcoming in my music tagging. With the BS5, those errors and low-res cover art look horrible. Sure, we could use the BS5 in "service mode" as a windows computer to do this editing and organizing, but that's just not practical to do that standing up in a living room as opposed to sitting at a desk with your computer in your den.

beojeff:

 Music that is ripped from a CD requires quite a bit of tag editing. Even the online tagging services that we have make quite a lot of mistakes that must be cleaned up. Also, the current tagging services do not fit the need of providing high resolution cover art for the vast majority of a music collection. Before I owned a BS5, I never noticed the errors and shortcoming in my music tagging. 

I agree on that. I regularly check the tagging of ripped CD's in iTunes and there is a software called TuneUp which optimizes the quality of metadata. That's why I wouldn't want to miss the computer.

My point about the additional CD slot for the BeoSound 5 was that this would make it a complete integrated system. There already are some disc players with integrated audio ripping and tagging. Now, this concept would have been realizable by an integration of Beomedia 5 and Beocenter 2, using the nice design of BeoSound 5. Technically there is no limit for the Beomaster 5 to allow plugging in external harddrives and CD/DVD/BD drives.

I know this is a tad late for this reply, but the thread has lingered in the back of my mind for a while. If you are looking for a media player, how about the hp touchsmart computer, you all may not agree but to me it seems like a perfect candidate. Its elegant, has 1TB hard drive, plays cds dvds and all digital formats and on and on. The idea that really got me going is the fact that one could download music right to what would be your all-media player. This computer is not on the same level as the BS5, but should be considered for an all-media player.

evman140:

I know this is a tad late for this reply, but the thread has lingered in the back of my mind for a while. If you are looking for a media player, how about the hp touchsmart computer, you all may not agree but to me it seems like a perfect candidate. Its elegant, has 1TB hard drive, plays cds dvds and all digital formats and on and on. The idea that really got me going is the fact that one could download music right to what would be your all-media player. This computer is not on the same level as the BS5, but should be considered for an all-media player.

Hi evman140,

You'll get a painful shoulder impingement by working with this touch screen. Believe me - I'm an Orthopedic Surgeon. Not to mention the smudgy screen. The design of the Beosound 5 seems to be unbeatable. But, it's functionality outperformed by many simple HD media players. 

I do agree with you concerning the smudgy screen issue, unbeatable. However there is a solution to your concern, a mouse and keyboard for extended/frequent use. I picture the massive touchscreen feature most useful during parties for minimal intermittent use and adjustment.