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This is the first Archived Forum which was active between 17th April 2007 and 1st March February 2012

 

Latest post 12-30-2008 5:12 PM by gilbera. 27 replies.
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  • 04-29-2008 10:18 AM

    • scott451
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    b&o hdtv link - how ?

    hi,

    when i cabled my apartment for b&o, i blindly assumed that the rf link signal distribution provided in many b&o products would distribute a hd signal. how wrong i was. keith has officially set me straight.

    so, i'm back to my initial problem. how to watch a hd source on a link tv ?

    imagine that i have a hd source in my living room and i want to watch it in my kitchen. is this possible ? keith also informed me that b&o has nothing to address this problem. has anyone tried anything else ?

    as an aside, i have a coax cable running from the living room to my two link rooms (intially for the rf link). i would love for this to be part of the solution.

    thanks,

     

    scott


     

  • 04-29-2008 10:45 AM In reply to

    • Beolab
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    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    You must have a new DVI or HDMI  cabel instead of the coax to your link TV to get HDTV resolution...

     

    Regards 

    BL8000 MkII Black

  • 04-29-2008 11:07 AM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Well,

     

    actually you need to exchange the RF cable with HDMI or DVI as posted by BeoLab. Depending on the length of the connection you will need something like HDMI repeaters.

     The ML + HDMI combi should work

     

    Regards

    Alex

  • 04-29-2008 12:34 PM In reply to

    • scott451
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    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    ok,

    assuming that i can pull out the coax and pull through a hdmi cable...

    how would the ml+hdmi thing work, do recent b&o tvs have a sort of hdmi out port ? would i control the hd source with my beoremote.

    thanks for you ideas,

     

    scott

     

  • 04-29-2008 1:27 PM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    The answer is to go outside the "link" world just a bit.

    I'm currently managing a job in which we're distributing HD sources throughout the home to over 10 B&O televisions (though this could work somewhat with a few non-B&O tvs thrown in). I'll try to explain this as clearly as possible.

    Instead of relying on the B&O tv to take all the signals in and send them back out, use a distributor/amplifier (I'm using Key Digital) that has as many outputs as you have televisions. Let's say that you wanted your Blu-Ray player to be accessible and operable from 4 rooms. Here's what you'd do:

    1. HDMI out to Key Digital dist./amp.

    2. Audio out to whatever TV is closest

    3. IR Flasher from that same TV's PUC to the front of the Blu-Ray player

    4. HDMI out of the Key Digital dist./amp. to each other television

    5. Connect all components with ML 

    Now as long as this is in place, I can make the HDMI input on, say, the BeoVision 8 in my bedroom "DVD" just like the BeoVision 7 in my main room and the Avant in my office. Sound and control are fed onto ML and video is sent through HDMI (which can be CATV between rooms). Essentially the DVD player is hooked up to all the TVs simultaneously as opposed to only being hooked up to one and distributed to the rest. 

    I can clarify anything here, but this is the only way we can currently do this. 

    There is scarcely anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. - John Ruskin

  • 04-29-2008 1:44 PM In reply to

    • symmes
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    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Clarify for me, please..

    1. Does 1 TV control the DVD, or is DVD controlled by any through ML? 

    2. Each B&O TV other than the master is in option X?

    Thanks

  • 04-29-2008 4:43 PM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Free your mind...

    It took me almost a week to figure out exactly how this works, but trust me it does. The best way to understand it is that MasterLink is parallel, so if something is controlled in one place, it's controlled everywhere. If sound is linked in somewhere, it's linked in everywhere.

    Think of a row of televisions with a single blu-ray player in front of them. An HDMI cable runs out of the player into a distributor and then an HDMI runs to each TV. That takes care of sound and picture, right? So if these are all B&O tvs, I connect that HDMI to AV2 and set it to DVD. I then run a single IR flasher from any BeoVision to the Blu-Ray player. Now, as long as these tvs are linked with ML, they can all access the Blu-Ray player as though it was attached only to it. If one can control it, they all can.

    So if I turn on one TV to "DVD," the player will start up and I can start watching a TV. If I go into another room and press "DVD" there, too, I will see the DVD in progress. I can then pause it, access menus, whatever.

    It's the same way that you play a CD in one room and can walk all over the house controlling it.

    Option Programming is irrelevant. All the TVs can be in Option 1, 2, or 6. The idea is that by running HDMI through a distributor, you're feeding all the TVs as if they had their own player (or media center, appleTV, STB, whatever). You're simply taking advantage of the fact that any control will exist over ML if the source is engaged.

    PM me if you want to make contact and have this explained further. Or I can continue to elaborate here.

     

     

    There is scarcely anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. - John Ruskin

  • 04-29-2008 5:24 PM In reply to

    • M4SPM
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    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    If I want to distribute the HD signal for my My Sky HD + Apple TV and Blu-ray would I need to use three HD distributors and run three cables to each link TV or is there an easier way?
  • 04-29-2008 7:51 PM In reply to

    • scott451
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    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    hi trip

    so, hd signal is broadcast to all tv and the control (ir) signal goes over the masterlink. cool. the b&o tv is connected to hd device by a b&o controller. can the hd device be a stb and work through the stb-c ?

    will this work if, by some miracle, the blu-ray player is integrated in the tv (think bv7) ? do they have a hdmi out option ?

    does the b&o tv connected to the hd device have to be 'engaged' first or can it be launched from any tv (like with cd).

    as an aside, how do you assign "dvd" to av2. is this some sort of trick with the beo4 ? 

    thanks for all your insight !
     

     

    scott 

  • 04-30-2008 5:25 AM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Another thing you could try is this:
    http://www.gefen.com/gefentv/gtvproduct.jsp?prod_id=5280

    Simply drops any HD signal to 480. Allowing you to distribute it over exisiting coax and ML cable. Works great for Apple TV.

    Obviously not HD picture quality, but allows you to listen to your iTunes and see what you're doing anywhere in the house (and control it). I guess it depends on the TV you have at the other end as to whether or not you're happy with a 480 line picture instead of HD...Saves running additional cable though.

  • 04-30-2008 9:35 AM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    M4SPM,

    You're right. You need three HD distributors. However, you usually wouldn't distribute cable/satellite box signals (at least we don't here in the US) as they are relatively cheap and people would likely want to watch different things on different televisions. So unless something is different across the pond, you'd realistically only need to do two. The Key Digital boxes only cost about $700us, which is only a few dollars more than a BeoLink Passive Kit over here.

    The real pain, of course, is running 2 runs of CATV for each HDMI or VGA cables that you run! 

    There is scarcely anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. - John Ruskin

  • 04-30-2008 9:47 AM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Scott,

    Q. So, hd signal is broadcast to all tv and the control (ir) signal goes over the masterlink. cool. the b&o tv is connected to hd device by a b&o controller. can the hd device be a stb and work through the stb-c ? 

    A. The device can be any peripheral you would ordinarily connect to a PUC, however, as I mentioned in the previous post (and there could be something I don't understand about STBs in Europe), we don't generally distribute cable/satellite because they're cheap and even in a two person household, people may want to watch different programming in different rooms.  

    Q. Will this work if, by some miracle, the blu-ray player is integrated in the tv (think bv7) ? do they have a hdmi out option ?

    A. Interestingly, no. "If" a Blu-Ray player in integrated into the next BeoVision 7, this solution will not work. Unless they alter their output options (right now it is limited to a single coax), putting the Blu-Ray into the television would preclude it from being distributed. 

    Q. Does the b&o tv connected to the hd device have to be 'engaged' first or can it be launched from any tv (like with cd).

    A. It can be launched from any Bang & Olufsen TV. It works on the same principle as listening to the soundtrack from a video source in an audio only link room. The television can operate while still asleep, which would happen in this case if, for example, you had an AppleTV connected to a BeoSystem 3 in your living room and you hit V.AUX in your bedroom on your BeoVision 8.  

    Q. As an aside, how do you assign "dvd" to av2. is this some sort of trick with the beo4 ? 

    A. If you're asking this about a BeoVision 7, you can't. DVD is assigned to the internal drive only. If you're asking this about another BeoSystem 3 based product, I believe you should be able to. I'm not in my shop right now, but I'm fairly certain most of our screens are using AV2 for DVD. I'll re-post if I find something out about this.  

     

    There is scarcely anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. - John Ruskin

  • 04-30-2008 9:51 AM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Beeanowefreak,

    If you're running the AppleTV (or other HDMI peripheral) into a BeoSystem 3, it will already be downscaled when being output from RF over coax. Essentially this piece, or something like it, is already at work within the BeoVision.

    As an aside, you will have to run new coax anyway for either the internal distribution amp or a product like this gefen to work. You cannot have additional "traffic" on the coax runs that usually exist in homes, unless you want to give up television entirely for your AppleTV. 

     

     

    There is scarcely anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. - John Ruskin

  • 04-30-2008 11:04 AM In reply to

    • BeoNut1
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    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    I realize that this has been touched upon already, but attaching an Apple TV to each TV (and controlling it through the IR blaster) whilst at the same time using your computer and iTunes software in the background as a media server would serve your purpose (though only at 720p for the time being).

     

    Mark D
  • 04-30-2008 12:21 PM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    True, but depending on how many tvs you want to serve, this may or may not be the lower cost option. After 2-3 tvs, the distribution amp is cheaper. It also doesn't address sources like a Blu-Ray player. 

    There is scarcely anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. - John Ruskin

  • 04-30-2008 5:16 PM In reply to

    • symmes
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    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Would a similar solution work for multiple video driven by BeoSystem 1? 
  • 05-01-2008 12:25 PM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Hey Trip,

    I'm not an expert on this, I only know the B&O kit I use. But this doesn't generate any additional traffic over the Coax, it simply distributes the picture (via a beosystem 3 in my case) across the link frequency on the exisiting coax, and sends the audio over the ML...exactly the same as distributing Sky HD to any other room.

    As far as I'm aware no HD signal can be sent over coax without downscaling it first...And I didn' think (and neither does my dealer) that the Beosystem 3 did this by default before sending it out...it simply doesn't send it if it's HD...If it did, then AppleTV distribution would simply 'work' by connecting it to the Beossystem, and you wouldn''t need to use the scart output from a SkyHD box to distribute the picture, you could simply use the HDMI.

    I'd love to be wrong about all this as it would make my cabling life a lot easier!!...Am I wrong??

    Cheers,
    Freak.

  • 05-01-2008 6:19 PM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Yes, this would work for any B&O television.

    Edit: Provided they're ML connected to that control can move around the network 

    There is scarcely anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. - John Ruskin

  • 05-01-2008 6:27 PM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Beeanowefreak,

    I'm not sure if our being on opposite sides of the ocean affect this problem, since I think it's less an issue of the physical coax cable and more an issue of STBs. For example, here in the states, I can easily run my modem & my cable television off the same physical coax cable, however, if I want to distribute my video sources over that same network using the network of coax that's already been laid in my house (like nearly every house in the US) I cannot choose, say, channel 100 to distribute on since channel 100 already exists on that same frequency. Now, of course, I'm talking about cable TV, which in the US comes through a wire into your house.

    If you're using satellite, which is popular here, but less so, it may be different. Is SkyTV satellite?

    As for the automatic downscaling, I'm told that the BeoSystem 3 does this, but I could be wrong. Video distribution just arrived this year in the US and so far only in the BeoVision 7 (which is a BeoSystem 3 product here). I have only ever done video distribution as I've outlined in this thread. If it turns out that the BeoSystem 3 will only "pass through" I wouldn't be surprised.

    I'd like to hear if anyone from over there has tried anything like this, because it sounds like we may have different infrastructures in place. 

    There is scarcely anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. - John Ruskin

  • 05-01-2008 6:45 PM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Q: Read you article with interest as recently I installed something similar, 1 Sky HD box connected to 4 B&O HD ready TVs via a HDMI switching box this gave HD pictures all round. To gain control I installed a sky magic eye system and on each television stuck the IR blaster on the magic eye.

    In your HD Blue Ray scenario how are the PUC ir blasters connected to the HD source?
     
    A: In this scenario, the BeoVisions are all connected with ML & the video signal is distributed separately over CATV runs and terminated in its native format. The peripheral is connected to the PUC with an IR Flasher as it would be if only one television was involved. 
    As long as the peripheral is registered as the same device on each television (i.e. an AppleTV would have to be called V.AUX everywhere, instead of V.AUX on some TVs and PC on others), then a command issued anywhere on the system will transmit through the ML to the attached TV and to the peripheral. These command will be mirrored one any TVs that tune into that source.
    If yours is working, it's probably fine, this would be an option wherein only one television actually had an IR connection to the peripheral and all other televisions used that by carrying commands over ML to the connected television. 

    There is scarcely anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. - John Ruskin

  • 05-01-2008 6:51 PM In reply to

    • scott451
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    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    hi,

    a couple of comments to keep the fire burning...

    one of the biggest differences between the us and france is the precense of cable operators in our lives. in france, the big cable companies dropped the ball and have no real presence on the market.

    i, for example, get telephone, internet, and hd tv from internet provider. this means that the cable running around my house is used only for basic television (and i have no cable subscription). my set top box is connected to my adsl modem.

    my stb is one of the most important hd devices in my house because it provides hd tv, hd vod, and hd playback from its intergrated disk drive. i hope someday that my b&o equipment will be able to control (at least a part of) it.

    with this is mind, i ran second coax cable in my house for b&o video distribution. the cable is hd quality. imagine my surprise when i realized that b&o only distributed sd tv.

    it's a little depressing really. i can only hope that technology will sort something out for us someday - and that b&o will adopt some part of the technology thereafter.

    thanks for all the good advice,

     

    scott
     

  • 05-01-2008 6:53 PM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Q: I currently have a Sony television connected to my BeoSystem 3. I am going to replace it with a BeoVision 4. I have ML run throughout the house connected to Active & Passive Kits.

    Is there a way to have the Sony TV connected to the BeoSystem 3 in a link room and gain access to the HD sources? 

    A: Theoretically yes, though it wouldn't be as streamlined since there is no Bang & Olufsen PUC connected to the Sony. In the scenarios we've been discussing on this thread. We've been taking advantage of a property of ML wherein commands issued onto the network will act at all points through the network. You'd be able to pipe the signals in, but no way to control them. 

    I don't think there's a practical way to use the Sony with anything but local sources unless you keep it attached to a BeoSystem 3, in which case it will work just as the other scenarios we've discussed.  

     

    There is scarcely anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. - John Ruskin

  • 05-02-2008 3:06 AM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Hi Trip

    Well I happen to have the a similar setup, my Sky+ TV box is connected to both a Avant (Master) & a Beosystem 2 (Slave) via there own inputs I.E RGB to the avant & S-Video to the BS2, both Registered as STB in there menus. They are also linked via ML& Beolink with a Beosystem 7000 actually doing the sound duties for the Beosystem 2 until I get some active speakers.

    Now if I turn off the BS7000 IR eye by changing the option to 0 then I cannot control the sky box at all even though it is all connected via ML which means that the IR signal are not sent parallel ( note I do not have the PUC connected at all from the BS2 it is only connected at the avant as this is where the STB is, the BS7000  does the control as it is normaly set to option 2 so that it reacts to all commands so that I get sound from the avant)

     Now if I remove the STB in the menu of the BS2 then that makes it available as a link source , so if I then call up DTV(STB) via the Beo4 it swithches on & I can control it as normally (remember that there is no PUC lead connected from the BS2 at all only at the avant)

    So unless I have done something wrong then this solution will not work as the control will need to be engaged & controlled either as a Link product or with  IR PUC leads from every TV connected back to the source.

    So without telling you how to suck eggs I would test this out for your own peace of mind.

  • 05-02-2008 5:02 AM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    Hey Trip,

    I think the pond is making all the difference here. Over her we baslically have 5 channels that transmit (an analog) signal on certian frequencies, and B&O use 'another' frequency (that we can set) to transmit any and all linked pictures to your linked TV. We do have digital here, not sure how thats goes into the mix though!

    So if I hit DTV (Sky) up in my bedroom, the picture gets sent over the coax at the link frequency, and the audio gets sent over the ML. This would also happen with the AppleTV if the picture was downscaled to 480p. One thing to note though, is you can only distribute one thing, so if someone else in another room wants to watch AppleTV, then the Sky will be switched to AppleTV, as it's all sent on the same frequency.

    SkyHD is a Satellite service, and in order to distribute it you need to connect the SCART to the beosystem 3 as the Scart is a SD signal, the HDMI is also connected to the Beosystem so you get HD on the local TV (Beovision9).

    If the AppleTV also had a composite out, then this would be easy and you'd simply connect it to distribute it. But I tried it again last night just to make sure, and I'm pretty sure the Beosystem does nothing with the signal, which is why it doesn't work.

    Again, not an expert, but this is my understandning.
    F.

  • 05-02-2008 5:16 AM In reply to

    Re: b&o hdtv link - how ?

    I wonder Unsure if Keith Saunders the technical guru will pass comment on the solution that trip is proposing Hmm
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