A few questions for those of you who have had a chance to use the device hands-on:

1: Apart from the "N-Music" functionality and MOTS what about the BS5s usability with Video, will it be usable as a MediaCenter device when connected to for example a BV9 and play MPEG2, MPEG4, DivX,etc files to the BV9 "N-Video" ?

2: Are there apart from the design aspects any major improvements in functionality as compared to my existing Beoport set-up? 

3: Is there any functionality when using "N-Radio" to record/pause the streamed radio channel. I am so used being able to use my PVR functionality on my digital cable TV HD-PVR that I honestly miss this function also when listening to N-Radio stations.

4: Will there as from day one be a BV9 "kit" for the implementation of the BM5 within the BV9 that I bought last year thankfully without the BeoMedia1. Outlett panels, cabling etc ?

I have placed my order for a unit already I look forward to a hopefully early delivery.

 //Rolf

1/ The Beosound 5 cannot play video, photos and web on its own screen and you can only navigate through N.MUSIC and N.RADIO through the Beosound 5 using the wheel. BUT the Beomaster 5 can do all this, when connected to your TV. I cannot remember the list of video codec on the top of my head. Beomedia had issues playing video files, I hope this will be better.

2/ The design and the pleasure of operating it cannot be totally ignored. I have seen it today and that kind of convinced me. The photos and the website can't replace the experience using it. One of the advantage, is the fact that it is always on. It will operate in a slightly different manner with the remote. I am not sure it is great. Also, you gain the access through the TV (Beomedia style), from the main TV and the link rooms.

3/ No, and there is no access to podcasts. That is a shame as I think today Podcasts are more interesting than N.RADIO.

4/ Absolutely, the BM5 has the same size as the BM1, so it will fit perfectly in your BV9. 

So if I understand correctly: BS5 can handle music+N.Radio and BM5 can handle video and pictures, but only via BeoVision.

Can I rip avi or other movie files via BS5 to BM5 then and watch them on TV?

Although designed to appear like the hifi itself, the Beosound 5 is in fact a big wired controler. It does nothing on its own. The Beomaster 5 does it all. 

BS5 and BM5 do not have any CD or DVD drive. You rip music and video on your computer and send them to the BM5's hard drive. 

You have 3 ways to control the BM5:

- Using the BS5, with local controls: you can navigate through the N.MUSIC and N.RADIO only.

- Using the remote, pressing N.MUSIC or N.RADIO. You then need to navigate through your songs in a blind manner.

- Using the remote, pressing PC. A Beomedia like interface appears on your TV (on the main TV, bit you can also call it from a link room TV). You can navigate through the list of N.MUSIC and N.RADIO as well, but also access the WEB, your digital PHOTO library and VIDEO.

p. 

But can I rip avi video formats from PC to BM5 and then watch this format on TV?

Yes, as I just said...

PhilLondon:

You rip music and video on your computer and send them to the BM5's hard drive. 

What we do not know is the size limitation. The Beomedia 1 was struggling with large video files. we can hope that the Beomaster 5 can read video files much better because of the improve specs, but I still want to see before I believe!

I think 500 GB of hard disc space in BM5 is not much, when you rip music files+video files to BM5, nowdays 1 terra=1000 GB space is not a problem in iMac.

avus17:

nowdays 1 terra=1000 GB space is not a problem in iMac.

nowadays 6 tera=6000 GB space is not a problem in standard PCs.

U see, so B&O for that amount of money should built in BM5 at least 1000 GB.

 

6TB is not possible unless you RAID array at least 4 1.5 TB hard drives. The FAT32 file system (used in Windows) only supports up to 9TB though. Mac OS supports just under 80,000,000 TB, which is enough

Either way, B&O's choice to use a 500 GB drive is sensible. 1TB drives are still not as reliable as the less dense 500 GB drives which have been around for quite some time. Higher drive density = slower read speeds and higher chance of failure...

Alex:

6TB is not possible unless you RAID array at least 4 1.5 TB hard drives. The FAT32 file system (used in Windows) only supports up to 9TB though.

I've upgraded my "old" 2004 Dell home workstation from 3TB to 6TB some months ago Alex (4 x 1,5TB SATA2 hard disks) and I'm using NTFS (not old FAT32) which was introduced in 1993 (but I'm sure you were already aware about that... )

Alex:

1TB drives are still not as reliable as the less dense 500 GB drives 

In my office (engineering) we've been working intensely with (more or less) 200 x 1TB hard disks for almost a year now, and not only one of them has failed at the moment... reliability? excellent in fact 2 months ago we've started massive replacements from old 500GB HDs to new 1,5TB ones in servers.

You may have only been using them for one year, but wait until ten years down the line! The platter bearings will seize up and you'll be left with a slower, eventually dead drive. Not what B&O customers want from a BeoSound 5. Admittedly the hard drive is relatively easy to swap in the BeoSound 5, but B&O would want to minimize this as much as possible.

Either way, they may bring out a larger size yet, we do not know...

Come on... Disks in a server farm are used a lot more intensively that your 2 hours a day Beomaster 5... And, it is not B&O's fault here, but I doubt the BS5 will make sense in 10 years time!

p. 

Bear in mind the BeoSound 5 a software platform with a beautifully designed/built controller. As it stands at present, no it may not be the most up-to-date product in 10 years time, but it's something B&O can develop. I can't see that music is going to require more processing power than the BeoSound 5 currently has...

I dont think the pricessing power for music will be the challenge. I think keeping the software up to date to manage the content will be.

And some point sales will level of and B&O will stop updating it. Then the days are counted. For playing music probably the current beomedia is fine for the so i can follow your argument.

I think it depends a bit how the whole digital world develops. That apple is pushing DRM free music is a very good thing. If B&O does not or stop integrating with Itunes I think they won't sell this. Its omnipresent and nobody would maintain 2 libraries.

 

Agreed! I do hope a higher form of integration is offered with iTunes. Some kind of automatic discrete syncing would be good...

Alex:

Agreed! I do hope a higher form of integration is offered with iTunes. Some kind of automatic discrete syncing would be good...

Like TuneRanger: www.allume.com. This tool automatically synchronises the tracks in your various iTunes-based libraries. No reason B&O couldn't do something similar that would sync your iTunes-based libraries with the BM5.