Seriously, without a better idea of how to program MYSELF to MY tastes, I feel my Beo 5 is a waste.

I also think, however, that even if I *did* know how to program it, I would always note the absence of a special quality continually noted elsewhere and included in the best B&O products, such as my ol' 1900 & 9500:

The Beo 5, IMHO, completely lacks any assemblence of satisfying *tactile* quality, unlike my Beo4.

Opinions?

Barry

At the time of its launch, some, including myself, cast doubt upon it as a remote and particularly its shape. I don't own one but from the reports from those who do there are some 'issues' with it. There are those though who whatever the new product from B&O, always greet it as something wonderful. Witness the almost hysterical anticipation of the Beosound 5. It was the subject of frenzied discussion and comment months before its announcement. It didn't take long though for the hype to vanish and the reality of its severe limitaions to emerge.

"Great", "Beautiful", "Superb", "Gorgeous". Yes, Yes, Yes & Yes, but no wireless. "Oh" say the loyal fanatics, "Yes wireless would have been nice and the software's bad - but just look at it!"

Same with the Beotime. Just remember, after all is said and done, it's just an alarm clock! And a very expensive one at that.

I'm of the opinion that if B&O announced production of a house brick costing 200 Euros , there would those who would rush out to get it and then declare it to be the most wonderful, beautiful house brick ever made.

With no attempt to offend anyone but i think this remote is the most ugly thing B&o have released.

I actually like it, part from some things I still don't understand how to do it with it, but I'm sure I'll find out after using it for awhile. So much more versatile than the Beo4.

One bad thing is the display getting so dirty and greasy from fingerprints.

I love it!

I don't use the Beo4 anymore. It is near my bed just to turn off the light when I go to sleep. I use the Beo5 for all my B&O devices, my Tvix, Sat Receiver Clarke Tech, Lights with Lutron Rania and RaOne Smartdimmer, blinds, curtains, air conditioner and my Roomba vacuum cleaner

It's a great remote.

Apart from the physical form (some love it, others don't)  The Beo5 is what you make of it.   For the basics I love my Beo4 ( changing channels etc.).  The Beo5 was for a while a very nice paper weight in our house.   However,  the programing and philosophy of the Beo5 interface I feel has come a long way both in my own approach as well as those of others over the past year.  The software is improving and people have great resources like the programing services listed below.  I feel that I have made the Beo5 into what it needed to be...  A great graphical interface and control for the home.

I've got no problems with my beo5 as I use it every day as well as several beo4 around the house; I've had it programmed once at my dealer's after thinking everything over well enough to make it work exactly like I wished/wanted, so I'm happy with it and beside that it's a more beautifull remote then the beo4 but not in everyway more practical though.

my wife had some problems with the display getting greasy [like she's had with her Iphony, but now ownes a serene] but since she stopped eating chips that "problem" has gone  ;-)

Mine has sat in a drawer for the last few months and I have gone back to BEO4's!!

Everybody at my house loves the Beo5.  It also saved me thousands of dollars.  I was going to buy a sale priced BV7 MkIII w/no DVD primarily for integration - I did not need 1/2 the features of the BV7 and was going to stick it in a cabinet (shameful to not display its beauty), but the 4 remotes in my living room (cable box, dvd, tv and Beo4 for the speakers and link music) and 3-4 step on/off procedure (turn on/off TV, cable box, dvd and speakers) was driving us crazy.  The cable box's "universal remote" could turn the TV on and off, but it was flakey because it's a large room with a lot of outside light.  It also could not control the TV's input selection or screen size.

Enter the Beo5 and custom programming support found on this website (and a few others).  I now have one remote to control everything (ok, I haven't programmed the dvd player yet, but will some cold winter night).  One button to turn everything on/off.  Button presses work the 1st time all the time.  I don't have to remember all the 3 digit channel numbers or scroll thru pages of "tv guide" screens to find my HD channels.  I don't have to remember my FM station programming on my BS (icons!!!).  It's a great remote... although, not the way B&O sells it (when I  told my dealer my plans, he didn't think it was possible and said "I'll sell you one, but as far as support, you're on your own").   It took a few weeks to get all the buttons where I wanted them - I would hate to be locked into having a dealer do this for me.

I did look at other programmable remote controls, but their support of B&O looked suspect (not so unlike the Beo5's support for non-B&O equipment, but I was more confident with the support I could find at this site), and they were ugly and almost if not more expensive.  If your Beo5 is sitting in a draw because it's not doing what you want, I would suggest dropping a line to Keith Saunders (click on the ad for custom Beo5 progamming on this site) and see if he can make it do what you want.  It seems like the hardware is capable of controlling most anything.

OT:  What's with all the negativism these last couple days... BS5 worst product ever!  Beo5 worst remote ever!  Let's trash the BS2, Beolink Wireless, BS3 and BeoLab4s again while we're at it (common targets for disdain through the years, although the BS2 has made something of a comeback).  These are also 4 products that I own and enjoy almost daily.  I am not really bothered by this.  I knew what these products were when I bought them.  Would I buy a B&O brick?  Probably not, but then, I haven't seen it yet in the flesh .  Granted it's a forum, we're just talking and everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but are we having a bad summer or what?!?  Or are folks just stirring thing up because it's been so quiet around here lately... or have I just been drinking too much B&O kool-aide (or been out in the sun too long), and don't see what a company shill I've become.  Anybody up for a pricing thread?

Cheers.

My biggest peeve with the Beo5 is reaching for the top left corner of the touchscreen with my thumb, and my palm squeezes the Standby button.  The Standby button is huge and too easy to accidently press.  Also happens sometimes when trying to select Blue.

Aside from that, I have a BeoSystem 3 with Blu-ray and Mac Mini, plasma, and projector, as well as a couple LC1's, and Beo4 was just too limited, especially with regards to controlling the Blu-ray player.  At least you have separate buttons for menu navigation and playback control (FF >>, REW <<, chapter skip  \/ /\).  The inner ring arrows are menu navigation, and the outer ring hard-keys are for playback control.

Lot's of good points in favor of the Beo 5.

But...I still can't program it myself for "everything" I want, and this means a no go.

Plus, I *can* operate my Beo 4 - IN THE DARK - without looking at it.

The tactile sensation of the button's "clicking" is quite re-assuring and satisfying.

I doubt one could say the same for the Beo 5.

My wish list: The ability to make a PUC controller for my BS3/BV9, so I could add products easily.

FWIW

Barry

Get Keith to program it for you - you will then no doubt love it and want to have its babies! I am probably going to do this myself!

Peter :

Get Keith to program it for you - you will then no doubt love it and want to have its babies! I am probably going to do this myself!

Have Keith's babies??!!

You start understanding the great quality and ease of use of a BEO4 when you buy a BEO5.......

Still getting used to it (and my wife only picks up the beo4).

...traded mine in for a white Beocom 2! i just found i did not need anything more sophisticated than a Beo4

Ray

I tried one at my dealer and wasn't impressed. Somehow the touchscreen didn't work properly. I really had to press very hard. My Beolink 7000 doesn't have that issue.

I generally don't sell the Beo 5 to customers unless they:

A. Have a DVR built into their STB, which can be complex for wives and children (sorry to generalize!) and benefits from having very clearly labeled buttons on the screen for RECORD, DVR LIST, etc.

or

B. Have an integrated solution w/ devices like Lutron, Crestron, etc. where it is absolutely necessary.

That being said, the most successful stores are selling more B scenarios than anything else so the Beo 5 has paid dividends along with the ML Gateway as MVPs in the lineup. 

I don't hate mine anymore because I brought it back to my dealer after 4 weeks.

- Not customizable (by the owner)

- Not ergonomic

- Not robust

- Not designed the way I like (the Beolink 7000 is the best)

- Nobody at home wanted to use it

Some stubborn people in Struer still refuse to deliver the software to their customers.

That was the one thing that i disliked about it - it's lack of tactile pleasure

Well, I think the Beo5 is a grower. Got one with our BV8 40 and at first I could'nt work out what the function was going on, and just wanted to use our old Beo4 (which is now on Ebay with our Beovision 6 22 - the one with the James Bond Gunbarrel picture!). Whereas now, I actually prefer it over the Beo4. I think it has a bit if that B&O wow factor...

i think the BEO4 is too "old" for the present time.  yes it is a tried and tested product, but surely B&O could have at the very least done a "Logitech" and simply update the housing with some minor tweaks and left it as a BEO4 with users continuing to love it.

the Harmony One by logitech is a nice size, well weighted, comes with a nice recharge base and fits well into anyone's palms.  wish B&O would come up with something similar.

I miss the number keys. OK, I now they can be promted to the screen, but it is complete impossible to use them without looking at the screen.

Maybe that's the reason I prefer a blackberry bold above a iphone too.... (still under 40 yrs of age for those who wonder.....)