EDITED POST
There is a new type of masterlink cable coming. For advertising, please contact Lee.

I'm cautious of being too optimistic about what this implies.  Regardless, it sounds good.

does any one have a ROUGH time frame for this long mooted release of a new B&O wiring system ?

We're accounting for it in current pre-wires. In fact, I don't believe we'll see another product released with the old ML. Of course there will be comprehensive support for ML for many years to come! 

TripEnglish:

We're accounting for it in current pre-wires. In fact, I don't believe we'll see another product released with the old ML. Of course there will be comprehensive support for ML for many years to come! 

Does that mean Trip that it is based on existing cable standards like CAT6?

What kind of features can we expect from the new MasterLink? I would assume that there will be one channel for audio, video and control data. At the moment we have a complete clean up ongoing. So it would a good thing to know what kind of cable (hopefully standard Cat. x) and topology (star, bus, etc.) the new MasterLink needs.

Andy

PS: I think I have to change my Avatar ;-).

Cables?? Well that's forward looking isn't it? Everyone else is investing in increased wireless audio & video connectivity.

What would be excellent was if they made a small unit that connects to masterlink and this gave the whole system internet access for updates and the possibility to control it wirelessly like i can with my Ipod touch to my apple tv

That woudl be impressive.

Once again, I don't understand why B&O took so long to release this new Masterlink cable, since BeoCenter 2's "special cable" between master and socket units brings all we have been asking B&O for years : digital audio, video, data and infra-red signals, and all that since 2004...

Why they came out with a 3 wire solution on BeoSound 5, for instance, is beyond my understanding..

I guess the new "standalone link Ipod dock" will come with this "new" Masterlink, and I hope it will be retro-compatible with the older one, like MCL, as I just finished drilling holes and concealing cables through the house..

Chrisreunion:

Why they came out with a 3 wire solution on BeoSound 5, for instance, is beyond my understanding..

 

I guess they were simply in a hurry. Putting DC power in one cable, control through USB, and video through DVI - all ready and tested - is a super easy solution to the problem compared to developing something out of scratch. Of course they could have used a special single cable, but it would've been thick as well...

I do not have any intention of advertising.
I put that link as the others members to see where I got this information

claudiu:

EDITED POST
There is a new type of masterlink cable coming. For advertising, please contact Lee.

:-(

Current MasterLink system will have not future development at all;

the new Beolink-Digital, also named "BeoNet", will use standard RJ45 connectors together with Ethernet CAT 7 / Class F wires.

will distribute video and audio in analogue and digital modes simultaneously, with multi-sources in multi-rooms,

BeoNet will allow 1.000m length Ethernet for Link wires and 300m for PowerLinks.

BeoNet permit open interconnections with other NON B&O nets and domotic systems.

Struer have this BeoNet project in advanced test-development process just now.

Of course it will be full retro-compatible with the current ML based equipments

TripEnglish:

We're accounting for it in current pre-wires. In fact, I don't believe we'll see another product released with the old ML. Of course there will be comprehensive support for ML for many years to come! 

Is this new cable something unique to B&O or is it a standard cable like CAT 6 or 7?  In your pre-wires, have you been installing the new cable and the ML cable together?

It appears Santiago answered this while I was typing.  Thanks

We received a complaint - the information is interesting and hence I left the thread but in an edited form. I apologise for any misunderstanding on my part.

Best wishes,

Hi,

Don't be too surprised at the route B&O are taking - LexCom came up with a similar idea (albeit using CAT-5e cabling) a few years back.  Now that CAT-7 has been ratified using STP (shielded twisted pair) cables, with the bandwidth to handle Full HD video as well as analogue/digital audio and high-speed broadband internet, it is likely that many proprietary domestic comms. systems will converge to this standard.

For new installations, the benefits are huge - Category wiring offers reduced wiring costs, easy terminatation and simpler integration with other home automation products, including CCTV, internet, security, etc.  The key to acceptance of the new system by existing "BeoPhiles" is likely to be how easy (and how expensive!) it is to add the required convertors to an existing Masterlink system.

Most of us in the industry have been working on issues like this for some time now, with the result that you will soon start to see a number of solutions to help link the new non-Masterlink products into those already in your home, with these coming both from B&O and also from independent suppliers.

I see this as an exciting time for B&O, as there is now the potential for their products to really integrate with the other systems in a modern "high-end" home and become the essential centre-piece that makes the other "high-tech gadgets" workable.

Watch this space!

Steve.

Steve is spot on there - this system will be very flexible, open ended solution, and will - importantly- allow a house to be fully cabled for Beolink (or Beonet) in such a way that doesn't prevent various 3rd party additions - or even a total non B&O system

Its a fact that many developers and individuals have historically been reluctant to fully pre-wire Masterlink into a new build house as it was seen as a dead end, preventing a change of mind or mix & match system later on.   This new solution will be much more acceptable - and should mean more speculative prewiring of new build houses - and hopefully more B&O on the end of the wires.

I've been luck enough to see detailed presentations twice in recent months, and it will be a great leap forward - with more to come along as the system develops.

Most importantly for those here though - it will add functionality, flexibility and quality to the Beolink concept, with ML still working alongside - just like the change from MCL to ML a few years back.

I think this is good news!

very excited by this as i will prob move into my own place next year and link everything up.

how will this affect an existing BV7 MK3 for example will that get a software update to become "online"?

I think that this are great news, when will we be able to buy this?

Or to get more information about integration of "old" masterlink products?

I'm really looking forward to see what the engineers in Struer have been up to the last years in bringing Masterlink into the 21 century. Until now I haven't seen anything concrete.. but the picture of the B&O Masterlink Distribution is promising  and the fact that it's standardized on Cat7/Class F is a big step forwards!

Lauritz Knudsen already use cables with an ethernet plug in one end and a Masterlink/Powerlink in the other, as part of their IHC system, which is brilliant.

You can see a movie about B&O in the IHC system here: Webfilm om Bang & Olufsen Powerlink (unfortunatly in danish and without any footage of the cables and the module used)

kokomo:

 

Cables?? Well that's forward looking isn't it? Everyone else is investing in increased wireless audio & video connectivity.

 

Cables will always be better than wireless. Although cables can pick up interference, wireless can easier be blocked by interference from other devices, walls etc.

Peter,

If the complaint was of the nature of B&O complaining about a discussion of leaked future product details, I'm very glad to see that you've allowed the thread to continue. I have always felt a concern that having B&O as an ad sponsor of the site could lead to pressure to control the site and its content. It's nice to see that you are keeping the site's integrity in allowing a worthwhile discussion of such interesting developments.

Isn't there a network socket on the latest BV7-40?

beojeff:

Peter,

If the complaint was of the nature of B&O complaining about a discussion of leaked future product details, I'm very glad to see that you've allowed the thread to continue. I have always felt a concern that having B&O as an ad sponsor of the site could lead to pressure to control the site and its content. It's nice to see that you are keeping the site's integrity in allowing a worthwhile discussion of such interesting developments.

I think the complaint was more that Bosscom was making some kind of advertisement in the form of addons on B&O's future Masterlink products :-) Nothing to do with revealing un-announced B&O products   (I hope..) :-)