Hi

Better late than never is a phrase users of BM-Link should be way too familiar with by now.

Anyway... a new version is available for download at the usual place: www.odlund.se/bmlink/download.html

/Anders

Many thanks Anders for the work and the post.

I will download and use it once the sun has risen!

many thanks anders! it´s working perfect!

I'm pretty sure perfect is a bit too good of a review, beta testers have reported that the application still locks up every now and then, but at least it works to some extent :)

Hi Anders,

is the firmware in the package necessary to make the BeoPort work with this update ?

Ed~2

It shouldn't be, it's the same firmware that's been on the disk image for the last couple of releases

/A

Great - thank you !

I just did not want to unnecessarily "disturb" my set-up.

Tesing of BM-Link:

1. installation was easy, just double click the "cardboard box" icon and click your way through the steps
2. start BM-Link through system preferences icon, invoke BM-Link and check its preferences (nice touch was not having to restart system preferences to go back to the 32 bit addressing)
3. first start received a USB error, so I disconnected the BeoPort's USB from a powered Targus USB 2.0 hub and cabled the BeoPort directly (will retest this later)
4. second start resulted on spinning rainbow wheel on the BM-Link icon in the Apple's menu bar, waited several minutes but no time out, so I powered off the BeoPort which terminated BM-Link
5. reconnected the power and started BM-Link for a 3rd time which worked
6. Net-Music works fine through my BV8+BL3 speakers (no speakers on BeoPort, and "start speakers" set to manual)
7. Net-Music works fine through BeoLink Wireless 1 to BL4s
8. check BeoSound 4 .. it is displaying 4 lines:
   "TRACK 29"
   "ARTIST 892"
   "NONE"
   "ARTIST" 
9. start Net-Music on BeoSound 4 and plays OK, but still showing Track 29 and Artist 892, and when the next track starts the numbers don't change
10. write up this report, and then recheck BeoSound 4 display and it is now showing correctly for the latest tracks the track title, artist's name, and album name (but without scrolling)
11. wait for a "Final Fantasy" track to start. artist shows as "ARTIST 1794" (LinkPlayer 0.7 displays their name ("植松伸夫 (Nobuo Uematsu)") in Katakana which is how it is stored in iTunes, I know this may have changed with LP 0.8 but I have not tested that yet) 
12. test track changes ("^" key on the Beo4 and that works)
13. return to the original two tracks to see if they now display names or numbers ... and they display numbers, the tracks are:
    'Il trovatore,' Act III - Di quella pira　Giuseppe Verdi
    Jussi Björling
    and the numbers dont change on the next 2 tracks also contain special characters ("'", and "[")
    
14. try changing source and back again to Net-Music to see if this changes the BeoSound 4's display behaviour, and now it only displays "NET-MUSIC"
15. try using the ^ and v keys on the Beo4 to effect a track change to get the display updated, but the track change requests are ignored
16. update this report, and return to the BS4 and try some more track change requests, they now work and cause the display to return to showing the track and artist in text form
17. return to test track 30 to see if it is only track 29 that causes the number/text issue ... and track 30 with the "'" displays correctly, track 31 with "[" and "]" displays correctly
18. use Beo4 v key to return to track 29, it continues to display numbers not text, and when track 30 starts this time it is *NOT* "corrupted"

elephant:

I have not tested any special keys (other than ^ and v) on the Beo4.

I forgot, there are no special keys to test :(

I ran the new BM-Link for 8 hours without any issues or problems.

I also used its Net-Radio function.

Today I will experiment some more with the Net-Radio, and also try out the FrontRow option.

As promised, I tested Net-Radio and it worked fine once I actually connected the internet (*doh*)

The BeoSound 4 displayed the details of each of the stations I "tuned" into

I also tested FrontRow, smoothly invoked, and operated.

My conclusion would be that if all you wanted was music stored in iTunes, then BM-Link is once again a contender; however is you want diversity of video materials then LinkPlayer is the contender.

However I do say I would do some comparisons with the latest beta of LinkPlayer and this is what I can report:

• yes, I have lost Katakana characters, LinkPlayer now replaces them with ????
• LinkPlayer only displays on the BeoSound 4 the track names IF the BeoSound 4 is switched on in Net-Music mode, otherwise it just "warns" you that the link is busy with Net-Music transmissions
• LinkPlayer also struggled to display the Jussi Bjorling track information - maybe this is not a BeoPort side issue, but rather a BeoSound 4 problem ....

elephant:

I also tested FrontRow, smoothly invoked, and operated.

is front row with fast scroll working?  

beoandy

beoandy:

is front row with fast scroll working?  

Front Row works,

but *not* with fast scrolling.

I also tested FR via LinkPlayer and there it does work with fast scrolling; and as fast as with my Apple remote.

I repeated the test to make sure, BM-Link and LinkPlayer a second time each.

I also shielded the BV8's IR-eye in case LinkPlayer's software was smarter (sometimes the BV8 relays signals to the BeoPort), but no both softwares continued to behave the same way.

I then tested LinkPlayer/PLEX fast scrolling and that worked, so I am convinced the fast scrolling issue lies with BM-Link.

Hello Elephant, Anders, et.al...

After a year or more of my beoport not working properly I have success!!!!!

I have purchased snow leopard, downloaded Anders' new BM Link 1.5.3 and itunes 9 and all works, just about flawlessly.

I can switch between NRADIO and NMUSIC without difficulty, scroll through playlists, artist lists etc.

All artist titles, song titles, playlist titles display correctly on my beocentre 2. 

So far during testing ive not had any difficultly with NRADIO getting stuck (this used to happen all the time for me).

I'm so pleased it finally works!!!!!

I've also trialled LINK PLAYER- it works with the exception that the display of information on beocentre 2 is jumbled (wrong track info etc)

I havent tried front row as yet as im not really sure how to get this working with my beo 4 remote??

A big thanks to Elephant, Anders and Philippe Robin for testing and providing solutions!

Regards

David Coyne

To use Front Row on BM-Link just tick the box on in the configuration.

Then add "PC" as a soft key to your Beo4.

Scroll to "PC" and press (GO).

Wait for 10 to 15 seconds as the TV screen goes dark/black, and then the Front Row screen appears.

Just just ^ and v to scroll, (GO) to select, [EXIT] to back up a menu level, [STOP] to pause, (GO) to restart, and << and >> to fast forward or rewind .

Enjoy !

PS if you want to know how to configured LinkPlayer I can step you through that as well.

Front Row is fine for playing your own mounted DVD (watched "Inglorious Bastards" that way last night) or any purchased or rented videos (shows, movies, or music videos) from iTunes.

But if your video storage system has more varied formats then you will need to use LinkPlayer and PLEX.

Happy to talk you through those as well.

Hi Elephant..

Seems my beo 4 remote is configured differently.. 

V.MEM brings up the computer screen

If i press exit (which i found by trial and error) once the computer screen is on, Front row appears..

I can then scroll through using the arrow keys.

It would be good to talk with you about BM LINK- though presently it doesnt work properly on my set up.

Maybe email me through here and I can contact you??

Kind Regards

David Coyne

That's all very strange !

Seeing as it is Australia day today ...

... I am at home and would be happy to field a phone call.

My phone number is in your PM.