What is the difference between these two?  I ask cos I have the opportunity to purchase a demo Beomedia1 at a knock down price

 

Also, with a Beovision 7 mark ii, what is the best (only?) way of connecting a sky HD box and Beomedia?

Though they're similar in that they're both digital media managers, they're very different products. The BeoMedia 1 is meant to be used by itself as a fully on-screen experience (connected to the B&O TVs with VGA, SPDIF, & ML), comprising modules for N.MUSIC (your stored music files), N.RADIO (streaming IP radio from the web), PHOTO (your photo & home video collections), and WEB (a scaled down web browsing experience).

The BeoMaster 5 has these things but really requires a Beo5 remote to operate all the functions (they're now discreet commands instead of overlay commands [MENU + 4, etc.] like other PUC sources), and it is really designed to be the server module for the BeoSound 5 head unit. The BeoMedia cannot operate this way should you ever want to upgrade.

That being said, I still have a BeoMedia that I use fairly frequently and it has one very specific advantage in that it can be distributed to multiple TVs and carry control signals over ML, which (for some godforsaken reason, the BeoMaster 5 can't) which makes it the ideal home media hub.

TripEnglish:

That being said, I still have a BeoMedia that I use fairly frequently and it has one very specific advantage in that it can be distributed to multiple TVs and carry control signals over ML, which (for some godforsaken reason, the BeoMaster 5 can't) which makes it the ideal home media hub.

Hi Trip
I have the BM5 as the only music unit without the BS5, and it works fine on other link TV´s. I have the BM5 connected to a 7-55 with HDMI/SPDIF and Composite (to use with Link), and I can easy operate the BM5 from my 2 other 8-32.
But I must admit, we have been waiting too long for the link TV enablement of the BM5.

beolion:

TripEnglish:

That being said, I still have a BeoMedia that I use fairly frequently and it has one very specific advantage in that it can be distributed to multiple TVs and carry control signals over ML, which (for some godforsaken reason, the BeoMaster 5 can't) which makes it the ideal home media hub.

Hi Trip
I have the BM5 as the only music unit without the BS5, and it works fine on other link TV´s. I have the BM5 connected to a 7-55 with HDMI/SPDIF and Composite (to use with Link), and I can easy operate the BM5 from my 2 other 8-32.
But I must admit, we have been waiting too long for the link TV enablement of the BM5.

Trip must have an Apple product somewhere in there "messing things up!"

TripEnglish:

That being said, I still have a BeoMedia that I use fairly frequently and it has one very specific advantage in that it can be distributed to multiple TVs and carry control signals over ML, which (for some godforsaken reason, the BeoMaster 5 can't) which makes it the ideal home media hub.

EXCUSE ME!!!! What is the command that you use Trip, to distribute BM1????? Because i cannot and believe me…i have tried a lot!!!!!

beolion:

TripEnglish:

That being said, I still have a BeoMedia that I use fairly frequently and it has one very specific advantage in that it can be distributed to multiple TVs and carry control signals over ML, which (for some godforsaken reason, the BeoMaster 5 can't) which makes it the ideal home media hub.

Hi Trip
I have the BM5 as the only music unit without the BS5, and it works fine on other link TV´s. I have the BM5 connected to a 7-55 with HDMI/SPDIF and Composite (to use with Link), and I can easy operate the BM5 from my 2 other 8-32.
But I must admit, we have been waiting too long for the link TV enablement of the BM5.

 

I should clarify: The BeoMedia 1 didn't need to go through the TV's "Link" input. I used the BeoMedia 1 in multi screen installations by splitting the sound & VGA (usually using a gefen distributor & baluns) and connecting it to the VGA "PC" input on all the TVs. Better picture and control worked over the ML.

DrDimitris:

TripEnglish:

That being said, I still have a BeoMedia that I use fairly frequently and it has one very specific advantage in that it can be distributed to multiple TVs and carry control signals over ML, which (for some godforsaken reason, the BeoMaster 5 can't) which makes it the ideal home media hub.

EXCUSE ME!!!! What is the command that you use Trip, to distribute BM1????? Because i cannot and believe me…i have tried a lot!!!!!

This only works with multiple B&O tvs. I don't know if that's what you're working with. You connect the BeoMedia 1 to ML and then split the VGA & Audio signals with a splitter and run them to each of the TVs. Each TV interprets the BeoMedia 1 as a "local" source. Works like a dream. 

burantek:

beolion:

TripEnglish:

That being said, I still have a BeoMedia that I use fairly frequently and it has one very specific advantage in that it can be distributed to multiple TVs and carry control signals over ML, which (for some godforsaken reason, the BeoMaster 5 can't) which makes it the ideal home media hub.

Hi Trip
I have the BM5 as the only music unit without the BS5, and it works fine on other link TV´s. I have the BM5 connected to a 7-55 with HDMI/SPDIF and Composite (to use with Link), and I can easy operate the BM5 from my 2 other 8-32.
But I must admit, we have been waiting too long for the link TV enablement of the BM5.

Trip must have an Apple product somewhere in there "messing things up!"

Only on BeoWorld would I be considered an Apple hater! I'm sitting at a desk with 3 apple computers on it right now! I just don't like the iTunes / AppleTV continuum of nonsense. Otherwise they've got as spotless a record as one could hope for.

TripEnglish:

DrDimitris:

TripEnglish:

That being said, I still have a BeoMedia that I use fairly frequently and it has one very specific advantage in that it can be distributed to multiple TVs and carry control signals over ML, which (for some godforsaken reason, the BeoMaster 5 can't) which makes it the ideal home media hub.

EXCUSE ME!!!! What is the command that you use Trip, to distribute BM1????? Because i cannot and believe me…i have tried a lot!!!!!

This only works with multiple B&O tvs. I don't know if that's what you're working with. You connect the BeoMedia 1 to ML and then split the VGA & Audio signals with a splitter and run them to each of the TVs. Each TV interprets the BeoMedia 1 as a "local" source. Works like a dream. 

No just a Samsung second TV. DTV,TV, and DVD work like a dream. But BM1 only in my BV7. Thanks for the info though. This splitter thing might work for me too...

TripEnglish:

I should clarify: The BeoMedia 1 didn't need to go through the TV's "Link" input. I used the BeoMedia 1 in multi screen installations by splitting the sound & VGA (usually using a gefen distributor & baluns) and connecting it to the VGA "PC" input on all the TVs. Better picture and control worked over the ML.

Trip, I did actually ask my dealer if it was possible to distribute the BM5 signal to both my BV7 and BV8 directly without link, and they had no idea. We use the TV in the kitchen as the main navigation of the BM5, and would like a better signal quality.
I wonder why you can't split the DVI signal, or use on DVI to the BV7 and the other (BS5) DVI to the BV8 plus split the SPDIF signal.
I guess you have tried?

beolion:

TripEnglish:

I should clarify: The BeoMedia 1 didn't need to go through the TV's "Link" input. I used the BeoMedia 1 in multi screen installations by splitting the sound & VGA (usually using a gefen distributor & baluns) and connecting it to the VGA "PC" input on all the TVs. Better picture and control worked over the ML.

Trip, I did actually ask my dealer if it was possible to distribute the BM5 signal to both my BV7 and BV8 directly without link, and they had no idea. We use the TV in the kitchen as the main navigation of the BM5, and would like a better signal quality.
I wonder why you can't split the DVI signal, or use on DVI to the BV7 and the other (BS5) DVI to the BV8 plus split the SPDIF signal.
I guess you have tried?

 

Yes. Epic fail on that one...

I'd been using the BeoMedia 1 this way for some time, distributing the AV & leaving the control on the ML bus. When the BeoSound 5/BeoMaster 5 was launched I went ahead and specified the BeoMaster 5 for an installation in the same capacity. I never would have thought that it would work differently. 

You can split the AV just fine. The issue is control. It will not work with TVs in link options and you can't have multiple video masters on the ML bus without odd things happening. It also can't be used as a peripheral as it can't currently take an outboard eye (though this is scheduled to happen). 

It may work this way in the future and I certainly hope it does, but for now it's a no go.

TripEnglish:

.....(though this is scheduled to happen). 

It may work this way in the future and I certainly hope it does, but for now it's a no go.

Thanx, I just installed DIVX7 and can now play some AVI. But I also noticed the IR input (for future use), do someone have any idea what is planned with the BM5 and when?