in Search
Untitled Page

ARCHIVED FORUM -- April 2007 to March 2012
READ ONLY FORUM

This is the first Archived Forum which was active between 17th April 2007 and 1st March February 2012

 

Latest post 08-09-2011 5:02 PM by deaddruid. 20 replies.
Page 1 of 1 (21 items)
Sort Posts: Previous Next
  • 07-30-2011 10:47 AM

    • deaddruid
    • Top 500 Contributor
    • Joined on 05-24-2007
    • Malvern, Worcestershire
    • Posts 247
    • Founder

    MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    I've been trying to use MasterLink for the first time, and seem to be *almost* there. My problem is incorrect aspect ratio when displaying widescreen data from the Avant on the MX4002.

    The Video Master is an Avant RF VCR, with DVD1 attached to the AV port, and a Humax 9200 Digital Terrestrial box (DTV) attached to the Decoder port (and STB-C). All aspect ratios seem OK (i.e., DVD and SAT give widescreen image)

    The MX4002 has no external devices, and is connected direct to the Avant by a MasterLink cable and a UHF lead.

    From the MX4002, using a Beo4 contol, I can select LINK-TV, SAT, V.TAPE or DVD from the Avant. DVD and SAT give tall skinny images. LINK-TV and V.TAPE images look OK, since they are fullscreen data displayed on a fullscreen TV.

    The problem is that the Letterbox image from DVD and SAT is not converted to display correctly on a 4x3 screen of the MX4002.

    Can anyone tell me what should happen here? Is the Avant supposed to create a Zoomed image from the 16x9 images for transmission to the MX4002, or is the MX4002 supposed to switch to Letterbox mode, so giving black bars at top and bottom? How do I make it happen? The FORMAT option on the Beo4 seems to have no effect on the MX4002.

    Any ideas?

    Mark

  • 08-05-2011 9:10 AM In reply to

    • deaddruid
    • Top 500 Contributor
    • Joined on 05-24-2007
    • Malvern, Worcestershire
    • Posts 247
    • Founder

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    I find it odd that no one has yet responded to this post.

    All video masters seem to be widescreen, the MX4002 was specifically designed to work with MasterLink and therefore with video masters, yet I can find no way to change the picture on the MX4002 to a letterbox or zoomed format.

    This can't be right - I can't believe that B&O specifically designed the MX4002 to display distorted images (tall skinny people).

    Mark

  • 08-05-2011 9:53 AM In reply to

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    Well, I think it is just one of those unexplainable things... as far as I know, the MX4002 (and all the other Unity/Unity2 chassis TVs as well) are indeed unable to switch the aspect ratio: they are 4:3 only.

    Also, the Avant has no scaling hardware, it can only alter the aspect ratio of its own display. Therefore, 16:9 material should be letterboxed at the source to a 4:3 frame for the MX4002... which will be a crappy format to display on the native 16:9 Avant.

    I don't think there is any completely acceptable solution for this Sad

    -mika

  • 08-05-2011 10:20 AM In reply to

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    Hi Mark,

    The 4002 will not show a 16:9 image correctly (I believe the MX4200 will do this). You could change the picture output settings in your Humax and DVD1 to display 4:3 or 14:9 letterbox then the 4002 will be OK, but the Avant picture would then be compromised so experiment and see which you can live with.

    David

  • 08-05-2011 11:18 AM In reply to

    • deaddruid
    • Top 500 Contributor
    • Joined on 05-24-2007
    • Malvern, Worcestershire
    • Posts 247
    • Founder

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    This is truly amazing!

    I bought my MX4002 specifically to allow the Avant sources to be viewed from the kitchen. As it happens, I bought it via ebay, as a private sale. If it had come from a dealer I would have returned it as unsuitable for the purpose for which it is intended.

    Sadly, then, it means that MasterLink is only suitable for audio, or for people who have both the money and the space to put widescreen TVs around the house.

    Are you sure it's not just a matter of a firmware upgrade for the MX4002?

    The only other solution I can see would be to ditch the MX4002, buy a small third-party widescreen TV and interface it to the Avant using a BeoLink Active [not sure if this would work without speakers attached].

    Mark

  • 08-05-2011 12:53 PM In reply to

    • Style
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 08-01-2011
    • Posts 40
    • Bronze Member

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    I think the MX4002 was developed at a time when all the videomasters were 4:3.
  • 08-05-2011 1:19 PM In reply to

    • Neil
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 01-13-2009
    • UK
    • Posts 34
    • Gold Member

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    Yes, the later MX4200 can handle a widescreen format, but displays it at the top of the screen with a thick black band underneath! This model has the modular chassis from the Beovision 1 and a flat 4:3 Panasonic 21inch tube.

    Neil.   

  • 08-05-2011 5:56 PM In reply to

    • deaddruid
    • Top 500 Contributor
    • Joined on 05-24-2007
    • Malvern, Worcestershire
    • Posts 247
    • Founder

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    I wish we had a guide to these capabilities and issues somewhere. I do hate it when only learning of these issues after planning and making an installation.

    Are you saying that the BeoVision 1 does work correctly when connected to an Avant? If so, I guess I need to dispose of the MX4002 and replace it with a BeoVision 1.

    Mark

  • 08-06-2011 4:34 AM In reply to

    • Style
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 08-01-2011
    • Posts 40
    • Bronze Member

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    I have a linked BV1 and it works well. But you need a late version that have ML capable of option 6
  • 08-06-2011 5:11 PM In reply to

    • Vienna
    • Top 100 Contributor
    • Joined on 08-15-2008
    • make an educated guess
    • Posts 712
    • Bronze Member

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    deaddruid:

    Are you saying that the BeoVision 1 does work correctly when connected to an Avant? If so, I guess I need to dispose of the MX4002 and replace it with a BeoVision 1.

     

    BeoCenter 1 / BeoVision 1 ; BeoVision MX 4200 and BeoVision MX 8000 are based on the same type of chassis.

    They all offer "Format 1" to add a "blank black bar" at the bottom of the sreen to "resize" 16:9 signals.

    All the above mentioned TVs will handle a 16:9 signal properly.

    BeoVison 1-L and 1-ML had the ML-board fitted as a standard feature -
    BeoCenter1, MX 8000 and MX 4200 might have only the ML-socket but will need an ML-Upgrade Kit (board)
    !! this may differ from market to market. 

  • 08-06-2011 5:29 PM In reply to

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    Style:
    I think the MX4002 was developed at a time when all the videomasters were 4:3.

    Probably yes, and actually aspect ratio switching is a non-trivial problem particularly for a link TV - almost all of the sources use pin 8 of the SCART for aspect ratio signalling, but that of course is not available for a link TV which receives the signal via RF. The working solution would be to use WSS (embedded in the image) signalling, but I'm not sure if it was even specified when these sets were developed. And in any case, almost none of the available sources supply it even today, it was mostly used for analogue off-the-air broadcasts.

    So even with a 16:9 capable link set, you'll probably need to select the right format manually. Pretty much all new material is in 16:9 though, so it might not be much of a nuisance...

    -mika

  • 08-07-2011 9:04 AM In reply to

    • deaddruid
    • Top 500 Contributor
    • Joined on 05-24-2007
    • Malvern, Worcestershire
    • Posts 247
    • Founder

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    Oh dear! The 20" or so of the MX4002 was ideal for the corner of the kitchen where I placed it. The BV1 seems to be about 25" and the other two MX's are similarly large.

    B^(

    Grumpy of Malvern

  • 08-07-2011 9:50 AM In reply to

    • mhw
    • Top 500 Contributor
      Male
    • Joined on 06-29-2007
    • Norway
    • Posts 207
    • Gold Member

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    The MX4200 is 21", just like the MX4002...

  • 08-07-2011 10:58 AM In reply to

    • Vienna
    • Top 100 Contributor
    • Joined on 08-15-2008
    • make an educated guess
    • Posts 712
    • Bronze Member

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    All dimensions of MX4000/4002 and 4200 are identical, you can even re-use the manually operated
    MX 4000/4002 wall bracket for the MX 4200 ...

  • 08-07-2011 10:59 AM In reply to

    • deaddruid
    • Top 500 Contributor
    • Joined on 05-24-2007
    • Malvern, Worcestershire
    • Posts 247
    • Founder

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    Ah! That's excellent news. I had somehow got the impression that it was bigger. by the look of the picture on the Products part of the site, it appears to take the same stand. Wifie likes the stand - very important consideration.

    I'll have to keep my eyes out for an MX4200.

    Thank you.

    Mark (Cheerful again of Malvern)

  • 08-07-2011 1:05 PM In reply to

    • Vienna
    • Top 100 Contributor
    • Joined on 08-15-2008
    • make an educated guess
    • Posts 712
    • Bronze Member

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    All MX 4000/4002 stands and brackets fit "mechanically"!

    But, if you want to use a MX 4000 motor-stand/-plate/-wallbracket on a MX4200
    you'll have to replace the PCB & cable of the motor.

    Don't know, if the "MX 8000 motor conversion kit" is still available from B&O. 

     

  • 08-07-2011 3:53 PM In reply to

    • deaddruid
    • Top 500 Contributor
    • Joined on 05-24-2007
    • Malvern, Worcestershire
    • Posts 247
    • Founder

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    More interesting stuff, then!

    Did B&O really make the 4002 and 4200 motor stands incompatible? It's a motor stand that I have on the 4002, and I do like it, since it silently does exactly what it should. There was I thinking that I could just put a 4200 on my existing stand.

    Mark

  • 08-07-2011 5:34 PM In reply to

    • Vienna
    • Top 100 Contributor
    • Joined on 08-15-2008
    • make an educated guess
    • Posts 712
    • Bronze Member

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    deaddruid:

    There was I thinking that I could just put a 4200 on my existing stand.

    Smile You can put it on your existing stand, Sad but the motor won't work.

    MX 4000/4002, MX 6000 and MX 7000 use a 4 pin DIN connector for the motorized stand
    MX 4200 and MX 8000 use a 5 pin DIN connector.

    But it's not the plug that makes the main difference - it's the different motor electronics (PCB) inside
    the motor which has been changed too.  

    Keep in mind - the chassis already existed in the BV 1 / BC 1 series and was just adapted for the last
    series of MX ...

    I will post the sparepart / order # of the required conversion kit during the next days ...

  • 08-08-2011 6:39 AM In reply to

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    I had the same problem when I bought an avant and fed a 4002 with it - in the end I bought another Avant for my bedroom and it all works perfectly. With SKY you can have seperate aspect ratios for a linked TV but I don't knowif the Humax worls that way.

    It might be cheaper to use the 4002 for audio sources as a link TV and have a seperate digibox for the 4002 to use as a local source? I think a STBC can be be built into a 4002. Of course that would still leave a problem with DVD.

    Beovision Avant 32 RF, DVD1, Beovision 1, MX4002, Beound 3000, Beolab Penta MKII, Beovox Penta, Beolit 707, Beolink Passive, Beovox C30, Beocom 4, Beogram TX, 4 x Beo4, Form 1 & 2, Beocenter 7700, Beovox S65,

  • 08-09-2011 8:55 AM In reply to

    • Vienna
    • Top 100 Contributor
    • Joined on 08-15-2008
    • make an educated guess
    • Posts 712
    • Bronze Member

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    Vienna:

    I will post the sparepart / order # of the required conversion kit during the next days ...

    My dealer told me, the conversion kit is still available, the item # is 3390660 and the
    retail price is EUR 45 including 20% VAT.

    PS: he also would be happy Smile to sell the last kit he has on stock for EUR 30 (+Postage)

  • 08-09-2011 5:02 PM In reply to

    • deaddruid
    • Top 500 Contributor
    • Joined on 05-24-2007
    • Malvern, Worcestershire
    • Posts 247
    • Founder

    Re: MX4002 link aspect ratio problems

    Hmm, interesting choice... get a motor for a good price now, or hope to pick up a 4200 with a motor stand. I'll give that a little thought. Thank you for the kit number.

    I've been thinking about the Avant option, too. However, the point of the MX is to sit it in a bay window in the kitchen. Wifie likes to watch chinese TV, via a satellite digibox & HDR (on the Avant) but as she spends a lot of time in the kitchen, would like to play the recordings there. Sadly, even the 28" Avant would simply be too big!

    It looks like the best option for the moment is to use the satellite box set to 4x3, so it will display reasonably on both TVs, and attach a Digital Terrestrial decoder to the MX. The longer-term solution has to be an MX4200.

    Mark

Page 1 of 1 (21 items)