Hello,

This week I was at the local B&O store and was flabbergasted by the special edition BV10. Brownish colour. Not that I'd really wanted to buy one right now, but it made me think about B&O and DVD/BlueRay. Because, when looking at the current lineup, the only way to be able to play a movie on B&O stuff is by owning either a BV7 or a BeoCenter 2.

Isn't that kind of weird? So if I wanted to buy a BV10, or BV8, or BV4 and a Beosound 5, Beosound 9000 or Beosound 4, I would be screwed. And I would have to use another manufacturer's DVD/BlueRay player and destroy the B&O experience.

IMHO that's so not B&O. 

What am I missing in this picture?!

(By the way, gladly I actually DO own a BV7, but because I'm in love with my BS3000 as well, I can't buy another TV if I wanted to watch a movie. Stupid.)

Same dilemma if you want to record a movie: No hard disc recorder available from B&O any more.

And after BS 9000 and BS 3200 are discontinued: Only BS 4 and BC 2 can play CD´s.

But you can get a Beovision in any colour you like (even ugly brownish). And soon a BS 5 in white.

I am askink myself: Is B&O a design company or a company for video and audio components?

Regards

Räuber

 

Well, even though I hate to say it, but I do understand their move of ditching the CD medium. Personally, I'm still in love with CD's, but fact is that they're becoming obsolete very fast. 

I understand that the same will be happening for the DVD and even BlueRay if Apple gets its way, but the difference is that B&O is actually offering ways to enjoy downloadable music (BS5, BS8), but not ways to enjoy downloadable movies. So there is no alternative within the B&O lineup.

You can connect any descent BluRay to your B&O TV and controle it with the Beo4/5/6.

The problem is that legal movie downloads (and movies on demand) are mostly distributed by large telecom companies (Apple is an exeption).. and that in order to view them you will need a vendor locked player (incl. Apple). So B&O made it their goal that you will be able to controle these set-top-boxes with their remote.

Karel.

 

Karel Uyttendaele:

You can connect any descent BluRay to your B&O TV and controle it with the Beo4/5/6.

 

Correct of course but the original point being made was that B&O were not providing this option. 

No doubt, PUC is a great solution to control stuff from other brands.

But why B&O isn't able to:

1. Upgrade the BC 2 with a blueray player and HDMI output?

2. Provide custumers with a software update for the HD module so that we can connect a hard drive to our beovisions and make records? BTW: The HD module is more expensive than many TV's with integrated module on the market!

I can't understand this any more...

Regards

Räuber

What is "PUC"? And how does the Beo 4 control other manufacturers gears

 

Lesly

PUC ... not sure what it stands for (peripheral ... controller?).

But on my BV8 I have two outbound IR ports (minijack style), and there is a thin black ribbon cable that goes from there to a small pea-sized black IR transmitter.

One associates the IR port to one of your AV ports, in my case AV1 has IR1 associated, and the AV1 SCART goes to my Foxtel's rear output port, and the IR1 cable to front of the Foxtel where its IR receiver is. 

Similar my AV2 is associated with IR2 and I have connected my Apple TV2 here.

When you define these combinations to the AV port and associate an IR, you are prompted with a menu of pre-installed optional IR drivers (i.e. Sky for my Foxtel, and Apple Remore for my ATV2).  Your small selection list can be upgraded with new options by your dealer (for a fee).

So the Beo4 sends B&O IR commands to the BV8, and if the BV8 has been switched to AV1 or AV2 (in my setup), it then translates the B&O IR command into a Sky (or Apple in my case) command and then sends that down the cable to Foxtel peripheral or the Apple peripheral. 

Good explanation, Elephant. And the "U" in PUC stands for "unit".

/Räuber

Raeuber:

But why B&O isn't able to:

1. Upgrade the BC 2 with a blueray player and HDMI output?

I have absolutely no idea, either. I know B&O said that the Blu-ray mechanism didn't fit the BC2 design, but surely there must be an option now, in 2011? The BC2 would have been perfect as a Blu-ray player. The design still compliments the very latest B&O TVs, such as the BV10.

What's the point of bragging about fantasic pictures and powerful audio, when they don't provide the source to provide this content? Downloadable movies have inferior sound compared to Blu-ray movies (uncompressed/HD audio) and the majority of the B&O viewing experience is the audio (as, let's face it, a very good Samsung TV is going to have a similar picture), yet B&O aren't providing any means to get the source content on to the TV. No point playing a standard definition DVD as you might as well have downloaded the movie or viewed it via your Sky box.

I have a Mk3 7-40 and object to playing SD DVD's through its player. On the dreaded mother in laws Avant they look great of course! 

Hopefully now the new boss is trying to get the company to react quicker to changing technologies. I bought a PS3 with Blu Ray 3 years ago, at the same time B&O were still fitting SD players to the Mk3. Infuriating to say the least and a bit dissapointing. I have contemplated  the upgrade from Lifestyle and just can't warrant the £700 price. No reflection on them as i'm sure shoe horning a new player in can't be done in 10 minutes from a Haynes manual, but £100 gets you Apple TV. Like most men i like the mechanical operation of a DVD player appearing, but i also like steam trains for there novelty. I just wouldn't choose to use one everyday and i think DVD's will be going down this same route.