General Forum

Re: Apple TV with Avant ?

Thomas — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 06:00:47 GMT

Thx for your input guys.

Ok, if I understand correct i should be possible to connect the Apple TV component to Avant SCART (VIDEO or AV) through one of these: http://www.tvcables.co.uk/cgi-bin/tvcables/YUV-RGB-SCART.html

Thomas

Re: Apple TV with Avant ?

beojeff — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:21:17 GMT

I agree with the points made by Tripp and Russ. I might add a few more observations. You can easily expand the number of RGB/Component inputs by using a Zektor switch box. Often, there are nice prices for these on ebay. The US Avant actually has an option in the setup menu to add control of a Zektor switch. Also, the most recent Avant software provides Beo4/5 control of the Apple TV; however, it doesn't fast-scroll.

The lack of a composite or s-video connector for the Apple TV is unfortunate since the Avant itself only takes advantage of up to 480p. With other devices such as a set top box, blu-ray player, and hd dvd player it is possible to have the devices set for 1080i and connect BOTH the component cables and s-video cables. In such a setup, the devices will display 480i video on the Avant via the s-video cables but automatically display 1080i video through a connected projector by pressing "OPTION" + "0" on the Beo4. Outputting 480p via component cables for the Avant display can result in the dreaded "dark banding" that many of us have encountered with the Avant.

Re: Apple TV with Avant ?

Russ — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:24:09 GMT

Hi Thomas,

While Trip is correct (not at all unusual for him), you must focus on his first point. Even the fully ptioned Avants (including the BS-1 based Avant-US) have only 1 working Digital TV input, and that only operates at 480p. You are, of course, free to use an Apple TV with the RGB input on the Avant, but you may have to decide how you will juggle any other 'HDTV' sources. The latest version the Avant US software does support the Apple Remote...so in my case I have moved my Xbox 360 back to an S-video input, where it looks terrific, and will connect the Apple TV as the STB source when it arrives.

Just so you know, in a couple of installations I have seen here on this side of the pond, certain HD cable boxes, and SAT-TV receivers actually looked better on an S-video input than on the RGB, because it turns out that the BS-1 scaler is better than the in-built one.

I know that the backpanel set-up is somewhat different for the EU versions of the Avant, but I suspect that you'll end up with the same issue.

Russ

Re: Apple TV with Avant ?

TripEnglish — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:02:11 GMT

Thomas, Yes.

I think that it comes down to how you want to use the precious RGB resource on your Avant/BeoSystem 1. Since the input groupings are more concrete on the Avant than the BeoSystem 3 and its variants, you will have to have the Apple TV as STB and the STB as V.AUX. Other than that it will have to downscale, but on Apple TV at this point in its evolution, that's not really an issue. If you have a Beo 5, you can also get around the cognitive dissonance of pressing the wrong buttons to get to the right things.

Good luck!

Apple TV with Avant ?

Thomas — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:59:16 GMT

Hi All,

Anyone ever tried the combo of Apple TV with an Avant ?

Is it possible at all ?

Limitations ?

Thomas