Beo-Mac

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

elephant — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:28:46 GMT

scanorama99:
did You really see the picture on the first "sending" b&o screen?

yes

both VGA and S-Video displayed in 2 separate tests

scanorama99:
computers, you know, they dont always have the video out connectors active ;)

true, with windows you have to affect the properties of the desktop and extended the desktop to the second display (i.e. the BV8)

with Mac OSX the BV8 is automatically recognised and activated (as a Beovision 8!!)

Ed~209

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

scanorama99 — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 07:46:01 GMT

ok, did You really see the picture on the first "sending" b&o screen? computers, you know, they dont always have the video out connectors active ;)

Well best thing is to test various options and see what happens! I´ll try to avoid the "washed-out" version in Your tests :)

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

elephant — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:30:36 GMT

Apologies, and please see my 2nd update to my earlier post - I could not get VGA to be propogated to a link room .......

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

scanorama99 — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:54:06 GMT

cooldude:

I use appleTV's and I set them up in a couple of hours and they have never given me any problems. They're both 40GB models (with atv flash) and stream everything from my NAS. I did plug them both into ethernet now for sole reason of not wanting to have problems streaming 720p resolution content. Itouch to control them works ok. They're connected through component to older LCD and plasma screens.

And I have seen various solutions for controlling other brands like apple tv with beo4 through i.e. beo4vrc, lintronic etc, but then You loose the ability to control this setup from other rooms right? Ok not if you put an extender in there but I feel that the idea with b&o is somewhat to have most parts integrated and controllable and I like to keep using my beo4 to the most if I can

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

cooldude — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:42:02 GMT

I use appleTV's and I set them up in a couple of hours and they have never given me any problems. They're both 40GB models (with atv flash) and stream everything from my NAS. I did plug them both into ethernet now for sole reason of not wanting to have problems streaming 720p resolution content. Itouch to control them works ok. They're connected through component to older LCD and plasma screens.

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

elephant — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:03:10 GMT

4 things ...

ONE (2nd update)

If the wikipedia entry is correct then you are in a better position than I was with my MacBook.

The DVI port was replaced with a mini-DVI port.

A mini-DVI to DVI-D adapter is included. A mini-DVI to VGA adapter is available.

A Mini DisplayPort was added in addition to the Mini-DVI port. This now allows the Mac Mini to work with the new 24" Apple LED cinema display directly and the 30" HD Cinema Display using a Mini DisplayPort to dual-link DVI adapter.

Both mini-DVI and Mini DisplayPort connections can be used concurrently for mirroring or extending.

Apologies if I have mislead you with this paragraph:

Using the mini-DVI to VGA would seem to give you the analogue signal you need to relaying to the second TV via an RF cable. You need to double check this mini-DVI port's VGA capability on Apple forums.

I connected my wife's HP to the BV8 VGA port and I discovered that this signal is *NOT* relayed via the BV8 Active Antenna to link rooms. I also tested her HP's S-Video output connection to the BV8 and thence to the link room, which worked, but all the colours were washed out to shades of grey.

You could (depending upon distance) even look at a long DVI cable, I once had one in the UK that went about 10 metres.

Which of these two ports did you say you are currently using for the main TV?

TWO

I think the wireless options need to be tested carefully.

I have found BeoLink Wireless 1 to need careful placement. Initial I had it at spot A and had problems, then when my BV8 arrived I moved it to spot B and had more problems, based on another thread I have kept experimenting and now have it in spot C which is producing better results -- important to note that most of my wireless difficulties have come from kitchen equipment: microwave radiation and metal freezer cabinets, so given your target location is the kitchen this is something to consider.

Also wireless extension for slide show presentations may have been design for a less demanding bandwidth that TV shows, whereas the wireless SCARTs seem to be more in the right design arena/area.

THREE (1st update)

I recently saw on an old thread a discussion about an HDMI to composite or component video converter - I think it was one of the Gefen products (quite a few BeoWorld members use and recommend Gefen). This may be a route you could take. If I can find the thread again I will post a pointer for you.

http://www.gefen.com/index.jsp

Examples of Gefen usage:

http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/p/30775/246140.aspx#246140

And here is the original thread I saw ...

http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/p/17358/128537.aspx#128537

FOUR

If you were going down the distributed PC desktop path etc, I would think that an Apple TV might be more sensible if all you want to access is a collection of stored movies. But if what you want is the desktop, applications, etc then a second MacMini with remote desk top access may be a more expensive option.

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

scanorama99 — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:31:09 GMT

I am currently using mac so I prefer a mac solution. For me I dont need to use the pc´s every detailed functions since i prefer ease of use in other rooms. Or I could just probably take my bluetooth keyboard and mouse if I want to my next room since it´s an apartment.

So for me small-factor is good in other rooms :)

this for example

Wireless scart for multi-room use

looks really nice and small :) I have seen it in several stores... and the salesman at my beostore told me that scart on bang olufsen screens are both video in AND out so in theory that would mean that I could place this in the back of each tv and send between different rooms (up to 30m)

b&o has left this section out for us so there is only one option it seems, apart from rf-cables, and that is to look for these other alternatives. Too bad since wireless video as I see it would be something that b&o should focus at least a little (?)

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

scanorama99 — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:16:37 GMT

It´s a march 2009 model 2.0ghz, 4gb ram, 256 meg videomemory, it has the small video connection not in use right now

I googled "wireless dvi"

and came up with this:

http://addlogix.com/index.asp?MM=MM01&YY=YY1&m_id=38

it seems they had this earlier but is now discontinued:

http://www.superwarehouse.com/Mitsubishi_Wireless_Projector_Adapter/MA-WL-DVI/p/1487241

Too bad since it looks much slimmer. Since I also plan to somehow hide this box behind the beovision hanging on the wall in the kitchen, it would be nice to have a small case. In the first link it looks like it also has some kind of ir-reciever and I was hoping I could find a solution that did not showcased a grey plastic box on my drawer under the tv just to make this work :)

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

Graham1982 — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:10:08 GMT

Hi:

One option I am thinking about for myself is getting a set of thin clients and installing them next to my TVs (B&O crts). All you need do then in theory is install XP Pro or Server edition on your main PC and then set the thin clients up (they clearly need to be wireless enabled). Yes you will end up with larger plastic boxes than with the video senders you mention, but also much more functionality. With a wireless keyboard/mouse you can access all media stored on your main PC through the TV.

I say in theory because I have not tried this myself so am unsure how easy it is to do - Microsoft networking in my experience is an absolute swine.

Thanks

Graham

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

elephant — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:05:36 GMT

scanorama99:
mini-dvi on macmini

How old is the MacMini ... as in which version of MacMini?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Mini

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

scanorama99 — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:55:11 GMT

the beovision is using its dvi to connect to mini-dvi on macmini. Left is a minidisplay connector on macmini.

So having the beovision on in pc/dvi mode showing pc screen and then output this to the other tv in kitchen via rf-out is not an option?

I dont require top-notch video since I plan to use plex and have the fonts large for better clarity, real computer use will only be done in front of the mac

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

elephant — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:48:07 GMT

The key is what video outputs does your PC have?

And of those PV video outputs, which one have you already used to interface to the main BeoVision?

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

scanorama99 — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:18:40 GMT

Too bad then that my itunes get screwed up everytime I run linkplayer. It actually makes itunes crash everytime I run it after this, even though linkplayer is not running. Strange!

I have pages Phil about this.

Anyway. Back to sending video. If I have a beovision 6 with masterlink ability showing pc-screen how do I normally run picture and sound to be viewed simultaneously on a kitchen tv?

Is it best to use the pc video out or beovision video out?

What will the kitchen tv recognize that signal as? PC ?

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

elephant — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:39:14 GMT

Yes, the Beoplayer had a lovely recorded female voice that would say "Connecting ..." or "Artists", but I dont think it announced the actual tracks - where as with LinkPlayer in iTunes mode pressing and hold (GO) while playing a song will result in a synthesised male voice announcing the track and the artist.

I have been testing LinkPlayer MENU navigation from my link rooms.

Re: convenient way to send video from other sources to my kitchen tv ?

scanorama99 — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:26:37 GMT

hehe, using plex blindly, that seems convenient :) Really bang-olufsen luxury :)

I recall somewhere that pc-version of beoport software did speak out at least the folder / playlist or categories you were at in the software. That would be nice, maybe it works in linkplayer main menu (as I read) but I did not hear anything speaken out (although I´ve not tested it in a link-room yet)