BeoSound 5 Forum

Re: At Last!

Stan — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:10:02 GMT

I picked up an AppleScript plugin to iTunes a few years ago that searches Wikipedia for the album, artist or composer of the currently playing song... so maybe it's not so groundbreaking...

Stan

Re: At Last!

Puncher — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 01:55:14 GMT

I agree with him wholeheartedly - it's why I still buy CD's. It's not really about the notional concept of owning something physical rather than virtual (of course there is the accidental damage insurance issue), it's about being able to pick up the case while playing and reading the tracklist, or opening the inlay booklet and reading any notes from the artist, glancing at the lyrics, reading the contributers/producers etc.

I realise I may seem slighlty sad but I've always done it since vinyl days and it's why I won't buy downloads at the moment. If I could read all of this info. from the comfort of my chair (preferably in context with the original booklet artwork etc) on my TV (or other display) while the music is playing I may change my mind.

Re: At Last!

TripEnglish — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:49:56 GMT

Puncher I think you're really onto something with the flip idea. Since B&O are already trying to regain the synesthetic ground lost in the transition to etherial formats, I see no reason to pursue the logic further and develop the visual and cognitive engagement even further.

The BeoSound 5 & BeoMaster 5 already do something like this, but I discovered it by accident and haven't really heard anyone talking about it. If you navigate to a N.RADIO station and then bring up WEB on the television, it has navigated to the web page associated with the N.RADIO station. I see no reason, given that we already identify the artist and album, that we can't do the same thing for N.MUSIC. Sure some sites won't be there (or will bore you to tears), but if the idea catches on and even programs like Songbird, iTunes, etc. start to plug into the potential of the web, we'll see better and better content surface to support features like this.

Exciting to think of the possibilities, but also daunting to consider the constraints in propagating any single way of doing things to leverage the method for best results.

On that note, Robyn Hitchcock discusses briefly the problems associated with digital music (and other things) in this article. Worth a read, and his albums are worth a listen.

Re: At Last!

Puncher — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 04:08:27 GMT

Duplicate

Re: At Last!

Puncher — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 04:02:58 GMT

While I would disagree with how "rotten" iTunes is to navigate a large music collection (I have ~ 400 albums and have no problems at all, although the album cover system is nothing but a novelty), you are right in saying that I don't have a BS5 and so haven't been swayed by it's capabilities.

Again, my point isn't about the BS5's capabilities, rather B&O's apparent lack of confidence in it - surely with something so indispensable users would buy it in a heartbeat even if the full system capabilities were available with a Beovision and and a Beo5. B&O however, have deemed it necessary to limit the available features unless you buy the BS5 too, and according to some posters seem unwilling to sell the BM5 alone.

Come on B&O, All we are saaaaaayingggggg is give your users a choice (without artificial limitations)

btw - the bracketed portion above was in the original version of the song but was later dropped 'coz it didn't really fit in with the tune

On a slightly different note about the whole "album Cover" concept, whether iTunes or B&O - while clever it has very little real use, for me it would be much more useful if it showed the rear cover with the track listings. How many times when listening to a CD have you picked up the case and admired the cover for 40 minutes as opposed to picking it up to see the track list?

Maybe B&O could offer an album "flip" function to flip between front and rear covers - now that would be novel and sometimes useful. Or why not the whole inlay booklet with the ability to read it on your telly!

Re: At Last!

TripEnglish — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 13:41:04 GMT

We may find that it can use MOTS with future software releases (specifically the major release planned for late summer/early fall). I think the issue right now is that the software doesn't really have a "place" for things like "queue" or "favorites." I'm not sure, Puncher, whether you own a BeoSound 5 yet, but I can tell you as someone who does (as well as working with them all day!) that the BeoSound 5 is more than a fancy party-piece. I have a rapidly expanding music collection (I think I'm over the 900 mark at this point) and searching through that much music without the wheel assembly and visual interface is daunting if not practically impossible. iTunes is rotten at storing this much music and the BeoMaster alone is no better (if not a little worse). The BeoSound 5 is so quick that all the music is constantly at my fingertips. It may genuinely be that you have to live with it to really appreciate it and I do lend out loaded units to interested clients to audition for long periods of time to aid in making my point.

The BeoSound 5 can be described as a mouse and monitor in fancy frock, but to call it this betrays a fundamental unfamiliarity with it. I think I was howling as loud as any about what it was and wasn't and could or couldn't do when it was being launched. Then it took me about 48 intimate hours to do a complete 180 (and remind myself not to prejudge so readily) and see an amazing value. Now, upon owning my own unit I believe that it is better at what it does, and more relevant than anything we've ever built. I think its shape is so iconic that we might find ourselves inducted into a few more permanent collections at the MoMA!

All we are saaaaaayingggggg is give the BeoSound 5 a chance!

Re: At Last!

Puncher — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 03:53:08 GMT

Hey Trip - I see what you're saying from a user point of view, however I feel you are using your sales/marketing skills (very well) when describing the BS5. Yes, that's what it allows you to do but as you say the software that does this is actually in the BM5. What you're actually describing is browsing and selecting a track - hardly groundbreaking stuff.

Someone once said in these pages that, from a hardware point of view, the BS5 is basically a display combined with a USB compliant HID, which I tend to agree with, the styling/design takes it somewhere else if you want it.

The issue stated below was that why, with a Beovision and a Beo5, or the new two way remote, is the BS5 necessary to run all of the capabilities of the BM5. I've no problem that some want it and are happy to pay the extra, but I think the BM5 should run all of it's features regardless of the method of control.

Re: At Last!

TripEnglish — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:52:05 GMT

Here's the thing: Despite the fact that they are inextricably linked, the BeoSound 5 and BeoMaster 5 are separate devices. Even though their software runs on the same computer, they are different software programs.

The BeoSound 5 is a playlist builder. Its GUI is designed to seek out music and put it in the queue to listen to. Once it's worked through your choices, MOTS takes over. You can view the queue at any time and see how your playlist is changing based on your additions and MOTS' suggestions. It's very organic and always changing. Its abstract nature is supported by its interface.

The BeoMaster 5, however, is a more traditional database program. You find what you want, hit play, and then it plays through in a more conventional way, finishing one album all the way through and then moving on to the next. It's logical and sequential. MOTS has no place in such an ordered environment.

Re: At Last!

Bv7Mk3 — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:19:02 GMT

That makes sence,unless you have connected tv's in other rooms then useing either would be great!....Not everyone has link tv's.

Re: At Last!

Corvin — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:07:01 GMT

I would use the BS5 for local control and the 2 way remote for roaming.

After all I view the BS5 as a classic piece of B&O design and a real statement in the same fashion as the BS9000!

Re: At Last!

Robert — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:17:40 GMT

Puncher:

The BM5 with a two-way remote (+MOTS etc) would be a very attractive proposition to many here however I would think that sales of the BS5 would just about stop overnight if the remote had full control.

That sound like just what I would want Puncher! Odds of it happening as you say, slim.

Re: At Last!

Puncher — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 06:59:05 GMT

Mr10Percent:

I think the answer is very straight forward, though some people may not like it.

They had a one-box solution called Beomedia1 it did not sell well. B&O did not want to support it. They knew they needed something else, something more visible. This box is competing with laptops, mini-pcs and macs.

The new product based on the BS5 used a re-designed Beomedia2. However, that does not solve the problem of what happened to Beomedia 1 and the view that it is a)a low spec computer from a tekkies point of view or b) that it is a scary computer playing music from a non-tekkies perspective.

The product was designed to do both things and offer two different price points. However, B&O want you to buy the whole system. BM5 and BS5. They really dont want to sell just a Beomedia 2 which they knew would be generally more of the same disapointment.

Hence, the unique selling point (MOT's) was allowed to feature in the combined system. You want cheap Beomedia 2 - you got it but dont complain.

I would also imagine that if a two-way remote is on the way, I'll bet a pount to a pinch of sh1t that only the BS5 has the 2-way sensor. I'll bet the BM5 does not - even with an IR extender.

10%

..and that is why I kept asking the question, I too suspect the same as you. The BM5 with a two-way remote (+MOTS etc) would be a very attractive proposition to many here however I would think that sales of the BS5 would just about stop overnight if the remote had full control.

Re: At Last!

Mr10Percent — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:04:33 GMT

I think the answer is very straight forward, though some people may not like it.

They had a one-box solution called Beomedia1 it did not sell well. B&O did not want to support it. They knew they needed something else, something more visible. This box is competing with laptops, mini-pcs and macs.

The new product based on the BS5 used a re-designed Beomedia2. However, that does not solve the problem of what happened to Beomedia 1 and the view that it is a)a low spec computer from a tekkies point of view or b) that it is a scary computer playing music from a non-tekkies perspective.

The product was designed to do both things and offer two different price points. However, B&O want you to buy the whole system. BM5 and BS5. They really dont want to sell just a Beomedia 2 which they knew would be generally more of the same disapointment.

Hence, the unique selling point (MOT's) was allowed to feature in the combined system. You want cheap Beomedia 2 - you got it but dont complain.

I would also imagine that if a two-way remote is on the way, I'll bet a pount to a pinch of sh1t that only the BS5 has the 2-way sensor. I'll bet the BM5 does not - even with an IR extender.

10%

Re: At Last!

dkresz — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:36:38 GMT

: I have asked in several related threads for anyone thats knows to tell us why/how

: the BS5 is necessary for MOTS operation but no one has posted a reply as yet.

It is not. The BS5 head unit is an (optional) wired remote to the BM5. To be more specific the BS5 has: 1) an LCD screen connected to the BM5 via DVI - mini HDMI (i.e. a secondary display); 2) a power source built in and sourced from the BM5 (4-pin socket) and 3) a "mouse wheel" (i.e. an USB powered controller). The BS5-related media player software is stored and executed on the BM5 - as there are no computing "electronics" in the BS5 - and it appears to be a separate program to the software created to operate the BM5 by itself (perhaps the reason why the BM5 has no browse function when the BS5 is hooked up to it as the two media player programs are independent from a "device" control point of view). Thus, the MOTS functionality seems to be disabled purposely when the USB plug connected to the BS5 is disconnected.

Re: At Last!

Puncher — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:07:40 GMT

Jandyt:

Puncher:

Jandyt:

Surely, as the two units are priced seperately, it would be unethical to demand you buy both, or none at all!

I would agree, but what about if certain features "weren't available" unless you had both components?

Then they should be priced as one unit!

Agreed!