I ran across these two links. The first link mentions added support for the Beosound 5. 

http://vortexbox.org/

What Exactly does the vortexbox do?

mjmedlo:

What Exactly does the vortexbox do?

And how does that media server work with the Beosound 5? What is being referred to when it says latest software update includes support for Beosound 5?

Razlaw:

And how does that media server work with the Beosound 5? What is being referred to when it says latest software update includes support for Beosound 5?

The BS5 Encore's specs say:

Digital music and network player (from UPnP server, USB hard disk, computer or BeoSound 5/BeoMaster 5)

The link you posted states (and also explains on one of the pages) that it supports DLNA which is built on top of UPnP.

So I suspect that to the BS5E it just looks like a networked drive, but from a management perspective you have its own user interface and functions as wellas the ability to rip from the CD that is in the old PC you have re-purposed to become this box ... errr media centre

That makes sense, however, 1. The web page refers to a Beosound 5, not a Beosound 5 Encore, which of course could easily just be a typo or misidentification, and 2. Based on what the Beosound 5 Encore is I do not understand why a software update would have been neccessary to enable the product to support the Beosound 5 Encore. I thought the Beosound 5 Encore was designed to work with virtually any music source, NAS, computer, etc?

Thank you for the smug response.

However, I assume that my beomaster 5 serves as the server for my beosound 5.

I assume this box works for the bs5 encore?

My confusion about how Vortexbox now "supports" the Beosound 5 is predicated on the fact that there are two products on the Vortexbox web page. A piece of hardware and software.

Vortexbox 1.0 is software. It is the September 7, 2011 update of this that says support was added for the Beosound 5. Vortexbox is described on the web page as a "free open source." 

Vortexbox Appliance is the piece of hardware that can be purchased and is described on the web page as "a hardware platform specifically for running VortexBox." 

mjmedlo if you thought my respone to your question was smug I apologize. I was not trying to be smug nor was I trying to answer your question. I am just wondering the same as you are.

Razlaw:

mjmedlo if you thought my respone to your question was smug I apologize. I was not trying to be smug nor was I trying to answer your question. I am just wondering the same as you are.

It's OK Razlaw, I think he was pointing a finger at me

Razlaw:

  Based on what the Beosound 5 Encore is I do not understand why a software update would have been neccessary to enable the product to support the Beosound 5 Encore.

Well, it shouldn't be necessary, since they both support UPnP/DLNA ... But my experience tells me that the implementation often varies slightly between products. So even though products support the same standard, it isn't obvious that they will work 100% together. 

So my guess is that they tried the Beosound 5 and founds some bugs which they have fixed in the new update...

 

Razlaw:

And how does that media server work with the Beosound 5?

 

I believe the Beosound 5 can connect to UPnP-servers and stream music from them (just like you can stream music which is stored on an iPhone to the Beousound via an app).

 

But it's definitive more useful on the Encore!

 

 

 

Magnus