Is it worth hooking up a blueray DVD player to a beosystem 1 (with a 1080i beovision 4 screen) or will the picture quality not be better than a normal dvd player (as I understand the beosystem 1 normally upconverts the 480p DVD signal to 1080i anyway)?   

 Do I need to upgrade to a beosystem 3 to enjoy the benefits of HD DVD or blueray and is the improvement in picture quality that large with respect to the beosystem 1?  Is it possible to update my beovision 4 screen to display 1080p (by dvi card + software update)?  

 Finally, as the beosystem 1 only has one video component input, does anybody have any experience with a Zektor switch?

I have a Beosystem 1 connected to a Sim2 projector with a 100 inch screen. I also have an Avant connected to a Runco projector for when I use "format zero." Both setups have both blu-ray and hd dvd players connected to them. With a really large screen, the improvement with hi def is TREMENDOUS. After getting used to blu ray and/or hd dvd, a standard definition (even via my Beocenter 2) looks very jagged on such a large screen. However, with a Beovision 4 screen, the image might be small enough and the quality of B&O's screen might make the difference less noticeable.

 At $99 USD for a Toshiba HD DVD, it's definitely worth the small investment. I just updated both my Beosystem 1 and Avant to the new software version 4.7j. 4.7j adds IR control for several Blu-Ray players, Toshiba HD DVD players, and Apple TV. 

 I also have Zektor boxes connected to both my Beosystem 1 and my Avant. They work flawlessly and are completely controlled by the Beosystem 1 or Avant. Furthermore, the customer service at Zektor is really fantastic. 

I tried hooking up a sony blueray player to my beosystem 1 yesterday via component cable (I unplugged the component from my digital HD cable box) but I never got a picture.  I also tried to hook up my normal DVD player by component cable but also that didn't work.  I am not sure if I have some setting wrong but I am open to any suggestions.

Can I expect, while keeping the beosystem 1, the same picture quality from a blueray DVD player as from my digital HD cable box? If so, I would definitely go ahead with purchasing the blueray player and getting a Zektor switch.  Did Zektor give you any help installing the switch?

Customer service at Zektor gave as much help as they could while being unfamiliar with B&O. The older model of Zektor box (indicated with just a "4" and not "4.1" or "4.2", I believe) has a default control setting that the Beosystem 1 automatically controls. The newer boxes (4.1 and 4.2) will still work perfectly. You just have to "teach" them the B&O codes. It's actually quite simple, and Zektor will be very helpful with this.

It's possible that you might need to connect the Sony BD player to another tv in order to make the settings for 1080i. I'm not sure about your particular model. I had to do this with my Sony PS3 because the PS3 would send out a default 480i signal. The Beosystem 1 MUST receive either a 480p or 1080i signal when using the component input. It WILL NOT recognize a 480i or 720p signal at all. With my Sony PS3, I had to connect it directly to a non-B&O LCD to make the appropriate signal settings before connecting it to the Beosystem 1. You might try also connecting the s-video of the BD player to the Beosystem 1 until you set the signal output.

I find the signal from a BD or HD DVD player to be as good if not better than a digital HD cable box. Without starting any discussion about a format war (please! I have both) I would recommend an HD DVD player over a BD player simply because the price is much, much lower. At $99, an HD DVD player is as cheap as a DVD that upconverts. If you're uncertain about the purchase, an HD DVD player is much less of an investment. After you see the difference, you'll probably want BOTH formats. lol

P.S. If you tell me the make and model of your BD player, I'll be happy to look through the supported devices on my Beosystem 1 to see if the 4.7j update includes control of it. 

 

The blueray player I used was a SONY bdp-s300 (I borrowed it from a friend).  I'll try a couple output formats and see if that gives me an image.  I am little troubled though that I couldn't even get an image out of my regular DVD player via component, as that should always ouput 480p or not?  Do you have the select a certain model for DVD under external sources?

Am I correct to understand that adding a dvi card to my current bv4 50" will not benefit me at all in the case I get a beosystem 3 one day?

Upgrading the BS1 software to 4.7j will give you control over the Sony BDPS1, which probably uses the same remote codes.  I think that the only way that you can get a signal from a 480p or 1080i (upconverting) standard def dvd player is by selecting "Generic YPbPr."Thus, you won't have any IR control. If you are outputting a 480p signal and the BS1 is looking for a standard def (480i) signal, you'll get a blank screen.If you select a standard DVD player as the source in the BS1 list, you must change the output of the DVD player to 480i instead of 480p. If, however, you select an HD DVD or BD player as the source (if available in the list), the BS1 will look for the component signal.

Adding DVI will only apply to a BS3 and not a BS1. 

I tried connecting my normal DVD player (samsung DVD-VR325) again by component cable.  I cannot select Generic YPbPr under External sources - > DVD (only Generic NTSC is avaialable) but I can select it under External sources -> SAT.  With my DVD player outputting in 480p, 720p or 1080i, I cannot get an image with the component cable (but I can via s-video)

 Will adding DVI to my current screen improve the picture quality, either with my current beosystem 1 or by upgrading to the beosystem 3?  The info for my screen is:

Monitor information accessed by menu menu 0 0 go
ITEM 1109076
SERIAL NO 194367**

Sticker on the back of my screen
TYPE 8952
ITEM 1895256
SERIAL NUMBER 193914**

Can you update the software of the beosystem 1 yourself, or do you have to go to the dealer for that? 

 

It must be done by a dealer or authorized B&O technician. I paid $500 USD for the recent update. It sounds like you might need the actual chips updated on yours as well if your current version is fairly old (which it sounds like it is).

Was your update only software or did it involve hardware as $500 sounds high?

I bought my beosystem 1 new in summer 2006, so it should be one of the very last units I think. 

Activating the Zektor switch in the external sources menu (alhough I don't have one yet) suddenly allowed me to choose Generic YPbPr under DVD, SAT, etc.  The beosystem 1 will now also search for a component input when selecting DVD, SAT, something it never did before except with TV.  Blueray picture quality is indeed up to par with the signal coming from my digital HD cable box.  Thanks for all your help beojeff.