Beoport Mac setup advice before buying

16 replies
L(
Offline
lyngedrengen (archived)
Bronze
Posted March 10, 2010 at 09:51 GMT
#1685212

Dear experts :-)

I used to love my B&O, but as I would go from my Beovision 7000 to a plasma tv the options were very limited at that time, so therefore I "drifted" away from B&O. Never the less I been reading a lot about the integration between macs and B&O, so now I would like to dust off my equipment and get the rest of my B&O running again (kind of missed it :-)).

My setup is:

Office:

An intel iMac

BS3000 (the first version, so probably needs some SW upgrade) with 2 BL4000 speakers

Living room:

Mac mini, intel core 2 duo connected to a non B&O receiver (actually the sound goes from the Macmini Sound out to the receiver and the DVI goes to the HDMI input on the AV receiver). The receiver is then connected to the non B&O tv (Pioneer) via HDMI.

Bedroom

BV4002

Kitchen

BL 3500 (old version - probably needs some SW upgrade as well?)

Childs room

BV 7000

The mac mini today works (quite well) as a mediacenter with most of the media stored on a NAS. I use Plex and EyeTV on the macmini.

My hopes/wishes are:

- to be able to control Plex/Eyetv with the Beo4 remote or mac/harmony 885 remote and to play the different media via my setup in the living room (i.e. non B&O euipment)

- to be able to listen to netradio and my music (and perhaps tv source sound) in the kitchen controlled with a Beo4

- that my daughter can listen to music from the NAS on her Beovision 7000 - controlled with a Beo4  (the Beo4 is also old, so that probably also needs an SW upgrade :-))

- listen to the different sources (netradio, music etc.) on the stereo in the office controlled with the Beo4

- listen to and/or watch the different sources (netradio, music, movies from tha NAS etc.) on the tv in the bedroom controlled with the Beo4

Phweew! A lot of wishes I know, but it seems within reach, by the great work done by the SW developers. :-)

By the way - all my equiment use to be linked in a ML setup (I have a converter for the Beovision 7000 tv).

My questions:

Can it be done?

and if so, what do I need to buy to get it up and running?

One thing I wonder about if its possible to get the sound from the Macmini to my non-B&O receiver and to work in a ML setup?

I have not bought a Beoport (or an IR-eye if that is needed) yet.

Hope u can help me.

Thanks in advance

Regards

Lynge

 

PH
Offline
PhilLondon
Bronze
Posted March 10, 2010 at 10:00 GMT
#1685213

You'll probably be able to do most of this with a Beoport and software I am currently developing:

L(
Offline
lyngedrengen (archived)
Bronze
Posted March 10, 2010 at 14:04 GMT
#1685214

Hi Phil

Sounds great! Believe me, I've been reading all I can find about your software - it's really fantastic that you are doing this! 🤒

Okay, I think I'll try it out very soon, so I better get a Beoport. 🙂

Could you or anyone else please clarify for me...how do I handle the sound connection from the Macmini to the Beoport and my AV receiver? I ask because as far as I can see, there is only one sound input on the Beoport (and only one sound output from the Macmini).

I would like to be able to get sound from the Macmini in - say the office on the BS3000 - but still be able to get the sound through my AV receiver in the living room, when for example watching a movie with Digital Surround Sound without having to switch cable or connection...😕

 

EDIT: Sorry! Just realized that the Beoport has audio in AND out. But is it only analog sound?

/JJ

PH
Offline
PhilLondon
Bronze
Posted March 10, 2010 at 14:24 GMT
#1685215

You need to split the sound output of the mac mini, half goes to the Scart, half goes to the Beoport.

 

Why do you think you'll use sound input on the Mac mini?

MA
Offline
Madskp
Gold
Posted March 10, 2010 at 14:28 GMT
#1685216

Only problem making the split is if you use digital out from the Mini today (it has a combined Optical digital sound and analog 3,5 mini jack connector)

Location: Denmark

L(
Offline
lyngedrengen (archived)
Bronze
Posted March 10, 2010 at 14:57 GMT
#1685217

@Phil: I won't be using sound in, in the Mac mini - blame it on my dubious english 😮

I am using digital out from the 3,5 mini jack (optical in the other end).

I would like to keep the digital out from the macmini...any suggestions?

 

TIA

JJ

MA
Offline
Madskp
Gold
Posted March 10, 2010 at 15:02 GMT
#1685218

I am not quite sure if this will work but maybe you can get a USB sound card for the mini and use that for the analog sound and then still be using the optical out. For one the soundcard has to be apple compatible. 

Location: Denmark

PH
Offline
PhilLondon
Bronze
Posted March 10, 2010 at 15:09 GMT
#1685219

Sound from one software can only direct to one sound card... but maybe you could experience with sound card aggregation in the Audio Midi setup utility. Or find a hardware solution.

L(
Offline
lyngedrengen (archived)
Bronze
Posted March 10, 2010 at 15:27 GMT
#1685220

Hmm, I'll have a look around to see if there could be a hardware solution for this (other than buying a complete "B&O livingroom set" 🙂).

 

Thanks for the replies!

E(
Offline
elephant (archived)
Bronze
Posted March 20, 2010 at 04:25 GMT
#1685221

On other threads a number of members have "spoken" positively about the Cambridge DACMagic as a better converter of digital to analogue than the Mac's own sound card.

Looking at the product it has:

-- digital in

-- digital out

-- analogue out

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