Pestria wrote:

I have a couple of questions:

1. What's the advantage of using LinkPlayer/Beoport over connecting an AppleTV or Mac Mini directly to the back of the TV and using the STB-C?

2. Is it possible to pull video off the Mac onto TV(s) connected to the Beolink system?  What connections are needed?

As part of understanding the potentials of my system I have used my Mac in two modes: 

Using my Mac integrated to BeoVision as a monitor

To do this I wired my BV8 to my MacBook using a mini-DisplayPort to HDMI cable, and a simple audio mini-jack to RCA cable (this is because Apple does not put audio onto the video interface that drives the HDMI).

I see the Mac OSX desktop, and I use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse to control my interactions.

I am able to run any application, including using an application's full screen mode. However applications like native iTunes are not easy to navigate at a three metre/ten foot distance because of font sizes and the need to be accurate with mouse clicks.

I have found that it is more relaxing to use media centre applications like Front Row or PLEX, both of which can be controlled by the Apple Remote (the old AR is Infra-Red but a different IR signal from B&O's).

Although this approach is good, it does not allow me to share my Apple's audio with my BeoSound in another room, not with my distributed BeoLabs.   

Using my Mac integrated with the B&O audio-visual environment

To do this I wired my BV8 to my MacBook using a mini-DisplayPort to HDMI cable, and a simple audio mini-jack to RCA cable (as above), AND I wired the audio via a mini-jack splitter to my BeoPort, I wired the Mac's USB to the BeoPort's USB, and I connected BeoPort to the B&O environment via the BeoLink MasterLink cable.

In this mode, I use Phillipe's LinkPlayer to translate B&O IR commands from the BeoPort into Max OSX application commands for the LinkPlayer software, or for Front Row or for PLEX.

I am able to now access the music collection on my Apple and distribute around the house, including running Net-Radio and Net-Music on the BeoVision.  In particular I like seeing the track information on my BeoSound 4 and on the BeoVision 8 (when it is in PC mode), and of course in rooms that only have BeoLabs I can make use of the voice-over capability that Phillipe added for annunciating key iTunes meta-data.

Some thoughts

I have found that I prefer using the Beo4 via LinkPlayer/Front Row to control a DVD that I have in the Apple's CD/DVD slot, however I am experimenting with capturing my DVDs (particularly my DVDs of music performances) onto an external hard drive and just using the Beo4 LinkPlayer/PLEX interface.

I have also explored the option of directly connecting BeoLabs to the BeoPort: this has the advantage of not needing the BeoVision powered on for listening to music.  However I reverted to having no speakers attached to the BeoPort.

I have considered using my Mac only as an Audio centre, and not providing Video support - however I have found that running a media-centre (even in beta-test mode) is changing my viewing habits.  I think I will not go back to only watching free-to-air TV nor only using a cable set-top- box.  I think I can even see a time when I will cancel my cable subscription if only to escape from advertising.

At first I added a lot of PLEX channels (the BBC's iPlayer is one of these), however I have started removing some channels as I have found them to not be as informative as I had hoped/expected.

I have not succeeded (yet) in getting any video transmitted from the BV8 to other televisions - I think the issue is that currently B&O only supports forwarding analogue signals from a BeoVision's chassie.

I hope that helps your appreciation of the possibilities that LinkPlayer provides.

Achilles wrote:

On another note, I really prefer the Itunes coverflow mode in full screen as the primary display.  Is there anyway to have Itunes start up in this mode through any player? 

PLEX (by itself, or via LinkPlayer) offers a coverflow view of your itunes library ...

but you have to first select 

0/ PLEX if you are in LinkPlayer, then

1/ Music

2/ iTunes 

3/ Artists (as above), or Genre, etc 

Luigi wrote:

At the moment I have a EyeTV DTT (Elgato), but it´s digital and I can't find the link channel. Can you recommend any analog TV target compatible?

Elephant

Which options (both for the linkplayer and BV8) did you use in "mac integrated with the audio-visual enviroment"?

mylpen wrote:

Which options (both for the linkplayer and BV8) did you use in "mac integrated with the audio-visual enviroment"?

Hi, I worked with Phillipe on this and he made some adjustments to the software I believe ... we are still trying to resolve some undocumented protocol between the BV and the BeoPort ...

So Phillipe advised me to set LinkPlayer to option 4, and my BV8 is set to option 2

For the moment you should set LinkPlayer to option 4, and connect the B&O IR Receiver on it.

Pressing a source like TV or RADIO or N.MUSIC would call the source on the TV or on the BS4, depending on the room you're in.

Pressing LINK , then a source would control LinkPlayer directly.

What is your set-up ?

What BeoSound, BeoVision and in what rooms ?

When LinkPlayer is running I cannot put my Mac to Sleep. I have to quit LinkPlayer first before putting the Mac to sleep.

Can someone else confirm that this is the case? I guess this is not an appropriate behaviour then.

Does it happen when you have put LinkPlayer in Standby mode (see below)?

Mine will go to sleep (when I close the MacBook lid) when I head for bed, but sometimes/often it will wake-up later (as reported by younger members of the herd since they tend to use the BV8 well after midnight) - but I am not sure if that is LinkPlayer, or the interaction with the BeoPort's USB.

Philippe

PhilLondon wrote:

If it doesn't, and as with any issue, please send me a direct email as part of the beta testing phase in which you're taking part.

Not sure it is a "bug" as I can not control the "testing" my sons are doing ... they use the Beo4 to control Foxtel, switch to PS3, and so on ... so I am inclined to think that some of that may be ML traffic that is waking up the USB ... not necessarily LinkPlayer.  If I do isolate it I will report it.

Maybe I'm missing something obvious (because I don't have my B&O equipment here yet) but as far as I can tell I'll need an IR eye on my Beoport to control iTunes with the Beo4, is that correct?  Or is that only if it's not hooked to a Mac?  I think usually it just reads the info through the BS4 in my living room or the BL3500 in my bedroom.