PhilLondon wrote:

Ok, I do not know a Wifi > IR box. The ML Gateway however is connected to the ML bus and can in theory control all the devices in every room.

So from an iPhone app, that would connect to a single ML gateway via wifi, you could control every room, even if you're in a different room... and with 2 way communication ;-)

 

To answer RAGH/Roy's question, yes I can write iPhone apps (i do not have any on the store yet), but I find the ML Gateway too expensive to buy it myself. Also I find that the number of supported devices is too limited. It only supports the most recent TVs and hifis must be in option 0.

 

According to B&O there is already a way to control the setup with an iPhone app. From what I understand, the ML Gateway needs to be interfaced with a home automation system, and this home automation system has already an iPhone app.

Lintronic box can be a gateway to a masterlink system, see this link

http://www.lintronic.dk/AppNote_BeoLink.pdf

Only downside is there is no ethernet connection. But i found this in a Lintronic newsletter (rs232 to IP adapter), so the Lintronic can be IP enabled. Page 5. 

http://www.lintronic.dk/NewsLetter-2009-3.pdf

Wouldnt it be possible to write an iPhoneOS IP app to control the Lintronic that way?

Then we would have a cheap MLGW surrogate.

The real MLGW transcodes the secret ML protocol into a publicly documented protocol.

So,

Only possibility to get two way communication is MLGW it seems.

Can Linkplayer on Mac control linkroom equipment, or can it just set the "mode" of the Mac. And is it oneway or twoway?

Phil, can a Mac/beoport combination function as an IP gateway for an iPhone app (Linkplayer iPhone app maybe) to control B&O equipment? Either oneway or twoway, we would have a B&O remote on our iPhones.

Kind Regards, Roy

RAGH wrote:

Only possibility to get two way communication is MLGW it seems.

RAGH wrote:

Phil, can a Mac/beoport combination function as an IP gateway for an iPhone app (Linkplayer iPhone app maybe) to control B&O equipment?

chrisped wrote:

Goal: To have an iPad controlling our B&O system and our vast digital music and video collection?

I can turn on N.MUSIC or N.RADIO from any of my three linked rooms.  My server is a Mac Mini running LinkPlayer and iTunes and attached to a BeoPort.  The music sits on a 1TB Time Capsule a few meters away.

Whereas Beo4 is able to wake up the Mac Mini and start playing music, it can be problematic to try and navigate through 70GB of music with either no screen feedback or a tiny and dim 8-character display on my BS 3000.  It is doable if you have just a few playlists.

Solution: my old, abandoned iPhone original from June 2007 now sits, without a GSM chip, on its dock on a side table.  If ever I feel the need for finely-grained control after N.MUSIC has started to play, I can stretch out a hand and pull the old iPhone to do Remote.app duty.  This iPhone has been set to never turn off, so that it is able to stay with display on for many hours, showing whatever is playing, and ready for any music searches.

How could the iPad improve on this situation?  There are two levels:

1.  An even more improved Remote.app on the larger iPad screen should enable navigation, ratings, etc., with less clicks, modes or gestures than it does today on Remote.app.  A custom Remote.app with a Bang & Olufsen interface would be even better.  I am still mesmerized by the outstanding Bang & Olufsen black presentation Full Screen that Phil created for Link Player.  Alternatively, someone could also make an BS5-like interface for iPad Remote.app.

2.  A second level would be the ability to use the iPad and iPad only as a complete substitute to the Beo4.  This would evidently require at least some additional hardware.  Mac Mini is capable of being awakened by network request and by Bluetooth request; and an IR blaster can convert from WiFi inputs to infrared.  I am not very attracted to this solution because it involves too many wires.

XavierItzmann wrote:

chrisped wrote:

Goal: To have an iPad controlling our B&O system and our vast digital music and video collection?

 

I can turn on N.MUSIC or N.RADIO from any of my three linked rooms.  My server is a Mac Mini running LinkPlayer and iTunes and attached to a BeoPort.  The music sits on a 1TB Time Capsule a few meters away.

Whereas Beo4 is able to wake up the Mac Mini and start playing music, it can be problematic to try and navigate through 70GB of music with either no screen feedback or a tiny and dim 8-character display on my BS 3000.  It is doable if you have just a few playlists.

Solution: my old, abandoned iPhone original from June 2007 now sits, without a GSM chip, on its dock on a side table.  If ever I feel the need for finely-grained control after N.MUSIC has started to play, I can stretch out a hand and pull the old iPhone to do Remote.app duty.  This iPhone has been set to never turn off, so that it is able to stay with display on for many hours, showing whatever is playing, and ready for any music searches.

How could the iPad improve on this situation?  There are two levels:

1.  An even more improved Remote.app on the larger iPad screen should enable navigation, ratings, etc., with less clicks, modes or gestures than it does today on Remote.app.  A custom Remote.app with a Bang & Olufsen interface would be even better.  I am still mesmerized by the outstanding Bang & Olufsen black presentation Full Screen that Phil created for Link Player.  Alternatively, someone could also make an BS5-like interface for iPad Remote.app.

2.  A second level would be the ability to use the iPad and iPad only as a complete substitute to the Beo4.  This would evidently require at least some additional hardware.  Mac Mini is capable of being awakened by network request and by Bluetooth request; and an IR blaster can convert from WiFi inputs to infrared.  I am not very attracted to this solution because it involves too many wires.

An improved (and more interactive) remote app for the Ipad would be very welcome. However one problem remains if you want it to be your primary interface : You will need to have the Ipad running this app continuously. As the Ipad is not multitasking, it will be impossible to use it for anything else or you will be missing volume control etc till you close any other app you're using...

Basically what you want is the mac to control  B&O which is very hard as the technology used is very incompatible. However it's easier for B&O to control the mac instead.

For now the Beoport is still the better option to connect your B&O with your mac.  However, currently you still use the beo4 as main remote with the iphone (later ipad)  more as extra controller (or master control panel) when needed. This imo is still the most efficient way in daily use.

FYI Official B&O Iphone and Ipod touch application for ML gateway will arrive soon.

This is great news.

I take it the app will control the equipment on the MLBus. Can it also control control/send commands to the equipment on the other end of the MLGW (homeautomation, ie KNX)?

Kind Regards, Roy

Hi Roy

I have no experience in ML Gateway but i think so yes. As far as i know, you will be able to control everything from everywhere!!

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