mrjameskent wrote:
Hi John,
As a newbie to the world of B&O and someone strongly considering the V1 40 I've really enjoyed your comments and reviews of the TV, so would be grateful if you could elaborate on your comment about previously having to update the EPG daily.
The reason for this is that I am quite obsessive-compulsive about turning appliances off at the plug socket when not in use. I'm not sure if this would be problematic with a B&O TV for some reason, but also picked up that you leave it in standby and would still have to update daily.
Kind regards
James
Hi James
Welcome to Beoworld - I'm a relative newbie here myself, as the V1 40 is my first serious B&O purchase, albeit I've been an audiophool for far to many years; B&O is definitely helping me to recover and lessen the audiophool tendencies, which is all to the greater good! Life has far to many interests and rewards to get hung up with anxiety attacks about audiophool obsessiveness IMHO and Experience!... :-)
So.... pre software update...
If you turn the TV off at the power socket on the wall it is 'off' as against just being in 'standby' which is what happens when you hit the 'off' button on the remote - it goes into standby mode, like most modern electronics.
However, when fully turned off (at the wall or by additionally unplugging) after about 15- 30 mins, if the feature is activated (user choice option in setup menus) the PIN code system will active when you turn it back on at the wall (standby), and fully 'on' with the remote, - you will then need to input your four digit PIN number - a security feature in case of theft. As I say, you can turn this feature off in the setup menu if it annoys you, but it is an disadvantage if you decide to fully turn off the TV at the wall every-time you have finished using it.
With respect to the EPG, I found that when turning the TV on, either after being switched off at the wall, OR from standby, that on a daily basis, the electronic program guide would not show any listings other than the channel the TV was tuned to at switch on. Accordingly, one had to select to update the channel guide - which would mute the sound and take up to a couple of minutes.
Post software update.....
My V1 is connected to my network by Cat 6 ethernet cable, and one of the things that surprised me after doing the software update, and rebooting the TV (which I did by turning off at the wall, unplugging, and then replugging after a few minutes and switching on at the wall again- putting the TV into 'standby') was that there was very obvious network activity relating to the TV whilst it was in standby - the link lights were flashing indicating information was either being downloaded to the TV, or sent upstream and online.
When I switched 'on' (out of standby) via the remote, voila, the EPG guide was fully populated with information.
This new behaviour has remained; every time I switch on now from standby, the EPG is up to date and does not require manual updating for the immediate programs one desires to watch in the immediate time frame. You can still do a manual update of the EPG and it appears to add further information for programs ahead of ones immediate time frame - I haven't investigated as to how far ahead.
I'm assuming, but if one turned the TV completely off at the wall, and then on again the next day, you would have to go through the PIN code rigamarole (if activated) and either wait for the TV to update the EPG automatically whilst in standby, or turn it on and update manually.
This of course seques into my thoughts re leaving in standby, turning off etc... 🙂
Audiophiles have argued back and forth on forums, the various benefits or not, of either turning kit off, or leaving it on, for yonks and with great divergence of opinion and not a little animosity in my experience.
As a previous Naim owner, I fully experienced this sort of obsessive ritual, and have to say it was one of the reasons amongst others that I was happy to be rid of Naim and the experience of ownership that went with it.
With my previous HiFi kit, I would turn on and use, and turn off when finished.
With Naim, it allegedly took up to one to two weeks for the pre-amp to 'warm up, ditto for the CD player, and similar for the power amp or so it was claimed.
Certainly Naim recommended that the pre-amp and it's power supply be left permanently on; ditto the CD player, only the power amp should be turned on and off as per use - the power amp in particular was exceptionally susceptible to power surges/spikes etc and lightening - certainly in heavy electrical storm activity for complete protection, all hiFi kit should really be turned off at the wall AND unplugged. But of course, Naim's legendary PRaT would be diminished (allegedly again) by use of surge protector boards, so these weren't recommended.
This lead to the occasional nightmare - the kit would be left on, powered up to keep it 'warm' and 'on song' and meanwhile one would be out at work, and along came a large electrical storm. Would one return home to a smouldering ruin? At the end of the day, that sort of anxiety is just not worth it IMHO.
And the sonic effects of leaving kit on are debatable to say the least. Meantime, resistors, transistors, electrolytic capacitors etc, all have a finite life measured in X hours at X volts at X temperature - so leaving kit on, especially in hot conditions, is likely to shorten it's life. The counter argument is that electronics will fail at switch on with current surge, like an incandescent light bulb, and there is some truth in this, albeit with modern designs and staged relay switch on, this is far less troublesome than most audiophiles would like to think.
So what to do?
In my personal case, I use good quality Belkin surge boards on my V1, and leave it in standby. I turn it on when I use it, and off when I've finished. I live in a first world country with few issues with brownouts etc, or power cuts, and I am confident any such slight surges would be handled by the surge board with aplomb - I also use them on my computer gear for the same reasons.
In case of severe electrical storm, I will switch off at the wall AND unplug for maximum protection, whilst realising that the chances of a direct lightening strike are very slim, and that in such case pretty much everything electrical that was plugged in would be destroyed; I think I'd have a lot more to worry about than just the HiFi... 😁
By the same token, if I'm out and a storm comes over, I don't worry - I have insurance and I've learnt that the obsessions that go with being an audiophool just aren't worth it in the overall picture of life.
Speaking personally, I'd take sensible but not perhaps unnecessarily obsessive precautions against fire or electrical damage, and use the kit in line with the manufacturers recommendations. In the case of B&O, they aren't an company that subscribes to audiophile tom foolery and pseudo science, so switching on and off out of standby with a good surge board to add a degree of electrical protection whilst the set is in low power/standby mode, seems to be the most common sense thing to do, speaking for myself.
I'm also very confident that B&O would also ensure that their sets provide maximum electrical safety and comply with all safety regulations with respect to the end user as regards fire or electrical shock, whilst in low power/standby mode, so I personally have no issues with leaving the set in low power/standby mode when not in use on a day to day basis, with the proviso of switching off at the wall and unplugging in situations of severe electrical storms, or whilst away on holidays for a few days etc.
I hope this helps re the EPG and software update, and that you don't mind me adding a few thoughts re audiophool obsessions and rituals.... 😁
Welcome again to Beoworld...
Kind regards
John... 😐
