pauliander wrote:

My wife will be happy as well 😁

Maybe………..untill she hears what the BL5’s can do, when properly set up 😁 😁 😁

MM

Millemissen wrote:

@ BeoMatthe

Sorry, but I do not see the limitations - please be more specific…I want to know, if what you call limitations, might be something special that you need. 
In which cases do you see the absolute need for a Core/Essence?

It's my opinion as a former BeoSystem 4 owner. I'm continuously surprised by what people are willing to live with and pay for so clearly YMMV.

If you think the internal music apps are usable then really the world is your oyster. There's no user interface you won't tolerate.

How do you AirPlay to the system? You don't. Or you AirPlay to an attached device that creates a delay.

How do you pass 4K video? You don't. You pass video AROUND the system and not through it.

If you do this, how do you strip audio out of a device like an AppleTV such that video is delivered to the television screen and audio is handled by the BeoSystem 4? You use some sort of wretched greeble.

Again - people have described cherished setups on this forum that would give me fits so heaven knows there's an audience for almost any nonsense setup, but to me there's no cache to a BeoSystem 4. It's not like a BeoSound 9000 where I'd keep it on display for its beauty alone. The BeoSystem 4 is an appliance that can no longer perform the majority of its functions with contemporary equipment. Simple as that.

BeoMatthew wrote:

Millemissen wrote:

@ BeoMatthe

Sorry, but I do not see the limitations - please be more specific…I want to know, if what you call limitations, might be something special that you need. 
In which cases do you see the absolute need for a Core/Essence?

It's my opinion as a former BeoSystem 4 owner. I'm continuously surprised by what people are willing to live with and pay for so clearly YMMV.

If you think the internal music apps are usable then really the world is your oyster. There's no user interface you won't tolerate.

How do you AirPlay to the system? You don't. Or you AirPlay to an attached device that creates a delay.

How do you pass 4K video? You don't. You pass video AROUND the system and not through it.

If you do this, how do you strip audio out of a device like an AppleTV such that video is delivered to the television screen and audio is handled by the BeoSystem 4? You use some sort of wretched greeble.

Again - people have described cherished setups on this forum that would give me fits so heaven knows there's an audience for almost any nonsense setup, but to me there's no cache to a BeoSystem 4. It's not like a BeoSound 9000 where I'd keep it on display for its beauty alone. The BeoSystem 4 is an appliance that can no longer perform the majority of its functions with contemporary equipment. Simple as that.

 

I was just trying to answer the questions, that the op had!

Obviously what you expect - and need - is something different….which is totally ok.

E.g. he did not ask for or cared for any ‘internal music apps’ - he wrote that he will use an ATV.

As for your experience with delay when airplaying, I know of no problems there.

Passing 4K video and keeping the audio for the BSys4 is easily done with the right HDMI splitter…..should he ever want that.

This is more about how much worth the audio configuration options and the ease of use (Beoremote/PUC controls, NL support etc) are to you  - compared to what a recent A/V receiver can offer you (integrated apps, newer HDMI versions etc).

The BSys4 may not be what you need - but that does not mean that other people could not benefit from it.

MM

Obviously these threads have value beyond the OP's specific needs so it bears mentioning that the BeoSystem 4 is essentially non-functional as a modern AVR. It doesn't process contemporary audio or video, nor does it have internal support for streaming music in the modes commonly used today. Most folks would be better off with a high-quality AVR with pre-amp outs. I chose the NAD T778 and have been thrilled with it.

Understandably, if someone is so deep in the BeoLink Multiroom eco-system that a non-BeoLink piece would cause disruption then by all means... obtain the beast and whatever little gremlins you need to make it work.

I'd suggest investing in a good control system, if only for unified video control. I have Control4 with the Neeo remote and it's wonderful and has a very "B&O" feel to it. I expect the next gen will be even better.

What is the brand of your screen? I ask because if it is a Samsung 4K TV it does not have Dolby Vision -- which could pose a problem with the Apple TV 4K. I use an HD Fury Integral 2. It's very important that you configure the HD Fury splitter for the correct EDID. This is because the Apple TV 4K senses information about your screen over the HDMI cable. It also senses your audio capabilities. Since the 2 HDMI connects are sending very different info, you need to set the correct EDID to trick the Apple TV 4K into sensing the correct video and audio capabilities. To make this much easier, I bought the HDFury dongle that lets you program these via an iphone app over bluetooth. HBO Max on the Apple TV 4K causes me problems because it thinks my Samsung TV should be capable of Dolby Vision when it isn't. So I get a blank screen when playing 4K movies on HBO Max. I don't have this problem with the apps on the Apple TV. Even with the correct EDID, this is still an issue.HBO Max will not give you an option to play the 1080p version when it thinks you have a 4K screen.

I think that you'll still want an HDMI connection between the BeoSystem 4 and your screen. You need this to be able to manage all of the BS4 settings and to get the menu overlay on non-4K sources.I think the BS4 will even get upset with you if you don't have it connected to a screen.

I actually have TWO Apple TVs connected to my BS4: one for when I watch the rare 4K content and another for non-4K content. I find that I use the 1080p Apple TV 95 percent of the time!

Something else to keep in mind is that many 4K UHD players will not play DVD properly. Therefore, if you still have a DVD library, you might want a UHD player AND a bu-ray player.

The Apple TV's PUC tells the BS4 that it's a video source, so you can't set it to come on without turning the screen on. You CAN, however, set audio sources to play without turning on the screen. Therefore, you could connect an Apple TV or Airport express the the BS4 and use a PUC for an audio source and possibly get the source to play without turning on the screen.

You asked about automating switching between HDMI inputs of your screen. I do this with a BeoLink Gateway and a Global Cache iTach. You can write macros in the BLGW to have the iTach send out IR commands to switch the HDMI inputs on your screen based on which source is playing. It's a costly solution, but you asked!

beojeff wrote:

What is the brand of your screen? I ask because if it is a Samsung 4K TV it does not have Dolby Vision -- which could pose a problem with the Apple TV 4K. I use an HD Fury Integral 2. It's very important that you configure the HD Fury splitter for the correct EDID. This is because the Apple TV 4K senses information about your screen over the HDMI cable. It also senses your audio capabilities. Since the 2 HDMI connects are sending very different info, you need to set the correct EDID to trick the Apple TV 4K into sensing the correct video and audio capabilities. To make this much easier, I bought the HDFury dongle that lets you program these via an iphone app over bluetooth. HBO Max on the Apple TV 4K causes me problems because it thinks my Samsung TV should be capable of Dolby Vision when it isn't. So I get a blank screen when playing 4K movies on HBO Max. I don't have this problem with the apps on the Apple TV. Even with the correct EDID, this is still an issue.HBO Max will not give you an option to play the 1080p version when it thinks you have a 4K screen.

I think that you'll still want an HDMI connection between the BeoSystem 4 and your screen. You need this to be able to manage all of the BS4 settings and to get the menu overlay on non-4K sources.I think the BS4 will even get upset with you if you don't have it connected to a screen.

I actually have TWO Apple TVs connected to my BS4: one for when I watch the rare 4K content and another for non-4K content. I find that I use the 1080p Apple TV 95 percent of the time!

Something else to keep in mind is that many 4K UHD players will not play DVD properly. Therefore, if you still have a DVD library, you might want a UHD player AND a bu-ray player.

The Apple TV's PUC tells the BS4 that it's a video source, so you can't set it to come on without turning the screen on. You CAN, however, set audio sources to play without turning on the screen. Therefore, you could connect an Apple TV or Airport express the the BS4 and use a PUC for an audio source and possibly get the source to play without turning on the screen.

You asked about automating switching between HDMI inputs of your screen. I do this with a BeoLink Gateway and a Global Cache iTach. You can write macros in the BLGW to have the iTach send out IR commands to switch the HDMI inputs on your screen based on which source is playing. It's a costly solution, but you asked!

Thanks for explaining, well understood! I have looked to the instruction movie of AVR Key and via the GoBlu dongle you can set-up audio and video settings as well, albeit more basically. For video there are 2 EDID choices: 1/ 4K SDR and 2/ 4K HDR while for audio there are 3 choices: 1/ automatic detection of audio mode (adviced) 2/ force all audio to go through and 3/ only stereo mode. I believe it could work and send the required info to the Apple tv! If not I will go for the Integra 2.

I also understand your remark on the use of apple tv and music choice for Beosystem 4 without turning the screen on. I will try and see how it works with some PUC’s. 

Thanks a lot 😉