I don't know how the BV7 works, but on my Avant I do this by using the Beo4s "AV" mode, which can be added to the List. By choosing AV and then the source, my screen does not turn on. I use this for both the built in DVD player, and for my scart socket where my Apple Extreme used to be connected.

Can I do the reverse ?

In testing PhilLondon's LinkPlayer I would like to have the MacBook under Net.Music control, and have the BV8 play the Net.Music coming from the BeoPort over the ML, but also simultaneously display on the BV8 a visual feed from the MacBook ...

So the configuration is like this

[Mac]...audio...[BeoPort]...ML-Audio...[BV8]

  \___________DVI-visual-feed___________/

think of this as being a poor man's BeoSound 5 where the Net.Music is also displaying iTunes visualisers, iTunes Music Videos, and iTunes LPs (see the recent posts under "iTunes Plus")

In other words, is the a Beo4 sequence which instructs a BeoVision to activate its screen even though it is operating in Net.Music mode (which on the BV8 means the screen is powered off and inactive)

Elephant,

To achieve what you want, connect the Beoport to the MacMini and use LinkPlayer or BM-Link.

In parallel, split the sound output and connect 1 half to the Beoport box and the other other half to the scart or sound input of the BV8.

Try and associate the Mac mini audio and video input to V.AUX and configure the STB-C for the Apple Remote. You'll need a IR cable.

You can the control FrontRow via the STB-C by calling V-AUX, and when you do not want the picture, call it via N.MUSIC or N.RADIO.

I am also trying to  integrate "PC" support to LinkPlayer. If the TV has a source that you can call using the PC key, it will try to control that source via the ML. When this works, you won't even need the STB-C IR cable, it will go through ML / Beoport / USB.

The problem currently is the PC version of Beoport does not support the PC command over ML (it supports it through the IR eye only), so I cannot reverse engineer it :-(  But I'll keep trying.

Thanks Phil for those ideas and also your intentions ... if you can get PC handshakes going across the ML that would be great

PhilLondon wrote:

In parallel, split the sound output and connect 1 half to the Beoport box and the other other half to the scart or sound input of the BV8.

I was simplifying my "diagram" :-) I actually do already do what you suggest

/- - - - - - - - - audio - - - - - - - - - \

[Mac]...audio...[BeoPort]...ML-Audio...[BV8]

  \___________DVI-visual-feed___________/

PhilLondon wrote:

You can the control FrontRow via the STB-C by calling V-AUX, and when you do not want the picture, call it via N.MUSIC or N.RADIO.

I will try this with V-AUX2

elephant wrote:

I will try this with V-AUX2

Well I have discovered the first limitation of my BV8 ... no V-AUX2 support; so I robbed V-AUX from my Foxtel and did some testing.  

But it was nice to experience having the iTunes Visualiser on the BV8's screen while flipping between songs and playlists.

One surprise from the tests was my recent iTunes LP purchases, their "liner notes" content does not "play" when iTunes steps through the playlist.

I was using the "Recently Added" playlist, so all the songs in the LP played, but the associated visual content did not play.

The issue appears to be iTunes as the "liner notes" content is not ticked [√] in the playlist, not can it be activated with a "tick", it requires selection by a mouse (and then double click or the "play").

And I tried to see if it was possible to construct an "LP" only playlist ... no such luck, there appears to be no discrete meta-data that identifies this content as being of a unique type requiring special handling ... ah well, roll on iTunes 10?