Beolab 3500 and Beocenter 8500 – possible?

[CharlieWednesday]

Since I’ve got both a 1614 and a 1611, I might as well use the 1611.  After all, if the BV8 TV ever goes up in smoke I won’t be replacing it with another B&O TV (given that modern B&O TVs start at £6,500!).   Both the 1611 and 1614 were bought cheap so I might as well keep both, just in case.

Yes I think I will look for a cheap ML Distribution Box, especially given that I have two MCL cables already (albeit both quite short) with plugs both ends, so all I’d need is the box, plus one more (long) MCL cable.

I realise I’m going to all this trouble just so I can get the clock to show on my BL3500, which might not seem worthwhile, but I’ll do it for the same reason I fixed the tape deck on my Beocenter – it’s there, so I want it to work!

[Madskp]

The Beovirus makes you do the wierdest things 😉

[CharlieWednesday]

I’m not sure it’d work now anyway – out of curiosity I connected the BL3500 directly to the BV8 TV via Masterlink, and although it is clearly connected (the display on the BL3500 shows ‘TV’ or ‘SAT’ and so on, depending on the TV source selected), I still get no clock, and no sound out of the BL3500.  Probably a setting I’m not getting right where the sound is concerned, but I’m guessing that if the clock were going work, it would just work.

I also connected my Beocenter 9000 (which does have clock and timer, unlike my Beocenter 8500) to the BL3500 via the 1611 box, and again, no clock!

I’m assuming therefore that foe the clock in the BL3500 to work, it needs to be connected to a more modern B&O audio system that has Masterlink built in, such Beosound 3000.

[Madskp]

CharlieWednesday wrote:

I’m not sure it’d work now anyway – out of curiosity I connected the BL3500 directly to the BV8 TV via Masterlink, and although it is clearly connected (the display on the BL3500 shows ‘TV’ or ‘SAT’ and so on, depending on the TV source selected), I still get no clock, and no sound out of the BL3500.  Probably a setting I’m not getting right where the sound is concerned, but I’m guessing that if the clock were going work, it would just work.

I would have expected the sound to work here, but again not sure if a Beovision is different compared to a Beocenter in that regard.

CharlieWednesday wrote:

I also connected my Beocenter 9000 (which does have clock and timer, unlike my Beocenter 8500) to the BL3500 via the 1611 box, and again, no clock! I’m assuming therefore that foe the clock in the BL3500 to work, it needs to be connected to a more modern B&O audio system that has Masterlink built in, such Beosound 3000.

According to this post https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/p/38541/293010.aspx#293010 on the archived forum it can take some time to syncronize the clock so it might not show up instantly

[CharlieWednesday]

When connected to the TV, I think the only reason I got no sound was because I hadn’t set the options – there are several config options, I didn’t play around with them, as really I have no need to have the TV sound coming out of anything other than the TV’s own speakers – I was only connecting it to see if it could sync the clock from the TV, and it didn’t!

When connected to the BC9000 I didn’t leave it connected for any amount of time so perhaps I was just too impatient!  I might try that again and leave it plugged in for a time.

[Guy]

Try changing the time on the source device (the BeoVision) – this may force the time signal to be sent over ML as it is updated.

[CharlieWednesday]

There does not appear to be any way to set the time on the BV8.  It does display the correct time when you view the programme guide, so I assume it is simply getting the time from the digital terrestrial tuner.  The only time settings I can find in the menus relate to time zone, daylight savings, and the play and sleep timers – no way to actually set the time manually.

[CharlieWednesday]

Me again! The 1614 arrived today so I plugged it in, connecting my BV8 TV to my Beocenter 8500.  It works – I set the TV to V-Opt 1 and the Beocenter also to A-Opt 1, and now if I press AV then CD for example, the CD audio comes from the TV speakers, and if I press AV and then TV, the Beocenter switches to Aux and plays the TV sound through the Beocenter.  This is just as you advised in this earlier message Guy:

Guy wrote:

This is dependent on ‘Option Settings’.  If TV and BC are in V.OPT 1 and A.OPT 1 respectively, each will normally play sound though their own speakers and be controlled directly by the Beo4.  In this setup, if you press ‘AV’ before selecting a source, if will play through the ‘other device’ – i.e TV will play audio through BC8500 speakers (if connected) and BC8500 will play through TV.

One strange thing though – it won’t play HDMI inputs via AV on the Beocenter.  Other inputs will play through the Beocenter (Scart, YPBr), but not the two HDMI inputs.  I’ve messed around with the very complex input settings on the BV8 for a couple of hours but I can’t find an option to make those HDMI inputs work via AV.

I only mention hat out of curiously though – the main thing is I know that both my 1611 and my 1614 work!

[Guy]

CharlieWednesday wrote:

There does not appear to be any way to set the time on the BV8. It does display the correct time when you view the programme guide, so I assume it is simply getting the time from the digital terrestrial tuner. The only time settings I can find in the menus relate to time zone, daylight savings, and the play and sleep timers – no way to actually set the time manually.

That’s annoying.  If I get time later I will connect my BL3500 to my BV10-32 and see if it displays the time.

CharlieWednesday wrote:

One strange thing though – it won’t play HDMI inputs via AV on the Beocenter.  Other inputs will play through the Beocenter (Scart, YPBr), but not the two HDMI inputs.  I’ve messed around with the very complex input settings on the BV8 for a couple of hours but I can’t find an option to make those HDMI inputs work via AV.

Typically, Masterlink will not distribute HDMI sources – I am not sure of the logic behind this, and some people have managed to get it to work regardless.

EDIT:  I found an earlier thread where I talk about distribution of hdmi sources with limited success.  https://forum.beoworld.org/forums/topic/beovision-10-and-new-apple-tv/#post-51987

[Guy]

I just connected my BL3500 to my BV10 and the time is NOT shown; I tried changing the time zone and daylight saving, but no change.  Perhaps videomasters just don’t send out the time signal over ML.

I also tried to play an hdmi source from the TV to the BL3500.  I could turn on the TV from the BL3500 but couldn’t get the source to play unless the same source was also playing on the TV (which you could then mute).  It would seems that the ‘link’ speaker (or in your case the BC8500) needs the TV to be playing the same source in order for the hdmi Digital to Analogue conversion to be running.  You could do the same test by playing the same hdmi source on your TV and then muting – see if sound comes out of the BC8500 speakers.

(However, my BL3500 will play the audio from the TV’s built in HD digital tuner without problem)

EDIT:  As an aside, I just realised that I can control and listen to the TV’s built in HD digital tuner on the BL3500 whilst also watching (and listening to) Apple TV (via hdmi) on the BV10 – surprising!

[CharlieWednesday]

Thanks for testing.  I’ll stop worrying about the clock then!

As for the HDMI sound, in my setup, even if the TV is playing an HDMI source, you cannot get the sound from that source to play via the AV command on the Beocenter at all.  It will play sound from the TV’s tuner, or from inputs connected via Scart or YPpPr, but not those connected via HDMI.  Probably not surprising given that these 1611 and 1614 converters predate HDMI.

It’s no big deal for me though – the BL3500 was bought for audio only, and it’s the audio system I really care about.  I just wanted to test it all out of curiosity really to see what these things can all do.

I only really bought the BV8 TV on a whim because it was cheap on eBay (local collection – £80!) and included a Beo4 remote.  It looks good, but I rarely switch it on except when I’m in the mood for a bit of retro gaming, so I don’t really mind too much if I can’t connect it all together.

This has all been very educational though – thanks everyone for your help.

[Guy]

CharlieWednesday wrote:

As for the HDMI sound, in my setup, even if the TV is playing an HDMI source, you cannot get the sound from that source to play via the AV command on the Beocenter at all.  It will play sound from the TV’s tuner, or from inputs connected via Scart or YPpPr, but not those connected via HDMI.  Probably not surprising given that these 1611 and 1614 converters predate HDMI.

While I had my cables out, I thought I’d look further at this.  I added a BL1611 and BC2300 to the mix.  I put BV10 and BC2300 in V.OPT 1/A.OPT 1.  If the TV is playing the hdmi source I can still get it to play through the BC2300 by pressing AV SAT (actually AV DTV on my remote).

So I reckon the lack of hmdi sound distribution over ML is probably a BV8 limitation rather than a BL1611 limitation.   BV8 pre-dates BV10 by a few years.

(Sadly the BC2300 that I am using isn’t my earlier two-way version with a built in clock and timer, so I can’t check the BL3500 clock display.  Last time I had the clock working on my BL3500 I think it was connected to my Beoport by ML)

[CharlieWednesday]

Actually you know, there’s a very cheap Beolink PC2 going on eBay (which I believe is effectively the same as the Beoport?).  Is there a way for me to have them all connected – Beolink PC2, Beolink Converter 1611, Beolab 3500 and Beocenter 8500?  The Beolink PC2 on eBay has a Masterlink cable included which is split, so it can connect to two other Masterlink devices, so I’m thinking one connects to the BL3500, one connects to the 1611, and then of course my 1611 connects to my Beocenter 8500?  Or am I simplifying it too much!?  I’ve read that the Beolink PC2 acts as a master, so would this interfere with my Beocenter 8500?

[Madskp]

CharlieWednesday wrote:

Actually you know, there’s a very cheap Beolink PC2 going on eBay (which I believe is effectively the same as the Beoport?). Is there a way for me to have them all connected – Beolink PC2, Beolink Converter 1611, Beolab 3500 and Beocenter 8500? The Beolink PC2 on eBay has a Masterlink cable included which is split, so it can connect to two other Masterlink devices, so I’m thinking one connects to the BL3500, one connects to the 1611, and then of course my 1611 connects to my Beocenter 8500? Or am I simplifying it too much!? I’ve read that the Beolink PC2 acts as a master, so would this interfere with my Beocenter 8500?

the Beolink PC2/Beoport will conflict with the BC8500 as they have the same sources PHONO = N.RADIO, A.TAPE2 = N.MUSIC

So no that will not work

[CharlieWednesday]

Ah, I knew it would be too good to be true!  I was hoping it would have some kind of setting that would prevent it from conflicting, but the manual doesn’t seem to give too much info on the configuration.

[Madskp]

It can be setup as s link room (option 5 or 6), but might not transmit the clock then. BTW it also need a connected running computer to work

[CharlieWednesday]

Yes there is a PC in the same room, which is in use all day, and I already do have quite a lot of digital music stored on it.

The Beolink PC2 is going quite cheap on eBay so I might buy it anyway, just to see if it works.  If nothing else, that twin Masterlink cable that’s included with it would be worth having.  If it doesn’t work I’ll just put it back on eBay.

[Guy]

The Beoport/PC2 will be good fun to experiment with whatever.  To avoid the conflict mentioned by madskp, you could always have two independent ML networks – one with Beoport/PC2 and TV, the other with BC8500 and BL3500/BL2000.  Or have a ML Distribution box in the middle and swap it around as you see fit!

[CharlieWednesday]

I lost out on the Beolink PC2, I forgot when the auction was up and the time passed without me bidding.  It hasn’t been relisted so someone else must have bid for it.  A shame, because it came with all the cables, even a double masterlink cable.  Never mind, I wait for another one to come up.

[CharlieWednesday]

Just coming back to this, I managed to get a Masterlink Distribution Box, one came up cheap on eBay.  It’ll come in useful because I have decided to keep one of the Beolab 2000s I bought as a package with my Beolab 3500.

As for the Beolink PC2, I missed out on the one that was on eBay but another will come up, and I am just too curious not to buy one now!  One thing I didn’t think of though – will I be able to get the software for it?

[Author]

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