Missing IR Board on Beovision MX8000

[Manbearpig]

Dear members,

I purchased a Beovision MX8000 some years ago and kept it in storage ever since. The previous owner had it as part of a set up with non B&O components. When trying to use it, I discovered that it did nothing, no red dot, nothing. Upon closer inspection it showed that the IR receiver board had been removed. The cable that was internally attached to it was led to the outsied and then connected so that the TV could be controlled as part of the integrated system. This of course in turn means that outside of this system, it can’t be used as a stand alone product any longer since it can’t take IR commands. It was a B&O installation done by B&O technicians. Please don’t ask why that did it the way they did it – I do not know but now have to deal with the resulting problem.

Question is how to get it back to life again? Finding a spare IR receiver board will be pretty hard, I guess. The ones of the MX7000/6000 probably won’t fit, or do they? What about the IR boards in the Boevision 1? Are there any alternatives? Any ideas and recommendations are much appreciated.

Thanks!

Kai

[Guy]

I just had a quick look at the circuit diagrams for the TVs that you mention, and I reckon it would be worth giving the IR board from the BV1/BC1 a try.  It’s a one-way IR unlike the earlier models (i.e you want an IR receiver rather than transceiver).

MX8000:

BC1/BV1:

I have had success swapping IR sensor between MCL and ML systems.  In the majority of cases, as long as you get the +5V, ground and IR connections (1-3 above) then it works!  You could probably even try a VX sensor or BS3 sensor if you have one.

I think that in the above examples, pin 4 is the sensor for the auto-contrast and 5/6 for the respective lights.

Of course whether it will physically fit is another matter!

[Manbearpig]

Dear Guy,

thanks very much for the answer. I meant the board sitting right on top under the cover where the standby LED is located. MX8000 is a one way product, therefore we are speaking receiver rather than transceiver, I gues. We were trying an IR receiver board from an MX4200 that physically fit just fine. Identical measures. But it didn’t work. However, we also used the cable from the MX4200, which, again, fits in the MX8000. Plugs are identical. The original cable in the MX8000 leading to the IR receiver board was led to the outside and connected to some other product. For that purpose, the plug was cut off. The system ran just fine the way it was, but now the MX8000 is supposed to work as a stand alone again, I need a “backward” solution. Apparently, although physically identical, the MX4200 IR receiver board does not work in the MX8000. Any ideas why? Is there maybe a different internal wiring inside the plugs? Is the Beovision 1 IR receiver module different from the one in the MX4200?

Thanks again!

Kai

[Guy]

I can’t find a circuit diagram for the MX4200, but it is a one-way product so perhaps it can be made to work in the MX8000.

Are you sure that the TV is not in V.OPT 0, where it won’t respond to IR commands?

EDIT: Can you confirm that there are just 6 pins on your MX8000’s IR connector, and what about the MX4200 IR board – 6 also?

[Manbearpig]

Dear Guy,

yes, six PINs in MX8000 connector. 1 red power, 2 silver grounding, 3 IR brown, 4 red standby, 5 yellow LED red and 6 green LED green. MX4200 cable has also 6 Pins, but can’t tell the inside since it is not cut. My problem with the MX8000 is that even the standby LED doesn’t come on. It is completely dead outside of the installation I took it from. Inside this installation is was working as it should. And the IR receiver board was/is missing – that’s for sure. It was obviously uninstalled to integrate it as part of the setup in use. Why exactly this was done, I do not know. But it was a B&O professional installation, so I guess they knew what they were doing. Doesn’t help me much since I need to get it working as a standalone again. Can’t be too difficult I would assume. However, when I connect the 4200 IR board the way the 8000 board was connected I still get nothing, no standby LED, no reaction, nothing.

Greetings,

Kai

[Guy]

I can’t think of anything else to suggest!  I am surprised that the MX4200 IR cable had 6 pins because I think it was based upon the other TVs from the MX range, many of which had two-way IR and therefore 7 or 8 pins to allow for IR transmission.  I would be more confident about a BV/BC1 IR board if you can find one.

Any further details of the purpose of the previous ‘installation’?  I can’t think why the IR function would have been remoted, unless the TV was inside a cabinet or behind a drop down screen.

 

[Manbearpig]

Dear Guy,

thanks again. MX4200 is very similar to MX8000, from the same generation, similar chassis, and also a pure one way product. Therefore, it is no surprise that the cable is similar as well.

Unfortunately not much else to say. It is pretty long time ago. The TV was indeed placed inside of a cabinet and never moved sinced its initial installation. I think it was the only B&O component. Everything else was non-B&O. Only thing I can remember is that Almando products were also in use. Sorry that I can’t provide much more information.

I am pretty certain that only the IR board has been removed and the cable attached to it led to the outside and linked to some external source to make it possible to control the TV “indirectly”. Safest bet would be to find a spare MX 8000 IR board with its original cable. However, other solutions should also be possible I would assume…

Greetings,

Kai

 

[Guy]

A further thought:  Is the MX8000 fitted with the masterlink option?  If you have other masterlink equipment, you could try connecting it to a B&O audio system in A.OPT 2 and see if you can control it.

[Manbearpig]

That’s a very good idea. Another thought. The MX8000 has an STB controller installed. Wouldn’t that be an option as well?

[Guy]

Manbearpig wrote:

The MX8000 has an STB controller installed. Wouldn’t that be an option as well?

The STB controller is just to let the TV control other devices (set top boxes). The IR blaster that you would connect is just a transmitter. It wouldn’t help in this situation.

[Manbearpig]

You are of course correct, Guy. I was assuming that already. We managed to get a spare MX8000 IR board. Let’s see whether that works. I am still suprised that the MX4200 board did nothing since to the best of my awareness, MX4200 und MX8000 are closely related. Hopefully there’s not something else that is preventing the television from working. It was running when I collected it from the previous owner. Still you never know.

Greetings

[Author]

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