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I think I’m happy with it the way it is working now. The main purpose of it is to play digital music from my PC, and be able to control that with my Beo4.
The ability to use it as a ‘remote control’ for other sources is useful, I just have to be conscious that I have to select that source with the Beo4 first, before I can control it on the Beoport app.
I listen to a lot of Spotify too, so using N.Radio as a workaround to listen to Spotify when played on that PC is useful.
I’m still hoping that Hall Audio’s ML Streamer Kickstarter is successful so I can use that instead and control Spotify with my Beo4, but if it isn’t, I’ll be looking out for an Essence Mk2 on eBay (plus an NL/ML converter so I connect the Essence to my ML system).
Location: Liverpool
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Yes you were right! I tried plugging one of my Beolab Pentas into the PC2 direct, and I got sound. That was just for testing though – I have plugged the Pentas back into the BS4 now.
So, it seems that if my BS4 is in Opt.1 and the PC2 is in Opt.6, I can control everything with my Beo4. I can also control things with the Beoport app, but only if I have already selected that source with my Beo4 – for example if I select CD on the Beo4, I can then also select CD on the Beoport app, and control CD playback with the buttons in the Beoport app. I’ve tried that with the TV too – if I’m watching DTV on the BV7, I can select DTV in the Beoport app. and change channels, adjust volume and so on. I chose Opt.6 instead of Opt.0 on the PC2 as for some reason TV sources such as DTV and DVD are not available if using Opt.0.
This time, I have not bothered to add any N.Radio stations via the workaround earlier in this thread (most of them did not work anyway), and I have switched on the ‘Mix Sound’ option in the Beoport settings. This means that if I select N.Radio with my Beo4, no radio station plays as the list is empty, but I can then play Spotify on that new PC, and it plays through B&O system.
It’s not perfect, but it works! Thanks for your help.
Location: Liverpool
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I have revisited this post to remind myself how I managed to get my Beolink PC2 working, because it’s stopped working! At least, it’s not working fully.
I decided to get a tablet PC to use as a dedicated music PC (because my main PC is usually for gaming), so I connected the PC2 to that, installed the same Beoport software, and set the Beoport to Opt.0. My Beosound 4 remains in Opt.1.
It’s not working like it used to. It’s as if they are not communicating properly.
If I use my Beo4 to select any source, it all works (including N.Music and N.Radio). If I select N.Music or N.Radio with the Beo4, that source is highlighted in the Beoport app.
If I select any other source such as CD on my Beo4 however, it plays fine, but the Beoport app does not seem to recognise that the source has changed – it will continue to show N.Music or N.Radio, and that source will still be ‘playing’ on the PC.
If I try to use the Beoport app to control my system, it doesn’t really work at all. If my BS4 is in standby and I select a main source such as CD in the Beoport app, then the source displays on the BS4 display, the CD spins and plays, but my Beloab Pentas do not power up – there’s no sound. If I select a TV source such as DTV, then my BV7’s display shows that source in its display, but the screen does not come on, and no sound is heard. They will then only go into standby if I hold down the standby button on my Beo4, for the ‘All Off’ command.
If the BS4 is already switched on and playing either CD or Radio, then I can control that source via the Beoport app, but if I hit the Standby button within the Beoport app, the source ceases to display in the Beoport app, but the BS4 remains on, and continues playign that source.
If I try to play N.Music or N.Radio via the Beoport app rather than from the Beo4, the BS4 does nothing.
It used to work fine so this is a mystery! So far I have tried, without success:
- Reinstalling the BeoPort app
- Trying the BeoPort app in all other available Opt. settings (2, 4, 6)
- Trying the BS4 in Opt.2
- Trying a different ML cable, and connecting it direct to the BS4 without any junction boxes
- Restarting the PC
- Reconnecting it all back to my original PC
I get the same results no matter what I try. So frustrating considering it definitely used to work – I cannot understand why it has stopped working.
Here’s a screenshot of the Advanced tab in the settings:
Location: Liverpool
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Ah that is good to know, thanks. If Hall’s Kickstarter is not successful, I’ll look for an Essence Mk2, and an NL/ML Converter so I can connect it to my Beosound 4 (or possibly to my Beocenter 8500, using a 1611 converter).
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Thanks Guy. Yes I tried that; I reset the handset, pushed the button on the base, and put the handset in. The LED on the back of the handset continues to flash, and when you pick it up, it’s still asking for the PIN.
It’s my own fault – I should have reset that base before I de-registered the handset from it. It never crossed my mind that the PIN would have been changed.
I’ve got 10,000 possibilities to try then eh!?
I’m sure there’ll be a way of resetting it back to 0000 if you open it up, but I can’t find a service manual for it anywhere online.
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Having got the Beoline PSTN base working, I decided to connect one of the Beocom 6000 handsets to my original pyramid base. It asks for a PIN, and I add 0000, but then I get ‘***Error***’, and registration fails (I’ve never changed the PIN so the default should work, but I did buy it used, so maybe the original owner changed it). I know the handset is fine because it will connect to the Beoline PSTN base, but won’t connect to the pyramid base.
I know you can reset a base with dot 7 000 8 but you have to be registered to it to do that, and I can’t register to it! Does anyone know of a way to solve this?
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I bought a job lot that in fact included 5 handsets, but two of them don’t work. One of the ones that doesn’t work is a Mk2 but the battery had clearly leaked and done some damage, and there are bits rattling around inside. There’s another Mk1 that looks fine and no battery leakage, but it won’t take a charge (I added a new battery), so it must be shot.
Still, I got 3 charger bases and 5 handsets for very little money, and three of the handsets work, so not a bad deal!
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I decided to have a play around inside this Beocenter 4000 in case I can get it working. If I can’t, I’ll just sell it for parts, but it’d be nice to get it going.
As I said in my previous post, I know the tape decks ‘work’ as I can record onto tape 1, then when I take that tape out and put it in my Beocenter 8500, it plays fine. Somehow, the sound is not making it from the tape decks to the amp. You can only hear a very quiet scratchy sound when playing either tape 1 or tape 2.
I poked around inside where I can see that the tape deck units connect to the PCBs, and every now and again I’d get a brief burst of playback for a second, or more often, a loud hum, so I’m thinking it could be a loose connection, dry solder connection or something, but I can’t seem to isolate it. If any of you have any experience of this, I’d be grateful of any help you can offer.
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It is already set to ‘Common’ and I have not changed it. I reset one of the handsets and at first it showed ‘Updating’ whenever I tried to access the phone book, but then I tried again after I’d had my lunch, and it worked. The 2 entries had disappeared, the phone book was empty, and I have been able to add entries to it, so it’s working.
Seems odd that resetting the handset rather than the base would fix it, but it worked, so thanks Guy! Great advice, again.
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Agreed, but some of us (like me) will never move away from our CDs and vinyl – NEVER!
I have a house full of B&O now and it’s all Masterlink, or the older audio aux link.
I did consider getting an Essence MkII myself in fact, but I think I would also need an NL/ML converter to make that work, and it looked a bit complicated, and much more expensive than the ML Streamer. I’m also wary of how long the Essence MkII will continue to be supported, given its age already.
This is what I have, most of it Masterlink, so you can see why, for me, the ML Streamer would be useful:
- Beosound 4
- Beogram 3000
- Beocenter 8500
- Beogram 8500
- Beovision 7-32 with Beolab 7.1
- Beovision 8-40
- Beolab Penta MkIII
- Beolab 6000
- Beolink Passive with Beovox CX50
- Beolab 3500
- Beolab 2000 x 2
Then some extra bits:
- Beocom 1401, with the A/V base
- Beocom 6000 x 3
- Beotalk 1200
- Beo4 MkIV
- Beolink 1000 MkIII
- Beolink Converter 1611
- Beolink PC2
Then a few items currently unused:
- Beogram RX2
- Beogram CDX2
- Beocenter 4000 (a current restoration project)
- MCL2A
- MCL2AV
- Beolink Converter 1614
- Beolink Active
- HDR1
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I’ll be honest, I’m not sure if it would offer much advantage to you, as the Essence is probably doing a lot of what the ML Streamer would do. How are your BS9000 and Essence connected? I’ve never owned an Essence so I’m not familiar with the connections it has, but I know it does not have Masterlink.
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Glad I saw this as I was wondering about these Hall Audio adapters myself, but their website doesn’t really explain them in much detail.
I want to put one of my (currently unused) Beolab 2000s in my garage (I don’t put the car in it; it’s used as part storage, part gym). This should make that easy if I use two of these, plus a Cat7 cable. Much easier to route a Cat7 cable through the wall!
Speaking of Hall Audio, their Kickstarter has begun for the ML Streamer. I signed up as soon as I got the email and think I was the first backer! The Kickstarter is here, if you’re interested.
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I did not know that! That does explain however why they released a version that had no labels on the buttons. I always wondered why.
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I have an IR eye without labelled buttons, just like yours. It also does not have the auto-contrast, so I expect it’s the same model, and as far as I can see, it’s no different to my other IR eyes that do have labelled buttons, and it works just the same as those.
I don’t have a Beosystem 4 but when connected to my Beolink Passive amplifier, the buttons work – Timer (top), Volume (middle rocker) and Play (bottom). I’ve also tried it connected to a Beolink Active, and it worked just the same.
Are the two LEDs illuminating on your IR Eye, and do they toggle on/off when you press the Timer or Play buttons? If they don’t come on at all I would suspect a problem with the IR eye or it’s wiring – the wires do easily come loose inside (that’s happened to me more than once).
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Thanks. I think I’ll just experiment once I actually get my hands on a Beosystem 3! Yes I see what you mean though about my BV7 in Opt o with the BS3 in Opt 1 – that wouldn’t work as I’d have two video masters. I think if I have the BV7 in Opt 5 it should work, it’s just a matter of finding an uncomplicated way of switching the Bv7 on when I switch the BS3 on. I think my ML Gateway can do that, but I’ll have to experiment with the BS3 when I get one.
Location: Liverpool
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I am still on the lookout for a Beosystem 3. Having everything plugged into the back of the Beovision 7 is messy (1 DVI, 1 SCART, 1 Masterlink, 1 antenna, 1 power cable, 2 Powerlinks), and I also find that I can’t get the back panels onto the TV. The SCART, and the 2 Powerlink plugs, are too bulky.
So, If I can get hold of a Beosystem 3, I should be able to reduce that to 3 cables (1 DVI, 1 Masterlink, 1 power cable) and plug everything else into the Beosystem 3, which will then offer me a host of inputs and options.
One thing I’ve just realised though – I don’t think the Beosystem 3 has an IR sensor built in – does that mean I will need an IR Eye? I do have a couple of those spare (with the wrong type of cable connection, but I can change that), but does anyone know if this is necessary?
My thinking is, I use the Beosystem 3 in Opt 1, my Beosound 4 in Opt 2, and put the Beovision 7 into Opt 0. I’m hoping the BV7 will be clever enough to power on when it gets a signal from the Beosystem 3, but if it doesn’t, I can probably set a macro using my ML Gateway to have it powering on when the BS3 is powered on.
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Ah, I had completely forgotten about that switch! Yes hat worked – the Pentas are now plugged into the BV7, and I have set them up as the centre speakers in the BV7 sound options.
The BV7 is in Option 2, and the BS4 is in Option 0. This makes it work as a truly integrated AV system, where all sources pay through the Pentas, and both the Penta displays, and that lovely vertical display beside the screen on the BV7 shows whatever source I am playing or watching.
I will never use the BV7 and BS4 independent of each other in my office, so this setup works perfectly.
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I can now confirm that the problem was with the HDMI-DVI adapter I got from Amazon – I got a better quality HDMI to DVI cable, and that works fine. I have a 3-way HDMI switch (which also separates out the audio signal) arriving tomorrow, so that will allow me to use my 3 HDMI devices with the TV, plus my old Nintendo GameCube plugged into a SCART (I’ve feeling up for a bit of retro gaming!).
The only one disappointment – the BV7 user guide recommends for an ‘integrated AV system’ it’s best to set the BV7 in Opt 1, the BS4 in Opt 2, and connect the speakers to the TV. That worked, but the displays on my Beolab Pentas did not work when connected to the TV. It’s strange that B&O built the BS4 with Powerlink 2 support, but not the BV7?
I can’t lose those lovely displays on my Beolab Pentas, so I have plugged them back into the BS4 and set both that and the BV7 to Opt 1. I have to use AV commands to get TV sound, but at least it all works.
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I can now be sure that my current problem seems to lie with the cheap HDMI to DVI adapter I bought from Amazon – I plugged it all back in this morning and the Google TC worked! It was set to 720p 60Hz, and was working fine, with a really good picture.
So, I unplugged it and plugged in my Nintendo switch instead – nothing. I unplugged that, and reconnected the Google TV – nothing.
So, I fidgeted around with the plug on the back, it came back on! I was also able to connect my Nintendo Switch, and that worked.
So, it’s probably the fault of that cheap HDMI to DVI adapter I bought from Amazon (but I suppose it could be that the DVI socket on the BV7 has a poor connection), but at least I know it works, and my plan to use the BV7 in my office is a GO!
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