[matteventu]

Does Beoplay A9 MkII support Google Cast!? I didn’t know that!

Anyway, if it does, and if you’re techy enough, then you can use this app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.softmedia.receiver.castapp on your computer with an Android emulator (either the Windows Subsystem for Android, or a third party emulator). That app will create a Google Cast target in your computer.

So you can then stream whatever you need to stream via Google Cast to both your computer and to the A9 simultaneously. Be aware, as the above app is not official, it’s likely to introduce additional delay, so you may need to adjust the delay settings in the Google Home app to ensure both the app on your PC and the A9 play perfectly synced.

Any questions, let me know 🙂

[matteventu]

Bluetooth devices don’t support in-app DLNA streaming.

[matteventu]

That can’t be real lol. They inadvertently deleted the file from BeoWise and now have no way to retrieve or recreate it!?

I’d go back to them and demand an explanation.

If they provide no solution, I hope someone who had downloaded that in the past is now able to upload it for you.

If not and you’re confident with technical stuff, maybe try the manual steps I’ve outlined here: https://forum.beoworld.org/forums/topic/bv-horizon-cannot-log-into-google/page/2/#post-39746

(Which are what the “GoogleUpdater.exe” file does, but done manually)

If you get any error messages, please report here with as much detail as you can.

• This reply was modified 1 week, 2 days ago by matteventu.

[matteventu]

As far as I know, Wireless Powerlink is just B&O’s way to call WiSA.

[matteventu]

There’s nothing good that can come out of this for B&O in the long term.

[matteventu]

MartinBerk wrote:

Does anyone know how to delete a Sound Mode? Swiping right to left does still work with Listening Positions, but not with Sound Modes… ps. I’m on iOS and it’s a sound mode I created myself, not the B&O ones.

Sweeping the listening mode towards left should reveal two buttons: edit and delete.

[matteventu]

Odd, 6.0.2 on Android still has the “old” layout.

 

Thus, a valuable function removed and a useless gadget introduced.

Which has been the trend for the last two years…

 

 

[matteventu]

franchises will be removed so they remaining ones are top notch, all of which is directed at ensuring high levels of service.

That’s going to be completely useless if they don’t up their game in software development. Which is (app and devices firmware) arguably one of the things that – compared to a few years ago – now has dramatically fallen downhill

In other words: B&O leadership continues being completely clueless.

[matteventu]

Trying to propose Bang & Olufsen as the “Rolex” or “Ferrari” of the hi-fi world is literally the dumbest thing B&O leadership could try to do. And, no surprise, it’s exactly what they’re doing.

Without realising how out of touch with the world they are.

They could have done that between the 60-90s.

But trying in 2024 to sell consumer electronics products (because at the end of the day, that is what B&O speakers are) as high-end timeless luxury? Sorry, very few people will buy that.

And, at the same time, also have one of the worst customer support and track record in software development (the app has gone downhill in the last year and a half).

Their red carpet attitude is absolutely unbelievable.

[matteventu]

Where have they suggested this?

[matteventu]

Hello 🙂

 

No, behind that panel you find the motherboard with amplifiers and Mozart “2.0” board.

The battery can accessed from the bottom, you need to take off the plastic oval and remove the screws you’ll find.

It’s a 7.4V 9000mAh battery (66.6Wh) – at least, on initial batches. Not sure if now they’ve actually changed to 7200mAh (still 7.4V, hence at lower capacity, or if they’ve just switched to a 3-cell configuration for increased capacity at 11.1V X 7200mAh = 79.92Wh)

 

Just FYI, the consumer electronics devices with largest batteries you’ll most likely come across in your life are laptops, which top at 99.9Wh exactly because of the air transport limit you’re describing.

 

Generally speaking, portable devices are designed to have batteries smaller than 100Wh, and most people at airport security know that 🙂

This is to say: don’t worry, you’re extremely unlikely to have any issues with Beosound A5 when traveling via air.

[matteventu]

Yossi wrote:

everyone seems to agree that the b&o app is mediocre , rather inquiring for a premium brand… it is high time for b&o to recruit interface designers and developers at the heights. the bullshit has lasted long enough

They just did – and they’re the ones who brought the new media player screen and the new product controls page. They should be fired yesterday.

It’s clear that the only competent leader within the app department suddenly left B&O and they hired a bunch of new inexperienced UI designers and programmers. There’s no actual way what we have now comes from the same VP or “head of” of the app that we had 2-3 years ago.

[matteventu]

The issue is that the app now doesn’t look like what it did 4-5 yeas ago.

Several major parts of the app UI/UX have been changed in the last few months, and they objectively made the experience much much worse.

3 years ago the app was almost perfect.

As someone who has worked in Fortune 500 software companies, I fully understand that the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” doesn’t really work. There need to be continuous updates, refreshes of the UI, and so on.

But the way B&O has done it… Is absolutely disgusting and shows complete lack of any software development and user research (they are two very different and very separate things) capability. The app design (of the parts they have recently updated) is very bad (and I’m not talking about subjective aesthetic tastes). And the app coding is even worse, at a purely technical level.

The situation with the app now genuinely is utter shit compared to what it was a few years ago (B&O’s own app), and compared to major other companies in the same segment (Bose, B&W, Sonos, JBL – I won’t call them “competitors” as they arguably don’t target Super Duper Ultra Extremely Very High Net Worth Individuals).

That’s why I’d pay for a third party alternative app (obviously referring to the other thread). Out of desperation and disbelief.

[matteventu]

I disagree. With the recent updates in the last few months (starting with the redesigned “now playing” screen and culminating with the awfully bugged product control screen), the app currently is in a much worse state than it was 2 years ago.

Yes, I’d be very willing to pay even £20 per year if your app resolved major pain points I have with the current B&O app.

I’m on Android.

[matteventu]

Yossi wrote:

an awesome app for controlling B&O products with a clever interface design ? ??

Haha this made me chuckle. The UI app from 5 years ago was miles better than the crap we have now, sadly.

alebouthillier wrote:

Might be a renewed Beolab 5 from what I heard…This would be great news.

This is a good point, I remember reading (can’t remember where) that apparently B&O HQ was buying a lot of used Beolab 5…

[matteventu]

Very difficult decision, luckily I can’t afford either of them ?

 

I personally love the design of BS2, but one other thing worth keeping into consideration is the wired input options: Balance is quite unique in this, as it’s the first Mozart device that was released and it still features a set of inputs which is similar to that of the best older ASE products. On the other hand, more recent Mozart and Mozart “2.0” products (including the BS2 3rd Gen, which by the way with Mozart 2.0 upgrades Bluetooth from 5.0 to 5.3 and Wi-Fi from 5/AC to 6/AX) have fewer options for wired inputs.

• Balance: 2x Ethernet, 1x combo 3.5mm analogue line-in and digital (optical) Mini-Toslink, 1x USB-C (“for service only”, but there’s the chance this changes with updates, if they haven’t already)
• BS2 3rd Gen: 1x Ethernet, 1x USB-C with 3.5mm analogue line-in via adaptor (no optical/digital input)

Let us know what you end up going with ?

[matteventu]

roneik wrote:

Hello Gentlemen, it would be great to get support with the missing dropbox file. Much appreciated! Greetings from Austria R.

As I mentioned in my comment above, from what I’ve seen in the pdf manual on Dropbox, the “exe” file was just a script to push updated versions of Google Play Services, Chromecast firmware and YouTube apks (Android’s format for apps) to the TV.

If my assumption is right, you can do the same thing without the exe file, just manually.

1- The TV is based on an ancient MT5593 SoC, which is a dual-core Cortex A9 (armv7a), and it runs Android TV 5.0-7.0 (not sure which one, please check in the settings).

Download these apk files (scroll down to the “DOWNLOAD APK XX.XX MB” button):

Google Play Services: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-play-services/google-play-services-22-26-15-release/

Chromecast built-in: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/chromecast-built-in/chromecast-built-in-1-52-253741-release/chromecast-built-in-android-tv-1-52-253741-android-apk-download/

YouTube for Android TV: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/youtube-for-android-tv-android-tv/youtube-for-android-tv-android-tv-2-17-007-release/youtube-for-android-tv-2-17-007-android-apk-download/

Important: from the first link, I am not sure which one is the right file. You can try, worst case scenario nothing happens (there isn’t any risk). First try the listing that in the columns says armeabi-v7a / Android 5.0+ / nodpi. If that doesn’t work, try other ones that say armeabi-v7a in the first column, nodpi in the last column, and in the middle column the equal or immediate lower version to the one that you found in settings in your TV (i.e. your TV says 5.0 or 5.1 then try the one that says 5.0+, if your TV says 6.0 or 7.0 then try the one that says 6.0+, etc). Don’t bother trying those that have a coloured “BUNDLE” tag next to the version number (or those that don’t have “armeabi-v7a” in the first and “nodpi” in the last columns).

 

2- Enable ADB on your TV, install fastboot/ADB on your computer, and “sideaload” the apk files to your TV, in this order: Google Play Services first, Chromecast then, and YouTube last. Your TV will possibly show some prompts, accept everything with the remote. This step is crucial, you can find a guide here but the chances you have to get this right depend on how geek you are. But don’t be afraid, it’s not a “dangerous” procedure, worst case scenario nothing happens. If you have any specific questions, please let me know.

Random guide #1: https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-use-adb-on-android-tv/

Random guide #2: https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-sideload-apps-android-tv/ (from the “Using ADB to sideload apps on Android TV” chapter)

Again: I have no clue about how skilled you are with Android/CMD etc, so if you have any questions please ask. Be as specific as possible.

 

3- If you’re a religious person, say a prayer to your preferred god.

 

4- Open the Play Store app and try again to log in.

 

Edit: actually, before all of this, maybe try B&O’s official suggestion: enable 2 factor authentication in your Google Account https://support.bang-olufsen.com/hc/en-us/articles/360054039672-How-do-I-resolve-issues-logging-in-to-my-Google-account-on-my-Beovision-Horizon

[matteventu]

I’ll admit I’m not very knowledgeable about the Beolab 90… So… Can someone please explain the joke to me? ??

[matteventu]

Ianc2 wrote:

I wonder what 2 new products we are getting for Christmas … BL18 replacement ?

Headphones (H100) and earphones.

[matteventu]

Busoni wrote:

Ah, there is light at the end of the tunnel! Chromecast = Google Home – an app I hadn’t installed … Thank you very much, MM! May I ask another question? Is there a stationary streaming device you would recommend using with the A9? At this point I’am rather fed up with my Fritzbox/external HDD via USB solution. Thanks, again! B.

Define “stationary streaming device”.

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