ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Chris, here's an interesting new Netgear networking app we've just put live today:
http://www.downloadcrew.com/article/28011-netgear_genie
Enables you to check your connection, run a speed test and so on, irrespective of your router. Could be useful for managing your wifi network.
Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.
moxxey: Chris, here's an interesting new Netgear networking app we've just put live today: http://www.downloadcrew.com/article/28011-netgear_genie Enables you to check your connection, run a speed test and so on, irrespective of your router. Could be useful for managing your wifi network.
Unfortunately the MAC link just downloads a .EXE - and it is the same .EXE (size wise despite the label statements to the contrary) as the WIN download
However there is an iPad app and I will check that out and report back
BeoNut since '75
elephant: moxxey: Chris, here's an interesting new Netgear networking app we've just put live today: http://www.downloadcrew.com/article/28011-netgear_genie Enables you to check your connection, run a speed test and so on, irrespective of your router. Could be useful for managing your wifi network. Unfortunately the MAC link just downloads a .EXE - and it is the same .EXE (size wise despite the label statements to the contrary) as the WIN download However there is an iPad app and I will check that out and report back
Nope - absolutely ONLY works with a Netgear router - I had hoped that it might use ping and tracert to discover the subnet and even rate performance but no such luck
Chris Townsend:To be honest Martin from Newcastle who hasn't given up on this, brilliantly came over on Wednesday and did a full diagnostic. We, and all our neighbours were pretty much using the same channel 1, and he therefore changed it. To be honest I feel a bit bad about going on about it, but as I have literally just managed to listen to about 5 Minutes worth of music again before the inevitable drop out I'm loosing the will to live, and the faith! I'm back on the top floor with my iPad and £15 altec lancing eBay thingy. Perfect reception, and uninterrupted. How can that be?
To be honest I feel a bit bad about going on about it, but as I have literally just managed to listen to about 5 Minutes worth of music again before the inevitable drop out I'm loosing the will to live, and the faith! I'm back on the top floor with my iPad and £15 altec lancing eBay thingy. Perfect reception, and uninterrupted. How can that be?
Given the diagnostics and initial improvement I just don't get it either !
The Altec and the TC were in exactly the same place downstairs ?
When I was tuning our Beolink Wireless setup I found that the angle of rotation and position could be critical.
And when I was using our old Netgear I had to waggle its ears just so to get the best coverage.
Obviously an antenna problem on the beolit. Wouldn't surprise me if in their haste to design something different they shielded the antennas with metal internally and buggered the whole thing up.
Does anyone have an internal schematic of the layout of te thing ? Would explain a lot methinks.
Interesting to note that the new hottest dock on the block has avoided Airplay completely for easy to setup, reliable bluetooth.
http://www.hometheater.com/content/nad-viso-1-wireless-music-system
http://www.whathifi.com/review/nad-viso-1
Doesn't have a battery, or able to use a remote like the Beo4 so not for me. Have been using Spotify this morning for the first time with a bit more success. The Airplay Express is directly above the Beolit in a bedroom and still showing "poor" reception. I wonder if the Beolit is only picking up signals from the Time machine? Would it automatically pick up the extra signal from the Express, which is showing on Airport Utility?
Wife has "Love Actually" on
Chris Townsend: Wife has "Love Actually" on
Have you checked in case the Beolit has a hidden "taste" feature that blocks out cr4p music?
Ban boring signatures!
Chris Townsend: I wonder if the Beolit is only picking up signals from the Time machine? Would it automatically pick up the extra signal from the Express, which is showing on Airport Utility?
How did you do the configuring of this ?
My recollection is that there were a couple of advance options that one could use.
Did you download the Airport technical manual ?
Chris,
Will your dealer not lend you a demo A8 so that you could compare its' Airplay qualities?
Surely with the distress, loss of time, disappointment and you being a lifelong customer, it is only the decent thing for BANG&OLUFSEN of Denmark to waive the extra cost of the A8 due to their errors. (I knew the Law degree would come in handy here ;)
It would be interesting to see if it was different but the Beolit is the right size, has a battery, and for a kitchen is cosmetically correct(toaster cough uhhumm). Working so far...
Spotify is well worth the £10 per month. Reminiscing with Musical Youth on, whilst Mrs Chris irons away
Chris Townsend: Airplay is simply not fit for its purpose. At the moment technically, it is an expensive unreliable gimmick.
Airplay is simply not fit for its purpose. At the moment technically, it is an expensive unreliable gimmick.
Seems to work fine on Apple devices. Don't have dropout issues listening to Airplay audio via any of my four Airport Express devices, around the home and have used these since they were first launched, many years ago. Don't have any issues streaming to the iPad, either, using Airfoil etc. No issues streaming audio via Airplay to my Beosound 8. None at all. Using a protocol that's been around for many years now. Hardly a recent "unreliable gimmick".
The problem with searching for issues on Google is that....you find issues. Whatever you search for, you'll find. It gives a false impression. I could search for just about any issue and I'd find a number of people discussing them.
My Apple TV streams HD video over wifi and I don't think I've ever seen a dropout or pause! Why, because it's all to do with caching, which I guess B&O didn't add to the Beolit 12 or, if they did, they aren't caching correctly. What should happen is that it loads enough of the movie or audio stream, to the unit, so that you're always a minute in front of the streamed track. If there is a pause or delay in the network, the user doesn't notice as the cache enables the device to carry on playing whilst the network issue is overcome.
The poorer the signal, the longer the device takes to cache the data, but it should be intelligent enough to cache enough data, before playback, so you don't see a network delay or dropout.
This is where the Beolit 12 is going wrong. Sounds like it's trying to stream 'realtime', which is a big issue if it can't get a good signal or you have network issues.
Note that the poor signal is NOTHING to do with Airplay. That's a Beolit wifi issue, not Airplay protocol. Airplay is just a means of handling encoded streamed video/audio.
I do find it funny that the weak link here is the Beolit 12, but you've chosen to blame Airplay!
Funny or not, your right the issue isn't AirPlay, it's the Beolits ability to process or use a signal. Saying all that and touch wood, no problems at all today when working Spotify!
Lesser band width or quality maybe. Either way Simply Red sounds great
Totally well put from Moxxey and very well explained for all learning the advantages of Airplay etc.
Bravo moxxey! Chris it's that real ugly B&O problem dude, they just aren't very good at software are they! I have friends studying for PHD's in IT, maybe they should employ them :)
Chris thinking about it, it could be your choice of music. I think if you played Adele on me, i'd have lots of drop outs too. Maybe sophisticated D'Angelo is required!
Damn, just realised, that Adele comment sounds very rude - sorry ;)
she's just not my type
Chris Townsend:We have added the Express to the network in the extend a network mode. So far this morning it hasn't dropped out using Spotify! If it ain't broke.... Using the USB cable charges the phone, and makes the sound bigger and better but obviously defeats the object of AirPlay. The Beo4 function is really helpful.
Using the USB cable charges the phone, and makes the sound bigger and better but obviously defeats the object of AirPlay. The Beo4 function is really helpful.
Good - it was simply a phrase you used that made me wondered whether you had simply switched it on, or had configured it.
This is the section of the manual that describes WDS
Extending the Range of an Existing AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express NetworkYou can extend the range of an existing AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express wireless network by setting it up in a WDS. Wireless computers can connect to the network and share the Internet connection, share files, and play network games. If you connect your AirPort Express to your home stereo, computers on your wireless network can use AirTunes to play music on the stereo from iTunes. If you connect a USB printer to your AirPort Express, all of the computers on the network can print to it. Open AirPort Utility and follow the onscreen instructions to extend the range of your AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express network. Extending the range of a network using a WDS may reduce overall network performance.
Open AirPort Utility and follow the onscreen instructions to extend the range of your AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express network.
Extending the range of a network using a WDS may reduce overall network performance.
Thanks, but i think Mrs Chris and Martin from the Newcastle branch have that already set up. I'll double check. I will checkout that App thanks hfat. I must visit Austria everyone at work says its probably the prettiest country they have ever been to, although the Yorkshire folk have other ideas.
How did i get onto listening to the Doors? need some josticks
Hi Chris,
Did you ever analyze your wifi network? I'm using beolit12 in my garden with aprox 30 m distance and through 2 walls. I almost never experience dropouts, but I see that the conection management of beolit12 isn't very robust. When there are dropouts my apple devices also suffer from them, but they recover very quickly where beolit12 needs long time to recover. There is a great tool called inSSIDer. The PC version is free. A MAC version is available: http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider-for-mac/
hfat
How it working now, Chris? At first this sounds to me like a compatibility problem between the chipsets, but the Airport Extreme (same as the Time Capsule just without the hard drive, I believe) uses the same Broadcom radio as the Linksys E4200, which B&O recommends. The Airport Express uses Atheros radios - have you tried unplugging it? Is it just as bad then?
One other thing that comes to mind is to avoid channel 13, but it seems like you have... Really strange problem!
The Beolit 12 (and the Playmaker, I bet), is based on Bridgeco's (now SMSC) DM870 platform, and Bridgeco helped develop the Airplay platform (see here), so I would think that the hardware is up to the task. And if they used their SDK, one would think that it was limited how much they could "*** up"...
Chris Townsend: So it is using the Express, but with no increase in quality! Maybe the A8 is the key, who knows.
So it is using the Express, but with no increase in quality! Maybe the A8 is the key, who knows.
Why not ask your dealer if you can compare the performance of an A8 against your BeoLit 12? I still think it's a BeoLit software/firmware issue.
My Beosound 8 works absolutely fine, with no dropouts and couldn't be positioned any further from my Time Capsule! It's four rooms away.
Chris Townsend:To be honest Martin from Newcastle who hasn't given up on this, brilliantly came over on Wednesday and did a full diagnostic.
Did he brilliantly bring another BL12 to try?
A few posts after my quote -Flappo suggests a fault with your BL12's antenna.
I don't recall another BL12 being mentioned in this thread...
"Just as an update. Our local B&O dealer came round and tidied up or broadband setup which has improved things significantly, in as much as i now only loose signal say twice an hour as opposed to every other song! He also replaced the unit. I cannot listen to it in our kitchen (10 feet away from router with all kitchen devices off) without having to use a usb cable connected to our Ipad, so as to listen to music without waiting for the inevitable drop out."
Yes he brilliantly did i.e.. "He also replaced the unit"
How can a unit have so many different technical problems without having been in a flood? And i thought i had problems...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390451200830?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_2078wt_1112
I missed the replacement comment(s) somewhere in the 100+ posts.
I'd give up.
I'm nearly at that point trust me.
The problem is that the Beosound 8 is cosmetically more my taste, but not mobile which was the whole initial point. Looks good on a stand though.
The B&W zeppelin seems to the highest rated airplay item on the apple store . Maybe you should give that a try ? B&W are a very well respected company after all.
Again, is that not mains only. However you have certainly talked me out of getting one!
Peter
I find that learning to whistle or sing your favourite tunes instead is ultimately more rewarding!
Quite right, I've just started taking singing lessons and it is a hundred times more enjoyable than faffing about with expensive hi-fi gear (my other hobby).
You might be right. The only way i have seamless music today is when it was connected to the USB cable, which again defeats the point of AirPlay. Bored of complaining now.
Peter i hope you do get one, and i hope it works out. Fantastic sound albeit at higher levels, mobile and small. If you have David Lewis designed B&O products you might struggle to live with it's plastic construction. The rear door is crap for a £600 product of any make to be honest.
If it worked i could see me being content that over the years,it would have been a fun and sound investment(it's failed as i type) so please don't let my limited experience put you off. There will be many who have no problems at all, which of course you don't hear about.
Chris Townsend: If you have David Lewis designed B&O products you might struggle to live with it's plastic construction. The rear door is crap for a £600 product of any make to be honest.
I'm sure those under 70 will love it!
I've just looked up the specs , it's 2.4 ghz. Maybe it's interference from a mobile phone or cordless phones ?
http://www.aI purchased the Beolit 12 from Amazon several months ago. It worked and sounded nice.. For a few hours. And then the Airplay stopped working entirely. I've spent so many hours trying to get the Beolit 12 working -- it's dead. My last attempt to update the firmware seems to have completely bricked it. A red light flashes if you turn it on, try resetting it to factory settings, etc. It's a $799 paperweight.
But this is Bang & Olufsen, a premium product with premium support behind it, right?If only.I contacted BeoCare to seek assistance. The customer service is in Denmark, so that may have presented a language barrier. Eventually they determined that my unit was dead and needed to be replaced under warranty. They said to contact the seller -- i.e., the Bang & Olufsen "storefront" that sells through Amazon. I sent e-mail to them and have yet to hear back.Another option might be going to a Bang & Olufsen retailer, but there aren't many in the U.S., and there aren't any located convenient to me. (If one was, I would have bought the Beolit 12 from them, instead of through Amazon.) And it's not clear they would help with warranty work anyway, since I didn't buy this directly from them.So. $799 paperweight. I've spent far more hours trying to figure out how to get the stupid thing fixed (and I'm no closer to resolution on that) than I did listening to it during the brief time it was working.I used to be such a fan of Bang & Olufsen. I've given them thousands and thousands of dollars over the years. But they have no chance of remaining viable if they sell junky products at exorbitant prices and make it impossible to get them fixed if they're defective. I can't even figure out what path to follow to get warranty work done -- it's ridiculous.This is in such contrast to companies like Apple, that make it trivial to swap out a defective product for a working one. Sigh.
I really wish I could have written a glowing review for this product. I bought it the instant it came out because I trusted Bang & Olufsen. They have really let me down, and I can't recommend that anyone buy this product, unless you like a $799 paperweight that flashes red.mazon.com/Bang-Olufsen-Beolit-Dark-Grey/product-reviews/B006VXFEMO/ref=cm_cr_pr_hist_2?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addTwoStar&showViewpoints=0
Oh crickey! Some poor reviews I must say..
"
I haven't had the flashing light thing yet, i think. Only the turning itself off, only to then erupt at full volume several hours later.
I've given up listening to AirPlay now, today was an interruption nightmare so i just submit to the USB cable. Life's too short to get so stressed about expecting something to work
Just to confirm something. When connected by the USB cable to a 4s or Ipad it works flawlessly as long as there is enough wifi reception(all over house and some of garden). Using Airplay any more than 10 steps from the router forget it. grrrrrrrrrr
You know what? The more I come back to this thread -the madder I get.
I still think there's an interference problem causing this. Do you have mobile handsets nearby that are clashing with the 2.4 ghz band ? Maybe a next door neighbour is causing it ?
Ive got loads of AirPlay gizmos all over my house and never seem to have any problems.