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Google Assist and B&O

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steve1977
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steve1977 Posted: Sun, Dec 23 2018 2:31 AM
I have a BS1 with google assist.

I’m trying to play music from my dlna server. It works through the B&O app, but doesn’t work with google assist.

Any idea whether B&O (or good?) plans to support this?
Sandyb
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Sandyb replied on Sun, Dec 23 2018 3:26 AM
I don’t believe Alexa or GA can do this - i.e. voice requests for DLNA music.

And I wouldn’t hold your breath- they want you to use their cloud based services.

While it’s theoretically not that difficult to pass voice commands to a music server, it won’t be a priority for them to sort out.

All these voice enabled speakers communicate with the cloud primarily.

Alexa is supposed to be better at integrating with IFTT services, but I think people who tried IFTT / voice in combination to trigger music have found it slow.

steve1977
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steve1977 replied on Sun, Dec 23 2018 3:36 AM
Got it. So, the BS1 GA has identical feature with a google home speaker? No integration with B&O app features like dlna.
chucky
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chucky replied on Sun, Dec 23 2018 5:06 AM
Sandyb:

I don’t believe Alexa or GA can do this - i.e. voice requests for DLNA music.

And I wouldn’t hold your breath- they want you to use their cloud based services.

While it’s theoretically not that difficult to pass voice commands to a music server, it won’t be a priority for them to sort out.

All these voice enabled speakers communicate with the cloud primarily.

Alexa is supposed to be better at integrating with IFTT services, but I think people who tried IFTT / voice in combination to trigger music have found it slow.

IFTTT is to slow, I get “sending it to IFTTT” and then the rumble starts, takes 15 seconds.

I have the BLGW directly connected through the Khimo skill in the Alexa app, works faster. You can make any scene and load it. I have connected al my rooms. It loads only scenes it wil not act as a remote or ask to play a certain song. Best you can do is load playlist 1-99 and redirect from there I presume. Loading volumes is not a big thing but a load of work, any room 10 different settings for instance “living radio 30”, “living radio 40”, etc

I had connected Alexa to an Essence MKII on line in and asked her to play a song on spotify, it works but found the sound let us say disappointing.
Sandyb
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Sandyb replied on Sun, Dec 23 2018 8:32 AM

not an expert, but if a Google Home speaker can't do it, then a BS1 GA surely won't.

As I say, GA enabled speakers are designed to work with cloud streaming services.

Thats probably fine for the vast majority of people, so as mentioned before, don't hold your breath.

 

steve1977
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steve1977 replied on Mon, Dec 24 2018 3:29 AM
Got it. Seems i’ll need to transition to streaming services.

Let’s assume i’ll use spotify. it seems even the free version is supported by the google assist.

Re NL - can i “join” a google assist stream from spotify in other b&o devices over NL (e.g., tap A6) and through the b&o app. i know that the b&o app doesn’t allow me to stream spotify, but does it allow to “join” if triggered via google assist?

Re chromecast - i have some old b&o like my beloved beolit 12. i connected a googlecadt audio to it. it seems i can easily put them into a speaker group. can i also somehow “join” them in google home app, voice or otherwise. i’d like to be able to play to two speakers, then add a 3rd, then remove the first, etc.
Sandyb
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Sandyb replied on Mon, Dec 24 2018 5:11 PM
Don’t know, but given that an a AirPlay stream can be joined by other speakers using NL, I’d imagine the same applies to a Google stream.

If you’re google streaming though, you could just use Chromecast speaker groups

Puncher
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Puncher replied on Mon, Dec 24 2018 7:02 PM

What you can do is upload all of your music files  ( or up to 50K songs, whichever is less) at 320kbps to google play music and then you can request by name etc as normal and send to any chromecast or speaker group - completely free and without subscription. Google is the only one to allow you to do this.

Ban boring signatures!

Millemissen
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Sandyb:
Don’t know, but given that an a AirPlay stream can be joined by other speakers using NL, I’d imagine the same applies to a Google stream.

If you’re google streaming though, you could just use Chromecast speaker groups

You can join an AirPlay stream (using the Bang &Olufsen app, the join points on the NL devices, the BeoRemoteOne/the Essence Remote).

This is a NL feature.

Note: AirPlay 2 distribution AND NL distribution (of an airplayed stream does not work well together.

 

You can not join a chromecasted stream!

But you can create different groups of Chromecast devices (in the Home app) and switch between these.

However, this takes place outside the NL net - neither the Bang &Olufsen app nor the physical join function on the devices etc are involved.

 

MM

There is a tv - and there is a BV

Sandyb
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Sandyb replied on Tue, Dec 25 2018 1:16 AM

Thanks, yes I don't have much Chromecast experience - hence I prefaced my reply with an "I don't know".

I use Airplay quite a bit - largely as I listen to a lot of podcasts, and trigger those on my iPad, Airplay'ed to my bedroom A9.

From there, if i need to add my BS2 (kitchen) I tend to use AP 2 - no great need for the B&O app.

But I often will want my lounge setup to join in (the BV and its attached speakers)  - in which case the Beoremote / Join route is so easy. 

Despite my musings about future products and potential lack of remotes, hope you can see I do love my BR One!

 

steve1977
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steve1977 replied on Tue, Dec 25 2018 4:22 AM
Puncher:

What you can do is upload all of your music files ( or up to 50K songs, whichever is less) at 320kbps to google play music and then you can request by name etc as normal and send to any chromecast or speaker group - completely free and without subscription. Google is the only one to allow you to do this.

Ban boring signatures!

I’ve tried this in the past and it doesn’t work well. The initial upload is fine, but things become very messy if i remove some music or change something. it’s an upload rather than a sync feature, so you end up with duplicates and other forms of mess.

I also tried itunes match, which was better, but also not a good solution for me. better though than google. anyhow, itunes match isn’t supported anyways unless i get a homepod.
steve1977
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steve1977 replied on Tue, Dec 25 2018 4:27 AM
Millemissen:

You can not join a chromecasted stream!

is this also true for casts through google assist. GA and CCA are similar, but it seems there are differences.

I’d like to use GA, but then NL to distribute.

i find speaker groups painful to work with (AP2 or NL much nicer to join/unjoin). Also, the NL “tap” feature is one of its kind. If i get a phone call and my A9 is too loud, i can just “tap” it to stop, while the other rooms keep playing. then tap him back to rejoin thereafter.
Millemissen
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Here is what happens when I try to distribute a chromecasted stream from my Essence to my (NL)Avant tv.

’Tilslutter’ means ‘connecting’ - in fact it tries to connect.....but nothing happens, no result.

A funny thing though, is that the name (Madsen) of the streamed radio program is distributed and shown).

They/B&O has always said that this is due to ‘some restrictions’ from Google.

I do wonder if there should be a way around that, as rhere was with distribution of an AP stream.

However, I have little hope there, since it seems that the guys in Struer are determinated to prefer the native Cast respectively AP2 way of doing things these days.

P.S. In this case I choose to AirPlay from that same app.....which - as we know - still can be distributed via NL to the Avant.

Using different Cast Groups and having to activate the ChromeCast dongle on the Avant/2014 is much too complicated 🙄

MM

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steve1977
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steve1977 replied on Tue, Dec 25 2018 10:15 AM
Got it. That’s actually a pity. So, voice and NL don’t go together. I’ll give it a try myself next week and report back.
Dyssegaard
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Dyssegaard replied on Tue, Dec 25 2018 11:34 AM

I've found this on the B&O FAQ page:

https://bogo.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/14318/loc/en_GB/s/16777216_26701d9c1397e-e810-4b86-9aa7-8e8106e49eea/prTxnId/932085139/txnId/932085139#__highlight

I think that the devil is in the detail - "... However, we expect multiroom distribution, among Google Cast products, to be enabled in a future software version." - meaning that if we at some point in the future will be able to distribute Google Cast, it will only be to the devices that have Google Cast built in and NOT to our old NL-TVs (BV11/V1/AVANT).

Best regards - Dyssegaard

Living room: Beovision Eclipse 55, Beolab 3 / R1 (back), Beolab 2 / R1 (sub), AppleTV 4K. Bedroom: Beovision 11-40, AppleTV 4. Home office: Beoplay M5. Kitchen: Beoplay M5. Travel: Beoplay H8, Beoplay A1. NAS: WD My Cloud Home / Plex DLNA Server.

steve1977
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steve1977 replied on Tue, Dec 25 2018 3:50 PM
This is very good news. Fingers crossed this update will eventually come and supports “tap”. Would make the voice assistant a lot more useful.

Not sure anyone ever mentioned. it seems b&o is the only brand with devices supporting both AP2 and CCA. Quite an accomplishment!
Simonbeo
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Simonbeo replied on Tue, Dec 25 2018 4:35 PM

I'm in the market for a Beosound1 but I'm not sure I want the intrusion of it listening to me and my family.

Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8. Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.Beosound 1

Sandyb
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Sandyb replied on Tue, Dec 25 2018 5:55 PM

Sonos have been promising GA integration for quite a while now - somewhere between 6 and 12 months, duding by the Sonos user forum. But nothing has materialised, and there is no news as to a timeline. Whether this is to with Google or Sonos issues I don't know.

Frustrating though these issues are, I wouldn't hold your breath re NL google cast streams, simply because that is the lesson from recent history.

NL multiroom has you covered anyway, in most use cases.

 

Millemissen
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Simonbeo:

I'm in the market for a Beosound1 but I'm not sure I want the intrusion of it listening to me and my family.

Just flip the swith at the button - in order to turn off the microphone.

MM

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Millemissen
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Dyssegaard:

I've found this on the B&O FAQ page:

https://bogo.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/14318/loc/en_GB/s/16777216_26701d9c1397e-e810-4b86-9aa7-8e8106e49eea/prTxnId/932085139/txnId/932085139#__highlight

I think that the devil is in the detail - "... However, we expect multiroom distribution, among Google Cast products, to be enabled in a future software version." - meaning that if we at some point in the future will be able to distribute Google Cast, it will only be to the devices that have Google Cast built in and NOT to our old NL-TVs (BV11/V1/AVANT).

I know of rhat!

But nothing has happened and - as I wrote - I have my doubts, that it will happen.

As you write the owners of the first gen NL tv’s won’t benefit anyway.

Those of us with iOS devices and AirPlay will have to stay with that.....which isn’t bad at all.

I know, yes I know -  those on Android devices won’t agree.

MM

There is a tv - and there is a BV

steve1977
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steve1977 replied on Tue, Dec 25 2018 7:31 PM
The sonos info is interesting and makes me believe that there is some hope that GA will be available fir distribution. My best guess is that google needs to implement something for sonos to work, which will then also allow NL to be broadcasted. quite some assumptions here.

Where it stands now, i could use a homepod for voice. as long as i ask siri to play music on a b&o AP2 speaker (without playing on the homepod itself), it should be able to be casted. The homepod makes a pretty pricey microphone for voice in this use case.

If going the NL-only way, i’d need to get my ML/NLs working though to bring my ancient BS1 and/or beolit 12 into the mix. Please see my other thread for some experience with the ML/NL.
steve1977
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steve1977 replied on Tue, Dec 25 2018 7:42 PM
Related Q: are the favorite buttons on the new BS1 only for GA (i.e., cannot be distributed through NL)? or can i add B&O services as favorites, which then could be distributed? For example, could i place a dlna playlist or a tunein radio station as favorite allowing NL distribution?
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