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
As one of several Beoworld members routinely connecting modern AV sources (eg Apple TV4) to older B&O TVs (i.e those without an hdmi input), I thought I’d post my experience with a few hdmi Audio Extractors.
In short, most people in my situation will want to feed the Apple TV’s digital video signal to the TV’s digital DVI input, which usually works (as long as there are no hdcp problems). However, DVI does not carry audio hence you need to use an hdmi Audio Extractor to extract the audio signal and feed it into the TV’s analogue PC sound input sockets. Of course this sound will be stereo only.
Audio Extractors are mostly small devices (approx. 6x6x2cm), and tend to be supplied with a simple USB power lead – you are expected to find your own power supply. I usually use a spare iPhone charger to provide a suitable 5V USB output.
Anyway, several years back when I first purchased my Apple TV4 and wanted to connect to my BV6-26, I used this Audio Extractor: https://www.amazon.co.uk/aoeyoo%C2%AE-Analog-Converter-Digital-Extractor-White/dp/B00NAJ4UM2
My Apple TV4 is what is now called the HD version (not the 4K version) and as an aside I have contributed to madskp’s thread about using the the Siri remote with B&O here: https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/t/34673.aspx?PageIndex=1
My Apple TV and the Audio Extractor above were initially used with my BV6-26 Type 9272 which has a DVI socket. The Audio Extractor worked very well, hence I have recommended it frequently in Beoworld discussions. I also purchased a second to use with my BV6-23. I found that Apple TV’s video output setting worked well at ‘720p 50Hz RGB High’. My only negative observation is that the audio LR channels are reversed in one of the two Extractors – easily corrected by swapping L&R phono connectors at the TV’s PC sound input.
However, I recently ‘upgraded’ to a BC6-26 Type 9282 (with both component input and DVI socket), and tried to use the same Audio Extractor setup. Whilst watching I noticed occasional blinking of the screen – not all the time, and not frequently, but enough to be annoying. I suspected a timing/synchronization issue. I experimented with several different hdmi leads (from ATV to Extractor) and hdmi to DVI cables (from Extractor to B&O TV), and tried different power adaptors. I also tried different Apple TV video output resolution settings. None of these experiments removed the ‘blinking’.
Hence thought I’d experiment and tried a new Audio Extractor, eventually ordering the following: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07TZRXKYG
My thoughts were that this new Extractor would be configurable to suit various input and outputs, and would work with my setup. However, when the Extractor arrived I found it very difficult to setup – there were just too many permutations of the little DIP switches on the side. I found that I could get video and/or audio outputs working but not reliably, and there was occasional video interference (lines across the screen). Also there seemed to be an annoying background hiss. The instructions were poor and I could not get the Extractor’s reset button to do anything. It cost about £28 and didn’t work (or wouldn’t for me) so I sent it back to Amazon for a full refund.
This week I have purchased a further ‘Amazon Basics’ Audio Extractor for about £15: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07KRWYN4R
This worked very well straight away! Although the instruction manual said that 720p 60Hz was supported but when I tried this setting my Apple TV seemed to auto configure its resolution back to 720p 50Hz and continued to work very well. The sound quality is also good with no noticeable hiss. Note that this Extractor also has a digital sound output, although I have not tried this. This Extractor is also very well built with a strong metal case and good quality connection sockets. I am very pleased with this latest purchase.
Perhaps if other Forum members have experience of other hdmi Audio Extractors perhaps they could post here and let us know how well they work (and with what sources and B&O equipment). If using Apple TV it would be useful to know what video output resolution setting you have chosen.
I hope forum members find this post useful – I will amend or update if I experience any problems with the latest Audio Extractor in the coming days.
Have a good weekend all!
Great post Guy, thanks for sharing this journey! I too have a BC6-26 (plus a BV7-32) running an Apple TV 4 like that. I think I was lucky with extractors purchased randomly. One of them is a "DeLock HDMI Audio Extractor 4K compact" that works well. On the BC6-26 the output of the AppleTV is 720p, 50Hz, RGB high. On the BV7-32 the same with 720p SDR. Cheers! Johan
Thanks Guy.
This is a thread that I sure will pinpoint….just in case that I should be asked to set up something like this - or if the question pops up here on the forum.
Great post!
Also thanks to Johan.
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
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Hello Guy
An excellent post thanks, as I see it a need to crack the video first before dealing with the sound, excuse my ignorance but what is 'hdcp'? and how do you set the parameters on the Apple TV box?
Cheers
Yacht762: Hello Guy An excellent post thanks, as I see it a need to crack the video first before dealing with the sound, excuse my ignorance but what is 'hdcp'? and how do you set the parameters on the Apple TV box? Cheers
HDCP is High-definition Digital Content Protection. This is usually added to a hdmi output (eg from Apple TV) to prevent copying whilst allowing 'HD ready' TVs to decode and display the signal. So if your TV is indeed HD-ready it should display the picture (but no sound) even with a simple hdmi to DVI adaptor. If your TV is not HD-ready you will need to use a device to strip the hdcp from the hdmi signal. Some of the cheaper audio extractors (such as the first one I linked to in my first post above) appear to strip hdcp as an added bonus, hence worth trying if you suspect that your TV is not HD ready.
As far as setting parameters on the Apple TV goes, I don't think that you can turn off hdcp any more, but you should be able to change the other video output settings. Depending on the version, you can force the Apple TV to cycle through the video settings until the picture is displayed. On the siri remote, pressing Menu and Volume Down together for five seconds starts this process, as explained here: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT200197
If you have a different Apple TV version, the process may be different.
Excellent, many thanks, ill try a lap top first to make sure my cable is working, and then work on a process of elimination
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