Apple Tv 2010 and Bose Cinemate GS

[thegame2002]

I can't comment on what this guy at Apple did or did not tell you, but if he is a smart Apple guy he should not be implying that any non-traditional setup of a third party product will work. Mainly because he has no product training from Bose to know whether or not it will work. Theoretically it could work, but if Bose does not enable all input ports to work simultaneously, then it's not going to work, and the Apple guy wouldn;t know this unless he read the manual. Just because they may sell some Bose products at the Apple Store does not make him an authority on their use or functionality.

Also, Given what Mchalebk quoted from the Bose user manual, it is definitively clear that it will not allow usage of both inputs simultaneously. If you doubt the correctness of this information then you should talk to Bose, not Apple. I know this ruins your plan, but it is the truth.

As to your comment about the current (old) ATV not having wireless capability like the new one, well this is just not correct. They are both wireless and both capable of streaming from a Mac and accessing the iTunes store over your wireless network.

So, if you absolutely want to be able to listen to music with the TV being off, then you should probably either get an A/V receiver. Of course, in this setup, the receiver would then have to be on while listening to music. I know you are wanting everything to work in harmony together, never having to switch inputs, and everything working in any connection scheme that you can invent, but it's just not reality.

FYI...you can get a good A/V receiver (good brand) for $225-300, and a nice set of bookshelf speakers from $199-299 and still save some compared to the bose system. But if you prefer a simpler setup, then it sounds like you will have to concede having the TV on while listening to music.

Thanks a lot for all your responses and research. This is begining to be a real eye opener!! Now i think i have two options:

1 - use a digital optical splitter
http://compositesplitter.com/digital-optical-splitter

2 - use an A/V Receiver.
(so, with the A/V receiver will I keep needing to change channels to direct the sound then?)

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two options I have??

 

[GeekGuys]

I have this setup

Well, I used to have this setup but I know exactly how this works.

I had in my den.....

Sony Bravia 46" LCD
Apple TV
Bose GS
Nintendo Wii
DVD/BD player

The Bose GS has 2 inputs (note, INPUTS). The default is RCA but when you use optical, the RCA plugs are disabled. Therefore, only one input will work. The Bose GS does NOT work as a switch/receiver/passthrough of any kind. It merely accepts 2.1 audio and attempts to create a virtual 5.1 soundframe.
It is not bad as it happens, but that all depends on the room and the ears listening to it.

If you connect your ATV direct to the Bose GS, nothing else will be played through it.

You have 3 options

1. Connect ALL sources to the TV, then connect TV-EXT-SPEAKER to the Bose GS (hopefully using optical). TV must be on for any source to create sound. This was my preferred. HMDI passthrough on TV's is hit and miss though. Some do it, some don't so check your will be OK.

2. Buy a receiver and connect everything to that, Use the Bose GS as speakers, and connect receiver to the TV for video only. Note, this must be an AV receiver with HDMI and RCA switching

3. Buy a cheap and simple Optical switch. Connect everything to that for audio, and video feeds into TV as normal. A bit cheaper and can be hidden away very easily.

Hope this clarifies for you.

 

[matt1540]

Mate

I think you've go the older version which is not wireless.

You are correct in that mine is an older version and not wireless. Double checked and I do have the Series II.

The sound is good for small to medium size rooms. (which is where mine is set up). I was able to get my system at our local SAM's club on a last chance buy for about 1/3 the cost.
Not sure if I could say it is worth full retail. My highs are not as crisp as I thought and my lows are pretty muffled. But all in all I have been happy with the system. JUST DONT CRANK IT TO ITS MAX. It really can't handle it

However, I would listen to the guys on this board and not Apple store. I know when I was doing my research I was repeatedly told misinformation by Apple employees.

I do know that I tried setting my system up several ways, but could only get streaming music from Itunes when the TV was on.

 

[mchalebk]

Thanks a lot for all your responses and research. This is begining to be a real eye opener!! Now i think i have two options:

1 - use a digital optical splitter
http://compositesplitter.com/digital-optical-splitter

2 - use an A/V Receiver.
(so, with the A/V receiver will I keep needing to change channels to direct the sound then?)

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two options I have??

The splitter won't work. That will take one output and turn it into 2 (or more), which allows you to send one audio signal to more than one device. You need to use a switch, something that will allow you to connect 2 (or more) outputs to a single input.

An A/V receiver is a good option. If you want to go with something simple (kind of like the Bose), take a look at some of the soundbar systems out there. There are some that have multiple inputs, so you can hook everything to it without the need for external switches.

If you want to go with a full blown 5.1 system, I would recommend getting the receiver with a separate set of speakers. If you want something simple, without 5 or so speakers, research some of the soundbar systems.

 

[mchalebk]

An example of something that would get the job done is this Sony soundbar, which has the following I/O:

* Analog Audio Input(s) : 1
* Coaxial Audio Digital Input(s) : 1
* Digital Media Port (Input) : 1
* HDMI™ Connection Input(s) : 3
* HDMI™ Connection Output(s) : 1
* Optical Audio Input(s) : 3

I have no idea how the sound quality of this compares to the Bose, but it's much cheaper and will sound a lot better than the TV speakers. I'm sure there are better systems if you want to spend more. Here are some links on the Sony:

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-HTCT100-Sound-Bar-Subwoofer/dp/B0015HS1HQ

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...&productId=8198552921665361523#specifications

 

[thegame2002]

Well, I used to have this setup but I know exactly how this works.

I had in my den.....

Sony Bravia 46" LCD
Apple TV
Bose GS
Nintendo Wii
DVD/BD player

The Bose GS has 2 inputs (note, INPUTS). The default is RCA but when you use optical, the RCA plugs are disabled. Therefore, only one input will work. The Bose GS does NOT work as a switch/receiver/passthrough of any kind. It merely accepts 2.1 audio and attempts to create a virtual 5.1 soundframe.
It is not bad as it happens, but that all depends on the room and the ears listening to it.

If you connect your ATV direct to the Bose GS, nothing else will be played through it.

You have 3 options

1. Connect ALL sources to the TV, then connect TV-EXT-SPEAKER to the Bose GS (hopefully using optical). TV must be on for any source to create sound. This was my preferred. HMDI passthrough on TV's is hit and miss though. Some do it, some don't so check your will be OK.

2. Buy a receiver and connect everything to that, Use the Bose GS as speakers, and connect receiver to the TV for video only. Note, this must be an AV receiver with HDMI and RCA switching

3. Buy a cheap and simple Optical switch. Connect everything to that for audio, and video feeds into TV as normal. A bit cheaper and can be hidden away very easily.

Hope this clarifies for you.

Thanks this is much better. I think I am better off buying a receiver and the speaker system with that. No point getting the Bose Cinemate then. Something like

http://www.bose.co.uk/GB/en/home-en...a-speakers/component-speakers/VCS30/index.jsp

Far too expensive if I now have to buy a receiver as well.

So the 2nd option that you've given me I understand works in the following way. I connect the speakers to the receiver, the HDMI from the apple TV goes to my receiver and a HDMI cable goes from the receiver to the TV?

I am sure i'm missing something?? am i? could you please describe this in more detail?? with an example of the sort of receiver I should look at buying??

Also i think the advantage of a receiver is that it'll decode the Apple TV movies into 5.1 surround sound and enable me to get the best out of the movies.

Will it solve my ultimate aim of streaming music from my iphone to the speaker system using "Airplay"? without physically touching the set up and switching on my TV??

Many Thanks

 

[GeekGuys]

I can't give you an exact buying list for receivers but Harmon Kardon are always well received (excuse the pun).
Marantz are also good. I'm sure there are loads more but it really depends on your spend limits. $500 or $50,000????

Yes, if you do this... (for HDMI video)

BD ----\
ATV ------ RECEIVER ----> LCD TV (HDMI)
XBOX --/

and for Optical audio....
BD ----\
ATV ------ RECEIVER <----- LCD TV (optical cable)

The LCD TV does not need to be turned on for any sound to be heard.
You could just use HDMI between LCDTV and RECEIVER if your TV will allow 2-way HDMI signals. However, you will more likely need to run a 2nd audio lead as shown in the 2nd diagram above.

Things to consider when buying the receiver...
1. Has it got enough HDMI/Optical INs and Outs that you need (and may need in a few years time)

2. Does it auto switch based on signal?

3. Does it provide HDMI passthrough to the outbound HDMI cable?

4. Will it video and audio switch between input types. ie. IN-1 = RCA L&R IN-2 = Optical.... Some cheaper models will only output the cable type that was input. Worth considering.

Hope this helps

 

[thegame2002]

I can't give you an exact buying list for receivers but Harmon Kardon are always well received (excuse the pun).
Marantz are also good. I'm sure there are loads more but it really depends on your spend limits. $500 or $50,000????

Yes, if you do this... (for HDMI video)

BD ----\
ATV ------ RECEIVER ----> LCD TV (HDMI)
XBOX --/

and for Optical audio....
BD ----\
ATV ------ RECEIVER <----- LCD TV (optical cable)

The LCD TV does not need to be turned on for any sound to be heard.
You could just use HDMI between LCDTV and RECEIVER if your TV will allow 2-way HDMI signals. However, you will more likely need to run a 2nd audio lead as shown in the 2nd diagram above.

Things to consider when buying the receiver...
1. Has it got enough HDMI/Optical INs and Outs that you need (and may need in a few years time)

2. Does it auto switch based on signal?

3. Does it provide HDMI passthrough to the outbound HDMI cable?

4. Will it video and audio switch between input types. ie. IN-1 = RCA L&R IN-2 = Optical.... Some cheaper models will only output the cable type that was input. Worth considering.

Hope this helps

Thanks for this.

What is auto switching? you're point no. 2.

I do not physically want to change channels on the AV receiver. Just want to put it on one channel and let it do the rest.

Thanks

 

[graystone]

Perhaps you should take a look at ZVOX. http://www.zvoxaudio.com/cgi-bin/item/4005752

The sound is incredible, beats the Bose by a mile. And it has two analogue inputs along with an optical. Inputs are all active, so you could hook the ATV audio up and stream to it without TV being on, and when you turn the TV on the TV audio automatically becomes active.