Hi everyone! An issue that has come to my mind lately is whether anyone has developed a "protocol converter" to allow people to hook up S-Link Sony MD equipment (MDS-JE530, MDS-JE640, MDS-JB930, MDS-JB940) to Bang & Olufsen or Bose Lifestyle equipment. The B&O gear comes with a 7-pin DIN connector for connecting Beovision TVs, Beocord tape decks, Beogram CD players and Beogram turntables to primary equipment which is either a Beomaster receiver or a Beocenter "all-in-one" unit. This connector has 2 pins for control signals, 1 pin as an audio "common", 2 pins for stereo "in" and 2 more pins for stereo "out". The control pins are referred to as "datalink" pins and these carry signals to do the following: * transfer program-location data to the primary component to show up on the primary unit's console, two-way remote controls, display-equipped Beolab speakers or Beovision TVs that are installed in other rooms and part of their Beolink "multi-room" audio-video infrastructure * "open up" the audio inputs on the Beomaster or Beocenter if the local "PLAY" key is pressed on the unit * accept control signals to control the device from either the primary unit or a remote control. Most Beomasters and Beocenters made since the mid 1980s have a connection for a second tape deck and this can be exploited for a MiniDisc unit. As for Bose, they use a stereo mini headphone-style jack labelled "CONTROL" on their Lifestyle systems for "uspecified uses". This would be used if Bose made a tape deck to go with the systems, so that it can be operated with their systens' remote controls. What needs to be achieved is to use "third-party" protocol converters which enable users of these exotic systems to use the specified MD decks as though the deck is a tape deck attached to these systems. This means being able to use the system's remote control or multi-room abilities to play MDs or manage the recording of material from a source associated with the system onto MD. With regards, Simon Mackay ----------------------------------------------------------------- To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]