I recently stood in front of one of those marketing kiosks displaying the technology of Blue Ray video, and here are my thoughts.

I was never impressed by Sony's video technology. You see, I live in San Francisco at the moment, and there is a Sony building here called The Metreon. The store inside showcases Sony's latest technology. On display are what seems to be every top-of-the-line television model Sony has to offer. In my opinion, the picture quality of every HD television I see is disappointingly unimpressive. Pixels are highly visible and heavily grainy, especially when the picture includes deep blacks and plenty of motion.

After watching a complete demonstration of Blue-Ray, things changed. I've got to tell you, the video quality is quite impressive, and quite comparable to B&O (I know, I know... how dare I say such things). There was a short clip of some sort of tornado going through a town, and it blew me away (no pun intended).

 That said, I would still buy a BeoVision over an HD TV with Blue-Ray any day. The way I see it, B&O don't need to make their televisions "HD". The reason I put 'HD' in parenthesis is because B&O TV's are already HD in my eyes. You don't need anything but the BeoVision to get your "HD" quality. A B&O TV has a way of turning ANY (and I mean ANY!) signal into what the general public regards as HD. In fact, a friend of mine worked at the B&O store, here in San Francisco, and we went through a couple of backed-up DVD-R's in the demo room. Mind you, these DVD's are 4Gig compressed versions of their 8Gig originals. The picture was completely unbelievable in its depth and clarity. So-called 1080dpi, HD, Blue-Ray, and whatever else there is, come no where near as close as to what a BeoVision can achieve, and that's a statement I firmly uphold.

The BeoSystem 3 does do a good job of making a standard definition DVD look like a high-definition source. However, if you'd then seen HD on a B&O Plasma or LCD, you'd see why HD is something you'd want to pursue. A standard definition DVD through a BeoSystem 3 > BeoVision 4 is impressive, very very very impressive. A high definition signal through BeoSystem 3 > BeoVision 4 is jaw dropping.

Well, I am with you.

Recently called by a Lowe dealer and was not convinced by the picture quality on their sets.

B & O still set the benchmark for my eyes! 

Well, people watching my 1998 Avant are saying the image is a lot better than their HD LCD. However, I am limited to 32"...

IMHO, I see HD today's offering more as a technological challenge and consumerism brainwash than the search for real quality and usefulness. But I may change my mind if you offer me BS3 + BV4... ;-)

(Puts knives away)

This thread is not what I expected!

But I must say that I agree with most of what's been said here. I'll throw in my perspective as someone who has to make the case for them every day in a world where the average technology is really quite good. Just speaking about picture quality (and not the host of other features that result in our prices), we tend to focus more on an organic image than on "ultimate sharpness," yet that ultimate sharpness is what catches your eye walking through a store.

During long consultations, I often recount the story of the Pepsi Challenge from the 1980s as told in Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink". (If there was no Pepsi challenge where you live, consider yourself classier than us yanks and read along!). The prime feature of the Pepsi Challenge was a blind "sip test" between Coke & Pepsi. It would show up at malls and parks and entreat passers by to taste test Pepsi against the leading cola, Coke. The results were just as Pepsi wanted. They were beating Coke hands down. Some time into the campaign, though, they realized that they weren't moving the needle in terms of sales. It turns out (after some significant analysis) that Pepsi only wins when you're take a sip. It's extremely sweet with an obvious composition. Coke, on the other hand, is better to drink. It's not as sweet and its flavor profile is more spiced and complex. 

We, my dear friends, are Coke. We're better in the long run, though people continuously "sip" Pepsi and accuse us of being less tasty! 

My wife and I have always felt that our Avant's picture is better than anything else we have seen. The only draw back is the size. The picture quality is one thing that has kept us from buying a new TV. We plan on purchasing a new BV 7 this month and I think the picture quality of B and O LCDs and plasmas is now approaching that of the Avant. I hope I still feal that way when we get the new TV into our home and can view it there. 

It all depends on what kind of HD TV you have really.

LCD TV's are really pixelly but if you have a CRT HD set (I guess theye didn't exist for long but I bought one last year) the picture quality is amazing!

I have a Sony PS3 plugged into my 32" Phillips (I know that's not up to B&O standards but...) CRT Hi-def TV (it does 480i, 480p, 720i, 720p, 1080i) and the picture on films like Blade runner (got the 5 disk re-issue!) and 300 is absolutely phenomenal. Not to mention on games! The colour depth is pretty incredible actually.

I'm picking Metal Gear Solid 4 for it today... Cannot wait.

Kris 

Well I agrree 100% with the OP on this topic. We have a BV3-32 and have had for nearly 4 years now, the picture on it still blows me away. When Iook at HD LCD sets I just see a poor quality picture compared to the BV3. Now a HD BV9 is a different matter, but way out of my price range.

Craig

Alex:

The BeoSystem 3 does do a good job of making a standard definition DVD look like a high-definition source. However, if you'd then seen HD on a B&O Plasma or LCD, you'd see why HD is something you'd want to pursue. A standard definition DVD through a BeoSystem 3 > BeoVision 4 is impressive, very very very impressive. A high definition signal through BeoSystem 3 > BeoVision 4 is jaw dropping.

The Beosystem 3 are using a PixelWorks chip for the video processing, and are one of the best scaling chipsets on the market.               

1. ABT ^TM by Anchor Bay technologies (Ultra High End video processing)

2. HQV by Realta (High End).

3. DNX by PixelWorks http://www.pixelworks.com/ (High End)

4. Farudja by Texas Instrument (Medium to High End)

5. Zoran Vaddis (Lower High End)

 

i wouldn't put loewe in the same league as bno

 if no are apple , loewe are ms

all they do is copy bno , badly

design wise and in their ideas

plus the picture's a pixellated mess and their av systems are utter rubbish compared to bno 

their speaker range is tragic

and as for user interaction - has anyone ever figured out the weird interface on a loewe tv or that awful little joy stick like knob that is in the middle of the control ? 

I must admit I bought a Loewe Connect at a evening one of my friends who owns a Loewe store held, and had to reply to Flappo:

1. I dont think Loewe themselves put themselves in the same league as Bang & Olufsen they actively say they fill the middle ground.

2. I use and am perfectly happy with MS, Actually I think most of the population do, my connect actually looks very apply so maybe they copy them too?

3. Copying is the finest form of flattery, However I have not seen a copy of the Beovision 8, Mind you in my opinion it is difficult to copy that "badly" as it is truely awful so may be your right.

4. I guess from reading your posts in the past that this is spite because of the one you bought 2 years ago? I love the picture my connect gives me, More than content.

5. Sweeping statement about speaker ranges, not as good as B&O without a shadow of a doubt but to label tragic is a little ................ tragic!

6. Again am guessing remote phrase is out of 2 year old spite! The remotes have changed now and are very similar to a BL1000, oh god thats them copying again!

Sorry in advance for uber rant but someone slagging of something I made a conscious descision to buy does not sit well in my thoughts Hahaha

We, my dear friends, are Coke. We're better in the long run, though people continuously "sip" Pepsi and accuse us of being less tasty! 

    I could be wrong, but in terms of picture quality, but dont Samsung make your "coke" for you...?

I don't want to take the Coke/Pepsi analogy too far Beobilly, but Samsung (and Matsushita) supply the Caramel and the Corn Syrup...Bang & Olufsen control the 'secret ingredient'  and the balance of flavors that makes their product distinctive.

 Russ
 

BeoBilly, 

No, not in terms of picture quality. If you want to attribute our picture quality to anyone, you'd better mention our video engineers by name. By combining a good quality LCD along with processing chips, advanced light measurement, glare polarizing screen, etc. they've put together a full system that goes beyond what the original panel could possibly be capable of. 

I think Russ' caramel comment is dead on (but didn't Coke used to have an even better secret ingredient? ) 

TripEnglish:

BeoBilly, 

No, not in terms of picture quality. If you want to attribute our picture quality to anyone, you'd better mention our video engineers by name. By combining a good quality LCD along with processing chips, advanced light measurement, glare polarizing screen, etc. they've put together a full system that goes beyond what the original panel could possibly be capable of. 

I think Russ' caramel comment is dead on (but didn't Coke used to have an even better secret ingredient? ) 

Interesting one this

So B&O use a good quality LCD- which is??

I was not aware that B&O make their own processing chips- please let us know the ones B&O use that are unique for the LCD panels like the bv8 for example??

TripEnglish:

BeoBilly, 

No, not in terms of picture quality. If you want to attribute our picture quality to anyone, you'd better mention our video engineers by name. By combining a good quality LCD along with processing chips, advanced light measurement, glare polarizing screen, etc. they've put together a full system that goes beyond what the original panel could possibly be capable of. 

I think Russ' caramel comment is dead on (but didn't Coke used to have an even better secret ingredient? ) 

Trip, Trip, Trip....

That ingredient was never secret!  It was replaced by caffiene about 100 years ago.  More's the pity.  But the 'secret ingredient(s)' remain closely guarded.

Russ

355f:

Interesting one this

 

So B&O use a good quality LCD- which is??

I was not aware that B&O make their own processing chips- please let us know the ones B&O use that are unique for the LCD panels like the bv8 for example??

It can't be a secret that B&O use Samsung LCD panels, or Matsushita Plasma panels.  Anyone following along will have known that already. 

I think Trip may have mis-typed here.  B&O is even less likely than Apple to be fabricating their own chips.  I would think that after careful research and development, in close cooperation with whomever the supplier is, B&O specifies software/firmware specs for the electronics to match their requirements.  Much as they do with the OEM's for the speaker drivers.  Nonetheless, that customization makes them 'unique', or 'custom' although not 'in-house'.  No need to pick nits.

Just because Coca-Cola doesn't own the farms which grow their ingredients....

Russ

As to the original post....  I was in my local shop today, Father's Day shopping, and they are playing the Blu-Ray 'Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Live at Radio City Music Hall' on their BV-7 with a BL-7-2.  Previously it had been on a BV-4.  The initial impresson is that it's darker on the 7, and perhaps it is; but the picture is so clean, and smooth.  Oh, and the sound?     anyone else make a TV which can do that all by itself?

Russ

RussR:

355f:

Interesting one this

 

So B&O use a good quality LCD- which is??

I was not aware that B&O make their own processing chips- please let us know the ones B&O use that are unique for the LCD panels like the bv8 for example??

It can't be a secret that B&O use Samsung LCD panels, or Matsushita Plasma panels.  Anyone following along will have known that already. 

I think Trip may have mis-typed here.  B&O is even less likely than Apple to be fabricating their own chips.  I would think that after careful research and development, in close cooperation with whomever the supplier is, B&O specifies software/firmware specs for the electronics to match their requirements.  Much as they do with the OEM's for the speaker drivers.  Nonetheless, that customization makes them 'unique', or 'custom' although not 'in-house'.  No need to pick nits.

Just because Coca-Cola doesn't own the farms which grow their ingredients....

Russ

 

Sometimes trip gets a bit carried away

Would have us believe that B&O have reinvented the wheel

355f:

Sometimes trip gets a bit carried away

Would have us believe that B&O have reinvented the wheel

The may not re-invent it, but I garuntee you that there's a team working on the perfect manufacturing technique.

Russ

The chips are by Pixelworks. BeoSystem 1 used Faroudja. We didn't reinvent the wheel, we just didn't sell a wheel by itself and say it was a car. 

We didn't reinvent the wheel, we just didn't sell a wheel by itself and say it was a car. 

Ohhh dear...!

Razlaw,

I am still contemplating that question, to be honest.  But my greater point is that as a total product, I would rather have a BV-7 40-US/MK 3 than anything else in the family right now.  It is simply magical.

 As to the 'darker' picture impression, I got interrupted earlier, I see it as akin to the impression that the BeoLab 6000 has less bass than the 4000.  At first it seems obvious, but upon further review, it becomes obvious that the 6000 simply presents the mids and highs so much better, and in better balance.  As I stared at the Dave Matthews concert on the BV-7, I began to feel the same way, I think it is just possible that the 'darker' picture is a more balanced presentation.

Russ
 

Could the darkness be a result of how the picture settings are adjusted?

Any opinion as to which is more clear?