Hi,

 

I have been looking forward to upgrading my existing setup with a new TV, probably a BeoVision 7 40, the only thing that I am finding hard to justify at the moment is the price. My Avant is still giving excellent service and is worth virtually nothing in part exchange and this started me thinking about the wisdom of spending approx £10k on a TV, when the technology is constantly evolving.

Does anyone have a view on an alternative TV's which would complement an existing B&O setup (2 x 8000 front speakers and 2 x 6000 rear speakers, plus a BeoCentre 2)

 

Regards

 

Keith

Why not keep the Avant, and just buy a projector for movies?  I'm not convinced I need to watch Emmerdale in HD...

(actually, I don't watch it at all, but you get the idea...)  

Football in HD (SkySports, BBC HD) and Blu-ray's are the only key reasons to get HD. Mind you, if anyone seriouly is holding off on a BV7-40 for 'something better around the corner', you'll be forever waiting. The difference between the current MKIII and a forthcoming MKIV will be tiny, compared to the jump from the II to III, mainly due to the inclusion of the BS3.

A panel update and, perhaps, Blu-ray drive are surely not the reasons you're holding off? If so, by Feb 2009 you'll find that there's something else - ie. OLED or similar - due in a MKV 'soon'. You'll then want to wait a little longer. Cycle.

If you don't have the budget for a BV7-40 or Beosystem 3 and want to keep your all B&O sound system, I will follow rayfenwick and advise you to keep everything and add a projector. Having a more-than-two-meters screen in full HD and a "little" (by today's standard) TV (that has become an icon) is IMHO the perfect choice. You will not benefit as much from fullHD (or even 720p) with a 40" LCD, and if you choose a non-B&O TV, you will surely be stuck with stereo sound (as long as you are not specially good in DIY with AV systems).

If it was me I would keep the Avant.

 

Another option would be a non-HD Beovision 5 for around £3-4000 second hand.

 

Simon

When my Avant gives up, I'll be getting a........

.............

 

...........

 

.............

..nuther Avant!

If you are after picture quality and the latest connections I would take the plunge. Personally based on my viewing habits I would also consider something used if the price is right.

I ended up with BV8, no surround though but I dont want the cables to the rear anyway.

 I would wait and see what they will pre-announce for the next year in the August release of the financials. That should help you to make a decisions.

Or do you contemplate switching to another brand for the TV? That is not easy due to the integration of the surround module into the Tv but can be done.

Cheers

jk 

I've got a Hitachi 32" LCD that's HD compliant etc etc, that (surprise surprise) is going to Moscow with me in a fortnight.

But... I still want an Avant...  just do.... Preferably silver 32" RF with a DVD, but I think the red ones look nice too..

 I have a strange fetish for red, black, white, mirror and glass. Very 70's retro :)
 

If you want new cutting edge technology, you can look at the new Sony LCD XBR8 with tricolor-LED-backlit TV. Ho eats Pioneer KURO´s for breakfast if you look at the Sony Vs Pioneer battle in a darkened-room shoot-out.

I have seen the XBR8  in real and can only say that the picture are so alive and real that your jaw drops, and it was no artefact'si, like n normal LCD´s...

Read more here:

http://gizmodo.com/5013722/sony-hosts-xbr8-led-lcd-vs-plasma-shootout-youll-never-guess-who-wins

Or you if you are willing to spend the price for a BV7  and use your existing B&o speakers...

Sony XBR8 is the right choice if you only are in search of the  PQ...

http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/product/438395/?int=sale-carousel

Freesat built in, 42 inch, 100Hz, £1100, 7 times cheaper than a bv7

so, get one of those (£1K) and the following!!!

BS3 (£2K??), BL3 (£2K), BL2 (£2K)

 

Hi,

 

Thank you all for the suggestions. Forgive the rather naive question, but if I purchase a BS 3 would this allow me to connect up my BL 8000 and 6000's  plus my BeoCentre 2 to either the Pioneer Kuro or the Sony LCD XBR8 and use this as a fully integrated system, just as if I had purchased a BV 7 ?

Yes, Indeed.

I dont know if experience is worth it for you, but I had a VCR Avant, Beolab 8000, Beolab 6000 and a Beocenter 2, in January I changed the avant for a Loewe Compose 52" and the engineers used my existing powerlink cable and connections to connect the speakers to the surround sound processer in the Loewe and I control everything as I did before, It is really the best of both worlds and I have added a Blu Ray Player to the equation as well, Job was easy, no recabling required and I have a bigger size TV with an excellant picture and freeview, Freesat and a 160Gb Hard drive all built in.

Never been happier

BS

seems like you always had nice TVs :)

I like Loewe's too, just dont like that they resemble B&Os and they are not built using strong materials like b&o.

picture quality is amazing, hands down. 100Hz

Loewe is using Aluminium and glass, has all the connections you can wish for, at a price where B&O can only give you a small BV8 made of plastic, without glass, and with only one HDMI...

Considering the question about connecting a BS3 to a Sony XBR 8 or Pioneer Kuro : just don't do that!!! If you want to connect something to a BS3, it must be a screen-only, like commercial plasmas or computer screen. All you need is a DVI/HDMI plug, everything is in the Beosystem 3. The picture management of the Beosystem 3 is very good, and if you connect a Sony Bravia XBR8 to it, the picture will be corrected by the Sony processing, which means you will add a useless treatment that can only lower the PQ, and you will pay for useless electronic, scaler and tuner. The last thing is that the Beosystem 3 will only be an auxiliary input of your TV, so you will have to keep the TV remote, and get a poor ergonomy. Just don't do that.

bikerscotty:

[...]in January I changed the avant for a Loewe Compose 52" and the engineers used my existing powerlink cable and connections to connect the speakers to the surround sound processer in the Loewe and I control everything as I did before, It is really the best of both worlds and I have added a Blu Ray Player to the equation as well, Job was easy, no recabling required and I have a bigger size TV with an excellant picture and freeview, Freesat and a 160Gb Hard drive all built in.

Never been happier

I think you are interesting a lot of people here bikerscotty... (at least myself!!) Can you describe more precisely how everything is connected (if you have some pictures...), because the last time I spoke to my Loewe dealer he says there were no product on the Loewe portfolio other than the Blu ray player that have 5.1 outputs in analogic/variable line signals... So no way to connect the Loewe to 5+1 B&O speakers.
Are your speakers directly connected to the TV or to the Blu ray (so you can only get the B&O sound with DVD/blu rays, not TV...), or to another Loewe sound processor?

And last question : can you play DTS HD Master Audio and other typical blu ray sound formats with your system?

mbee:

bikerscotty:

[...]in January I changed the avant for a Loewe Compose 52" and the engineers used my existing powerlink cable and connections to connect the speakers to the surround sound processer in the Loewe and I control everything as I did before, It is really the best of both worlds and I have added a Blu Ray Player to the equation as well, Job was easy, no recabling required and I have a bigger size TV with an excellant picture and freeview, Freesat and a 160Gb Hard drive all built in.

Never been happier

I think you are interesting a lot of people here bikerscotty... (at least myself!!) Can you describe more precisely how everything is connected (if you have some pictures...), because the last time I spoke to my Loewe dealer he says there were no product on the Loewe portfolio other than the Blu ray player that have 5.1 outputs in analogic/variable line signals... So no way to connect the Loewe to 5+1 B&O speakers.
Are your speakers directly connected to the TV or to the Blu ray (so you can only get the B&O sound with DVD/blu rays, not TV...), or to another Loewe sound processor?

And last question : can you play DTS HD Master Audio and other typical blu ray sound formats with your system?

Count me in, too. I also have a Loewe Compose 46 but haven't found a way to connect it to my BS9000 and BL8000, BL 2. Well, I can connect but then the sound from the Loewe speaker and the BL8000 are not in sync.

According to the manual, you can connect active speakers with an adapter cable.

 

BS - excellent news.

I am just really looking for a way to integrate my existing B&O equipment with a non B&O TV and  it appears you have found the solution.

 

I will have to do some research on the TV you have chosen.

 

Regards

 

Keith

Deal confirmed, Im getting an BV7 40!!! After a dispute with b&o, im getting the bv7 40, WITHOUT the BL7-4 for 5,700 quid!

ill use my existing speakers then buy the bl7-4, this makes the tv a lot easier to afford

Timhanna,

What made you decide to go for that particular TV, over some of the other non B&O TV's, which on the face of it appear to provide the same picture quality if not better. ? 

 

Hi Akeithj,

I originally was happy to settle with the 32 inch, but the lack of HDMI (tragedy) made me change my mind and go for the 40.

Other TVs are good as well of course. However a b&o tv is a central item for a b&o setup. I have my speakers connected to it and my ouverture as well. Its the hub of the entertainment system and it really goes nicely in my flat (colour wise). Ill send a photo one day. So thats really a major reason why i went with it. Plus it has the basic features that wont change (for my needs) for lcds. I.e. 1080P which is great. 24P, 4x HDMI, DVD Player... For me its as future proof as im going.

If i though about it properly, with my brain instead of my heart, then i think the best option would be to do for an good non LCD TV, or even an AVANT, seriously great stuff. Wait until all this mess with HD settles down, then get one.

The b&o TVs ARE not worth the pricetag, seriously overpriced, since for just under £9K it should have 120Hz and everything included, like DVD-Rec, FreeSat etc etc. Its part of the reason that b&o is loosing loads of money and serves them right.

Myself, i tend to save up and buy one thing and keep it for life. Im hoping that this TV does so.

mbee:

bikerscotty:

[...]in January I changed the avant for a Loewe Compose 52" and the engineers used my existing powerlink cable and connections to connect the speakers to the surround sound processer in the Loewe and I control everything as I did before, It is really the best of both worlds and I have added a Blu Ray Player to the equation as well, Job was easy, no recabling required and I have a bigger size TV with an excellant picture and freeview, Freesat and a 160Gb Hard drive all built in.

Never been happier

I think you are interesting a lot of people here bikerscotty... (at least myself!!) Can you describe more precisely how everything is connected (if you have some pictures...), because the last time I spoke to my Loewe dealer he says there were no product on the Loewe portfolio other than the Blu ray player that have 5.1 outputs in analogic/variable line signals... So no way to connect the Loewe to 5+1 B&O speakers.
Are your speakers directly connected to the TV or to the Blu ray (so you can only get the B&O sound with DVD/blu rays, not TV...), or to another Loewe sound processor?

And last question : can you play DTS HD Master Audio and other typical blu ray sound formats with your system?

Hi there, sorry been away for a bit, I have a compose 52" on the wall, the Loewe TV's with the AC3 module use the RS232 connection on the back with an adapter labelled for Centre, Front L, Front R, Rear L, Rear R and Subwoofer which you then plug the BAng & Olufsen speakers into. It sounds like your dealer was not the most knowledgable in Loewe, I must admit the store I use and have always used used to be a B&o store and I like the guys there, they are good at "thinking out of the box" and if you get by one of thems dread locks (haha) they are very knowledgeable guys. So yes the speakers are connected directly to the TV I added the Blu ray player later on in a big heavy metal cabinet called a cube i, anything that plays through the TV plays in the surround sound, It does DTS yes, I must admit i notice absolutely no difference in sound, I used to be in the Av market many many years ago and specifically bang & olufsen so I feel I should hear the difference if there is any.

The important thing is I like the system and it suits me great, if you want to contact the store I use then PM me and I can pass on details.

BS 

Thanks BS. Unfortunately my RS232 is already in use by the Loewe Individual Soundprojector. Well, I guess, I am going to live without B&O integration which is no problem for me as I prefer a state-of-the-art TV over integration with a poorly equipped BV7.

Sound quality on the Sound Projector is lower than with a good set of Beolabs... But it's not the same price...

Another question for you BS : I don't think that there is an on/off signal provided by this cable, so does it work correctly with a low level? In case of stereo listening, does each Beolab switch on? And when you turn off the TV, the Beolabs turn off after 3 minutes? Last question : if while listening to a 5.1 movie, there is no signal on the rear channel for 3 minutes, does the rear Beolabs switch off, making you miss the begining of the next rear effect?

Thanks again for your help! (considering your dealer, I don't think he would be helpful for me as I live in France!)