Hello all,

I am considering a LCD or Plasma setup and have been looking at the BS3.

However, if I bought the Panasonic D10 display myself ( the display B&O uses for the BV4) an dused Lintronic to control my units, would I still need a BS3? The Panasonic display can be equipped with several input boards like HDMI, DVI, VGA, S-Vhs etc.
As far as I can tell the  only function it adds is surround sound decoding but if I don't need that do I need a BS3?

Further, if I go for a 42" or a 50" will I get a notably better and sharper picture if I opt for the 1080p panel and not the 720p panel (provided I have a HD source)?

Speaking of HD sources, is Sky HD worht the extra cost for the box and £10/month? I will not take the Sky movies package so only HD tv, if it is worth it? Or, is it just the same demo of a lion eating another animal they show? ha ha...

Cheers 

Hi,

The BeoSystem 3 carries all the system processors (sound, picture and control such as MasterLink) that make the B&O experience so great.  Buying the Panasonic panel wouldn't give you anything like the kind of performance that the B&O equivalent with BeoSystem 3 would give you.  The difference is huge.

The way I always used to describe it was that I could buy the same eggs as Gordon Ramsey uses, but that wouldn't give me a souffle like he sells!

Plus, as I understand it, the panels are manufactured to a specific B&O specification by a 3rd party manufacturer (in this case Panasonic).  That doesn't mean it is the same panel that you would find in a 42 or 50" Panasonic TV.

I think you would notice the difference in the 1080p panels - I saw a huge difference in some of the later BeoVision 4 50" panels that came out, much brighter and with far more clarity than the earlier HD panels.  Panels are an ongoing development for all TV manufacturers, the newer the better is almost always true.

As for Sky HD - I cancelled my subscription to Sky HD yesterday.  To be honest, BBC HD looks incredible - but it is free anyway.  The American shows I saw on channels such as Sky One, Nat Geo, Sky Arts etc don't look anything close to as good as the BBC broadcasts.  Also, there's only so many nature programmes you can watch and I found that there was so little choice of programming that actually made HD look good, that the extra subscription wasn't justified at this time.  Having the Sky HD box is great, the HDMI connection certainly makes a difference, but with HD channels due from ITV and Channel four plus many others, I'll be enjoying the free ones until Sky picks up it's game.

What does make a difference is whether the programmes were filmed in HD or not - watch the BBC's Planet Earth even in SD and the picture is amazing.

I'm running the new BV7-40 Mk3 which uses the BeoSystem 3 engine, and I can't tell a great deal of difference between Bones (one of my fav shows) on Sky One compared with Sky One HD.  So not a great deal of point in my opinion.

However, if you get a 50" or above the difference will be a lot more noticable, i'm sure.

Cheers,

Martin

Hi Martin, Many thanks for your elaborate response. Has helped a lot!

With regards to the Sky HD and the free HD channels. Provided I have a Sky HD box, will I be able to watch the free HD channels for free with my normal Sky subscription even though I do not have a Sky HD £10/mth subscription add on?

Good point with the picture and sound processing. I am a B&O enthusiast and I like their products, I just tend to feel that the BS3 is very expensive for what it does. If all I want to connect is Sky HD box and a DVD player (which is all connected to my BeoSound 4 and BeoLab's) and have no surround sound.

So, if I do not have BeoLink, don't intend to get surround sound and my Lintronic can control the non-B&O products the BS3 will only add better picture processing...

I need to give this some more thought but I would still very much like to hear your thoughts on the availability of BBC HD, ITV and the other free HD channels using a (normal) Sky subscription along with a Sky HD box?

Would it be better to buy another HD box produced by someone else than Sky?

Thanks,

Chris 

Hi Martin,

Thanks for your elaborate answer. I just tried to reply and think the message got lost but forgive me if a similar post is being added twice...

Okay, I see your point with the BS3 and I am a B&O enthusiast. Allow me to explain my current setup.

1) I intend to have it all in one room

2) I have a BeoSound 4 and BeoLab 2+ BeoLab 8000

3) Lintronic device to control non-B&O devices

4) No surround sound needed.

Thus, if I get a BeoSystem 3 compared to just the Panasonic display I feel that I will only get better picture handling for the price of app £5000. This is why I am questioning getting a BS3.

I was not aware that the Panasonic display that B&O uses is different from the normal Panasonic plasmas (D-series).

Concerning Sky HD. Interesting point! You have convinced me to wait with the Sky HD sibscription.

However, how can I have a normal Sky subscription AND watch the free HD channels out there  (now BBC HD, later ITV etc. as you mention)?

Will it work if I subscribe to Sky (normal package) and use this with a Sky HD box? Can you watch BBC HD without a Sky HD subscription?

Which box are you using, the one from Sky?

Thanks, Chris 

Personally I have not been convinced that the panel itself B&O is using differs in any respect from other Panasonic ones. It would cost a fortune to have custom specified specifications in the current development cycle of the panels. "The commercial grade" seems to be more or less marketing jargon. There are obviously differences in the other components of the display itself (called BV 4) not to talk about the software. Also the calibration process makes a huge difference.

In your case I would go for the best 50" Plasma. B&O is amongst the best but there are other choices as well.

I also don't think that B&O panels are really better than Panasonic, maybe they just pass one more quality test... In fact the BV4 has only one noticeable difference : it's the (really good) antireflect screen.

Concerning the BS3, if you are not using a videoprojector, mainly watch HD, don't want surround sound, and don't want multiroom, it's totally useless!
The BS3 has a very good video processor for scalling SD to HD, but some TVs are approaching its performance. For HD, it's useless as if you have a correct HD source, you get the best picture if you send directly the HD signal to your screen. (in another thread, you can read that the BS3 doesn't support 1080/24p, adding judder to a perfect movement).

At the release date of the BS3, some people said that B&O wanted to sell it at a really lower price and that dealers were shocked because at that price it was not a true B&O product... I hope that B&O will update it and lower its price soon, because it's now becoming outdated (nothing really serious, a mpg4 tuner, improved image handling and some up-to-date software features) and overpriced...