Richard Ridyard:

Samsung make LCD screens to our specification and I'm afraid I cannot disclose the information about our selection process.

Ah so Samsung set up a production line specially for a limited run of Bang and Olufsen do they?? news to me!

I'll take it from here Richard...

This is where the kittens come in. Each panel that comes off the assembly line is fired up and shown to the basket of kittens. Yarn balls of various colors and sizes are shown and the kittens' purring is measured and recorded. Only a select number of screens pass the feline test and are sent back to Denmark for further engineering.

The kittens wanted to make it clear that dogs, due to their stupidity, would not be able to peerform this delicate task.

 

I am lost! This thread has gone mad.

The Beonic Man:

I am lost! This thread has gone mad.

 

I really think that the short answer to the original question is "If you are buying a new TV because you want a new TV, then perhaps you could wait...if you are buying a new TV because you need a new TV  (for instance if your country is about to turn off all analog broadcasting, or kittens have poured milk into your current set), then it is definitely worth looking at a B&O TV. 

Is it worth it?  That is a personal matter.  I have just replaced a Braun coffee maker I got in 1990.  My family was aghast at the price I paid for it, my cousine declared that she 'had better never let [her] catch [me] making coffee in it."  But no-one else I know has ever gotten 18 years of good service out of any other coffee maker, or that much good coffee.  Needless to say that I didn't have to defend its replacement.

How could I possibly bear to replace my MX, after such a good long run, with whatever cheap brand with the latest doo-dad on it?

 

Russ 

i don't know why sony get so much stick on this forum , i've had sony tv's since the early 70's and they've all been superb

in the 80's we had a sony profeel 27" which at the time was arguably the best tv in the world , yes better than any bno !

i now have 3 x bravias around the house and can say that on hd they all look staggeringly good via hd dvd and blu ray sources

the bno is better on sd obviously , but that's because of the signals limitation not the tv's strengths 

i looked at the current bno range and for the price of a bno 732 i could get a sony 52" x 3500 bravia , sky hd and a ps3 plus the av surround stand and still save £500 plus it's all black , all integrated and looks quite stunning

 bno need to be aware of their competition as do you lot 

I don't think that I need to put down Sony to praise B&O's strengths, any more than I need to put down American Tourister to praise Goyard. I've had a Sony TV and I liked it just fine, just as I've driven a Honda and thought it to be a wonderful capable appliance.

Admittedly, Flappo, and not to be rude, but I can't figure out why you spend so much time on this board. It seems that we're all talking about the pros and cons of Ferarris while you're explaining how many bus tickets we could buy for the same price.

Non Bang & Olufsen televisions can't even control their own peripherals, let alone the peripherals of over 50 brands. They aren't built of any unique or high quality materials, their pictures are adequate at best, their warranties are sub standard and their "service plans" are shams, they are bought from big box stores at the end of long lines and come with impersonal big box service, they lose the majority of their value in less than 2 years, they do not run external monitors or projectors, they do not adapt to light conditions, they do not distribute video signals around the house, they do not dim lights, and they do not draw blinds, they do not accept ISF calibrations (let alone come with ISF calibrations), they do not have sound systems built in that rival most peoples hi-fi systems, and they do not excite a single electron of emotion in me. Most could barely capture my glance. 

Once the credit card is swiped (as painful as that event may be), you have the rest of your time with the product to consider. With Bang & Olufsen you get a lifelong companion. With other brands you get a dirt sandwich.  

 

TripEnglish:

I don't think that I need to put down Sony to praise B&O's strengths, any more than I need to put down American Tourister to praise Goyard. I've had a Sony TV and I liked it just fine, just as I've driven a Honda and thought it to be a wonderful capable appliance.

Admittedly, Flappo, and not to be rude, but I can't figure out why you spend so much time on this board. It seems that we're all talking about the pros and cons of Ferarris while you're explaining how many bus tickets we could buy for the same price.

Non Bang & Olufsen televisions can't even control their own peripherals, let alone the peripherals of over 50 brands. They aren't built of any unique or high quality materials, their pictures are adequate at best, their warranties are sub standard and their "service plans" are shams, they are bought from big box stores at the end of long lines and come with impersonal big box service, they lose the majority of their value in less than 2 years, they do not run external monitors or projectors, they do not adapt to light conditions, they do not distribute video signals around the house, they do not dim lights, and they do not draw blinds, they do not accept ISF calibrations (let alone come with ISF calibrations), they do not have sound systems built in that rival most peoples hi-fi systems, and they do not excite a single electron of emotion in me. Most could barely capture my glance. 

Once the credit card is swiped (as painful as that event may be), you have the rest of your time with the product to consider. With Bang & Olufsen you get a lifelong companion. With other brands you get a dirt sandwich.  

 

 

not to be rude , but you need to clean out the old litter tray before taking me on , ya big *** 

The fun thing about Internet fora is that you get a range of opinions. In churches, you have "absolute" agreement. I like that there's a range of opinions here on BeoWorld, and I doubt that any of us are universally down on the brand's products -- we have some we love, and some we would like to see improved, and the amusing thing is that there isn't general agreement on what's what.

Trip on Flappo: 

It seems that we're all talking about the pros and cons of Ferarris while you're explaining how many bus tickets we could buy for the same price.

No, I think Flappo is pointing out that in some instances the automobile badged as a Ferrari is getting away with a bit of smoke and mirrors compared to offerings in a category where it's really difficult to stand out. That's no reason to expect him to find another church. 

 

 

 

TripEnglish:

This is where the kittens come in. Each panel that comes off the assembly line is fired up and shown to the basket of kittens. Yarn balls of various colors and sizes are shown and the kittens' purring is measured and recorded. Only a select number of screens pass the feline test and are sent back to Denmark for further engineering.

The kittens wanted to make it clear that dogs, due to their stupidity, would not be able to peerform this delicate task.

 

Flappo The Grate:

 

you need to clean out the old litter tray before taking me on , ya big *** 

Flappo please do something about those damn annoying kittens whilst your at it.

 

that posts shows how little you know aboot other companies products , sony's gear does work very easily with each other , they even pioneered the concept with smartlink , which is still in use today

all sony tv's vcrs pvrs dvd players etc etc - all working seamlessly and all able to auto update over the airwaves unlike bno that requires a repairman to come round and update your software 

in fact their tv remotes work their dvd players and recorders , their freeview remotes work their tvs and vd players and vicea versa etc and unlike bno they can write decent software and lead the market with things like cd , dvd and bluray

don't pontificate to me about subjects you obviously have no idea what you're talking about 

sony for example are still taken very seriously in the pro av field while bno are a total joke outside the rarified atmosphere of this forum 

I said we do not need another Sony company on the AV scene - not that Sony is bad in any way, but Sony is synonymous with "anybrand" and do not stand out compared to Samsung, Panasonic etc. We need companies like B&O, simply because they have a different approach and they stick to their old policy of "never look up at a television" or "press just one button to listen to the radio" and the list goes on.

I guess B&O was the only company that replaced a CRT television with a flat screen without increasing the price: The 7-32 was supposed to cost approx 90.000 DKK, but was introduced costing approx 60.000 DKK (=price of the outgoing Avant). This was a big gamble for B&O, but it paid off as the 7-series is a major success for them. I'm afraid that B&O would have been in serious trouble had the 7-series failed wrt sales.

Roger

i'm not anti-bno at all , i think the 740 and the bv9 are awesome tv's , i just think their intermediate equipment - the dvd and hdr could either be massively updated or bno should just leave it all alone and concentrate on what they've always done best

make exclusive exciting av equipment and for gods sake don't even think about competing with people like sony and apple

they lack the resources and could easily go bankrupt attempting to reinvent the software wheel with things like the bs5 which looks like it could turn out to be  a white elephant

oh for the good old days when bno were a tiny little brand that knew what they stood for and what they were capable of and just made lovely exclusive hifi and tvs , they didn't even bother trying to compete with the big guns , now theyve got ideas far above their station and i'm afraid they could well get really stung

from what i've gleaned david lewis doesn't think much of the digital era and seems to refuse it's existence , he has to take a lot of the blame for the crappy little trinkets they brought out at xmas , the laughable ipod attempts and those awful samsung phones

maybe it's time for a change at the top ? 

 

I am still not sure what the point you are trying to make is.

Looked at in pure, objective  'Bang per Buck' terms B&O have never been at the head of the pack, and to be honest they have never set out to be.

It doesn't matter what you buy, be it clothes, cars, jewellery or AV equipment the mass-market mainstream alternative will always be cheaper and in purely objective terms better value for money than something bought from a small, specialist manufacturer.

Making this point endlessly in loads of different ways doesn't advance the debate. We all know this already and nobody is going to argue with you directly on that point.

But for some people  having something that is designed well, performs well, is supplied by a dealer who builds a relationship with you and will go the extra mile, and is different from what so many people have in their houses is worth paying a significant premium for. Sometimes people will pay money for something that is not sony simply because buying the sony is such a sensible, obvious choice. It doesn't mean they are right and you are wrong, or vice versa.

So the answer to the question in the original post is, if the differences having  B&O bring are important enough to you, it is still worth buying a B&O TV (Having a good dealer would help too!)  I am still unconvinced that the answer now is all that different from when the alternatives were a high-end wide-screen CRT TV from a major manufacturer or an Avant/Beovision 3, despite the technological changes in between.

As I am relatively cash-strapped and live in a house that is as untidy as you might expect when you have four young children living in it, I may well be buying a Sony when the time comes to upgrade my CRT Beovisions, as  a brand new B&O solution isn't the right one for me at this stage in my life. But if circumstances were different, I would certainly be considering a B&O solution,and may well do so in future.

 Simon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flappo The Grate:

i don't know why sony get so much stick on this forum , i've had sony tv's since the early 70's and they've all been superb

in the 80's we had a sony profeel 27" which at the time was arguably the best tv in the world , yes better than any bno !

i now have 3 x bravias around the house and can say that on hd they all look staggeringly good via hd dvd and blu ray sources

the bno is better on sd obviously , but that's because of the signals limitation not the tv's strengths 

i looked at the current bno range and for the price of a bno 732 i could get a sony 52" x 3500 bravia , sky hd and a ps3 plus the av surround stand and still save £500 plus it's all black , all integrated and looks quite stunning

 bno need to be aware of their competition as do you lot 

There may be various reasons why one would buy a B & O TV,but surely one of them would have to be that it's Picture Quality is second to none.

Can one in all honesty say that this is the case?

With the rapidly advances in both LCD,and Plasma,technology is it wise to consider a modern TV as a long term investment as one might have done with a CRT TV which used a more or less mature technology?

 

Flappo!

I'm sorry if I come off aggressively in these threads. Sometimes it's hard to convey our demeanor when we're typing and I'm not accustomed to using emoticons to reinforce my tone. My intention was definitely not to "take you on."

I think everyone has a right to dislike anything they want, but these forums tend to become echo chambers and strong proponents of the brand like myself can easily take criticisms personally, as Bang & Olufsen is one part of my identity. Of course that's my problem!

I guess at the end of the day I criticize B&O like I do my family, from a loving place, and defend them with equal intensity. So what if the BeoVision 9 is the "funny uncle!"

When we get onto a thread like this, it's a unique situation since only a few of us have spent time with the product while others are essentially projecting their "perfect world" scenario onto it or hanging their hope for the company on it. 

I personally think that it's a very impressive product that brings a distinct Bang & Olufsen approach to multimedia and am equally excited that this concept, along with others in the pipeline, have room to develop and evolve.

I suppose, for everyone's sake, that I'll send those kittens down the river in their basket. They had a good run. 

As a moderator I must say that the tone is quite pleasant considering the topic. I guess that the question "Is it worth buying a B&O TV anymore?" is asked in every B1 across the world weekly - if not daily. I am sure that the marketing dept in Struer is keeping a close eye on this thread...

Roger

Terry, 

I think that this is a valid point. Considering electronics of any kind an investment seems counterintuitive, but I think that as the past is put further behind us, some of the gory details are being left out. It's the same way people recall the 1950s here in the US as a time when firemen rescued kittens from trees and the sun was always shining. 

I think back the not to distant past having to present the Avant in a time when large rear projection screens were traditionally considered "high-end" and very desirable. Of course I love the Avant, but if you look at it unemotionally it is a 30" CRT with a surround sound processor in it. Same with the BeoSound 9000. It's a 6 disc changer with a radio. Without going any deeper, it would be hard to justify a high pricetag on those or consider them an investment of any sort, but seeing them and interacting with them produces an experience that is more than the sum of their parts.

@Trip - that's where the B&O design/craftsmanship sculptural element enters into the equation.

Wonderfully shaped with exceptional functionality. It's a really tall order these days. 

SP,

You're absolutely right. I may as well let the kittens out of the bag here, I work for Bang & Olufsen. 

When I deal with clients and visitors in the shop I find that their initial line of questioning when looking at a Beovision 4 is very traditional, i.e. what are the "specs" and generally balk at the price and remain incredulous throughout the rest of the visit. However, when looking at the BeoVision 7 (and now the Beovision 8 to some extent), they're more like little kids looking at a new toy asking me to show them what it can do. It's an amazing contrast and one that I think Bang & Olufsen realizes (considering the new BeoLab 10).

I've made the point internally that we seem to succeed best when our forms factors and interfaces are totally unique and the closer we get to our competitors in those areas, the more we "lose the plot" as some have said.

I think it's interesting to note that David Lewis did not design the BeoSound 5. I wouldn't suggest reading anything into this, but considering how drastically it changes the landscape for the company, I think it's interesting that David's fingerprints aren't on it. Just a thought. 

bring back jacob jensen !

I agree with Trip. The point about a B&O TV is that it has to perform well but also look different. The Avant and AV9000 both looked special either on or off. The MX was the same and the BV5/9 is one of the few flat screens that stands out. The BV7 just doesn't do it for me though the choice of speaker does make a difference. However I will always buy a B&O set simply because of the superb integration.

Peter :

The BV7 just doesn't do it for me though the choice of speaker does make a difference. However I will always buy a B&O set simply because of the superb integration.

I think people either absolutely adore or hate the BV7. Some people can't understand why the BL7 is wider than the TV and comment that they've seen a vertical speaker (7.4) that looks much better than the 7.2. Snag is, they don't realise that the 7.2 is a better 'all round' standalone speaker and the 7.4 requires additional speakers, adding more cables, expense and space required to host the equipment.

I don't know Flappo. I bought one of his timers last year and I think we must have bled him dry the first time around!

I would like to see a new figure emerge the way David Lewis did, however. Maybe we can just steal Jonathan Ive and your Apple dreams can really come true! 

moxxey:

Peter :

The BV7 just doesn't do it for me though the choice of speaker does make a difference. However I will always buy a B&O set simply because of the superb integration.

I think people either absolutely adore or hate the BV7. Some people can't understand why the BL7 is wider than the TV and comment that they've seen a vertical speaker (7.4) that looks much better than the 7.2. Snag is, they don't realise that the 7.2 is a better 'all round' standalone speaker and the 7.4 requires additional speakers, adding more cables, expense and space required to host the equipment.

I'd have the 7.1 / 7.2 every time. I think that is what makes the set different. But I would have a BV5 first! Especially at today's prices!  

Hehe, it's only £5,995 - at today's prices (adding 10 inches to the current state of affairs ...). Frankly, though, I'm curious when you will admit that the latest BV7 with the BS3 is actually a better deal!