New B&O TV 4K TV Comes With A Twist It

B&O Australia are not saying why they are trying to gouge an additional $3,894 from Australian consumers.

At Samsung, LG and Panasonic most of their premium TV’s are being sold at parity to US TV pricing. 

In the USA the wall mount for the new TV is selling for US$859 in Australia the same wall mount has a recommended retail price of $1,295.   

The Company who is about more sound than vision claim that motorized motion technology built into the mounts is the big differentiator.

Using a B&O tagline “BeoVision Avant: the one that moves.” The European Company floor mount allows the set to rotate to the left or right for an optimal viewing angle, while a motorized tabletop mount tilts the screen up and down for a proper viewing alignment.


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The TV will compete head on with several new TV’s set to be launched by German Company Loewe. 

BeoVision Avant is arriving in 55″ in May 2014, and will be on sale exclusively at Bang & Olufsen stores.

The wall-mount option enables the screen to pivot out and away from the wall on the left or right side, while automatically spreading out the internal speaker system from the display’s base to deliver precise left/right channel sound separation to match the viewing angle.

 
A motorized wall mount is available with a pivot hinge on either the right or left side of the set. The BeoVision Avant features an LED backlit panel with 1.5 dimming technology. 

The B&O sound is handled with a newly developed eight-speaker on board “sound panel” that unfolds when the television is on, then retreats inside when one turns it off. 

Said B&O, “The sound panel’s movements are coordinated with those of the new stands so the television is ready for viewing and listening in one choreographed flow.” When using only the on board sound system, the TV provides what the company calls “three-channel stereo,” offering left, right and centre channels. 

For up to 7.1-channel surround sound, the set incorporates a surround sound module that will accommodate B&O surround speakers, either wired or wireless (using the WiSA wireless speaker standard). In the surround sound setup, the on-board speakers in the TV can automatically shift into centre channel configuration and correctly attune the sound dynamics of the TV speakers to match that of the select B&O surround speakers. 

B&O’s room adjustments go beyond the TV too, as long as everything else you own is made by B&O. Moving the TV’s orientation will change the pattern of the speakers around the room, for instance, adjusting the left and right channels to always be on the left and right of the screen, even if that means using one of the speakers at the back of the room.
 The remote supplied with the BeoVision Avant is manufactured out of a solid block of aluminium and can control a plethora of other entertainment devices.

Three personalised buttons on the remote can also automatically adjust the TV, switch channels, media sources and sound levels with one touch.

“There are three buttons on the remote which can control and adjust everything. One for Mum, one for Dad and one for the kids. Everyone can get what they want with one click,” said Steve Devonshire, a product training manager for B&O.

While B&O states that its products aren’t about technology, statistics and numbers, the BeoVision Avant is certainly future-proofed and packed with ports, connections and specifications.

‘People change their televisions every six to seven years on average’

The 55in LCD screen is 4K, with four-times the resolution of current high-definition televisions and local backlight dimming for enhanced contrast – something only high-end televisions currently feature. At the back it has five HDMI slots for connecting everything from games consoles to a Chromecast, it is smart with upgradable software, something B&O says it is committed to keeping up to date, and has built-in video recording functions.

“People change their televisions every six to seven years on average, and we do not know how technology is going to change over that period, so we have put as much technology into the TV as possible to future-proof it, while being able to upgrade the software like adding Spotify and Deezer music services,” explained Schmidt.

 Eight speakers are hidden in behind the screen and in the drop-down soundbar that smoothly appears and extends when the screen is switched on.

Powerful, integrated speakers are one the biggest differentiators for the BeoVision Avant over its competition. The TV has eight separate speakers, which create three channels of sound – centre, left and right – which B&O calls three-channel stereo. 

The idea is that speech and dialogue is much clearer when projected out of a single speaker in the centre of the screen rather than through both left and right stereo speakers, which results in interference and a muddying of vocals.

The BeoVision Avant goes beyond just built-in speakers and into the domain of multi-channel home theatre, connecting to up to eight more wireless B&O speakers as well as 10 additional wired speakers, making a grand total of a 21-speaker surround-sound set-up possible for those with deep pockets.