BV8 40 an upgrade to Avant 55 or BV11-55?

Hello

 

Im about to link a number or products via the new beolink multi room- i.e. a beosound 5, beovision 8, a beocentre 2 in another room and probably an A9 in a bedroom.

Im now wondering if its soon time to upgrade my TV- my tv is Beovision 8-40. Works perfectly fine, though is a little small for the living room.  It is now around 6 years of age.  I'm considering an Avant 55 or a Beovision 55- possibly a demonstration model with a reasonable discount.  My partner did ask a valid question which is what's wrong with the present TV.! .... Occasionally partners are sensible!

I'm wondering (other than size) will we really notice a significant difference and whether my BV8 will continue to go on working  just fine for several years yet?  

Any compelling arguments either way? 

Best Wishes

 

David

Hi David

As they have now finally laid down the specs for UHD Blue Ray and broadcasting, and gear is now on the way. If it were me I'd wait just a little longer.

The 11-55 is a fine HD TV with all the looks, but panel technology has really moved on. The Avant can display UHD, but not the best version of UHD/HD in HDR. I know there's always the next big thing, but I think we are now at a stage where the commercial world is set on UHD specs, and that will remain so for the foreseeable future.

OLED/UHD/HDR. Nothing less when spending a relative fortune on a TV now.

Just my opinion if I was looking to do the same(keep the 8-40 anyway)

Both the BV11 and Avant are superior to the BV8 in multiple areas; screen size, sound quality and management, picture quality and rendering engine, build quality and screen brightness, contrast, viewing angle and pixel/lighting control.

The Avant is like a 1.5 version of the Beosystem 4 engine, where it has subtle enhancements for picture control and 4k plus a list of other things. Most people choose between them based on the visual concept more than anything, but the Avant is subtly better/improved technically across a number of attributes including measuring the environment lighting to establish the right brightness to use.

The big difference is the Beosystem 4 inside these newer TV's. We live in a software defined world now and the ability to update almost every 8-10 weeks with new features and fixes is fully automated with the newer products, whereas on BS3 based products, as you know you require an engineer to plug in a laptop. And I'm also fairly sure that B&O are putting zero resources behind any development now as their software resources are likely extremely precious and constrained.

There is a generation between the BV8 and BV11/Avant and it shows. I tend to buy my BVs based on moving between the generations of chassis versus the screens themselves. The BS4 itself is now 3-4 years old as it was launched in the V1, so maybe worth holding now.

Hope that helps.

 

 

 

 

My BV5 was fine until I got the BV11.....  Not only does technology endlessly move on, but fashion comes into the subconscious, and the slim elegant BV5 was suddenly heavy (OK, it is!) and cumbersome to look at.

There is never a right time to upgrade and there will always be something better (fashion and technology) in  2 years time.

If you look at the way the CRT and then LCD TV's plummeted to almost no value in the space of a couple of years, then that tells you what is in store for whatever current TV you have and whatever you buy.  The current BV11's have a fantastic picture as far as I am concerned, and UHD will only have the advantage of  either very big screen possibilities or being able to read small newsprint with you face against the screen. At normal viewing distances with your average screen size I don't think UHD matters (but I used to say the same about CRTs vs HD!)

The most important thing to me with B&O TV's is the motorised stands or hinges and built-in sound system,  and that is what I am happy to pay for rather than even higher screen definitions.

Graham

You would be happy with either the BV11 or the Avant. I swear by the avant. Visually it's not as heavy as the 11 and that's important to me.

If you're going down the track of linking products I would go down the newer NL than the older master link.

But it's up to you.

If you're not desperate and your other half may be right. You can just wait until the right tech comes that makes you want to purchase.

For me the Avant was the right purchase at the right time.

High Dynamic Range HDR, has nothing to do with more pixels, just much better ones. Much better is good David.

mawheele:

Both the BV11 and Avant are superior to the BV8 in multiple areas; screen size, sound quality and management, picture quality and rendering engine, build quality and screen brightness, contrast, viewing angle and pixel/lighting control.

The Avant is like a 1.5 version of the Beosystem 4 engine, where it has subtle enhancements for picture control and 4k plus a list of other things. Most people choose between them based on the visual concept more than anything, but the Avant is subtly better/improved technically across a number of attributes including measuring the environment lighting to establish the right brightness to use.

The big difference is the Beosystem 4 inside these newer TV's. We live in a software defined world now and the ability to update almost every 8-10 weeks with new features and fixes is fully automated with the newer products, whereas on BS3 based products, as you know you require an engineer to plug in a laptop. And I'm also fairly sure that B&O are putting zero resources behind any development now as their software resources are likely extremely precious and constrained.

There is a generation between the BV8 and BV11/Avant and it shows. I tend to buy my BVs based on moving between the generations of chassis versus the screens themselves. The BS4 itself is now 3-4 years old as it was launched in the V1, so maybe worth holding now.

Hope that helps.

I certainly agree on this - indeed!

Starting from scratch and having to choose between the BV840 and the BV11/Avant, I would not hesitate to pick the BV11/Avant.

However, I am a (quite) happy owner of the BV8-40 and considering my financial possibilities, I would rather 'take the risk' and wait to see, what a next gen BV offers.

If you are someone, who can afford it, get rid of the BV8-40 , buy either the BV11 or the Avant now and swap that for, what tv may come from B&O, when it comes. You can become very happy with the 11/Avant - and we still only speculate, what may come from B&O.

MM

Chris Townsend:

High Dynamic Range HDR, has nothing to do with more pixels, just much better ones. Much better is good David.

The great news in the TV world is that there is always something new around the corner. I suspect B&O is at least 12 months+ from having an HDR product.I'm confident they will offer a new concept before then. The dealers may well have seen it at the meeting (this week or next?) You'll have a massive audience on BeoWorld bemoaning the fact that its missing this capability much as they did HEVC when the Avant appeared. Undoubtedly HDR will provide another relevant bump in pixel performance, brightness and colour accuracy.

The second thing to consider is whether you are betting on the future being hardware based (e.g.; content on discs) or software based (eg. streamed content). I'm personally betting on the latter and therefore you want to bet on a TV that can maximise compressed content and broad standards. The only thing holding the Avant back really is the fact that only port 1 supports UHD+HDMI2 - that is a bummer as ideally you'd have at least one more.

We've reached the end of the road for 'special' formats in the mainstream. Any decoding of any importance will be performed in external boxes herein. Its a software defined world. I can't remember the last time I played a Blu-Ray, but my ATV is used all the time.

I'd bet we are not too far from a BS5 or upgraded BS4. I suspect the latter as the investment in multi-room recently would indicate they've put a lot of investment in their firmware of late. Not sure they have the resources for a next gen platform when the current one is not to shabby.

 

 

 

 

 

@macwheele

1: Hard to tell, if you are correct on the 12 months+.

I did not believe it 2 years ago, as Tue (between the lines, of course) told me, that the next tv (the Avant) would be a 4K model. Noone expected that.

So, I would not be surpriced, if there will be something new (including all the new technologies) coming - based on a cooperation with another tv-maker - before the 12 months are gone.

On the other side, there has been rumours for quite a while now of a soon coming tv. Maybe we should regard this as a sign of faster changing tv models from B&O for the future. Maybe this 'soon coming' tv will be based on a recent one - in an upgraded version. And what will come thereafter will be a (for B&O) new way of dealing with tv's.

Just speculating and expressing 'gut feelings'. Perhaps we soon - after the dealers conference - will be wiser. Who will be the first to bring some news!

2: Software-/streaming or hardware-/disc based won't matter - there is room for both. Whether one is 'better' than the other, is another discussion. Personally I just finished watching a Bluray disc half an hour ago.

If all decoding is done in external boxes (as you wrote), it won't matter from where the content is coming. Yes, we need enough capable input ports!

Personally I would not want to have my tv-tuner(s) as an external box - but that is just me.

And for the new 'immersive audio formats' (Dolby Atmos etc) there can be no external-box-decoding. This has to be done inside an audio engine (as part of the BeoSystem X) - that is, if B&O will want to support these sound formats.

Plenty to do for the guys in Struer - exciting times for B&O-lovers 😀

MM

@ the Cat... Let's hope your right on this? A tv that's affordable with some/all of the things we like!

I do want another B&O tv again but looking at what's on offer from others right now is tempting!

A 4k beosystem 4 would have done the trick for meeeee! With Hevec. But a a tv with it all built in is nicer...

mawheele:

We've reached the end of the road for 'special' formats in the mainstream. Any decoding of any importance will be performed in external boxes herein. Its a software defined world. I can't remember the last time I played a Blu-Ray, but my ATV is used all the time.

I only use my ATV sometimes for streaming music with airplay but never for watching movies. With my Bluray player I get a better picture quality and also better sound formats, not only Dolby Digital.

Last Friday I got the new album from David Gilmour. The box contains not only a CD but also a Bluray with 5.1 sound in superior quality (5.1 DTS master audio and 5.1 PCM in 96 kHz/24 bit). The listening experience is fantastic, far better than CD or Spotify.

I wonder why some B&O customers are spending so much money for Beolabs and Beovisions without using it in the best possible way for watching movies and listening music. I guess those people are visiting the best restaurants to order a fast food meal!

Regards

Räuber

Its the way the world is today. Less than 50% of all media purchased is physical anymore. I love the BS9000 for example and BC2 - but they are of the past.

The restaurant near me does great burgers ;-)

Would you rather have a BMW 5-series or a Tesla? Its all about the software today, including its compromises. The pluses outweigh the minuses and that extra 5-10% is not important to me. B&O offers so much more than that 5%.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If only streaming audio and video could reach the quality of the physical media (in this case the Bluray disc) everything would be fine - at least for those with enough internet bandwith.

MM

Raeuber:

I only use my ATV sometimes for streaming music with airplay but never for watching movies. With my Bluray player I get a better picture quality and also better sound formats, not only Dolby Digital.

That's interesting as we have an ATV2 with our BV7_55 and cannot tell the difference between HD content on Netflix and a BluRay disc anymore.

Yes, I do use my BS9000 for music but I'm also really please with the quality via Deezer into my Lab9's and 3's + BL2.  I still order chips in a posh restaurant!

Dave.

Dave Farr:

I still order chips in a posh restaurant!

Dave.

Me too!

And I would 'visit the best restaurants'......if I could afford it 😏

MM

I can't tell the difference in picture quality either.

Also the volume settings on the Blue Ray player had obviously been turned down low before installation, as to get even a reasonably loud response I need to turn it up to volume 85.

If I did that on Apple TV I'd blow the roof off

I have played a CD in it though, and the sound quality was miles better. Much more detail.

So I need a touch screen Beosound 5 that can utilise Apple TV and music, plus play stored Cds.

Dave Farr:

That's interesting as we have an ATV2 with our BV7_55 and cannot tell the difference between HD content on Netflix and a BluRay disc anymore.

Dave.

You must sit far away from BV 7-55 if you don't see any difference between ATV2 and Bluray disk. ATV2 has only HD ready resolution, only ATV3 (and 4) is FullHD.

Räuber

Raeuber:

You must sit far away from BV 7-55 if you don't see any difference between ATV2 and Bluray disk. ATV2 has only HD ready resolution, only ATV3 (and 4) is FullHD.

Räuber

About 3.5 meters. It's not just me, all the family say the same. I think it's an ATV2. I bought it new 6 weeks ago.

Dave.

To answer the first question, I will say that yes it's an upgrade from BV8 to Avant or BV11.

An upgrade in picture quality (incredible picture with a good source and the bonus of anti reflection coating), an upgrade in sound quality (play a bluray at high volume on the BV11 in the shop with cinema audio mode and you'll ear what I mean), an upgrade in craftmanship and looks.

The BV 8 is a good product but I won't make a mistake saying that you will love more one of the two others.

One thing I'm not sure is to buy one right now or not.

Personaly I would wait a few months for the new V1/BV11 MK6/Avant MK2 just in case because you allready have good picture and sound. But they may be more expensive.

The choice is yours.