BEOVISION ECLIPSE

For those not aware - the Eclipse does not play FLAC files as of release.

Assume that will get added, but not there now.

The problem is not the design only, let me explain :

LG is a huge display supplier. All iMac from 2008 that I have owned until today, are shipped with LG screens. 

The problem however is that LG doesn't make All-in-One computers like Apple does. There is no direct competition. 

Samsung on the other hand don't usually sell their microprocessors in their handset to other competitors. 

I have expected LG to supply B&O with a custom display or maybe exclusive type of OLED whatever you wanna call it or a kind of agreement to keep it solely for B&O

What's even worse is that if you put the W7 and the eclipse next to each other, they are basically the same TV with different label and design. 

I blame B&O for that and kudos for LG honestly, they knew how to play it... They are now attracting the most difficult class of consumers, those who're willing to pay 10+ grand on a TV.

Some further info. Apologies if this has already been posted. According to my dealer he asked B&O whether the just the screen could be upgraded/replaced in future I.e. keep the sound bar and stand. The answer was"yes".

That's very cool if correct, and totally changes things from a long term investment point of view.

Chris Townsend:

Get the Sony 65 and a pair of Beolab 5s. I'm just listening to the Blade Runner track on mine. Fabulous

Have you already bought a 65" A1 Chris? If it were between that, the W7, a Loeve Bild model or the Eclipse, where you be if you were going to spend c£8k?

I love the BL5s and would happily have them but no space at all to accommodate. I have also sold on my BL9s. Apart from an A1 and an A3 I haven't got anything else B&O! I've been selling it off while it was still worth something over the last year! Such sad times.

Duels:

Some further info. Apologies if this has already been posted. According to my dealer he asked B&O whether the just the screen could be upgraded/replaced in future I.e. keep the sound bar and stand. The answer was"yes".

That's really interesting, I would be curious to know the price associated with that. It does change the value proposition somewhat.

 

Chris Townsend:

That's very cool if correct

It is if it's correct. I'd like to hear that "officially".

Duels:

Some further info. Apologies if this has already been posted. According to my dealer he asked B&O whether the just the screen could be upgraded/replaced in future I.e. keep the sound bar and stand. The answer was"yes".

I have the same reply as well

Does anyone know if it has bluetooth out so you can pair headphones? I cant find it in the specs.

Does that mean a like for like swap i.e. if the panel is faulty they just slot in a new version of the same TV.

Or will that extend to a future panel (supplied by LG).

The difference is quite important i think - in the first case, its for the suppliers benefit. In the second, they're built something close to a truly modular TV / Audio system, which is clearly much more interesting.

Have no idea, but i'm doubtful - they'd have emphasised this surely as part of the pitch, and moreover can there be any guarantee that (a) LG are still the TV supplier the future or (b) a future (lets say 2020-22) LG panel will be fittable to the sound centre?

But yes, interesting if its the latter.

Not expecting you to have the answer by the way!

I get the feelings the last words said in the design meeting for this were "*** it". Its not what I expect from B&O and as someone who really has to think about spending that kind of money its a non-starter. My high end Sony TV looks a hell of a lot better with a couple Beolab 8000s next to it. If they're going to just repackage TVs like this (IE make no effort what so ever) why not just give us a decent AV receiver option so we can pick our own panel and make it work with our B&O equipment? I love B&O but products like this are why a large portion of the Audio/ Video community laugh when you mention them. 

And this comes from someone who dearly loves the brand, but they're making it realllyyyy damn hard. 

Ammier:

Does anyone know if it has bluetooth out so you can pair headphones? I cant find it in the specs.

At least the LG B7 has bluetooth for pairing headphones, so I think the Eclipse has the same feature.

Well, I think this clip says it all about the new Eclipse:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=pWyJP9rlopc

Chris Townsend:

That's very cool if correct, and totally changes things from a long term investment point of view.

Really? Surely in this case its just replacing your whole TV and keeping your separate soundbar and stand!

Well, my beloved 11-55 still a lot years of life left... lol

I'll wait to see the what the early buyers go thru... bugs and all..

Plus does anyone when they start shipping?

Sept? Nov? Dec?

KMA:

Ammier:

 

Does anyone know if it has bluetooth out so you can pair headphones? I cant find it in the specs.

 

 

 

At least the LG B7 has bluetooth for pairing headphones, so I think the Eclipse has the same feature.

 

Cool, thanks!

 

Mentioned built-in airplay : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsfbS0xZ_yU

See the separation of the soundbar and the TV : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02kSNBeBktI

Went to see it.

1. Stand menu now requires list - stand (ok) - manual move (ok) then arrows.

On my Avant it's list (stand shows up first as on the new one but I don't have to press ok even once - just arrows.

Now more cumbersome I think.

2. Speaker bar too wide. Just estethics I guess, too bad because it's now wider than Avant and that was wide.

3. It is very flimsy. Moving the tv by hand makes it bend.

4. The finish is so-so. Even the sound bar. Sad to say. A lot of plastic and gaps.

5. No contrast glass! Only on the plate below the speaker. 🤷‍♂️. I love contrast glass on B&O screens but now it's history at least on this model.

6. No metal frame on the tv. Bye nice aluminum and genuine craftsmanship.

7. Dodgy interface - shows a big HDMI2 logo while waiting for the sources connected to the soundbar to show up. However it boots instantly and with a B&O logo. Audio fades in/out but not the video. I miss the magic. There's a lot of glitches in the interface with different GUI and stuff blinking by in operation changes and turning on.

8. The GUI is all over the place. Several different designs. The settings app is clearly B&O custom and is really not too bad but since it has several styles I don't like it. Not even the right fonts used.

The Lg interface also looks very out of place. Huge, enormous font for channel and source and volume which looks nothing like the webOs startbar that it also has. Very annoying. I prefer elegance and a dark discrete interface. Get used to big white, or blue or whatever kind of text in all kinds of sizes and fonts - all over the screen without any kind of real idea behind it.

9. Speaker fret/grille pokes out in the center as on Beosound 35 almost. Looks like a nice touch but also a bit like the designer grasped for help. We will never know.

10. Netflix and amazon buttons on the remote? I know this was aa necessity but come on. I don't want them.

11. The colors pop, the black is great. Sound is great I think but didn't listen that much.

12. Stand is smaller than the Avant stand and the pipe is thinner too. Looks cheaper and won't extend from the wall as much of course.

13. The aluminum grille looks much better than the dark red cover. It was ugly I think.

14. The 65" I saw was labeled OLED65C7BOZ which turns up as a LG tv license for webos. Guess it means it's the C7 model of LG.

15. There's a lot of plastic on the back. Not very well oriented but I guess people don't usually connect pheriperals all the time.

The Avant and Bv11 was more cleverly designed with easy access ports. The plastic is flimsier than I've ever seen with B&O.

16. The back seems to be fake metal or very thin. Differs from the metal that's nice (on the sound bar). When you look at the set from behind the finishes differs a lot and you can see that much thought went into the soundbar but not to the rest. It's really nicer on the back than on the front! (The speaker bar that is).

All in all these are my first impressions. I was hoping to be ecstatic and I can't say I am. I think the partnership is good but they didn't work on the interface and it's a huge fail. Huge fail. I can't accept an interface that badly designed. It goes totally away from what I believe in. If the interface was designed to fit the tv I would like it much better.

The different materials and unevenness makes me struggle to like it. And the width of the speaker bar makes it hard to love. A bad design choose. Not only does it make it turn less since the speaker will hit the speaker bar sooner than the rest. It also makes it unnecessary wide. Strange choice when everything else is thinner than ANY other B&O Tv.

Not sure what they want really..

I would buy the soundbar alone if it was available. And preferably less wide. I would then buy any TV to use with it and just have the TV be a panel that turns on by HDMI - CEC. That's what they should have released at the same time. Would give B&O a lot of money.

Despite admitting that the design could grow on me, I honestly feel that B&O has completely disregarded their own DNA. How can a company that uses a slogan as "like no one else" introduce a new flag ship TV which is only a rebadge of a main street label. Of course the technical quality still is there picture wise but using the direct same UI is just plain unacceptable for me!

The simple fact it is just only a redesigned LG tv with a very good sound bar makes the price a joke. Outsourcing the TV department should be joint by a new internal software development department to function as "guardian angel" for all the remaining B&O USP's (electric curtains and the UI among others). The direction they are heading now feels a lot like a dead end street. We will now in (near) future but as a dedicated B&O lover I fear the most.

I notice a lot of positive reactions also and that is a good thing, but I truly believe that a negative sound should also be expressed in this topic. Maybe B&O can benefit somehow just a little bit from negative feedback also.

Fansastic:

Despite admitting that the design could grow on me, I honestly feel that B&O has completely disregarded their own DNA. How can a company that uses a slogan as "like no one else" introduce a new flag ship TV which is only a rebadge of a main street label. Of course the technical quality still is there picture wise but using the direct same UI is just plain unacceptable for me!

The simple fact it is just only a redesigned LG tv with a very good sound bar makes the price a joke. Outsourcing the TV department should be joint by a new internal software development department to function as "guardian angel" for all the remaining B&O USP's (electric curtains and the UI among others). The direction they are heading now feels a lot like a dead end street. We will now in (near) future but as a dedicated B&O lover I fear the most.

I notice a lot of positive reactions also and that is a good thing, but I truly believe that a negative sound should also be expressed in this topic. Maybe B&O can benefit somehow just a little bit from negative feedback also.

Totally agree, and to my eyes it looks all wrong.

It looks like a jumble of expensive bits just joined together in a semi random fashion.

Gosh, its genuinely sad to read all these negative comments of which I am also a contributor.

I am genuinely mystified at how a company as reputable and prominent as B&O has been for so many decades has seemingly slipped into oblivion. How is this happening?

Only a few weeks ago Lee (from Lifestyle-AV) was sharing his delight at his new refurbished demonstration area at his premises, only to now inform us that the business is no longer sustainable, and we can all see why.

It's not that the Eclipse is a terrible product (I am going on photos and people's comments thus far) but it is just not traditional Bang & Olufsen in any regard aside from an average attempt at a half decent speaker - and I talk in design terms not sound reproduction terms.

It feels like they are throwing away their heritage and I can't bear to sit back and watch it unfold. I have loved this brand for so many years and been so incredibly excited looking forward to new product releases time and time again. I haven't had that feeling since 2006.

I am sad for B&O, I am sad for the dealers and I am sad for me. Perhaps the soundshape will help boost sales? What else is there that looks good or even works properly? I am honestly lost for words.

I think you guys are all to negative.

You get a television that is top of the market when we talk picture quality that is a first time for B&O

You also got the best (in my opinion) smart tv platform that is a first time for B&O

 

Also it is fine to compare, but the impression I got from the built quality exceeds Loewe, Sony and LG by a quiet far margin

 

You are not getting anything near the B&O in other brands!

 

Am I going to buy it after I saw it? no I am going for the cheap alternative for now and settle for the B7 in 65"

For this price you need to love the design, if you do the price is just right, and a pretty good bargin in my point of view.

Emil Jensen:

and a pretty good bargin in my point of view.

Really? :) Surely you must work for B&O? A bargain?

Look, sure it's a decent TV. Interesting design, but I'm not sure I'd go as far as saying a bargain. You slot an LG panel into a soundbar and attach it to the wall? Sure, the single remote is nice, but that doesn't make it a bargain.

I just hope they do the 77" version!

Emil Jensen:

Am I going to buy it after I saw it? no I am going for the cheap alternative for now and settle for the B7 in 65"

Seems like you have arrived at the same decision the rest of us have.

Emil Jensen:

I think you guys are all to negative.

You get a television that is top of the market when we talk picture quality that is a first time for B&O

You also got the best (in my opinion) smart tv platform that is a first time for B&O

 

Also it is fine to compare, but the impression I got from the built quality exceeds Loewe, Sony and LG by a quiet far margin

 

You are not getting anything near the B&O in other brands!

 

Am I going to buy it after I saw it? no I am going for the cheap alternative for now and settle for the B7 in 65"

For this price you need to love the design, if you do the price is just right, and a pretty good bargin in my point of view.

I think they would have had more credibility if they'd just released the stand and soundbar with the ability to attach any third party TV, i.e. without the pretence that the LG TV is somehow B&O" when it very clearly isn't!

If B&O have now closed the video department does this mean no future Beosystem 5 in the future?

My new BS2 ticks the right boxes!

And the BL50'S are truly magical.

But yeah, I remember the first time I saw the 12-65 or BV11, I thought wow, and that I must have one. Didn't get the same feeling from the Eclipse, though after an hour the aluminium grill 65 inch did grow on me.

Surely webOS can be re-skinned to give it some B&O treatment?

Chris Townsend:

Just imagine if they popped that screen into a 14-55 frame, and upgraded the speakers.

Do they need to upgrade the speaker Chris? I'd be happy with your first suggestion - that panel in a BV14 frame! No need for a speaker upgrade.

My guess is, they've done this modular system for one good reason: I bet LG service the panel, so it has to be removable. Also, I wouldn't be surprised that the panel part has a limited lifespan, so B&O wanted it detachable. I doubt it's for panel upgrades, more servicing.

Seanie_230:

If B&O have now closed the video department does this mean no future Beosystem 5 in the future?

No, definitely not - we've already (sadly) established that B&O has given up in that department. They've let LG handle the video processing for the Eclipse panel.

If B&O are moving away from video, then a Beosystem 5 with the panel of your choice is the obvious way forward for a B&O integrated home...

Sal:

Just imagine, a Beosystem with all of B&O's sound processing capabilities, video processing capabilities, and jam in Beolink Gateway functionality, for an all in one small-box solution for your home or apartment? Come on. Who wouldn't buy that? Bring your own screen and speakers, and smart home devices.

I definitely would! :) Today when all TVs are flat and have almost no bezel etc, I don't really need a B&O display anymore. Instead I want the display to be as minimal as possible. What I DO need, however, is the B&O user interface, the sound engine and the beolink capabilities – that's why I would love to be able to buy a "Beosystem 5".

A B&O tv without the "Beosystem" features and the B&O interface is not of interest to me.

Totally right. 

 

Wow. What a shocker! I can't believe what I'm seeing. A £10k TV should have people going wow, not what the hell?

for a company the size of B&O you'd think they would play the design safe. It's hugely marmite. And I'm still tasting it for the first time so I'm still making my mind up. But as of now. I don't like it. This TV was a make or break for B&O and they have really made an *** of it. Allow me to explain. 

You ask LG to supply a panel, totally fair enough. B&O have been doing this for years. But for a top rate television offered from a top rate manufacture, you get your Picture team to make the best circuitry and processing possible. They failed on this totally. If what I'm reading is true and the fact my dealer dodged the question when I asked "does this tv have vision clear?" It's LG picture quality in a fancy design... which brings me onto my next question. 

Build quality. I've read this tv has no craftsmanship values under its belt. Seems flimsy and a lot of plastics used (seems like LG built it themselves.)  Again, where were B&O's thought when they designed this TV. 

Branding issues. It seems LG are getting the better one of the deal here. The promo video which B&O posted this morning actually mentions the fact that LG have supplied the panel. No no no! A top end brand does not advertise this! It's only going to make people think this is an overpriced LG, and not buy it. A lot of B&O haters have said this for years. But this time. With no B&O magic behind the panel. This statement is true. 

Ease of use. Seriously? WebOS. What a clunky, horrible POS this interface is. And its available on 500 quid TV's out of Currys PC World. I say no more. 

Design. Yawn. That speaker bar sits rather out of place right over the front, causing reflections onto the screen (reason why they most likely removed the gloss coating) is just distracting. And whats with the bit at the bottom. That was no necessary at all.

Small quirks. NO, I repeat, NO curtains on start up. The last time I was this annoyed about a small detail such as that was when Apple started removing the start up bong from their computers. Its heritage, its what makes a product iconic. Its what gives it that little touch of human not machine quality to it. Imagine if Rolls Royce removed the spirit of ecstasy off the front of the bonnet? Or Maserati removing the analogue clock from the centre of the dashboard. There would be a huge outcry. I'm no different. The new remote also has horrible cheap looking Netflix and Amazon buttons at the top. Why? what was wrong with the four preset buttons which I think B&O could only pull off.

PRICE. Now this is a huge huge make or break. And this is dead on arrival. Albeit this TV may sound better than whats already in the line up (thank goodness B&O haven't gone senile)  But... For a lazy job from B&O having no input on picture, and by the looks of things design and build. You have to be a mug to pay the asking price for this TV. And thats in writing from me! 

Im so glad I bought my 48 Horizon when I did and not get roped into waiting for this TV like my dealer suggested.

I love B&O. But it seems a lot of companies nowadays are losing focus on their products. Apple being the worst offender. But for B&O. You HAVE to get it right. Small company or not. you spend where you have to not where you want to. If they had given us a revamped BV 7 design and don't the video processing themselves and made it 1k cheaper. They would have had a winner! Instead they gave us a lemon. Maybe a good sounding lemon. But its a lemon never the less.

C 

Not if they never plan on making one

That is my though a Beosystem 5 with the panel of your choice gives the B&O feel but through a 3rd party monitor.

This would give all the pizzazz of Bang and Olufsen, BLGW and sound.

The BV11 still fits my requirements, including the motorised wall hinge. The projecting sound bar precludes the Eclipse from ever having a wall hinge option. 

The TV has the strange look of a BV10/11 square / rectangle with an oversized BV7 sound bar grille glued across the front. Seeing it in person might change my view, but I'm not one of those people who splashes out £10K on a TV every three or four years.

Graham

Yeah, the difference with Apple is that their stuff costs clearly more, but its not many thousands more (thinking well specced laptops for example), so if you still want the Apple experience, its just about manageable for many.

The B&O stuff has always occupied a more rarefied part of the value spectrum - and while i don't have the Eclipse as an epic fail, having spent 90 minutes with it today, it certainly feels,  for the price anyway, slightly incoherent and diluted. In equal part down to the form factor and the loss of any B&O feel to the GUI (hell even the Android Ui feels restrained visually compared to webOS)

Its certainly modern, well featured and has excellent audio chops, so i'm sure i'd be happy enough if i had one,  but its far from compelling i'd agree. There's something about the modular nature that doesn't quite sit right vs the price.

 

Sandyb:

There's something about the modular nature that doesn't quite sit right vs the price.

If the previous comment about the panel being modular and upgradeable is true, then, conceptually I think the BV Eclipse is setting a welcome trend in AV for creating something that is clearly an audio best performer, taking into account the visual needs that will change over time. Kudos to B&O for potentially allowing the panel to be updated for future-proofing as best they can.

The price, on the other hand, for a shamelessly and rebadged LG panel (and UI, etc), is a debate, which I'm afraid is far from ending.

The design is B&O special, and it's beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but is it worth the price premium?

Sal:

Kudos to B&O for potentially allowing the panel to be updated for future-proofing as best they can.

Hold on. We're just assuming they are offering updates as it's detachable. Has it been confirmed? At a guess, the reason it's modular is that it's not a B&O component and, as it's not a B&O component, I'm assuming this part is serviced/updated by LG.

I'd be very surprised if B&O decide to produce an update panel in the future to drop into your old Eclipse.