ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Hello Beoworlders,
Christmas, Part I :)
My new BV11-46 was delivered today, and I am in the middle of setting it up. I am one of those Beonauts who want to connect and configure everything myself, so I'm excited by the process :)
Coming from BV10-46, which would have been 2 years old next January, I considered the update worthwhile. I got the BV11 with all the goodies.
Initial inpressions, out of the box and on the motorized stand: BV11 is an evolution in design. It appears indeed smaller and lighter, despite the same screensize. The loudspeaker design is one interesting visible point: 3-way, yes, but the speakers are layed-out differently in BV11-46 vs. in BV11-55 we see in the videos and pictures. Looking forward to hearing the sound, and trying out the sound modes & configurations. Mind you, I have a BeoLab 11, so I'll share my thoughts on sound with and without the subwoofer.
Once I have my gear (Blu-Ray, Apple TV and Mac Mini) connected and running, I'll post some pictures and more of my experiences. Two years with BV10, I think I'm in a good position to determine and share differences between the two models.
By the way, the new BeoRemote App for iPad controls all devices connected to the BV11. Hence I am getting a black iPad Mini as a "remote", of course keeping my iPad 3, and Beo5, which I'll probably upgrade to Beo6. I am certain that sooner or later B&O will utilize the 2-way Wi-Fi function of Beo6 with BV11.
I was told that my BV11 is the first delivered in this capital by my excellent dealer. The first batch of several BV11s has arrived here today, but mine was the first installation to a customer. I'm happy about that :) I am also hearing that the BV11 sells well, which is great for B&O!
Stay tuned! Adventures in BeoLand continue...
KMA
B&O product history since 1991: Ridiculously long to list in a signature.
Hi KMA!
It sounds lovely! I hope that you enjoy your new toy! iPad Mini sounds great too!
KMA:Initial inpressions, out of the box and on the motorized stand: BV11 is an evolution in design. It appears indeed smaller and lighter, despite the same screensize.
My dealer mentioned this to me when I demo'ed the BV11 a few weeks ago and I compared the size of the BV10-46 and BV11-46 and the BV11 is a smaller TV.
I still prefer the design dynamics of the BV10-46. I prefer the size of the speaker fret on the BV10 and also am a fan of the orange fret, which you can't get on the BV11. This still confuses me. Why on earth don't B&O produce the same colour scheme across all their devices? For instance, why are you able to buy yellow speaker frets on the A8, but not the BV11? Why can you get a green and brown speaker fret on the A9, but not on the BV11? Why did they produce orange speaker frets on the BV10 and A8, but drop the fret for the BV11? I want the same palette consistency across my devices so I can match up the frets - BV10/BV11, A8, A9 etc.
I'd almost certainly upgrade to a BV11 if I had a 2-year-old BV10. My BV10 is a year old next month, but I still don't find the BV11 compelling enough - at this stage - to upgrade, particularly as I'd have to find a few thousand pounds to simply move sideways to another 46" TV.
Well first off congrats kma i demoed a bv11 recently and it is a very good tv indeed connections wise your set. I'm so glad that B&O had some forward thinking by adding six hdmi inputs to the bv11, so your covered.
I found the picture quality to be simply amazing and with the new 360 degree sensor there is a definate difference in the picture between the bv10 and bv11 it manages to produce a colour rich and detailed and even brighter but in a good way picture and it just looks right.
I'm feeling really envious of you right now and i look forward to hearing your opinion and pictures.
Beoplay A2
Looking forward to an expert review and some sexy pictures !
BeoNut since '75
Moxxey,
I understand your point perfectly. The very same things gave me pause: hence I did not decide on the upgrade "in a whim". I considered. I demoed the 50" at my dealer's. In the end, for me, the design of BV11 was equally or more appealing. With the 46" model of BV11, the "square" form-factor remains. I realized this as I saw BV11 in my livingroom (pictures to come). There IS a difference to BV10, though. BV10 was - in my opinion - MORE of an imitation of a perfectly framed painting, with all the finesses of "framed art". On a floor-stand, some of that finesse was wasted.
Yet the "lighter" design of BV11 appeals to me. As does the fact that the insides of the TV are very future proof in B&O's new line of products.
If my BV10 had not been almost two years old, I would probably have waited. Point to the fact: still yesterday, I marvelled at the picture quality of my BV10, in standard-definition and better sources. I could not fault it, in any regard.
I tend to upgrade my TV every two or three years. So BV11 fit in the cycle. I have still to determine and personally judge the picture quality and sound quality -- or more to the point -- the difference of those between BV10 and BV11. I expect the difference to be subtle; if BV11 "blows me away", all the better. I won't have time to indulge myself in BV11 until tomorrow, and more so on the weekend. I'll share my feelings.
With the superlative atributes of BV10, I see a feast in the 2nd hand market for BV10. You can now get BV10 at a VERY reasonable price - I'd say it's a steal, if and when you find one.
For me, timing was right, and I will comment on the picture and sound quality of BV11 here, compared to what I have enjoyed for a couple of years with BV10.
PS. If I there are typo's, it's because this is written on an iPhone and I have had a couple of glasses of wine :)
Nice to hear about your new Beovision 11! I look forward to hearing more about it from you. I read that you was going to buy an iPad mini for it. I bought one on the launch day in black, a 64gb model but I am planning on returning it because it makes me a bit unconfortable to have two iPads and several computers - and an iPhone. It is too much to work with for me :) But the size is very nice for a remote.I have used it with my V1 and the app works great on the mini, the buttons however is quite small and I would not use it as my main remote. Just a thought!
Congratulations on your new TV, I want one myself but I have to be a better boy to allow myself one for christmas :)
Beolab 50, Beolab 8000 x 2, Beolab 4000 x 2, BeoSound Core, BeoSound 9000, BeoSound Century, BeoLit 15, BeoPlay A1, BeoPlay P2, BeoPlay H9 3rd Gen, BeoPlay H6, EarSet 3i, BeoVision Eclipse Gen 2 55", BeoPlay V1-40, BeoCom 6000 and so much else :)
KMA: I tend to upgrade my TV every two or three years. So BV11 fit in the cycle. I have still to determine and personally judge the picture quality and sound quality -- or more to the point -- the difference of those between BV10 and BV11. I expect the difference to be subtle; if BV11 "blows me away", all the better. I won't have time to indulge myself in BV11 until tomorrow, and more so on the weekend. I'll share my feelings.
Yes, my philosophy is that I try and keep my B&O TV for 2-3 years, then upgrade for around £2500-3000. Has worked fairly well, so far. In the old days though, my upgrades were more significant. BV7-32 to BV-40 MKII was a huge jump, BV7-40 MKII to BV7-40 MKIII was a huge jump (first 1080p panel) and the BV7-40 MKIII to MKIV was a big jump as the MKIV panel was much brighter. BV7-40 to BV10-46 was huge for me as I love the design of the BV10 and it was a bigger panel. For me, the transition to a BV11 would be more of a sideways move, at this stage at least.
But, looking forward to your BV11 feedback. I've not seen anything from anyone else so far, so you'll be the first to report, I think?
KMA: PS. If I there are typo's, it's because this is written on an iPhone and I have had a couple of glasses of wine :)
Same here. I had a couple of birthday beers earlier tonight. I had to re-read my earlier post a few times and edit!
I had a Demo of the Bv 11 a while back a fab tv,would like one :-)
I am totally with you on the colour palette! The yellow and orange colours for the BS8 are truly awesome and just what are needed to make it even more funky for a new market.
This has been a huge problem for years. I remember when I bought my old Century (which I thought was aimed at a younger customer) and its speaker option were a range of washed out pastel colours - so 1987!!! Whereas the BL2500s of the Ouverture were available in that incredible lapis blue and a bright white with other exciting colours available later.
I simply cannot understand the logic of not having the colour palette as a consistency through the product line. Just really bizarre. This really needs sorting out!
This should be a very interesting thread !
Look forward to the review too as I am looking at a 46in bv11 but have yet to see an indepth review or the tv at my local dealer
BV11-55, BS9000, BL1, BL19, Transmitter 1, Beo4, Beocom 6000, BeoTalk1 200, Sennheiser HD600, McIntosh MHA100
I haven't seen any reviews anywhere .
The first follow-up :)
I finished setting up the BeoVision 11 yesterday, and actually spent several hours tweaking Beo5 -- till 4 am. I got everything to work beautifully.
SETUP:
I really like the new, guided setup the television offers. Also, I was surprised by the amount of new options for tweaking the television, especially sound (even the built-in speakers of the TV). I still need to tweak my BeoLab 11 settings a bit more, to find the "perfect bass". I almost got there yesterday, configuring the db levels of the sub and playing with the cross-over frequency for the sub.
Picture setup was much more straightforward: I just turned off the "Judder cancelling" feature (known as Film Mode or Movie Mode from previous BeoVisions). For TV, I left the picture mode as "Adaptive". I selected “Movie” as the default preset for Blu-ray. The Movie picture profile is notably warmer and somewhat dimmer than Adaptive, which is perfect as most serious movie-watching is done in the evening / night. For Mac Mini, I chose "Game", and with a HDMI connection, I was blown away by the Mini’s picture quality compared to BeoVision 10 with a VGA connection. I saw things in my background picture that just were not there on BV10 (okay they were, but the BV10 could not bring them out).
Having connected all the devices (Blu-Ray, Mac Mini, Apple TV), turning on any of the devices for the first time automatically brings up the Setup menu for the source. You name the source, select the Beo4/5 button it is assigned to, set the picture and sound preset for that source AND download the PUC code from B&O. That function is nicely implemented: you can enter a search word for the device you are looking for, (I used Apple and Sony), and the TV lets you choose which PUC code to install. It was all a breeze, and so very convenient.
I also liked the option to name Stand positions (for example sofa, master chair, etc.) instead of using the "Position 1", "Position 2", etc. You can select a stand position by its name on-screen using Beo4, and of course on Beo5/6 you can name the buttons on the display accordingly.
If you are used to B&O's menus, BeoVision 11 has them on steroids. There is much more to configure, yet easily, and I like the new smooth menu transitions.
All in all the initial setup was a joy to do myself. There was nothing complicated about it, and on-screen help was available for the various menu items at the press of the blue button.
PICTURE:
Watching TV with the "Adaptive" preset was indeed a different experience compared to BeoVision 10. The picture is notably brighter and there's more depth to it, because of better color and contrast. Contrast and BV11s ability to show even the subtle nuances of shadow details and ANY details present in the signal differ notably from BV10. I did notice that with poor quality SD broadcasts (some older TV series, for example), BeoVision 11 is very unforgiving. I'd say the TV applies too much processing on a poor signal. The upside is that newer TV series and movies look simply gorgeous.
For us Finns, there's one major positive about BV11: it is HD-compliant by the standards here, meaning that all HD channels are available. This was NOT the case with BeoVision 10. BeoVision 10 could not show for example Viasat's HD channels. BeoVision 11 can. So B&O has “HD certified” this TV in Finland.
HD pictures from the TV are amazing. The new Video Engine does a better job with HD than BeoVision 10 did. Of course -- and this was one of the key selling points for me -- the newer panel is visibly better than that of BeoVision 10. With the 360-degree prism measuring ambient light, I was very pleasantly surprised by BeoVision 11s PQ this sunny morning, when I viewed it in bright daylight. At daytime, BeoVision 10 looked great, but the picture was a lot more "faded" than what BV11 provides. The picture really "jumps out of the screen" in a different way.
I'll have more time to indulge myself in the picture this weekend, but I can say that the improvement justified my upgrade from BeoVision 10. Also -- and I checked this very carefully due to my earlier problems with BeoVision 10's backlight (clouding that was resolved by changing the TV) -- there was not a hint of clouding or backlight un-evenness on BV11.
It is a very nice touch and great quality control from B&O to receive a certificate with your TV, stating that the final quality inspection is done by the person who has hand-written his/her name on the certificate. This is the kind of attention to quality I expect from a premium brand. I’d say B&O now really picks any bad apples out at the factory.
AUDIO:
Here BeoVision 10 loses big time. The audio of BeoVision 11 is both fuller and clearer than that of BV10. Great highs, mids and – surprisingly -- lows. I had to set the level of BeoLab 11 to +6.0 db (the max value) from the sound settings to get a notable improvement in bass. The audio is much stronger on BV11 than on BV10, more "open" and revealing. Even speech sounds better on BV11 than it did on BV10! The 3-way speakers both do their part and stand apart. I'll listen to music, and of course experience more of the movie sound this weekend. I want some 3D-stuff and explosive action, so Ice Age 4 and Prometheus are on my Blu-ray shopping list for the weekend.
HDR, SMART TV, IPAD APP: these are all something I haven't event glanced at yet, let alone tried them out. Stuff for the weekend!
BOTTOM LINE:
Was it worth it, upgrading from BV10 to BV11, even with some considerable cost? For me, it's already a resounding "Yes". I couldn't be happier with the upgrade. Picture is better. The Movie preset and the better panel and processing for daylight viewing do make a difference for varied active viewing. Audio is a lot better. Design… well, as you can see from the pictures below, this is very much a BeoVision 10, but with lighter, "finer lines".
I'll follow-up with more experiences during the weekend. And I do reserve to right to change my opinion, if further watching and listening reveals something that is not to the liking of a long-time BV10 owner :)
PS. 3D Glasses are not included in the purchase price, at least in this market. A pair of active glasses cost 150 euros here.
PICS:
Setup (I brightened the picture so you can see the speaker layout of the 46" model):
All done:
Lovely pictures ! Looks great !! You must be very pleased !!!
I will read the review later ... ... but thank you for taking the time to write it
It looks beautiful and i really enjoyed reading your detailed review thus far, it looks nice in your home and it's good to hear that your able to notice the differences incomparison to the bv10 which is still a good screen. However from what i saw the bv11 looks like it's in a different league.
KMA: BeoVision 11 is very unforgiving. I'd say the TV applies too much processing on a poor signal. The upside is that newer TV series and movies look simply gorgeous.
BeoVision 11 is very unforgiving. I'd say the TV applies too much processing on a poor signal. The upside is that newer TV series and movies look simply gorgeous.
Yes, this is something I noticed (and my dealer). The BV11 shows everything "as is", so if you have a poor picture/signal, the BV11 highlights it, unlike the BV12 which smoothes the picture. Like you said, this means that if you have a top Blu-ray, the picture will be superb. But if you have an HD signal from an upscaled SD source, it will show the defects in the signal.
KMA, thanks for the detailed report on the BV11. I'll give it a good read over later!
Stunning! Goes very well with your interior!
p.
Beoworld app with direct photo upload and emoticons.
Excellent review , thank you very much !
The Tv looks absolutely superb. I'm very impressed.
Great review, and fantastic pictures. You got me really interested in the BV11 again! I'm looking forward to more of your thoughts as you use it more.
I spent 10 minutes today comparing an 11-55 next to a 12-65 with exactly the same signal, and the 11 displayed a level of detail far better than the 12. The colours were different if not softer on the 12 but the brutal truth is when the frame paused the 11 was much sharper. Something i'd expect on a HIGH definition TV.
Good choice and nice pictures.
Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.
Excellent thread! This was a joy to read.
thanks a lot for the review and the pictures. Makes me want one as well!
br
Thomas
Format 0 😀😎
And now that it is Saturday I have had the time to give your review the attention it deserved.
And like the other Beoworlders my thanks for the analysis - it will certainly spur some of us on to take the same step you have !
Out of interest, where did the BV10 go ? Were you able to do any A/B tests, or were you relying on your memory ?
Thank you so much for taking the undoubtedly considerable time to write such an excellent and very fair and helpful review complete with stunning pictures!
As a comparative newbie to the world of B&O, and refugee from the travails of audiophool disease, I love reading reviews like this.
I have to say it is members such as yourself who put the time into making Beoworld the most interesting, warm and helpful place that it is for everyone, and it is the forum that I far and away enjoy the most with respect to my interest in Audio and B&O.
One day my delightful V1 (presently playing some Caesar Franck Organ works with great aplomb) will transform into something such as this TV with it's even more advanced picture, sound and of course sublime styling and design.
Thank you again, and congratulations!
Kind Regards
John...
Thank you for your compliments and kind comments, a pleasure to read!
I'm very happy to contribute to this Forum, taking this post to a new level of details.
First, to answer your questions:
Elephant: I set a very reasonable price-expectation for my BV10-46 (with motorized floor stand, Beo4 and black & grey speaker covers), and got a good deal on it: the BV10 exchanged hands the same day BV11 came in. So there are no A/B comparisons as such, but a tad under 2 years with BV10, my memory of the picture is very good -- especially because I'm very picky about picture quality, and pay a lot of attention to it.
On to follow-up, part 2:
THINGS GET REALLY INTERESTING!
AUDIO, revisited:
After the initial setup, I've had a lot of time to delve into the sound settings more deeply. Let me say this: this TV is ridiculous! And I mean it in a very good way :D
To fully understand everything you can do with the sound of this TV, you should refer to the "Technical Sound Guide" provided by B&O here:
http://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/customer-service/product-support/picture/beovision-11
I'll start by saying that I have never come across a TV with a Sound Engine as powerful and versatile as the one in BV11 -- and I do keep up with technology other than what B&O offers. Let me explain a few marvels:
I have a video setup of only the TV's speakers, with BeoLab 11 to complete the lows. Yet even in my case, there are settings that can be tweaked on two distinctive levels, both with their own advantages: SPEAKER GROUPS and SOUND MODES
1) SPEAKER GROUPS:
I use the TV's speakers for Left and Right channel, so you might ask why do I need to bother with SPEAKER GROUPS? Well, I wouldn't have to, unless I wanted to -- and I want to. Why? Because I can make a set of adjustments with SPEAKER GROUPS that have a fundamental effect of sound in relation to my two favourite TV-watching positions. With the motorised stand (and probably even more so without it), using SPEAKER GROUPS as a part of the configuration makes a lot of difference. Here's why:
My two favourite watching positions have a different distance to the TV. With SPEAKER GROUPS, I can set the base characteristics for sound reproduction for each of those two positions with
SPEAKER DISTANCESPEAKER LEVEL
and then set some ADVANCED SETTINGS.
SPEAKER DISTANCE is set by increments of 10 cm relative to my watching positions. That's precise, if you ask me. In my simple case, I set the distance for FRONT LEFT and FRONT RIGHT and SUBWOOFER.
SPEAKER GROUP 1: "TV"
For one of my favourite seats the distances are almost spot on 2.8 meters to each speaker. The name for this SPEAKER GROUP is TV, as most of my casual TV viewing is done from that viewing position.
SPEAKER GROUP 2: "3D/HD 2ND CHAIR"
For the other viewing position, the distances to the TV's speakers and the sub are actually less. The closer distance makes the seat perfect for 3D watching, and for using the TV as the screen for my Mac Mini. The distance is 1.8 meters to the TV and 2.2 meters to the sub. I named this SPEAKER GROUP "3D/HD 2ND CHAIR".
So, with the same set of speakers, I have two speaker groups. I can set the SPEAKER LEVEL (Front Left, Front Right, Subwoofer) in decibels separately for both of those locations. With ADVANCED SETTINGS for SPEAKER GROUPS, I can set how BASS and the SUBWOOFER and handled in the two viewing positions, which in my case are also viewing scenarios. For BASS, you can adjust the cross-over frequency by steps of 1 Hz from 20 to 300 in BASS MANAGEMENT, and additionally set an all-pass frequency between 20 and 300 Hz in SUBWOOFER settings, meaning that anything below the all-pass frequency goes only to the sub.
This lets me determine with absolute precision how much of the low-end sound I want the TV speakers to handle, and what is sent to the sub. And trust me, you can tweak it to perfection!
Gone are the simple days when B&O only let you adjust Bass and Treble in crude steps on a limited scale. Now you can do it down in steps of 1 Hertz.
Mind you -- and don't be put off by the amount of tweaking made possible -- B&O has a pre-configuration for all these settings, based on what you select as your SPEAKER TYPES. So everything is optimised to B&O's standards for any BeoLab speakers you can find in the range. But you can tweak the settings to your heart's content :)
Most people won't, but if you do, you can spend days perfecting the settings according to your room, listening/viewing positions and your ears. And I can tell anyone who will do the tweaking that you're going to love the "RESET TO DEFAULT" option, and ESPECIALLY the fact that you can do at many different sound setting stages, effectively undoing only the tweaks you want to undo and not resetting everything back to "zero". This is well thought-out by B&O.
With the SPEAKER GROUP settings, I now have two distinctively different kind of sound levels for the speakers. Am I overdoing it? No, because with sound, even a relatively small change in listening position makes a difference: the room acoustics are different in the my two seats, and SPEAKER GROUP settings account and compensate for the variation in room acoustics. Also, I want to have a different kind of handling of bass for my two viewing scenarios, and these settings allow me to do it. Settings found under SPEAKER GROUPS are fundamental and differ from what you can achieve with SOUND MODES and SOUND ADJUSTMENTS; more of those below.
Note: B&O suggests a sound pressure level meter should be used for setting the speaker levels correctly, and a low-priced (100 - 200 euros) device will do. If you have more speakers and listening/viewing positions than I do, I do recommend the use of the meter. The "Technical Sound Guide" has simple instructions on how to use the meter.
2) SOUND MODES
Okay, having set SPEAKER GROUPS, I moved on to "fine-tuning" with SOUND MODES.
The preset modes are MOVIE, GAME, SPEECH, DRAMA, SPORTS, MUSIC, CUSTOM and NIGHT LISTENING. "ADAPTIVE" is not a sound mode per se, even though it is in the list. You cannot configure it; ADAPTIVE simply applies the best of the actual sound modes to the signal, depending on what you are watching / listening to. This is a small marvel in itself. The TV "listens" to what you are watching on TV (the sound signal coming to the TV and to the speakers, from any source).
B&O has pre-configured all of the SOUND MODEs with their expertise, BUT you can adjust the settings for each mode yourself. So effectively, all the modes can be customised (not only the CUSTOM mode). The settings are again ridiculously comprehensive (in a very good way):
In ADVANCED SETTINGS, the fun begins. As I do not want to turn this post into a novel, see the pictures below. With all the sliders, the scale is from -10 to +10, meaning 20 steps of tweaking for each setting. 0 is the middle position.
The purple-haze in some of the pictures are from the infamous camera of iPhone 5 ;)
I'll say this much:
With my two listening positions, having two different SPEAKER GROUP settings with the very same speakers fine-tuned by SOUND MODE adjustments, I have distinguishably different sound for
My further adventures into the sound of BV11 have lead me to two definite conclusions:
1) Sound-wise, BV10 even with BeoLab 11 was constrained. BV11 wins hands down, and you should really hear the difference.
2) If you don't hear the difference at your dealer's, it is simply because the TV's sound settings have not been configured and calibrated properly to that space & listening/watching position you listen to the TV from. Dealers should really pay more attention to this, to get the best demonstration out of the television.
I know I'm still going to find more pleasant surprises, investing more time in the sound settings :)
PICTURE, revisited:
Moxxey, this one is for you ;) And to everyone who have found the BV11 too harsh on poor TV signals or thought of the picture as "too revealing" of details.
It says in the TV's specs (among other things): "DIGITAL NOISE REDUCTION: Optimised in the video engine." Yes, it is, but what is NOT mentioned in the specs and not even in any of the BV11's User Guides is this:
Okay, just kidding :) These are the standard B&O settings found on their TVs not having the new Video Engine. The VIEWING DISTANCE is new, and I wonder how it affects the picture processing?
Here's the treat:
Okay still, kidding. As I mentioned in my earlier post, JUDDER CANCEL is the old "Film Mode" or "Movie Mode" which, when ON, can introduce the "soap-opera effect" on the picture.
It is these picture settings that are the key:
Voilà!
For each source (TV, Blu-ray, PC, Apple TV, etc.) and PICTURE MODE (Adaptive, Movie, Game) -- start your tweaking!
You can set CONTRAST, BRIGHTNESS, COLOUR, SHARPNESS, NOISE REDUCTION, COLOUR TEMPERATURE (which I would not play with too much unless you have equipment to measure colour temperature), CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT, and CROPPING/OVERSCAN. For ALL of these, the scale is from 0 to 64, 32 being the middle (standard) position.
So, poor quality signals look too processed, eh? Or do you see a level of detail that is too revealing of picture artefacts?
Welcome to the SHARPNESS, NOISE REDUCTION and CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT settings!
These are at their middle point (32) out of the box, so you can make a lot of change. You can soften the picture and get rid off unwanted or too heavy processing by lowering the value of SHARPNESS and NOISE REDUCTION.
Forums for other TVs all give more or less the same advice: SHARPNESS at the default middle position is WAY too much picture processing being applied to the source (of course depending on the source). Most experts advise us to lower the SHARPNESS to 0 or a very low value to make the picture look more natural. Same goes for NOISE REDUCTION. At 32, there is some heavy noise reduction by default, which might actually make some fine detail appear more "blocky" -- in other words, introduce artificial, over-processed look to the image.
Considering that the preset default (middle-point) values of 32 are where B&O have optimised the "out of the box" picture by their standards, imagine what you can achieve by tweaking these more to your liking? And being able to do it source by source and for each picture mode?
I have not had time to do the serious tweaking of the picture settings yet, as I spend most of last night optimising the sound, much to the annoyance of my very forgiving neighbours. So my next quest is to find the "sweet spot" for picture settings, for each of my source.
I have the "Digital Video Essentials" calibration Blu-ray and DVD, which will help me find the best picture settings. And I am very much looking forward to the professionals among you -- and for example at FlatPanelsHD -- to come up with their recommended values based on measurements by professional equipment. I would really look forward to a "Picture settings for BV11" thread here on BeoWorld, once more people get their TVs.
The versatile picture settings are one of the most fascinating aspects of BV11. Gone are the days, when B&O let us only adjust the brightness and contrast, again by crude steps on a limited scale. BV11 allows you to tweak the heck out of the picture as well sound.
I wish there was a "Technical Picture Guide" available from B&O, but then again, I think the settings are pretty self-explanatory. The funny thing is that the manuals say nothing about these. And the great thing is that these are not hidden in a Customer Service Menu let alone the Factory Service Menu -- they are right there in the settings, albeit very deep down there.
So anyone finding the BV11's picture too harsh, too revealing or over-processed, the picture settings are the answer. And this, for me, again is a very validating point for upgrading from BV10.
Having played more with the Sound and Picture, I can rest assured that this TV is in a league of its own among BeoVisions, a new breed. The cost of upgrading BV10 to BV11 is now looking very reasonable.
I'll follow up yet again with my experiences of the HDR, SmartTV features and 3D viewing -- hello "The Amazing Spider-Man in 3D"!
One final comment: the BeoRemote iPad App is every bit as Beo'ish as you'd expect, and I've found it a joy to use: it's fluid and beautifully done. I am looking forward to getting my iPad Mini, which I'll more or less dedicate for this purpose.
Thank you for reading, this was a long post!
PS. Writing this on Mac Mini connected to the BV11, with daylight flooding in the windows, the picture in Game mode is so bright that it almost hurts my eyes! I bet gamers will appreciate the brightness and colours to lust for. I need to set the brightness a tad lower. Off to a cup of coffee now, then back to BeoWonderland :)
Great reviews KMA!
You've just about convinced me that the BV11 will be my next B&O purchase to replace my trusty BV5.
Graham
KMA: So, poor quality signals look too processed, eh? Or do you see a level of detail that is too revealing of picture artefacts?
The latter. LCDs are like that and I think the BV11 exaggerates the artefacts as the panel is so bright/sharp. LCDs show everything 'as is', in a very sharp manner, so if there are artefacts in a poor signal (say, SD upscaled on a HD channel) you'll see them more clearly than, say, on a plasma. Some people prefer this plasma smoothness, some others prefer the sharper, brighter and more harsh image on an LCD.
But the BV11 definitely has a picture that is above the BV10. There's no doubt there at all. It's more uniform. Brightness seems to extend across the entire panel, whereas the BV10 seems darker in certain areas (such as the corners). There's no doubt in my mind that the BV11's picture is better than the BV10. Considerably better for HD, Blu-ray and so on.
When I picked up my green BS8 frets from my dealer yesterday, he demoed a HD programme I've previously watched on my BV10 and I could see instantly that the picture was stronger, sharper and uniformly better lit.
KMA, you deserve an award for the review / tutorial of the year
Clearly you love your BV11 ,,, and I can see why ! I just wish I was there with you to also hear why
It is great that B&O are making both style and substance as their differentiator.
I agree it would be great if they also had a technical guide to video -- although as well I would probably only understand 1/3 of it
I wonder if the recent V1 software upgrade has trickled down the BV11 level of sophistication to B&O's entry level -- if they have only done 20% of what you have discovered so far, that would be amazing.
I am looking forward to your explorations of some of the other features such as the internet and local media interfaces.
I had a very brief demo on Friday, and was surprised (because I did not recall any reviewer mentioning it) to see a PinP effect when you go to those menus, so you can continue to see the main/original video source while browsing those media menus.
There must be many such secret delights awaiting you !
So enjoy your viewing pleasure with Spidey in 3D
And thank you once again for sharing this with us.
KMA,
The most superb reviews. Your passion of the BV11 really shines through. Thank you for taking the time to write your editorials - really decent read after two days away on business. A pleasure to read!
Great review How does the sound compare to B&O speakers? For instance the Beolab 4000's?
Vähintään yhdeksänkymmentä prosenttia suomalainen!
Simply awesome write up! Been hooked on this thread since it started... lol luv it!
I do have one curious question.... How would the Beovision 11 image compare with say a late 2009 Beovision 4-65...?
Beovision 11-55, BeoPlay V1 40, Beosound 9000, Beolab 8000's and 3 Beocom 5's...
Can it decode all audio formats?
What's it like for gaming ?
Tue did espouse it's capability after all...
For those eagerly awaiting the next KMA instalment [global tapping of fingers] he txt me last night to say that he his stuck INSIDE the TV.
It seems he got his hands on the service manual and couldn't resist a poke around. Now he can't get out.
But it was a good way to test the 3D capabilities of the screen. A scrunched up KMA, butt first.. with legs in a knot. Excellent detail from the BV11 panel and processing engine by all accounts.
I know it's modular but I hope the B&O engineers can get him out in one piece...
Full report to follow, no doubt.
Hi. I just ordered the 46" beovision 11 from the B&O store here in Summit Nj. Due to Hurricane they are having it shipped from Denmark according to the manager there. I also ordered the motorized floor stand and was wondering if you could tell me what the measurement is from the floor to the top of the TV when it is on the stand.
Thanks..