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
Hiort: Impressive review. Regarding the HDR, some questions: - what size of harddrive do you have? - Is that a "B&O special harddrive" you need to buy? - What was the approx cost for the HDR function and harddrive? - Do you hear any fan noice from the HDR and/or harddrive? I have today a cable box with recording function (PVR), connected to my BV10. Works similar to what you have described. Downside is that the PVR is noicy, and I can hear the fan even though the PVR is in a cabinet.
Impressive review.
Regarding the HDR, some questions:
- what size of harddrive do you have?
- Is that a "B&O special harddrive" you need to buy?
- What was the approx cost for the HDR function and harddrive?
- Do you hear any fan noice from the HDR and/or harddrive?
I have today a cable box with recording function (PVR), connected to my BV10. Works similar to what you have described.
Downside is that the PVR is noicy, and I can hear the fan even though the PVR is in a cabinet.
Thanks Hiort,
The hard drive is 500 Gb -- I don't know if you can get it in other sizes. It is installed at the factory inside the TV, so it is an add-on you'll need to decide on when ordering the television. I was told that adding the HDR afterwards would be practically impossible. Not sure however if that is entirely true, but the extra work required by a later-date installation would in any case add to the cost of the HDR.
The HDR is by no means cheap. I remember the list-price to be 700 euros -- or was it 650 or 750; my recollection is a bit hazy on that one, as I got a really good deal on it, making it a very reasonable add-on.
The HDR is completely silent. I've been using it for both recording and playback, and it doesn't make any sound at all. The TV remains totally noise-free: I couldn't tell there was a HDR, unless I had the functionality it provides :) What I also like about the integration is that the HDR doesn't take up any connections on the BV11 and requires no setup at all. It just is there, integrated.
I don't know the type (make and model) of the HDR B&O uses with BV11, but I'm pretty sure it is one that will last, and the silence perhaps says something about the quality as well.
KMA
B&O product history since 1991: Ridiculously long to list in a signature.
Can the built in hard drive record two channels at the same time, whilst watching a third with the TVs own tuner? This capability is common with many STBs.
Thanks.
If I remember correct without the HDR you have one tuner but including the HDR would give you 2 tuners.
So one for recording and one for watching.
@KMA
Thank you very much for your detailed impressions!
I have had a demo at my dealer recently and have to admit that I am struggling with myself not to buy one right away from the store. I am on the move again and this time it is time to settle...
I am in love with that TV!
BS9000, BC6, BC2, BL3, BL11, BL3500, BL2000, BeoTime, Beo EarSet2 3i, Beo, BEO DropStop, BEO Bottle Opener, BeoCom5 including Table Stand, ATV
Christmas Prize Draw 1st Winner 2010 - THANKS A LOT!!!
Struer Trip 2012 - THANKS A LOT!!!
Michael: Hiort do you think that you can hear the fan on your pvr in the cabinet because potentially it's over heating in the cabinet? From what I understand its just a hard drive that you would normally have and therefore there are no fans on it.
Hiort do you think that you can hear the fan on your pvr in the cabinet because potentially it's over heating in the cabinet?
From what I understand its just a hard drive that you would normally have and therefore there are no fans on it.
No, the cabinet is open in the back so the temp is OK. The PVR is know as a loud thing (Humax HDPVR 1000 C). Its a combined cable box an recorder so that may cause the need for fans (that happens to be noisy).
Livingroom: BL3, BL11, BV11-46 Kitchen: Beosound 1 GVA, Beocom 2 Bathroom: M3 Homeoffice: M3, Beocom 2 Library: Beosound Emerge, Beocom 6000 Bedroom: M5, Essence remote Travel: Beoplay E8 2.0, Beoplay EQ, Beoplay Earset
BeoUndies: Can the built in hard drive record two channels at the same time, whilst watching a third with the TVs own tuner? This capability is common with many STBs. Thanks.
Hi BeoUndies,
( Where can we get the undies?? :D Just kidding... )
KMA: I'm going to experiment on these and see if the usability still stays logical and simple :) The tuner in the HDR explains its price, compared to just having a harddisk.
Is there any Picture-in-Picture capability ?
I am not sure if P-in-P implies that somehow you can tune into two stations simultaneously.
At 750 euros I wonder if the drive is actually a 500GB SSD ... hence it being very silent ... and easily simultaneously handling multiple HD transmissions and playback ?
BeoNut since '75
elephant: KMA: I'm going to experiment on these and see if the usability still stays logical and simple :) The tuner in the HDR explains its price, compared to just having a harddisk. Is there any Picture-in-Picture capability ? I am not sure if P-in-P implies that somehow you can tune into two stations simultaneously. At 750 euros I wonder if the drive is actually a 500GB SSD ... hence it being very silent ... and easily simultaneously handling multiple HD transmissions and playback ?
With BeoVision 11, there's a "P-and-P" capability. It's possible to watch two sources, whatever they are, side-by-side. The secondary picture is slightly smaller than the primary, so it's not a split-screen. It's having a bigger 16:9 window and a sligthly smaller 16:9 window side-by-side. It works very nicely, especially when controlling what you P-and-P with Beo5/6.
I haven't got any specific info on the HD, but it would be interesting to know the make/model/specs.
Elephant,
The US Avant does have a pretty impressive (for its time) image processor, which at the moment is converting an analog signal from the Xbox 360 to 480p while doing some other image enhancing procedures as well(detail and edge enhancement for a start). I could speed things up a bit by using the 480p output from the Xbox; but my cable box is on that input at the moment. But I find gameplay unaffected. Here in the shop I've used the BS-3 as well and had no issues. No, this seems to be something new to this engine.
We kid because we love.
KMA:I haven't got any specific info on the HD, but it would be interesting to know the make/model/specs.
Probably the HDR isn't any 3rd party unit - as long as it is an integrated feature instead of a stand-alone appliance, it's mostly just software (apart from the extra tuner, obviously). It doesn't need to do any MPEG decoding because the TV does it, all it does is store a bitstream coming from the tuner, and then stream it to the rest of the processing chain at a later time. Even the data rate it needs to handle is actually quite low, as it stores the compressed DVB format pretty much as-is (far less than a megabyte per second for a good quality SD channel).
The 500G capacity suggests that it is not using an SSD drive, that alone would cost more than the entire option. Might be a 2.5" laptop drive, or just well insulated with regards to noise.
(as this is my first post in this thread, let me also thank you for the excellent review and walk-through of the TV!)
--mika
KMA: elephant: KMA: I'm going to experiment on these and see if the usability still stays logical and simple :) The tuner in the HDR explains its price, compared to just having a harddisk. Is there any Picture-in-Picture capability ? I am not sure if P-in-P implies that somehow you can tune into two stations simultaneously. At 750 euros I wonder if the drive is actually a 500GB SSD ... hence it being very silent ... and easily simultaneously handling multiple HD transmissions and playback ? With BeoVision 11, there's a "P-and-P" capability. It's possible to watch two sources, whatever they are, side-by-side. The secondary picture is slightly smaller than the primary, so it's not a split-screen. It's having a bigger 16:9 window and a sligthly smaller 16:9 window side-by-side. It works very nicely, especially when controlling what you P-and-P with Beo5/6. I haven't got any specific info on the HD, but it would be interesting to know the make/model/specs.
So even a "single" tuner can lock into two channels ... so hopefully two tuners can do lots of recording, caching and displaying
elephant:So even a "single" tuner can lock into two channels ... so hopefully two tuners can do lots of recording, caching and displaying
(lecture follows - skip it, if you're only here to read about the BV11 )
In a DVB system, the tuner doesn't tune into a single channel - it tunes to a multiplex (or a 'bouquet' as the spec calls them) that can carry a number of channels. A multiplex usually occupies the same air space (analogue bandwidth) that a single analogue TV channel used to. Usually a single terrestrial multiplex carries 3-6 channels or programmes (satellite and cable systems can carry even more). The tuner then outputs a bit stream that contains all the channels in that particular multiplex, and the rest of the system can pick any one or more of them for further processing. The digital bandwidth in a multiplex is fixed, though - the more channels you pack into one, the less bandwidth (and less quality) is available for a single programme.
(this is why terrestrial HD in Europe has shifted into using DVB-T2 instead of DVB-T, which was used to carry SD - it is more efficient, allowing more digital bandwidth = channels to be encoded into the same analogue bandwidth, which is always in short supply)
So in theory you could record all the channels in that multiplex at the same time, and even view one of them live at the same time. But as soon as one of the desired programmes is in another multiplex, you need another tuner. Usually twin-tuner systems allow you to record two programmes and watch a third (provided it resides in the same multiplex with one of the programmes being recorded), but you could just as well record all the channels in those multiplexes. I believe the limitation is somewhat artificial and mostly due to user interface issues, it would be difficult to explain for a non-technical user why he sometimes can record more channels than at some other time.
It's not even hard work, I use a Linux based HDR that can easily record six channels at the same time with a single USB DVB stick - running on an ancient 600 MHz Celeron and a regular old IDE hard drive.
just received mine
i'm still a newbie when it comes to bang and olufsen.i'll unbox it later when my dad gets home, also i'm a gamer so if this thing sucks with games then i need to get another one also :Salso great review KMA thumbs up, cause of the review i had a harder time waiting for it :P
regards
tournedos: elephant:So even a "single" tuner can lock into two channels ... so hopefully two tuners can do lots of recording, caching and displaying (lecture follows - skip it, if you're only here to read about the BV11 )
Wow - thanks for that ! I enjoy these lectures ... they expand my understanding ... and sometimes they depress me at how everything seems so complex these days ... compared to the steel needle phonograph and a bunch of 12" shellac records (not LPs!) that was my very first music purchase for I think one pound sterling at a jumble sale shop ... or it may have been ten shillings, after all a pound took the savings of many newspaper rounds to achieve
Congrats there nick, what size did you get it in and didn't you want to get it installed by b&0??
Beoplay A2
markiedee: Congrats there nick, what size did you get it in and didn't you want to get it installed by b&0??
thanks 46 inch this will be for the bedroom, got it with the motorized wall bracket.not yet i will only test it now and put it back into the box again i'm just already buying things for my new house, i'll make some more pictures in abit.
Wow for your bedroom, very lucky indeed i look forward to more pictures and of course your opinion too. I'm a gamer aswell so i look forward to hearing how it handles when set to the actual game mode preset.
Once again congrats.
markiedee: Wow for your bedroom, very lucky indeed i look forward to more pictures and of course your opinion too. I'm a gamer aswell so i look forward to hearing how it handles when set to the actual game mode preset. Once again congrats.
Congrats on your purchase. I as well would really like to hear how it handles gaming, particularly FPS games
Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.
Does it work well , Chris ?
i will try the tv with my xbox playing black ops 2, it had a pin code on it but i was being impatient so now it is blocked for 3 hours, got the pin code now from the dealer so il let you guys know in abit.
Chris Townsend:There must be a game mode in picture settings surely. My 10 automatically selects it when choosing the PS3!!!
There is indeed a Game Mode in the 11. But the engine is not the same as the 10. It is based on the same platform as the V-1. As I recall there is a discussion elsewhere as to the V-1's problems with Gaming.
works great for me no issues at all same as my samsung tv, i usually play call of duty with look sensitivity on 6 it was just fine when the tv was in game mode.I even tried it on level 14 and still no delay trouble, it worked like a charm.Also I have no stand for the tv only wall bracket and since I still live at my parents house I had to keep it like that until i move to my own house, but i really wanted to test how gaming is so i couldn't stop myself from trying.
Nick that looks truly awesome!!!
Hey Nick, congrats on the purchase.
Love that pic - looks like a Christmas morning unwrapping frenzy! Totally cool testing the tv with it still lodged in the packaging!! Or was that a B&O £500 "green" option
This should keep the middle aged gamers on here happy [mentioning no names] Control sticks at the ready...
Now where is that KMA dude with the latest update? Hopefully kicking back with a glass of wine making copious notes.
Anyone tipped over the edge into ordering one after reading the very helpful thread? Or at least visiting a dealer to get some hands [eyes] on experience?
Hey nick thanks for the pic looks really good it's also good to hear that your not suffering with picture issues especially when playing fps. Also a question to beoundies would you consider 31 to be a middle aged gamer lol...
Nick - great to hear! Thanks for that. I agree - it looks marvelous (and it's still in the box - imagine when its on the wall!). I think I just might have to drop by my dealer this weekend
Also how are you finding the sound quality so far especially whilst gaming, i'm sure it sounds pretty amazing??
markiedee: Also how are you finding the sound quality so far especially whilst gaming, i'm sure it sound pretty amazing??
Also how are you finding the sound quality so far especially whilst gaming, i'm sure it sound pretty amazing??
it was great when the grenades exploded it felt like a real one was exploding near you, and i didn't even add any beolabs to it.Really great quality gave the gaming a new experience also i didn't even configure sound settings it was on standard, i'm sure it would have been even better when i would play some with the configs.
Very very impressed. Thanks for this !
What an amazing tv.
Hehe Flappo is happy :)
And BV11-40 is the same price as what the Avant 32 DVD cost many years ago dude mind you 2014 BV11 will be OLED ;) :) :)
Thanks again for some insightful input nick, the contributions that KMA and yourself makes this tv sound very appealing although the first time i saw one had me sold instantly.
Honestly if Apple can bring out a a better Tv than this I'll be staggered
This is B&O at it's best , a return to the glory days of the 70's and early 80's when B&O ruled the tech-world
It's like the last 10+ years never happened !!!
Incredible design outside with brilliant design inside.
I really can't see Apple bringing out an LCD TV - it's too traditional for them.
It's clear it's going to be an OLED but that could still be a year away for them Flappo.
Gotta agree Flappo the BV11 is a great TV but let's be truly honest, so it should be at 5K upwards, let's not fool ourselves, we are not talking about a £500 TV here 5K is one hell of a lot of money for a TV for something to simply stare at. It's not creative, it's not like a MacBook Pro were you create something - it's a TV. At 5k it should be top notch in every respect! I love the design, but to me spending 5K on something that i simply watch is one heck of a lot of money and that's why ultimately as an active sports minded guy, i just couldn't bring myself to spending... But for anybody who does watch the TV it's a great piece of design :)
One thing that i have wondered and that is what chassis does the bv11 have??? on the beoplay v1 tech specs it says chassis video engine 1.0 but when you try to check the specs for the bv11 it doesn't mention anything about the video engine.
WOW...what a lot of detail and trouble you have gone to KMA!!!!
Im still using a BV8-40... one day I may upgrade!!!!!!
Thanks for the great effort!
David
Beovision 8-40, Beocentre 6-26, Beocentre 2, Beolab 9's, Beogram 7000, Beogram 9500, Beo 5, Beolit 1000, 800, 700, 600, 400, Beocom 6's, Beotalk 1200
I almost want to buy one now!!!!!!
Follow-up, part V
The Empire Strikes Back (pun intended): SOUND
I've been doing some serious music listening with BeoVision 11, enjoying music that I know like the back of my hand -- familiar music, something I've heard on BeoLab 3, BeoPlay A8, BeoVision Avant, and of course BeoVision 10.
I'll start by saying that switching off the BeoLab 11 and listening to the television's speakers without a subwoofer, I have not been as impressed with the sound of a TV since I had the Avant 32".
The bass response is incredible. There's both real depth and precision. What's more, I am hearing some serious benefits of the 3-way configuration. So serious in fact, that the details and clarity from the BeoVision 11's speakers rival BeoLab 3: I hear more detail in songs that I've listened to countless times over the years. I can only attribute this to the mid-range, an area where BeoLab 3s are a little lacking. Add to that the clarity of highs on BeoVision 11, and music is a joy to listen to.
In their way, BeoVision 11's speakers are fuller than BeoLab 3, and in some ways also more revealing. The TV's speakers have a very similar bass response to BeoLab 3: I would go as far as saying that the TV's bass goes lower. There's real "oomph" when needed. I can imagine the experience Nick had with the sound when playing a game on BeoVision 11.
The sound is of course different between BeoLab 3 and BeoVision 11, given the BeoLab 3's acoustic lens. Is BeoLab 3 better? Yes and no. With musical finesse, BeoLab 3 has a definitive edge, and you can of course get a better stereo image by positioning BeoLab 3s further apart from each other. But in overall sound -- given that BeoLab 3 doesn't have a dedicated mid-range unit -- BeoVision 11 has more body over the entire spectrum (lows-mids-highs).
Compared to BeoPlay A8, BeoVision 11 wins hands down. And as for Avant, because of the remarkable bass and the 3-way construction of BV11's speakers, I do not recall hearing equally full-bodied yet detailed and clear sound from the Avant. Avant may have had a "warmer" sound, but BV11 has enough warmth and depth to satisfy most, yet more clarity, making it in my opinion superior.
I shouldn't even compare BeoVision 11 to BeoVision 10. BV10 had a very thin and light sound, and it desperately needed (and very much benefited from) BeoLab 11. That's not the case with BV11.
I've listened to the same songs with BeoLab 11 on and off. With BeoVision 11, BeoLab 11 brings very little to the table. Perhaps a hint more of lower notes, but only a hint. And more surprisingly, with BeoLab 11 off, I find the sound of BeoVision 11 alone more "together", more coherent. Which goes to say that the 3-way speakers have been optimised extremely carefully for playing together and bringing out a soundscape that is remarkably balanced. There's nothing too pronounced, nor is there anything lacking.
I'm actually undecided if I like the sound of BeoVision 11 better alone than with the BeoLab 11. When my dealer said that BeoLab 11 will add very little to the sound, I was sceptic to say the least. Now having listened to music with BeoVision 11, I can say my dealer was right. I'm impressed.
Sound-wise, this is indeed the new Avant. With volume at 32, BeoVision 11 fills my living-room with sound that excites me. Music is musical. So in a mid-sized living-room such as mine, BeoVision 11 can take the role of a full-bodied music system. I'm told that the 55" is even better with bass, so I dare say you won't benefit from BeoLab 11 at all with the 55" model.
I encourage you to listen to this TV at your dealer. And I encourage dealers to have one of their BeoVision 11s located in a proper listening position at their shops, and set it up correctly.
HOME MEDIA:
My thanks to Mads for pointing out the use of Plex Media Server for BV11 (I'm also using it for Apple TV). Plex Media Server indeed works flawlessly with BV11, and given that the Media Server is one the easiest to use, Plex is the choice.
Now that I've had the server feeding my BV11, Home Media features of BV11 are growing on me. The B&O-style user interface works very well, and Home Media organises everything perfectly: artists, albums, songs, genres, etc. So if I want to listen to music on BV11, I no longer feel any need to do it via Apple TV. Cover art is shown correctly without requiring any extra steps, just connecting BeoVision 11 to the Plex Server wirelessly (BV11 found the server with no additional configurations needed).
Movie playback is also as flawless as it is on Apple TV. I've tried several movies (.MKV, .AVI), and they play nicely. Cover art for movies works just as it does with music. Cute little thumbnails! So now I see no reason to fire up Apple TV, when wanting to watch a movie I have on my computer. Heaven forbid, I'm beginning to think that Apple TV might be left quite obsolete in this new setup.
SMART-TV:
There are two gems: the web browser and -- shiniest of them all -- the YouTube App.
YouTube is a beautifully done App, taking full advantage of the screen-estate and resolution in the user interface. It works without a hick-up, and once you've paired your smart phone and tabled with it, and created a YouTube account, you can "AirPlay" videos from YouTube on your phone or tabled to BV11. It does not use AirPlay of course; I simply make the comparison because when watching a video on your phone or tablet, beaming the video to BV11 is as easy as selecting an AirPlay device in the Apple ecosystem -- although in this case you select the YouTube playback device in YouTube's little ecosystem, which works on all platforms.
I've subscribed to a few YouTube channels, and I like the way they are presented on BV11. Heck, I like the way the YouTube App is presented on BV11, period. It's a joy to use and explore.
SO:
The extra functionalities of BV11 are growing on me.
What is most remarkable though is that I'm totally amazed by the sound of BV11, with its speakers alone. It surpasses Avant, and is therefore on par with many BeoLabs. I'm sure there'll be a debate on this, especially if you don't hear the TV in proper listening surroundings -- something regrettably very few dealers can offer in their shops.
Great sound combined with the most detailed picture I've seen, this TV is worth every cent/penny even without the Smart+Media extras!
Amazing.
Hallelujah Hallelujah Halleeeeluuuuujaaaaah!
Orchestral fanfare, drumroll, heavenly choirs raising the roof!!
An update worth waiting for.
OMG I can't wait for my 11 to arrive.
I must say in response to Paul that I was going to wait for OLED, but I wouldn't invest the big bucks on a first generation product with new TV technology. In a few years when it has matured maybe.
Have a great weekend enjoying your BV11 KMA.
My gosh KMA you've won a lot of hearts with that sound review there'll be a lot of overweight BV7s and even BV12s going into the trash after that!
Finally a B&O that excels in every single way. So you can have the super model with the physique, looks, warmth and intelligence to match :)
Very very impressive. To sum it up, it actually looks as though B&O haver made a real genuine, honest product! This will win them long term followers!