Beovision 9 – Big Bang & Olufsen Quality / Service Issue

I own a four year old Beovision 9. Unfortunately the build in plasma display shows snow / white noise.

So I called a B&O dealer and asked him for help. The answer was that my plasma display is damaged and I need a new one. My question if there is a possibility to repair it, he denied, because it would be more expensive than changing it. He offered me a “new” D11 plasma display for only 2.500 Euros.

 

Bang & Olufsen really disappointed me:

1)     I expected that a 20.000 Euro TV will last longer than 4 years! Or is this a wrong expectation regarding the quality B&O offers these days? Is it just the name I am paying for?

2)     I feel ripped off by B&O a second time, first selling low quality and then selling an overpriced plasma display. 2.500 Euro for a technology outdated spare plasma display from Panasonic is too expensive! Or I am too frugal for B&O? Should B&O owners investing 20.000 in a TV should not be upset by additional peanuts maintenance costs of 12,5%?

Nearly all my friends and my wife are laughing and telling me that I not only bought a technology wise outdated TV four years ago, additionally the quality and service issue I raised as defense did not full fill at all.

 

What would you do?

 

I am thinking about closing the Bang&Olufen chapter after 10 years and settling for another manufacturer selling higher quality (lasting longer than 4 years) and advanced technology especially regarding multiroom integration. Now could be the time, saving an investment of 2.500 Euros and looking for a new toy and investment project to play with for the next years.
Any suggestions of brands I should consider?

2500,- are a good investment even if you do not want to keep it. You can sell at much better price if TV is OK.

The next question is if you are happy with your B&O system in general. If so, I do not think you should go for a different system. The integration is still a big plus of B&O and I could not find a better system so far. Some are more modern, but not better working. If you still like B&O you should give it a chance - perhaps they offer a better price if you insist.

Alsfeld:

Unfortunately the build in plasma display shows snow / white noise.

So I called a B&O dealer and asked him for help. The answer was that my plasma display is damaged and I need a new one. My question if there is a possibility to repair it, he denied, because it would be more expensive than changing it.

This is 100% untrue.  First, I'm doubtful that the repair would be for the entire screen ... unless you smashed the screen itself that's almost never the module replaced during any repair.  Either way even if that were to be the case replacing the entire screen costs less than what you were offered for another screen.  If I were you, I would get a second opinion from another dealer and just move forward with the repair.

3 Years is very fair in the consumer electronics world for a warranty.  At the end of the day we're talking about electronics here.  The simplest (and most impossible to predict) thing could cause a product to fail and predicting that happening within 4, 10, 20 or 50 years is just unrealistic.  The repair process for B&O isn't too painful and it is in-home so I would really suggest going that route.  Even the finest watches on the planet need maintenance to prolong their life so you should look at your investment in Bang & Olufsen (or any other manufacturer for that matter) the same way.

If you like your current system, fix it. My experience with recent home purchases is that nothing new lasts. All of my newer appliances/electronics (not low end stuff: miele, lg, kitchenaid, Panasonic) have been visited by the service man - with the exception of my beo (touch wood). Granted, I'd expect more from a bv9 - I hope that my bv8 lasts longer than 4 years (one of main reasons I bought it was my prior flat screen lasted just 18 mos) but nothing lasts forever (+7 yrs) anymore. 

I think the housing bubble messed up priorities. No reason for a stove or refrigerator to last more than 5 years since the house will be flipped in 2. Or maybe we've been infected by the corporate short term mindset.  

Stan 

Alsfeld:

I own a four year old Beovision 9. Unfortunately the build in plasma display shows snow / white noise.

So I called a B&O dealer and asked him for help. The answer was that my plasma display is damaged and I need a new one. My question if there is a possibility to repair it, he denied, because it would be more expensive than changing it. He offered me a “new” D11 plasma display for only 2.500 Euros.

I agree with Alex, as the plasma display is still actually working, showing white noise / snow. Usually if a plasma (or LCD) display component fails, which they rarely do, you won't see a picture at all, or you see a picture that has distorted colors, colored lines, etc.

White noise sounds more like a tuner problem, or problem with an analogue source / connection. Generally, digital sources don't show white noise when defective, so have you checked how all connected devices work?

BeoVisions are built with a very modular structure, making repairs easy: they just locate the faulty module, and exchange it, on the spot in your home. Did a B&O service guy pay you a visit and do proper diagnostics for the TV, or  did you get the answer of changing the panel over the phone from your dealer? If no diagnostics have been made, that would be very strange.

I really recommend getting a second opinion from another dealer, or ask for proper inspection of your TV by your dealer's service personnel. It is indeed very unlikely that the display unit in your BeoVision 9 is defective.

I hope you get it sorted out and can continue enjoying your magnificent TV.

thats the display! but its possible to fix the display.

2 - 3 hours and the BV 9 works fine! you don't have to switch the Panel!

search for an Bang & Olufsen Competence center ( not a Dealer ) and he will help you 

best regards

Alsfeld, sh*t happens, these are electronics after all and any component is subject to failure no matter what it is.  However I am right with you regarding the response from your Dealer, which if accurate should not be indicative of the response from all B&O Dealers or B&O themselves after you have spent £15000+ on a screen.

I assume you are not in the UK.  If so I could assist in some way.  However your description of the fault is somewhat lacking to pursue this any further.  What exactly is wrong with it - and does the problem become apparent on all sources?  Pictures would be helpful.  If I was B&O and I was aware of this forum I would be pulling my finger out to assist this customer.

Thank you very much for all your feedback and advice.

 

Technical remark:

I connected my macmini directly with the DVI cable of the plasma display. It shows the same snow and thin white lines, but nevertheless behind the snow you can see the whole picture. So it should be the plasma, not the beosystem 3.

A technical perhaps interesting part is that it started occasionally and after turning off the beovision for a while the problem was gone. Since two weeks the problem stays.

 

Service remark:

I wrote a letter to Bang&Olufsen Deutschland asking them for advice. Two weeks later I got an eMail from the service-center in Denmark that they will try to help me to solve the problem and they asked me for the contact details of my dealer. Now six weeks passed and nothing happened since I answered their eMail, even so I send another eMail two weeks ago asking for the status of my incident.

 

Quality / warranty remark:

Quality is question of perception and how it is managed in my viewpoint:

1) When you buy a Korean TV, you are happy when the TV reaches the end of the warranty period (two years in Germany) without problems and you are impressed of the quality for every day beyond.

2) When you buy an Apple iPad, you never will reach the end of the warranty period, because in the mean time you must buy (intrinsic) at least one product update, so you never have the chance to find out how long the product will last.

3) When you buy a Bang&Olufsen product your dealer tells you that this product is one with the highest quality standards and will last a life time. And when is doesn’t you get upset, because expectations are not met.