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
Right this is my view about the v1 after seeing it today, i still don't like it i thought it would look better than the photos but it looks the same imo...i also wasn't particularly impressed with the picture quality, the bv10 opposite looked much better. I also noticed that they have changed the panels as it doesn't look like the glossy type which was used on the bv8-40 which i think added alot more depth to the picture.
The dealer told me that the v1s panel is from samsung but samsung now only use the ultra clear glossy panels in the new es7000 and es8000 lcds the rest of the range below have a more matte look to there panels which is what i think is being used in the v1.
The picture on freeview wasn't that bad but i thought that i would be blown away buy the picture which sadly i wasn't. The sound quality was pretty good although the bv8-40 sounds alot richer and deeper in the bass department. I also can't get to grips with the stand it's way to low so much so that if you had it on a floor "ie wood flooring or tiles" the underneath of the tv will get scratched.
Now i may come under fire for having an opinion about this tv which doesn't bother me but it just looks basic to me and like i have stated before not very b&0.
Beoplay A2
markiedee: Now i may come under fire for having an opinion about this tv which doesn't bother me but it just looks basic to me and like i have stated before not very b&0.
I don't like it either. However I do think the ceiling mount is clever.
linder: markiedee: Now i may come under fire for having an opinion about this tv which doesn't bother me but it just looks basic to me and like i have stated before not very b&0. I don't like it either. However I do think the ceiling mount is clever.
The funny thing is the 40" white one was on the floor and the 32" black one was being used with the ceiling mount what i did notice though was a fraying in the wire which shocked me a little thats a possible problem long term.
Hi Markledee, I wouldn't worry too much about Freeview as it's not a particually great way to watch the TV.
I saw the V1 picture with a USB stick showing a 720p Download and I was pretty blown away by the picture - I thought it was pretty excellent! If you want to watch broadcasts on it, give a Sky HD box a try as I know they are pretty decent - I must admit, i've been behind satellite for years, I always thought that it was the way to broadcast, with the ugly TV aerials as a thing of the 1950s!
All in all, i thought the V1 picture to be pretty outstanding!
I still think it's a really cool funky lil thing!
markiedee: Right this is my view about the v1 after seeing it today, i still don't like it i thought it would look better than the photos but it looks the same imo...i also wasn't particularly impressed with the picture quality, the bv10 opposite looked much better. I also noticed that they have changed the panels as it doesn't look like the glossy type which was used on the bv8-40 which i think added alot more depth to the picture. The dealer told me that the v1s panel is from samsung but samsung now only use the ultra clear glossy panels in the new es7000 and es8000 lcds the rest of the range below have a more matte look to there panels which is what i think is being used in the v1. The picture on freeview wasn't that bad but i thought that i would be blown away buy the picture which sadly i wasn't. The sound quality was pretty good although the bv8-40 sounds alot richer and deeper in the bass department. I also can't get to grips with the stand it's way to low so much so that if you had it on a floor "ie wood flooring or tiles" the underneath of the tv will get scratched. Now i may come under fire for having an opinion about this tv which doesn't bother me but it just looks basic to me and like i have stated before not very b&0.
Well you certainly won't come under any fire from me - that's not my style. After all, aesthetics are very much a personal thing, as is taste, and we're all different.
I often wonder what it is apart from maybe ego and insecurity that causes friends to try and either 'sell' you, or 'persuade' you to their point of view, as if they need to have affirmation about their own consumer decisions and brand loyalties, to bolster up their view of the 'correctness' of their own tastes and choices.
I quite recently bought a pre-owned Mercedes-Benz in lovely original condition and very low K's, and a number of friends 'worked' quite hard on me to persuade me to buy a BMW (Mercedes-Benz are old mens cars don'cha know..lol) or a new Toyota/Honda/Ford etc.
At the end of the day, it's my money and my choice and I'm the one that has to live with it, not them. So far I'm absolutely delighted!
But then I don't believe all the hype about BMW's having driven them extensively re various models over at least the last decade, courtesy of a friend who is a BMW afficiando, and all new, latest models as well as the odd pre-owned. They're lovely cars, and IMHO when comparing apples with apples wherever possible, slightly, and I do mean slightly, more sporty feeling than the Benz, but for long distance driving/touring as well as a sense of luxury, comfort, style and reliability, the Benz for me, is a better balanced product overall.
Well, I've gone slightly off topic, but I could say the same thing about B&O; some aspects of my previous Naim system I'd regard as maybe a little more hyped and exciting in the audio presentation, but for an overall much more balanced product re ownership, I'll take B&O thank you very much.
They Panasonic VT & GT plasmas have the reputation of being the best plasma sets out there as far as mainstream sets, and If I had one, loved the picture and was happy with the aesthetics, I don't think I'd be in a hurry to replace it, no-matter what anyone else says or thinks.
If on the other hand, you feel the siren call of the B&O virus, and an Beovision 10 is beckoning... well, in that case I figure it's only a matter of time and much internal rationalising over the cost for most of us, before you will end up buying one...
So yes, no 'fire' from me and glad you had another good look at it.
I would say though, that as Paul has expressed, you're probably not going to get much of an impression of the picture performance on freeview; I'd say Bluray 1080p would be a minimum to fully judge it's picture quality.
Kind regards
John...
markiedee: The picture on freeview wasn't that bad but i thought that i would be blown away buy the picture...
The picture on freeview wasn't that bad but i thought that i would be blown away buy the picture...
Buy a BV12 or BV7-55? :) I doubt anyone should expect to be "blown away" by the bottom-of-the-range TV. Think about it.
On a serious note though, I'm positively surprised by the V1 picture quality every time I've seen it, so far. Was at my dealers briefly yesterday and remarked on how good and sharp the picture came across. Ironically, perhaps, a bit too sharp!
However, that was using Freeview HD and, as I've said loads of times, the incoming source makes a big difference to the picture quality. There's a difference between Freeware (SD) and Freeview HD on a 40". The HD results in a much sharper and detailed picture. I can assure you, having owned a BV7-40 MKIV and now a BV10-46 for many years, the V1-40 is up there. It's perhaps not quite up at BV10-46 level, but it's only a notch or two behind. It's certainly not as you describe.
I have no reason to be "blown away" by the V1, I'm not in the market for one. However, I'm convinced having seen Freeview HD on the V1-40 a few times, that the picture is certainly very good.
Yesterday I had the chance to compare the V1 side by side to a BV10 with 200hz and the new BV7-40 3D. Yes, the BV7-40 was better regarding black level and colour saturation. But not very much. If the BV7-40 3D is a mark 10, the V1 is 8-9. With the BV10-40 I was not able to see any difference. Soundwise, I think the V1 is a little better. If money is not the question, of course everybody (me too) would by the BV10 or BV7-40. But for 3k it is a very good TV.
LOEWE bild 5.55 OLED + AppleTV; BS4; BL9; BL8000 MKII all black
Sorry i should have stated that the 40" v1 was displaying normal freeview with the 32" showing freeview hd and i was also watching thor via usb at 720p on the 40" v1.
hotknife: Yesterday I had the chance to compare the V1 side by side to a BV10 with 200hz and the new BV7-40 3D. Yes, the BV7-40 was better regarding black level and colour saturation. But not very much. If the BV7-40 3D is a mark 10, the V1 is 8-9. With the BV10-40 I was not able to see any difference. Soundwise, I think the V1 is a little better. If money is not the question, of course everybody (me too) would by the BV10 or BV7-40. But for 3k it is a very good TV.
Well if the V1 can seriously rival the BV10-40, then I'm very impressed as the BV10-40 always had a noticeably better picture (sharper, clearer/more detailed, better black levels) than the BV8-40 to my eyes on identical program material.
What I'm saying here, is that the V1 is, despite the Beoplay moniker, the effective update to the 8-40, at nearly half the price here in Australia, and yet with a picture quality that rivals an BV10-46. In my book that makes it even better value for money, and I'm even more interested than ever to see it.
Phoned my local dealer today; not here yet, but expected anytime soon...
Best Regards
markiedee: Sorry i should have stated that the 40" v1 was displaying normal freeview with the 32" showing freeview hd and i was also watching thor via usb at 720p on the 40" v1.
Sorry to hear you're so disappointed with it.
Bear in mind 720p program material on a 1080p display will be up-sampled/scaled, so again will not have quite the same sense of depth and detail that you'd get from a native 1080p signal.
Still, you're obviously not happy with it, and I assume not happy with your Panasonic TV either, otherwise you wouldn't be contemplating B&O unless it's mainly for style or system integration etc.
If it's any consolation, I've seen the Panasonic VT 50 & GT 50 in local shops, and not been blown away by the picture quality either - albeit I thought it very good. And yet they get superb reviews.
The only TV I've seen in say the last five years that DID blow me away (i.e. draw dropping WOW! as against 'good') picture quality wise, was the new 65" BV12 on Bluray - far and away the best direct view picture I've ever seen.
But then, it's also out of my budget as I'm contemplating putting a full B&O system together of which the display will merely be the first part, albeit an important one as the centrepiece of an AV system.
From that POV, the V1 still strikes me as superb VFM, albeit maybe one with a few design quirks which one will either love or hate, but with the active centre channel and inbuilt state of the art surround sound processor, plus reported excellent picture quality and at a highly competitive price re mainsteam top of the line sets, unless one really hates the look of it, I think its a bit of a no brainer as to being the centrepiece of an B&O AV system for someone like me keen on entering the B&O fold.
My dealer even assures me it'll work well with Lab 5's, albeit I would not think as well sound-wise as say a 7.4, but one has to start somewhere. And my dealer is an ex audiophile, really knows his stuff, and personally owns 3 pairs of Lab 5's plus O/H projection etc. And there is no pushy hard sell, rather years of accumulated knowledge from being an enthusiast and from selling the 'high end', so I tend to trust his judgement on such matters in the initial instance - i.e. without having had the opportunity to hear it for myself - yet.. :-)
John: Bear in mind 720p program material on a 1080p display will be up-sampled/scaled, so again will not have quite the same sense of depth and detail that you'd get from a native 1080p signal.
Also, remember Freeview is made up only 480 horizontal lines, which means it's doubled (and then some) for an 1080p screen.
Indeed, many Freeview HD programmes are SD scaled up. Which means they already start with a 480 pixel filmed broadcast.
Conclusion: on a 1080p 40" screen, most Freeview programmes will be pixelated.
"Well if the V1 can seriously rival the BV10-40, then I'm very impressed as the BV10-40 always had a noticeably better picture (sharper, clearer/more detailed, better black levels) than the BV8-40 to my eyes on identical program material. "
BV8-40 and BV10-40 shared the same chassis and panel. Make sure you compare 100hz (MKI) with 100hz (MKI) and not 100hz (MKI) BV8-40 with 200 hz (MKII) of BV10-40. If there is a difference, it is because of the anti-reflection sceen I think.
Besides the 3 hdmi,are there more changes in the beovision10-40 through the years?
koning: Besides the 3 hdmi,are there more changes in the beovision10-40 through the years?
I'd guess, updated panels. B&O refresh their panels from year to year.
I remember buying the very first BV7-40 MKVI. It was a great TV with a very good picture (much improved on my previous BV7-40 MKIII). About eight months later, it broke down and B&O decided it would be replaced. They brought up a brand new BV7-40 MKIV. I could tell instantly it was an improved panel (even though it was still a MKIV). Definitely about 10-15% brighter. Clearly they'd upgraded the panel within those eight months. Only a minor panel change, but an improvement nonetheless.
Didn't the MKII BV10-40/46 get a 200Hz panel? That would have been a big improvement.
John: markiedee: Sorry i should have stated that the 40" v1 was displaying normal freeview with the 32" showing freeview hd and i was also watching thor via usb at 720p on the 40" v1. Sorry to hear you're so disappointed with it. Bear in mind 720p program material on a 1080p display will be up-sampled/scaled, so again will not have quite the same sense of depth and detail that you'd get from a native 1080p signal. Still, you're obviously not happy with it, and I assume not happy with your Panasonic TV either, otherwise you wouldn't be contemplating B&O unless it's mainly for style or system integration etc. If it's any consolation, I've seen the Panasonic VT 50 & GT 50 in local shops, and not been blown away by the picture quality either - albeit I thought it very good. And yet they get superb reviews. The only TV I've seen in say the last five years that DID blow me away (i.e. draw dropping WOW! as against 'good') picture quality wise, was the new 65" BV12 on Bluray - far and away the best direct view picture I've ever seen. But then, it's also out of my budget as I'm contemplating putting a full B&O system together of which the display will merely be the first part, albeit an important one as the centrepiece of an AV system. From that POV, the V1 still strikes me as superb VFM, albeit maybe one with a few design quirks which one will either love or hate, but with the active centre channel and inbuilt state of the art surround sound processor, plus reported excellent picture quality and at a highly competitive price re mainsteam top of the line sets, unless one really hates the look of it, I think its a bit of a no brainer as to being the centrepiece of an B&O AV system for someone like me keen on entering the B&O fold. My dealer even assures me it'll work well with Lab 5's, albeit I would not think as well sound-wise as say a 7.4, but one has to start somewhere. And my dealer is an ex audiophile, really knows his stuff, and personally owns 3 pairs of Lab 5's plus O/H projection etc. And there is no pushy hard sell, rather years of accumulated knowledge from being an enthusiast and from selling the 'high end', so I tend to trust his judgement on such matters in the initial instance - i.e. without having had the opportunity to hear it for myself - yet.. :-) Kind regards John...
It's not that i was disappointed with the picture i just wasn't as impressed as i thought i would be, and will say that to my eyes the picture on the bv8-40 from what i can remember is and was definately still better. I'm also an avid av enthusiast i've had numerous tvs av recievers subwoofers and speakers over the years so when it comes to highdefinition and resolutions i'm pretty clued up.
I'm also not unhappy with my gt50 iam super impressed with it. The new v1 was a potential tv that i was going to buy before i purchased my panasonic gt50 i was looking to sell all my av gear to simplify my setup and knowing how good b&0 are with picture and sound i was just going to have the tv connected to my bluray player and games consoles and thats it. But after seeing the v1 in the leaked pictures i just didn't like it so the panasonic after much research and also the bigger size was a done deal for me.
Seeing it in the store won't be a good representation of the incredible picture the panasonic produces it will be obviously in shop mode with a pretty garish picture it's when you get one home and play with the settings is where you see the results. At the moment theres nothing but high praise for the gt50 check out the reviews and see for yourself.
Anyway back to the v1 i really wanted to like this tv and i did have an opinion throughout the threads about it too, i just had to see it for myself which is what i did and with me i think it boils down to the look. It has to fit with my style and to me it doesn't. The bv12 is a brilliant tv and if the funds were available thats the screen i'd be looking at.
Hi everyone,
Just as an aside from the main discussion, this thought may interest you
I saw a nice feature on the V1 whilst experimenting with some new cables at one of the B&O stores – when you add external speakers, you can re-assign the TV’s internal speakers to take on different audio channels in the surround sound mix, ie. the left TV speaker can become the centre channel if you have an external front speaker placed to the left of the TV, but you can leave the right TV speaker set as the front right channel if there isn't an external speaker on that side of the TV......although a little unconventional, that’s real common sense in my view, as people rarely put their speakers in the ideal places around the room, so the TV can adjust for this far better than many “high end” AV receivers can.
It just made me realise that far more thought has gone into the V1 (and hence future B&O TVs using this chassis) than first meets the eye....once the dealers become realy familiar with the capabilities of the V1, I think that we could see B&O taking the lead in "real world" TV technology again, in the same way that they did when AV9000 was first launched.
Steve.
www.soundsheavenly.com
Founder of Sounds Heavenly Cables and Brand Ambassador for Bang & Olufsen
Sounds Heavenly are proud to sponsor BeoWorld!
Please check out my YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/soundsheavenlycables
Right,Steve.
Haaaaaaaa, the AV9000...
Gosh the AV9000 was incredible at the time! First of the electronic curtains - mechanical i do believe!
Steve at Sounds Heavenly: Hi everyone, Just as an aside from the main discussion, this thought may interest you I saw a nice feature on the V1 whilst experimenting with some new cables at one of the B&O stores – when you add external speakers, you can re-assign the TV’s internal speakers to take on different audio channels in the surround sound mix, ie. the left TV speaker can become the centre channel if you have an external front speaker placed to the left of the TV, but you can leave the right TV speaker set as the front right channel if there isn't an external speaker on that side of the TV......although a little unconventional, that’s real common sense in my view, as people rarely put their speakers in the ideal places around the room, so the TV can adjust for this far better than many “high end” AV receivers can. It just made me realise that far more thought has gone into the V1 (and hence future B&O TVs using this chassis) than first meets the eye....once the dealers become realy familiar with the capabilities of the V1, I think that we could see B&O taking the lead in "real world" TV technology again, in the same way that they did when AV9000 was first launched. Steve.
I'd very much agree with your assessment re the capabilities of the processor in the V1.
Another feature that I really like, and, to the best of my knowledge not available in the likes of Sony, Yamaha and Rotel AV amps/receivers/procesors is the ability to set speaker groups.
Think of a speaker group as being a 'favourite' or 'preset' that one can switch between. For each group one can set and save, different distances from each speaker to the listening seat, and time delays. This means for instance, that one could have one group for say M/C surround sound music, where one might want to sit near the back of the room, and the speaker distances and delays can be all set accordingly.
On the other hand for movies, where one is using a 40" TV instead of a 65" or O/H projector, and correspondingly would benefit by sitting closer to the screen to gain the best immersive effect for 1080p movies, another speaker group can be saved/recalled that will alter the relevant speaker distances and delay times relevant to the new seating position, at the press of a button on the remote.
Or if you want to listen to music say at the side of the room in a favourite armchair; another speaker group with optimised settings can be created for that scenario.
I find this another example of the sort of thought that has gone into the V1 as Steve mentions; again there is no AV receiver out there on the market that I'm aware of that offers this sort of lateral thinking re the setup options - but yet exceptionally useful as against 'bling' features.
As Steve says - it's very 'real' world technology and also why I have described it previously in my comments as state or the art - which it is.
John: Well if the V1 can seriously rival the BV10-40, then I'm very impressed as the BV10-40 always had a noticeably better picture (sharper, clearer/more detailed, better black levels) than the BV8-40 to my eyes on identical program material. What I'm saying here, is that the V1 is, despite the Beoplay moniker, the effective update to the 8-40, at nearly half the price here in Australia, and yet with a picture quality that rivals an BV10-46. In my book that makes it even better value for money, and I'm even more interested than ever to see it. Phoned my local dealer today; not here yet, but expected anytime soon... Best Regards John...
Which State are you in? My dealer has one today but sadly not the V140. I think the best news about this TV for me at least was that when I mentioned that I wanted to buy a B&O TV my partner usually instantly shuts the conversation down but when I quickly mentioned the price I got an OK to check it out!
BL90, BL5 x 2, BL9, BL8000 x 2, Penta III x 2, Penta II, BL2, BL4, BL2500, RL6000 x 3, MS150, MS150.2, A9, A1, A2, P2, Beolit 12/17, S70, CX50, CX100, Beovox 2500, BS9000 x 2, BS3000, BS4, BC2, BS1, Moment, Essence MkII x 2, BS5 Encore, BG8002, BC8002, BM8002, BG5500, BV7-40 MkIII, BV11-55, BV Avant 85", BC5, H8, E8, Form 2, A8...Serene
Picture quality That rivals the BV10-46......dream on my friend.
koning: Picture quality That rivals the BV10-46......dream on my friend.
Koning, you do post some odd things from time to time.
No moxxey,i was giving reply on the post from John.
Guys,
userguide and other useful question for Beoplay V1 available. Take a look at it!
http://www.beoplay.com/Support/Support-Beoplay-V1?redirected=true
I just realized that perhaps I can use masterlink in my bedroom in another way since the V1 dont have support for it. I have two beolink passive (one is the MCL2P but it is the same I think?, they both have masterlink&powerlink). If I connect the beolink passive with powerlink to V1 and masterlink to my stereo downstairs. Shouldnt I be able to play cd/radio over masterlink and sound from V1 over powerlink?
Should work I think, and that is all I want to be able to do. Also have a Beolink Active but no beolabs that would look good in the bedroom. I am thinking about using an old white bose-system I have somewhere. So sound from the stereo would only be played in the bose-speakers but the TV could use them for stereo and its own for center.
Perhaps to much cables for that but, why not :P
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 :)
HI Luke
Victoria - my local dealer is expecting them in any day. Hope they get 32 & 40, plus both colours and at least floor and table stands to see.
But maybe a bit early for that - fingers crossed.
I haven't seen it. It's not here yet. I'm simply repeating what others who have seen it, have said on this thread.
I'm hoping it is at least as good as a top tier Sony with which it competes on price.
I would not personally think it would be as good as a BV10-40 mainly because of the 200hz panel and glass contrast screen.
However, I would expect it to be close.
As I say, others have commented in this thread that the picture quality is up with the BV10 - when it arrives here I will go and see it with great interest and form my own opinion. If it does compete with a BV10 I'll be extremely happy, but I'd still expect a BV10 to have an edge - IMHO - which may or may not be subtle.
On the other hand, if a Sony Bravia 'blows' it away, I'll be writing a stern letter to B&O HQ....
John..
ping?
Michael: ping?
Well, after quite a bit of excitement at the release of this TV from B&O, and with a certain amount of both trepidation and yet hopes of finding a TV that would suit my purposes to 'enter' the B&O AV world, and also be a product that I would like both aesthetically and picture quality wise, I finally got the call today that I have been waiting for, from my dealer to say that stock that had arrived today, and one was unpacked and set up for me to have a look at.
At the moment, they only have white in 32 & 40" sizes, and only with the angled floor stand, with other stand options and the black expected to filter through by mid June. The set on display was a 40" white, on the floor stand.
I sat down and had a good play with the remote, looking at the various menu/setup options and whatnot, and viewed a mixture of local broadcast TV (SD and some HD - almost certainly 720p though - not 1080p). Also the dealer played some 1080p video clip material off a USB stick, and streamed some music via DLNA wireless from the Beosound/Beomaster 5 setup.
First thoughts upon seeing the set, is that it looks quite a bit bigger than in the photos, and the white is a lovely shade - neither a 'cold' ice/blue white, nor overly warm/beige.
It's a lovely satin finish, and delightful to the touch. The stand is also finished in a satin chrome/stainless steel, and personally, I really liked the look of the set overall.
I say 'overall' because it is not as elegant as say a Beovision (which I expected from the photos) and arguably not as elegant as a Sony Bravia with the elongated optional aluminium base 'foot'. However, it is nonetheless clearly a B&O/Danish design, with a strong link to Bauhaus design principles, such that I feel this design looks both funky and modern, and yet will also still look interesting and modern in a timeless fashion in say 10+ years time.
There are few, if any, TV sets I could make that remark about, with the exception of B&O and Lowe really - certainly nothing 'mainstream' comes to mind in that regard.
In that sense, the V1 is a true B&O TV design. The only area of the design where I found myself questioning internally, was the visible hinge effect along the top and bottom of the screen - but I really only noticed that in the first visual 'take' of the product, and after a little time familiarising myself with it, more or less ceased to notice it. I also think that effect will be very colour dependant, so will likely look different again in the black finish.
To those who criticise B&O for their design choices, I offer you the Beo4 remote. There is nothing at all available to the best of my knowledge as supplied as standard for a TV/AV product, or that I have tried, that rivals this remote for a truly balanced feel in the hand, and for the delightful feel of the buttons - nice positive click operation - no bouncy squishy rubber touch pads set in creaky plastic with garish colour hues splattered all over it here.
Ditto the on-screen menus - classic and truly elegant white on black, and a lovely effect in the way that the menus 'slide' in from the side. Again, for the sheer elegant simplicity of the user interface, nothing in the mainstream TV world that competes with this TV at this price compares - one is back to menus stuffed with feature 'bloat' that gives a salesperson a plethora of USP's to sell off, but provide little real world benefit to the end user, and almost always accompanied by confusing menu structures and a colour palette taken from a childs crayon box.
So as regards the aesthetic appeal of the TV, and the user interface with respect to menus and the remote, it is out on it's own for me - bar of course other Beovisions. Of course this is a personal take, but I have always favoured elegant simplicity and classic design over eye catching candy colours and 'feature' lists as long as ones arm that do little except impress the gullible & technically challenged consumer anxious to secure a 'deal' on their new TV acquisition.
Now to the picture. I am unable to comment as to picture quality vis - a - vis a Beovision 10-40. Simply put the TV had only been unpacked a matter of hours, and no bluray player etc, was connected. As I've already stated though, if the V1 equaled a Beovision 10-40 given the price difference, and the 200hz panel and contrast screen, I'd say something was wrong!
Really, the main competitor here has to be sets available that are in a similar price bracket - the Sonys, Panasonics, LG's & Samsungs of this world.
Speaking personally, my favourite mainstream LCD set is Sony Bravia, and for plasma, Panasonic, and either of those two brands I would see as the main competitor to the V1 on picture quality for the price paid.
On 1080p material such as I saw off a USB drive, the picture quality is simply superb. I'm going by memory, always an unreliable thing, but I'd say that for out and out sharpness and detail, and a sense of depth in the picture the B&O would easily rival, if not better a top dynamic backlight Sony Bravia.
Overall, I'd say the picture is better than the top of the line Sony Bravia with which I am quite familiar - there is a Sony dealer a little down the road from the B&O store in Richmond, and I've seen the Bravias many times on a wide variety of video material.
By better, I mean that in terms of sharpness, detail and sense of depth, I doubt there'd be much in it; without an A/B I'd say it would be slightly in the B&O's favour in terms of not just edge sharpness, but in the detail of sharpness of colour gradutaions etc.
As regards contrast/luminance - the Sony comes across as an exceptionally contrasty picture with fantastic blacks for an LCD - but, often with a sense of black crush, where the subtlety of shadow detail is lost, and the whites rather looking overblown re the exposure. Conversely the B&O did superbly in managing a balance of deep blacks, noticeable shadow detailing and clear, clean whites that looked properly exposed and not overblown.
However the coup de gras to every other mainstream LCD set i have seen, was the colour balance.
Probably the stand out facet of the picture performance to me, the colour was simply oozing wonderful subtlety and naturalness, in a manner that reminded me of one of the standout brands of TV's I remember from CRT TV days - Metz. One could look across a crowd and see the subtle differences in skin tones from subject to subject, and also within the face of a single individual - I've really never quite seen this trick pulled off on an LCD set other than the top B&O's before - or a really good plasma - such as the Panasonics - in this regard no Sony Bravia LCD I have seen quite compares - they are brilliant on the primaries, but simply do not have the subtlety and naturalness of colour to my eyes.
Putting all this together, the superb clarity, sharpness, detail, depth and beautifully natural colour as regards the picture, puts this TV to the top of my list as regards picture performance for the price, from an LCD TV.
Plasmas are a different technology, and will offer other picture reproduction benefits, but against this must be weighed the weight and energy usuage of plasma technology, as well as phosphors that age, - and no mainstream plasma offers the B&O feature of a camera to pop out and calibrate the set to counter this aging process a la a Beovision 9 for instance.
The final icing on the cake was the sound - again comparisons with mainstream LCDs and plasmas are pointless as the B&O is obviously markedly superior, with clarity, a lovely 'tone' and full and resonant bass. I can't argue as to how it compares sound-wise to a 8-40, or a BV10-40/46 - the set was not in a position in the shop to do an AB demo.
Now it's never going to be as good as a 7.4 or 7.6 etc, but again, this is not really the apples with apples comparison one should be making IMV. But compared to an Sony/Pana/Phillips/LG/Samsung et al mainstream LCD TV in the same price bracket, there is no comparison IMHO for the B&O is just in another league sound-wise.
So, in total, I am pretty much sold to be honest; that is the TV sold itself to me. I will be waiting until the Black comes in on display in a few weeks time, and also to see the table stand option, but as I said earlier in this thread, unless one really hates the look of this TV, it has so much going for it as the centrepiece to someone wanting to enter the B&O AV world, as regards it's technology and features, with the active centre channel, state of the art inbuilt surround sound processor, and cutting edge funky and modern design, it's not funny.
in the context of the competing mainstream LCD sets in it's price bracket, I also feel it is a design tour de force, and with a picture and sound quality to die for.
Well done B&O!
If I love it in black, - one of these will be mine!
Kind Regards
Niceeeee review John. I told you that it was a lil beauty!
I wanted one before I read this but now I need one! A Black 40 :)
John, that was the best review I have read in some time :P. I'm sitting at work and I so much want to order the TV right now :).
My ONLY big dilemma is the colour. I like the white color and I don't really like the greyish-black model but I am not sure what I should buy anyways. The white one is probably what I will buy but so hard to say :)
My retailer has a 32" black and a white 40" so they don't compare very nicely. It is going in to my bedroom and I just sold my black samsung 40" that was there before. The room is so much nicer now and just that makes me feel a white B&O is the best way to go, right?
Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.
Michael: John, that was the best review I have read in some time :P. I'm sitting at work and I so much want to order the TV right now :). My ONLY big dilemma is the colour. I like the white color and I don't really like the greyish-black model but I am not sure what I should buy anyways. The white one is probably what I will buy but so hard to say :) My retailer has a 32" black and a white 40" so they don't compare very nicely. It is going in to my bedroom and I just sold my black samsung 40" that was there before. The room is so much nicer now and just that makes me feel a white B&O is the best way to go, right?
My dealers opinion was that the white is likely most suited to a bedroom/second TV situation, with the black being more suitable for a lounge room/main TV - without being able to compare, as the black is not here yet, I'd be inclined to concur, and in a bedroom/smaller room, would be my choice as it will be less visually dominating because of the colour.
For a lounge though, and especially as he pointed out that the satin black cabinet that was an option for the 8-40 is more or less identical to a similar cabinet for the BV10 - still available - and a perfect fit for a new V1 in black for a lounge room situation.
I will wait until the black in a 40" size arrives so I can compare, and also the table as against floor stand.... but I would be inclined to think black for a lounge, and white for a bedroom/second TV - or as my dealer even opinioned a white 32" to double as a computer monitor for some folks.
Either way, it's an very nice TV IMHO...
Thank you for the kind comments - I worry my posts are too long sometimes, and I don't want to bore people by waffling on...
John: My dealers opinion was that the white is likely most suited to a bedroom/second TV situation, with the black being more suitable for a lounge room/main TV - without being able to compare, as the black is not here yet...
My dealers opinion was that the white is likely most suited to a bedroom/second TV situation, with the black being more suitable for a lounge room/main TV - without being able to compare, as the black is not here yet...
Also, remember it's more charcoal grey than black. It's a good colour. If I was going to get a V1, my heart would say white but my head the dark grey TV with coloured fret. Still not seen one of these frets. My dealer had a green one against a white TV, on Thursday, but when I went to the store, they'd taken the TV to demo to a customer!
Dealer claims the fret colour is so subtle it barely can be seen at all, once in place.
On a sidenote, I took a non-B&O owning friend in to the dealership on Thursday. He was impressed with the V1. Seriously liked it and he's from the demographic (<30) who would usually spend about £700 on a TV. He's genuinely interested in getting one later this year, as a result.
John, no worries! I like long posts when they are quality not just quanitity :P every word was meaningful and helpful. I havent seen the V1 in a week or so but I imagine that the black/grayish one is not having the same kind of paint.
If I recall correctly it is more "sparkly" grey/black/brownish than the white smooth eggshell-kind of coloured white-model.
I do like both the white one and the black one, but damn its a hard choice and quite alot of money anyway, it would be my first B&O TV that I would buy new :P.
I also cant decide if it is good to have a black frame around the picture when the tv is on. Perhaps the contrast is better than white? or maybe its the other way around :)
moxxey: Also, remember it's more charcoal grey than black. It's a good colour. If I was going to get a V1, my heart would say white but my head the dark grey TV with coloured fret. Still not seen one of these frets. My dealer had a green one against a white TV, on Thursday, but when I went to the store, they'd taken the TV to demo to a customer! Dealer claims the fret colour is so subtle it barely can be seen at all, once in place.
I believe the colour will be more visible on the white model than the "dark" model. White with green frets or something would look nice :P But I usually have grey pinstriped bedclothes so the included grey fret is probably ok for me but I would love to have a colour fret anyway. I think the TV and B&O-style shines with som colour elements.
I forgot that I took a few pictures of the tv on its launch day here at my local retailer. I think I took a few more a few days ago but can't find them. Anyway here is one at least. To compare the colours.
Michael: I believe the colour will be more visible on the white model than the "dark" model. White with green frets or something would look nice :P
I believe the colour will be more visible on the white model than the "dark" model. White with green frets or something would look nice :P
Yeah, my dealer had the white with the green fret on display (but when I went in, they'd temporarily taken it to show a customer). He said that you barely could see the green under the white frame - he has a point though, it's a simply piece of cloth that sits under those holes in the speaker. You won't see very much. It's note like the BV6, where you can swap out the entire speaker cover with a different colour.