Bang (& Olufsen) for Your Buck

The high-definition BeoVision 8, considered a bargain by B&O at $4,000, will be worth it to consumers who want a great picture and an über-stylish set

by Cliff Edwards

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Great picture and quality sound in a unique package

The Bad: Expensive, few HD connections, and no easy way to adjust picture

The Bottom Line: A television set aimed at the style-conscious who see money as no object

Reader Reviews

How much are you willing to pay for a sleek combination of form and function in a TV? That's the central question for anyone who might ponder a $4,000 television like Bang & Olufsen's new 32-in. high-definition BeoVision 8.

Those not familiar with Bang & Olufsen might be surprised to learn the Danish luxury brand's latest export to the U.S. is billed as its "most affordable" set. As some B&O sets will set you back $50,000, that's no exaggeration. Still, though it's been a nice seller in Europe for about a year now, the BeoVision 8 is three times the price of comparably sized HDTVs with the same 720p video resolution.

And yet, with regard to superb video and sound, you truly do get what you pay for. And in terms of looks, the BeoVision 8 is unlike any other. That said, I was disappointed by the shockingly limited amount of inputs for connecting Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, and other external devices, as well as the limited ability to adjust picture quality.

Thumbs-Up Design, Thumbs-Down Connections

Eschewing the glossy black that has become de rigueur among other manufacturers, chief designer David Lewis has wreathed the TV's screen with a flat black (almost gray) rubberized bezel and a unique speaker bar on the bottom that delivers some of the best built-in sound I've ever heard from a high-definition TV. The overall effect is meant to be akin to sitting in a theater, with the bezel looking like curtains around the screen and the speakers serving as an orchestra pit, directing sound right at you in a way that seems more naturally timed to the actor's dialogue. Sure, it sounds pretentious, but it makes for great conversation.

Unfortunately, where most 32-inch televisions offer at least two HD multimedia inputs (Toshiba's (TOSBF) newest models have four), the BeoVision 8 offers just one. That's supplemented with only a single component input for a second HD-playing set-top box and a VGA connector for hooking up a PC to the screen. It also seemed arrogant to me that B&O chose not to replace two European-format inputs for VCRs and older non-HD equipment, called SCARTs, with American inputs. The company does offer conversion cables, but if you have more than a couple HD components, either be prepared to shell out extra money for an HDMI switch box or to constantly reach behind the set to swap cables. And users who'd like to hook up the TV to an external home theater should also note there's no digital audio output. Instead, you have to make do with the set's analog, two-channel speakers and down-firing woofer and bass reflex port.

Self-Adjusting Picture

Happily, there's some impressive technology under the hood that more than makes up for these deficiencies. As mentioned earlier, you can do little to adjust the overall picture, other than fiddling with color tone, brightness, and contrast. Such limits were a conscious design choice; the set has software that automatically detects subtle changes in ambient lighting in the room and adjusts the picture to deliver the best image.

I was skeptical at first. Many manufacturers include such technology, which typically falls short of the experience you'd get if you just tinker with the picture yourself. That's particularly true when viewing standard-definition content off cable and satellite feeds. But the BeoVision's picture looked sharp and less grainy than I've seen elsewhere when I tuned in non-HD episodes of Frasier and Friends.

A self-adjusting set may be a good thing, too, when considering the alternative option of using the Beo4 universal remote that comes with the set. At the very least, the wand-shaped remote takes some getting used to. People who buy a suite of Bang & Olufsen products will love it for its ability to control all devices in what it calls the BeoLink home integration system. It offers unique quick keys with different colors so you can operate them even in the dark. For use with the BeoVision 8, however, I didn't find the remote intuitive for digging into the menu system. The keys were also cramped for my hands, and the numeric keypad is atypical because it starts with the highest number on the top instead of the bottom.

To help optimize the picture further, the set includes a high-glare polarizer that B&O says improves contrast and black performance. When I watched the opening scenes of 300 on Panasonic's latest Blu-ray player, the black levels were not as deep as on recent Samsung and Pioneer sets I've reviewed, but were nicely rich and inky. The set also accurately reproduced the skin tones and colorful gear during the scene in Juno when the main character talks to her boyfriend at the school track.

Fun and Games

Some LCD set manufacturers are also including "game modes" that turn off certain processing functions to allow for quicker response time as gamers try to take each other out with their Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 consoles. BeoVision 8 does not do this. Yet when I played Gran Turismo 5 Prologue on the PS3, the high-definition scenery whizzed by with no discernible blur or juddering that wasn't built into the game.

The 45-lb. set sits on two feet that slide forward or backward to adjust the angle of viewing. The company also sells an add-on $600 pedestal or $250 wall bracket.

As with all Bang & Olufsen products, the intent with the BeoVision 8 was to avoid being a me-too product. The idea is to offer a mouth-watering alternative that people would be willing to pay extra for. The company also contends the "bargain" price on this set makes it more attractive as an entry-level model for consumers looking to trade up to a premium brand. If you're in either of those categories and don't mind the annoying lack of input choices, the theater-like performance of the set does make it worth a look.

Edwards is a correspondent in BusinessWeek's Silicon Valley bureau.