Bang & Olufsen unveil classy BeoVision 9 high definition TV
Back in 2004 we showed you the classy BeoVision 7 widescreen telly from Bang & Olufsen. Now, they’ve brought the range squarely (ahem) into the high definition market with their BeoVision 9 HDTV (no, I don’t know why there wasn’t an 8 either…)
Its frame is diamond cut and almost square. Yes, it’s widescreen – 50 inch widescreen with 1366×768 resolution to be precise – but underneath that screen is a built-in Acoustic Lens Technology mono centre speaker, pumping out a whopping 2 x 250W. According to B&O, Acoustic Lens Technology gives ‘180-degree horizontal dispersion with controlled vertical directivity’ (is that even a word?). In other words, it should produce the same sound quality wherever you’re sat in relation to the speakers. You wouldn’t expect B&O to skimp on the audio, would you?
The TV handles all these audio formats: a2 + NICAM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1/6.1 eX, Dolby 7.1 eX, Dolby Pro Logic ll/llx, Dts 5.1. Dts es 6.1, and Dts neo:6.
Hidden compartments within the cabinet can hold options like a BeoMedia 1 or a Digital Television receiver. The cabinet also doubles as an intelligent motorised floor stand that remembers your favourite viewing angle.
The BeoVision 9 has a whopping 4 HDMI inputs (nice job B&O), plus plenty of the other inputs you’d need on a TV. It also features an Ethernet connection so presumably you can hook up to your home network or a BT Vision box.
Annoyingly, there’s no obvious mention in the specs about what kind of HD it will run. It uses the elusive term “HD ready” which means it’s likely to accept and display 720p content. It might be able to accept 1080i signals as well (unlikely 1080p) but it won’t be able to display them without scaling them down.
Price for all this perfection? Around £10,000 for the basic set.
Product page
More high definition TV news over at our sister site HDTV UK
Related stories: BeoVision 7 | Bang & Olufsen’s £180000 entertainment system | Bang & Olufsen HDR 2 250GB hard disc recorder launched
