I caught the BeoVirus more than 20 years ago, and first bought audio products until I had enough money to buy my first BeoVision, a white MX 6000 with a BeoCord VX 7000, all on a motor stand.
Later it was replaced with an Avant 32 VTR when B&O went widescreen, then came BV3-32 when flat screens came out, then a Beocenter 1 for the guest room, then finally a BV7-32 DVD 3 years ago.
6 months ago, a friend of mine gave me a professional 50' Fujitsu plasma TV, and since then, I couldn't do with smaller screens, so BV8/10/7 in 40' were not an option.
My next TV had to be at least 50 inches, which in B&O world meant a BV7-55 or BV9/BV4. All costing between EUR 15-20,000.That is a lot of money. 🙁
About 3 weeks ago I visited the ex-B&O shop (there is no more B&O dealer on my island), and came across a Loewe Individual Compose 52' that I bought after 1 night of hesitation. Only one night, some might say..Why?
- the TV cost me twice less than a BeoVision, for a similar screen size
- it has a 3-year warranty, instead of 2, which, in my case, was crucial since there is no more B&O dealer in the area anyway
- it has the electronic curtain, motor stand, built-in DVB-HD for T/C/S, PLUS 2 USB sockets and an Ethernet connection to link it to my computer network and USB keys. This enables me to play ALL my video files & pictures directly on the TV with the same remote control: no BeoMedia, no BeoMaster 5, no need to copy all files to another drive, just a single cable..
- the picture quality is outstanding, the sound goes to existing 5.1 BeoLabs via phono plugs.
- I still use the Beo4 to replace the original remote, thanks to a Lintronic converter.
In other words, there were more pros than cons in my case, the only downside being the finish quality at the back (glossy plastic that scratches easily, and you see the Samsung logos all over behind the grille!!), that's all I could find.
What I hadn't realized until I visited the ex B&O shop was how much expensive B&O had become, and after feeling a bit guilty of "having turned to the dark side", I came to another conclusion: the money saved on the BeoVision allowed me to buy more B&O products than first planned! 😉
