jkhamler wrote:

Sorry guys... just got this from the dealer.

 

 

The Smart TV upgrade for BeoPlay V1 has indeed been launched (4 months early!) but unfortunately the information you have been given is not correct. The upgrade is priced at £100. Any confusion may come about because until the end of this year Bang & Olufsen are shipping televisions with Smart TV for the original price. From 1^stJanuary the retail price will increase by £100.

 

The current version of the Smart TV function is available to see in-store. The highlights are BBC iPlayer and a very nice iPad friendly version of YouTube.

 

Being a lovely sunny day with spring in full force, and prompted by an Xmas sale promotion email, I visited my B&O dealer yesterday.  The news for Australian customers is that the activation code for the smart TV functions is not yet on the B&O system - but should be by the end of the week; projected cost was quoted as A$129.00.  

Interestingly it was pointed out that this charge is what B&O have to pay, for the licence to gain access to the smart TV functions, purportedly supplied by a third party, hence the licensing requirement, and resultant charge to B&O which it appears will be passed on to current customers/owners of the V1, or built in to the price of the new sets come January, by the sound of things.

I saw it on a new BV11 55" and it looked very good, albeit the number of apps is a little limited - but it's early days.

I did read somewhere else a while back that B&O had joined a consortium of manufacturers using a smart TV platform, so I would think it only a matter of time before the number of applications available blossom.

I had bigger fish to catch on my visit to the dealer, re some serious thoughts about speakers, but I daresay in time I will add the smart TV function to my V1

Best Regards

John... 😐

The dealer updated me - the cost is actually £85 over here which I guess isn't too bad considering the licensing cost to B&O and that you're buying into a current platform which will have newer apps pushed out to it.

What speakers are you thinking about John? I am very happy with my setup of 8000s/6000s and a 2 with the V1, all of which (except the TV) I picked up in very lightly used immaculate condition at bargain prices!

Jonathan

jkhamler wrote:

The dealer updated me - the cost is actually £85 over here which I guess isn't too bad considering the licensing cost to B&O and that you're buying into a current platform which will have newer apps pushed out to it.

What speakers are you thinking about John? I am very happy with my setup of 8000s/6000s and a 2 with the V1, all of which (except the TV) I picked up in very lightly used immaculate condition at bargain prices!

Jonathan

I'm thinking of Lab 9's Jonathon.  Lab 5's are my dream, but just too much money in one basket for the time being I've decided - there are too many other areas of my life I'd like to address with funds, and having bought a car earlier this year, and the V1..... Lab 5's will have to wait a little longer.

I've never bought pre-owned HIfi before, but am chasing up some of the UK based Pre-owned specialists re stock.  On the other hand, if I put that new bed I've been planning on getting on the back burner for a bit longer, i can 'afford' new with the difference between pre-owned and new made up by forgoing the aforesaid piece of furniture!  Decisions, decisions....lol

My local dealer has a 15% off sale on 1 year old demo speakers, but they have some marks, which could be fixed by replacement parts, at my expense. Given that though, I think I'd rather just go new, or IF i could get little used/immaculate Lab 9's pre-owned, that would be the other option to make decent savings.

I'm swinging slightly in favour of emptying the bank account re going new, as with Lab 9's, unless they were to bring out a vastly superior model for similar money, I doubt I'd ever part with them.  If I was to later get Lab 5's, I'd simply put the 9's as rears in a 5.1 SS configuration with the Lab 5's up the front.  

Given that over time, speakers will 'drift' slightly re capacitor values changing etc, albeit more-so with a passive crossover, where the Lab series are fully active, means that new will give me the longest life If I'm planning to keep long term.

I guess it's a bit like buying a car really; they all cost money - either new and suffer the depreciation, or second hand and suffer the increased maintenance costs, or in the case of a second hand active speaker, the possibility of repairs to either amplification and drivers etc, depending upon how old they are and how they've been treated by previous owners.  If you're planning to keep long term, then either new cars or new speakers are probably(?) the best bet overall.

One thing I'll say about B&O - unlike most HIFi they seem to hold their prices really well even after 5 years old etc.

If you've any ideas, or comments, perhaps drop me a line so as not to make public remarks about dealers which may or may not be appropriate on the forums?

As I say, I've never bought pre-owned HiFi, so am a bit of a babe in the woods in that regard.

Kind regards

John... 😐

Hi all,

a new Software update has arrived on Dec. 7th. The description is not very useful, it says nothing. I found a new function which has to be activated (like the smart TV feature) with a code which is called HDMI Matrix. Does anybody know what that means? I cannot imagine what feature is hidden behind this name.

alex.

Have they sorted out the lag problems in the GAME mode yet ?

I can't , sorry

I think the V1 looks awful and wouldn't have one as a gift. Ok , I would and I'd trade it in for a bv11 !