Chris Townsend wrote:

Just imagine if they popped that screen into a 14-55 frame, and upgraded the speakers.

Do they need to upgrade the speaker Chris? I'd be happy with your first suggestion - that panel in a BV14 frame! No need for a speaker upgrade.

My guess is, they've done this modular system for one good reason: I bet LG service the panel, so it has to be removable. Also, I wouldn't be surprised that the panel part has a limited lifespan, so B&O wanted it detachable. I doubt it's for panel upgrades, more servicing.

Seanie_230 wrote:

If B&O have now closed the video department does this mean no future Beosystem 5 in the future?

No, definitely not - we've already (sadly) established that B&O has given up in that department. They've let LG handle the video processing for the Eclipse panel.

If B&O are moving away from video, then a Beosystem 5 with the panel of your choice is the obvious way forward for a B&O integrated home...

Sal wrote:

Just imagine, a Beosystem with all of B&O's sound processing capabilities, video processing capabilities, and jam in Beolink Gateway functionality, for an all in one small-box solution for your home or apartment? Come on. Who wouldn't buy that? Bring your own screen and speakers, and smart home devices.

I definitely would! :) Today when all TVs are flat and have almost no bezel etc, I don't really need a B&O display anymore. Instead I want the display to be as minimal as possible. What I DO need, however, is the B&O user interface, the sound engine and the beolink capabilities – that's why I would love to be able to buy a "Beosystem 5".

A B&O tv without the "Beosystem" features and the B&O interface is not of interest to me.

Totally right. 

Wow. What a shocker! I can't believe what I'm seeing. A £10k TV should have people going wow, not what the hell?

for a company the size of B&O you'd think they would play the design safe. It's hugely marmite. And I'm still tasting it for the first time so I'm still making my mind up. But as of now. I don't like it. This TV was a make or break for B&O and they have really made an *** of it. Allow me to explain. 

You ask LG to supply a panel, totally fair enough. B&O have been doing this for years. But for a top rate television offered from a top rate manufacture, you get your Picture team to make the best circuitry and processing possible. They failed on this totally. If what I'm reading is true and the fact my dealer dodged the question when I asked "does this tv have vision clear?" It's LG picture quality in a fancy design... which brings me onto my next question. 

Build quality. I've read this tv has no craftsmanship values under its belt. Seems flimsy and a lot of plastics used (seems like LG built it themselves.)  Again, where were B&O's thought when they designed this TV. 

Branding issues. It seems LG are getting the better one of the deal here. The promo video which B&O posted this morning actually mentions the fact that LG have supplied the panel. No no no! A top end brand does not advertise this! It's only going to make people think this is an overpriced LG, and not buy it. A lot of B&O haters have said this for years. But this time. With no B&O magic behind the panel. This statement is true. 

Ease of use. Seriously? WebOS. What a clunky, horrible POS this interface is. And its available on 500 quid TV's out of Currys PC World. I say no more. 

Design. Yawn. That speaker bar sits rather out of place right over the front, causing reflections onto the screen (reason why they most likely removed the gloss coating) is just distracting. And whats with the bit at the bottom. That was no necessary at all.

Small quirks. NO, I repeat, NO curtains on start up. The last time I was this annoyed about a small detail such as that was when Apple started removing the start up bong from their computers. Its heritage, its what makes a product iconic. Its what gives it that little touch of human not machine quality to it. Imagine if Rolls Royce removed the spirit of ecstasy off the front of the bonnet? Or Maserati removing the analogue clock from the centre of the dashboard. There would be a huge outcry. I'm no different. The new remote also has horrible cheap looking Netflix and Amazon buttons at the top. Why? what was wrong with the four preset buttons which I think B&O could only pull off.

PRICE. Now this is a huge huge make or break. And this is dead on arrival. Albeit this TV may sound better than whats already in the line up (thank goodness B&O haven't gone senile)  But... For a lazy job from B&O having no input on picture, and by the looks of things design and build. You have to be a mug to pay the asking price for this TV. And thats in writing from me! 

Im so glad I bought my 48 Horizon when I did and not get roped into waiting for this TV like my dealer suggested.

I love B&O. But it seems a lot of companies nowadays are losing focus on their products. Apple being the worst offender. But for B&O. You HAVE to get it right. Small company or not. you spend where you have to not where you want to. If they had given us a revamped BV 7 design and don't the video processing themselves and made it 1k cheaper. They would have had a winner! Instead they gave us a lemon. Maybe a good sounding lemon. But its a lemon never the less.

C 

The BV11 still fits my requirements, including the motorised wall hinge. The projecting sound bar precludes the Eclipse from ever having a wall hinge option. 

The TV has the strange look of a BV10/11 square / rectangle with an oversized BV7 sound bar grille glued across the front. Seeing it in person might change my view, but I'm not one of those people who splashes out £10K on a TV every three or four years.

Graham

Yeah, the difference with Apple is that their stuff costs clearly more, but its not many thousands more (thinking well specced laptops for example), so if you still want the Apple experience, its just about manageable for many.

The B&O stuff has always occupied a more rarefied part of the value spectrum - and while i don't have the Eclipse as an epic fail, having spent 90 minutes with it today, it certainly feels,  for the price anyway, slightly incoherent and diluted. In equal part down to the form factor and the loss of any B&O feel to the GUI (hell even the Android Ui feels restrained visually compared to webOS)

Its certainly modern, well featured and has excellent audio chops, so i'm sure i'd be happy enough if i had one,  but its far from compelling i'd agree. There's something about the modular nature that doesn't quite sit right vs the price.

Sandyb wrote:

There's something about the modular nature that doesn't quite sit right vs the price.

If the previous comment about the panel being modular and upgradeable is true, then, conceptually I think the BV Eclipse is setting a welcome trend in AV for creating something that is clearly an audio best performer, taking into account the visual needs that will change over time. Kudos to B&O for potentially allowing the panel to be updated for future-proofing as best they can.

The price, on the other hand, for a shamelessly and rebadged LG panel (and UI, etc), is a debate, which I'm afraid is far from ending.

The design is B&O special, and it's beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but is it worth the price premium?

Sal wrote:

Kudos to B&O for potentially allowing the panel to be updated for future-proofing as best they can.

Hold on. We're just assuming they are offering updates as it's detachable. Has it been confirmed? At a guess, the reason it's modular is that it's not a B&O component and, as it's not a B&O component, I'm assuming this part is serviced/updated by LG.

I'd be very surprised if B&O decide to produce an update panel in the future to drop into your old Eclipse.