Today I was at my B&O dealer in Houten for the Beolab 50, and he having also the Eclipse..... nice TV but it is not my TV I like the Avant model more. The biggest screen in Eclipse is 65" I have the Avant 85" so the size is already a problem for me because I wil never do a step back  in screen size.

Simply I don't like the model, but it is good that we not have all the same taste.

BTW I get my Beolab 50 on september 23 th and that wil be the end for the Beolab 5 that I have with pleasure the last 10 years.

Think there was a brass version Avant, finding one might not be easy though - yes, its showing in the modern section part of the B&O site.

I do have 4K in the Avant MK 1, using Netflix and Amazon Prime (Fire TV box) - it's not HDR of course, so the step up in PQ is noticeable, it can look excellent, but its nothing like the more drastic eye popping imagery you get with the newer all HDR TV's.  As everyone will tell you, its the HDR bit of new TV's that has moved things on PQ wise. 

But in the end, for me the HDR part wasn't that important, hence i went for the Avant Mk 1 (I'm into older movies, where 4K HDR isn't relevant. One day when Sky Sports is all in 4K and not so expensive, but until then....)..so i'll likely revisit getting some HDR on board in 3-5 years time. They will likely be more B&O HDR choices in a few years, and maybe even with some B&O sheen on the UI.

Anyway, it was much more important to keep the UI and functionality as it is on my 12-65 (an option no? - 4K aside, a much better TV than the Avant) - got the same UI on both TV's, couldn't be happier. A simple problem free life has its merits, and the ex-display Avant was cheaper than a new TV.

I, like you,  could have swapped my 14 for an 11. There was no great reason for going for the Avant over the 11, it was more a nod to getting something a bit more up to date, that and my brain not functioning properly. So i miss the 11 design, but the Avant is sleek enough - beware the speaker can make a bit of a noise when it pops back in - touch odd, but no deal breaker for me. And not quiet as flush to the wall as the 11, but again no biggie for me.

Mine is fed by a matrix to one HDMI input on the Avant - cant quite remember, but it might be that only one of the HDMI ports is HDMI 2.0 (i.e. 4K decoding), but i only needed one, so no big deal. The sound on the Avant is excellent.

Enough rambling from me - either 11 or Avant Mk 1, you'll be happy with.

Chris Hassell wrote:

Hey all - can anyone remember if the MK1 Avant was available with the brass cool modern option?

Also @sandyb - do you have any 4K going through your MK1 Avant?

The more I think about it the more I want to go for a MK1 Avant or the latest Mk(3?) BV11. It kinda comes down to if the 4K on the Avant is a lot better than going for the non 4K BV11. I much much much prefer the old solid software that 'feels' B&O. It all works fine with multi room, and really works well with the BLGW etc. Just a lot slicker experience and what you should get when buying a brand such as this. Not an LG telly.

BV11-46, Beoplay A2, H3 ANC, Beo 4, Beoplay S8, Beosound Essence MkII

If anyone should be interested - this is still the Eclipse thread - in some details of the bits and pieces of the new BV and to have an impression of the build quality, this might be worth viewing:

One can dream. This has been my wish for years. Seeing the eclipse today with the horror of LGs UI design made me just sad. It is a great TV no doubt, but TVs come and go... And this does not feel like a B&O product.

I always read comments on BeoWorld with great interest... as a dealer it's good to hear what you all think of the new products and the brand in general. We are primarily a TV retailer - the brand wouldn't survive without TVs - or should I say won't survive without retailing TVs. This is of course just my personal opinion having worked within the brand for over 30 years.

In Sheffield the Eclipse has been very well received and having sold three today I feel quite confident it will do well. I agree that the price point should be lower and I have laboured this point with those that have input, as everything in life essentially revolves around perceived value... and with TVs this can be a difficult argument.

But without TV sales the brand won't be around forever and the LG panel solution seems to be the way forward in my opinion...

SHEFFIELD wrote:

But without TV sales the brand won't be around forever...

TV sales drive speaker sales, and audio sales. I totally agree, and you are 100% correct with what you say.

Surely though, if B&O really valued their dealers, they'd cut the margins on TV's to the bone to help you sell lots of TVs - which would then give you a sporting chance to sell speakers and add-ons?

B&O Dealer margins are pathetic now - and buyers are conditioned to demand discounts. Giving someone the discount they may have been used to on a BeoVision leaves you with single figure (and I'm talking 3% - 8%) margins, which is totally unsustainable from a business perspective.  The only way to earn a living now is to say "sorry, list price - no discount" - and that just makes people walk away!

People don't attach the same values they did to a TV 10-20 years ago.  When the whole family sat round it to watch the big soap, it was a 'thing'. Now, when everyone has an iPad, Tablet or Phone they can watch what they like, when they want, in their room - a TV becomes irrelevant.

Trust me... if Apple, with BILLIONS of Dollars to burn, decided not to make a physical TV you know that TV's aren't really the future if you want to make a profit.

Lee

thats good to hear honestly.

a re-skinned LG UI (more B&O) and the broader reception would have been pretty good, as opposed to the more mixed responses seen on the forum...judging by the forum comments, i would venture to say most here are not extreme videophiles, so the absence of leading video processing a la Sony / Panasonic is an issue, but not a deal breaker. But given how transparently modular it is, they should have worked a bit harder to give the experience a B&O as opposed to LG feel. 

i really do feel like responding to B&O by email or some-such, just for my own piece of mind, and so that they are aware of, by and large, the most common issue existing customers seem to have with the LG centric UI and interaction.

@Sandyb

I am very pleased that we got rid of the horrible Android platform UI.

And I am not sure, that re-skinning the LG UI would be wise.

It would bring a lot of work/use of manpower to the guys in Struer maintaining this for very little gain.

Besides a lot of the Beoworlders have been advocating using external boxes and tuner solutions...

....which indeed brings a lot of different UI experience onto the stage anyway.

My feelings are, that they/B&O have done the best, they can, in the given situation.

And some people do like the WebOS UI.

MM