BV3 to BV10

10 replies

Hi folks

I have just ordered a BV 10-40 to replace my BV 3-32 and I am looking forward to having a little more space in the living room and also to seeing whether there is a huge difference in standard definition picture quality. I have been really happy with the BV3, it is just that it is so flipping bulky!

Might also be time to invest in a Humax HD box; I currently use a Topfield box which only allows SD viewing.

Cheers

C 

I assume you have a cable box, right? Otherwise I think you will feel that the picture is not as good as on your BV3. 

HD material on the BV10 is brilliant, so if you have invested in  the BV10, adding a HD box is the obvious choice if you do not go for the option of having the built in HD box.

Location: Sweden

My B&O Icons:

Beovision-11.png Beovision-11.png
Beosound-Emerge.png Beosound-Emerge.png
Beoremote-One.png Beoremote-One.png
Beoplay-M5.png Beoplay-M5.png
Beoplay-M3.png Beoplay-M3.png
Beoplay-Earset.png Beoplay-Earset.png
Beoplay-Beosound1.png Beoplay-Beosound1.png
Beoplay-A1.png Beoplay-A1.png

Thanks for this. Yes, I have a separate freeview box (Topfield) which just broadcasts standard definition output. The issue from my point of view is that the majority of TV programmes seem to be standard definition at the moment so I am not sure whether it really is worth investing in an HD box. And Sky + HD strikes me as a wee bit pricey for what is offered.

Hopefully I will not find the SD picture quality too bad....

C

My BV 10 has now arrived and been installed. It is a stunning design and looks absolutely fantastic on the wall. Having had the hulk of the BV3 taking up so much floor space for the last few years, my living room has been completely transformed. I am a very happy customer indeed!

The standard definition picture from my Topfield box is very poor when compared with the picture quality on the BV3. I kind of expected this, so I am getting an HD box fitted this afternoon.

The Speaker 1 sound is unsurprisingly very different compared with the BV 3 and, as everyone has already said on the forum, it needs additional speakers. I have got the BL800s at the front and BL600s at the rear which helps hugely.

One thing that I have noticed is that the set keeps changing Format, by itself, at random intervals. I am not sure why this is; the B&O guys are coming back on Friday so I will check with them.

Compostela wrote:

My BV 10 has now arrived and been installed. It is a stunning design and looks absolutely fantastic on the wall. Having had the hulk of the BV3 taking up so much floor space for the last few years, my living room has been completely transformed. I am a very happy customer indeed!

The standard definition picture from my Topfield box is very poor when compared with the picture quality on the BV3. I kind of expected this, so I am getting an HD box fitted this afternoon.

The Speaker 1 sound is unsurprisingly very different compared with the BV 3 and, as everyone has already said on the forum, it needs additional speakers. I have got the BL800s at the front and BL600s at the rear which helps hugely.

One thing that I have noticed is that the set keeps changing Format, by itself, at random intervals. I am not sure why this is; the B&O guys are coming back on Friday so I will check with them.

 

Thanks for the update and congratulations with your new set.

Regarding the poor SD picture quality, what do mainly attribute this to? Is it that the BV10 isn't very good with SD signals,  the larger screen shows up the inadequacies of SD, the Topfield box isn't very good or a combination of all 3?

It's a bit concerning if, even with your new HD box, SD remains poor compared to your BV3. Wiill you just have to accept it?

I know all larger screens struggle somewhat with SD display compared to HD but is the BV10 about the same as other manufacturers' products, better or worse in this respect?

 

i'm a little concerned with regards to sound quality too. If I spent that money, i would expect perfection as that is why you pay 5 - 7 times more!!!

Paul Winn wrote:

i'm a little concerned with regards to sound quality too. If I spent that money, i would expect perfection as that is why you pay 5 - 7 times more!!!

Fair point I think Paul.

The BV3's audio is excellent, therefore perhaps it's expecting too much for a flat screen to compete with this. For the price though I'd expect them to have a damn good try!

I'm in no way trying to 'rain on his parade', but surely if one pays what is a premium price for a TV then surely one should expect top notch performance? I accept of course that in the case of SD, then maybe little or nothing can be done by any brand to improve its appearance on a larger screen. That's what I was genuinely seeking information about.

Is the BV10 poorer, the same or better with SD than others out there?

 

I am in the process of having a Virgin HD box installed so I will be able to compare the Virgin SD picture with the Topfield SD picture this weekend. I suspect I will be very impressed with the HD picture; I guess after all this set was designed for HD use primarily.

In terms of the sound, I suppose you really do have to balance aesthetics alongside functionality. The BV3 rated very highly for me on functionality but at the same time it was a huge great hulk of a device and nowhere near as pleasing on the eye. As you mention above, it is surely hard to expect the same quality of sound from such a thin set and bear in mind that the sound is far from awful, it is just not up to the same high standard as the BV3 sound. 

I will let you know what the Virgin Box SD picture quality is like.

As an aside, you should have seen the Virgin installer when he was trying to navigate through the BV menu....his face was a picture! I think he was praying for a a nice little run of the mill Sony or Panasonic.....!

Having had a BV10 against an Avant, I was very pleased with the picture quality - analogue was poor but digital SD was fine. The BV3/Avant sound however is in another league to the BV10. Pictures on the Avant are at least as good on SD and if used with the HD feed, show an improvement over SD. The BV10 picture on HD is better.

I am thinking of a BV3 to replace an aging LX (still a fantastic set , sound and picture)

My B&O Icons:

BeoCenter-9500.png BeoCenter-9500.png
Beoremote-Beo4.png Beoremote-Beo4.png
Beovox.png Beovox.png
Beovision-11.png Beovision-11.png
Beotime.png Beotime.png
Beosound-Stage.png Beosound-Stage.png
Beosound-Moment.png Beosound-Moment.png
Beosound-5.png Beosound-5.png
Beosound-2.png Beosound-2.png
Beoremote-One.png Beoremote-One.png
Beoplay-Portal.png Beoplay-Portal.png
Beoplay-Earset.png Beoplay-Earset.png
Beomaster.png Beomaster.png
Beolit.png Beolit.png
Beogram-400x.png Beogram-400x.png
Beocenter-2.png Beocenter-2.png

It would be good if you could adjust the sound settings on the BV10 for the TV only.

By this I mean that you can adjust the bass/treble for the TV only and then have different settings for attached speakers. With my BV10 I would like to increase the bass and perhaps loudness on the TV speaker only so that the sound can be more like the attached speakers when they are activated.

 

Peter

 

or
BeoWorld Gold Membership card
Join BeoWorld

Register to access the forums, reference material, and exclusive member benefits — including our monthly prize draw.

Become a Member

December 2026 Prize Draw

Gold Members Only

As a Gold member you're automatically entered into our exclusive prize draw — your chance to win iconic Bang & Olufsen products. A unique benefit of BeoWorld Gold membership, every draw brings a new opportunity to win something special.