Dear Tue, today I saw the Bose Videowave, and ...

23 replies

Dear Tue, today I saw the Bose Videowave, and ...

  • it would appear that Bose have a standard 8 minute scripted demo in a standard theatrette with standard demonstration props and standard furniture for holding (hiding) the control unit ... if every major Bose store in every city has this then they have made a BIG investment in standardised marketing and messaging
  • the demonstration was very slick with special effects like spotlights switching on to hightlight aspects of the system, a custom demo disc, etc
  • the sound from the 26 speakers built into the TV's chassis was initially impressive ... but quickly started to sound false to my ears ... and I was told the technology required you to be in a room with walls (to bounce the sound off to create the surrond sound effect)
  • they only have one size (46") no doubt because the intricacies of the physics of sound that they have engineered into the screen's "cabinet"
  • the very simplified control unit's interaction with the around the borders screen menu system was well thought out
  • the iThingy stand was a nice bonus feature (even though the menyu system then changes into "drill down through the file system to get to your music" approach, rather than meta-data seacrhing) 
  • the "look ma, no wires" will instantly sell this system to anyone foolish enough to take their female partner with them
  • the AU$7,999, CA$5,999 price point puts this unit into the B&O price range (and exchange rate inequalities too!)
In summary, with the marketing drive they appear to have invested in this could be a serious competitor to your low end TV range.

Excellent opinions on the Bose Videowave. I saw it in a store demo in a closed room. The sound was very good and I kept looking behind me for the speakers. This should really appeal to those who cannot run wires or live in apartments that prohibit the ability to run wires.

The price point seems a bit steep for what you are getting, but it does bridge from the $2,000 machines to the $6,000 machines, and that is going to open up a great price point for B&O to enter the market or even undercut in the market. If Bose believes that there is a market for their product I would tend to believe that the B&O market is of even greater potential.

 

If I can offer a little input on this...

 

A market exists for faux-surround. There's absolutely no denying this. I would argue strongly, however, that it's not a market that we want any part of. We have to stand for a level of performance and craftsmanship that are at odds with the Bose philosophy. We're not here to go begging after every niche in the market. 

Now I do agree that the general standards of the retail store could be raised by having a pre-packaged demo for less seasoned sales people to use to orient customers to the brand and products. It's a problem that the retail side hasn't really dug into even where it's been identified. 

 

 

TripEnglish wrote:

If I can offer a little input on this...

 

A market exists for faux-surround. There's absolutely no denying this. I would argue strongly, however, that it's not a market that we want any part of. We have to stand for a level of performance and craftsmanship that are at odds with the Bose philosophy. We're not here to go begging after every niche in the market. 

Now I do agree that the general standards of the retail store could be raised by having a pre-packaged demo for less seasoned sales people to use to orient customers to the brand and products. It's a problem that the retail side hasn't really dug into even where it's been identified. 

Agreed on all points. The faux-surround really gives the best name to the system. It felt more like a parlor trick than a sound system.

The message to be had in all of this is that Bose has established a price point that might serve B&O quite well.

 

 

TripEnglish wrote:
Now I do agree that the general standards of the retail store could be raised by having a pre-packaged demo for less seasoned sales people to use to orient customers to the brand and products. It's a problem that the retail side hasn't really dug into even where it's been identified. 

Absolutely agree Trip; as we all (yes, in my own little way I am a salesperson) know the biggest challenge is early economical qualification.  After the 8 minutes inside the Bose booth you will either be reaching for the chequebook or not interested - so it seems to me that although it appears to be an expensive upfront investment, it will pay off for them by letting junior staff run a stock standard demo that results in a highly qualified lead that can be handed off to the more experienced sales-closer.

I saw this today and was fairly impressed. It would find it alot more useful in the bedroom/kitchen than my old Beosound 3. The quality was "ok" but it was a cosmetically nice product i thought. Considering Apple are apprently changing the charger design, therefore docking station attachment on the Ipad 3, Airplay is definately the way to go.

My reaction is.

Dear Tue,

Never ever look at Bose products for inspiration.  The only decent Bose products are the noise cancellation headphones for air travel which are somewhat expensive.

linder wrote:

My reaction is.

Dear Tue,

Never ever look at Bose products for inspiration.  The only decent Bose products are the noise cancellation headphones for air travel which are somewhat expensive.

 

I am not a fan of Bose either, and am yet to see a product I would spend my own money on.

I haven't seen the product in question though so clearly can't pass comment.  What were your thoughts when you saw it?  I'd be interested to know about the picture quality and sound quality for the price as it may be an option for a couple of my rooms.

 

Thanks

My reply would be:

Dear Tue:

Please use the following metric in evaluating all that B&O does:

Would Steve Jobs have been satisfied with the user interface, packagin, design and intuitiveness of the products in question...including home automation?

B

bsantini wrote:

My reply would be:

Dear Tue:

Please use the following metric in evaluating all that B&O does:

Would Steve Jobs have been satisfied with the user interface, packagin, design and intuitiveness of the products in question...including home automation?

B

well Bose fails that test 😂 

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