Bang & Olufsen launches it's first 3DTV, the BeoVision 4 85-inch plasma using active shutter technology. Of course like all B&O products, the BeoVision 4 carries a marvelous design and features, with a price to match. $85,000, to be exact.
So what does a TV which costs $1,000 per inch give you? B&O marketing says, "[The BeoVision 4-85 is] Full HD, which means razor sharp details, rich, lifelike colours and smooth movement of objects on the screen". Of course "Full HD" only refers to 1080 lines of vertical resolution, which has nothing to do with color or smooth movement. And every other HDTV on the market, except for the very cheapest models, is also Full HD. But for $85k, you deserve a little extra marketing.
Let's face it though, most people who shell out the dough for B&O products do so for how the products look, not how they perform. And the BeoVision 4-85 is a beauty.
Its hallmark is a unique stand that raises the screen when the TV is turned on and reveals the integrated BeoLab 10 center-channel loudspeaker underneath. When switched off again, the display automatically lowers to just inches above the floor. B&O suggests this makes the BeoVision look less prominent in the room when not in use. Though the thought of having my $85,000 sitting where it is most easily kicked or rammed with a wayward piece of furniture gives me the shivers. And if you have kids, you can write this one off completely.
Sound-wise, B&O says the “BeoLab 10 is capable of handling the centre channel perfectly even when combined with our most powerful loudspeaker, BeoLab 5. With the patented Acoustic Lens Technology, sound from the centre channel is spread equally in the horizontal plane, allowing you to get all the nuances from e.g. film dialogue, regardless of where you sit in the room.”
Still not convinced? Perhaps this video of the BeoVision 4-85 doing its thing will change your mind.
