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Hands-on with B&O BeoVision 11

15 Oct 2012 | Rasmus Larsen |

Bang & Olufsen has just launched the new BeoVision 11 and you can experience it in a store near you. FlatpanelsHD had a chance to experience it over two days and share with you our hands-on impressions on picture, sound, functionality and the small details.

Hands-on with B&O BeoVision 11

FlatpanelsHD had a unique opportunity to experience the new BeoVision 11 and also saw how Bang & Olufsen produces, assembles, calibrates and tests TVs during production. Here are our hands-in experiences with BeoVision 11.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11


Bang & Olufsen started talking about the company, its history and the future before unveiling BeoVision 11.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11


The design of BeoVision 11 is based on the BeoVision 10 and it is obvious when standing in front of the TV. The bezel is slimmer, the speaker front fabric is narrower and there is a small transparent 360-degree light sensor in the TV’s right side. But besides that, BeoVision 11 does not fall far from the tree.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11


We are sure that many buyers will appreciate this fact as BeoVision 10 was one of the most beautiful and elegant Bang & Olufsen TVs to date.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11


The aluminum frame now comes in either black or silver. Several base solutions and mounting solutions exist and B&O introduced one new addition; a motorized wall bracket, which is quite impressive. We had it demonstrated and it struck us how silent it is. Despite the fact that it has to move the quite heavy TV is does so without any hiccups. It can be programmed with the remote control as well.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
The motorized wall mounting solution for BeoVision 11


Picture and sound quality

On the paper the TV has received a fair amount of updates to the picture systems. The panel still uses edge LED and is acquired from the highest classification of panels, eliminating errors such as pixels faults, uneven backlight etc. It is always difficult to examine picture quality during presentations but based on what we saw it certainly looks promising. Some of the problems we encountered on BeoVision 10 and BeoPlay V1 were not visible on BeoVision 11 during the presentation. We also noticed that BeoVision 11 was able to provide a higher brightness level which should be an advantage for people hoping to place it in a brightly lit living room. We also saw better light adaption improved picture quality during a presentation of the BV10 and BV11 TVs in B&O’s light controlled test room (see the picture below).

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
BeoVision 10 to the left and BeoVision 11 to the right


This is made possible by a new light sensor that better adapts to ambient light conditions. Light sensors are not new but this implementation is unique. The light sensor measures light from all directions (360 degrees) and it can therefore also adapt to for example a window behind the TV. This is the first time we have seen such an extensive implementation in a TV.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
The 360 light sensor on BeoVision 11


Another interesting detail is the Movie profile that has been calibrated to adhere to the movie standards. This was something we missed during the BeoVision 10 review and is therefore a great update. There is also a gaming profile that aims to reduce input lag, which is important for game console players. FlatpanelsHD had a chance to see how B&O produces, assembles and tests the BeoVision 11 and one of the steps is a factory calibration for each TV to ensure the best possible picture quality. We also saw the BeoVision 11 next to the BeoVision 10 and the Movie profile looks very promising. We look forward to have more time with the BeoVision 11.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11


Sound quality is very convincing and compared to the general TV sound standard the integrated speaker system is impressive. The TV delivers, single-handily, rich and deep sound, surpassed by no other TV (except B&O’s more expensive TVs). You have to experience it yourself. Again, BeoVision 11 is based on the research and choices from the BeoVision 10 so if BeoVision 11 is a significant improvement in this area is hard to say based on the introduction. It should be noted that the 55-inch variants has two bass ports. We had the 55-inch demonstrated.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11


What is even more remarkable is how the integrated surround system allows up to 12 separate audio channels. We heard two configurations, one with 7 speakers and one with 10 speakers. Especially the first was extremely impressive and provided a unique surround sound perspective that is second to none. This is obviously not a setup for the layman as BeoSound speakers are expensive but we can honestly say that the sound experience is unique and unlike anything we have heard in the past. Home theater systems go home.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11


Hands-on with functionality

On the functionality side, B&O did not demonstrate everything but we did get a brief introduction and demonstration of the Smart TV platform. The new Smart TV platform is based on the Smart TV alliance that also counts Philips, LG, Sharp, Toshiba and Loewe. From here you have access to TV apps and later streaming services. We saw a YouTube demonstration and saw how B&O was able to connect to the new YouTube channel universe. On the backside at the top there is also a small section with media inputs such as USB and HDMI.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
USB ports at the top of BeoVision 11


We need more time with the Smart TV platform to say anything definite about the user experience and navigation because we only saw it very briefly. We know from experience that in order to make a Smart TV platform functional the TV needs to incorporate a faster CPU than today’s Smart TVs so we hope B&O has considered this in their design process. We asked B&O to elaborate on availability of streaming services such as Netflix, HBO and so on but nothing can be made official at this point, B&O said.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
The Smart TV platform in BeoVision 11


The Apple TV integration was not demonstrated but from what we hear it is identical to the BeoPlay V1 that we recently tested. There is a slot for the Apple TV box on the backside and it is connected via HDMI. This allows buyers to use for example iTunes movie rentals, AirPlay-functionality and much more. You obviously need to buy the Apple TV box to utilize these features. You also need to connect the Apple TV box via HDMI so integration is not as tight as we had hoped. You can naturally control everything with a B&O remote and program the different features but no matter how you look at it you need to pair the Apple TV box with an iPhone or iPad for the best possible experience. It is kind of hard to input text from a normal remote…

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
YouTube videos on BeoVision 11


Speaking of Apple integration, B&O also introduces a new BeoRemote app for Apple and Android tablets (no smartphones yet). The BeoRemote app can control the TV and can also turn on the TV as B&O has integrated a wake-on-lan function. The BeoRemote app was user friendly and cool-looking but we need more time with it. However, it is easy to see that Bang & Olufsen has taken Apple integration seriously, also evidenced by the many AirPlay speakers launched recently.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11
Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11


That's all folks. Watch Tue Mantoni’ B&O CEO introduce the TV in the video below.



Also, learn more about the BeoVision 11 here.

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