The MX range was the first to bring the TV out into the open and it continues to show alternative ways of living with television. Beovision MX7000 was Bang & Olufsen’s first television set designed with active speakers.
Beovision MX 7000 comes with the same Active loudspeakers technology that’s found in the BeoLab range of loudspeakers. By building the amplifiers directly into the speaker cabinet we’re able to ensure a sound performance that’s second to none. With the MX 7000 you have a full range of 6 colours and 5 placement options. Whether you prefer blue to red or a motorised stand to a non-motorised stand, the MX 7000 will give you a number of possibilities: 66cm screen with VisionClear, active loudspeakers, improved Teletext, Beo4 remote control, connections for Beolink®, VCR and headphones, optional module for satellite, BeoStands and motorised stands and available in pearlescent shades of: blue, green, red, grey, black or glossy white.
The Beovision MX series has become a classic. Designed by the famous David Lewis in the ’80s, this television set has gradually developed through the years to become the most known TV in the world today. Much has happened, however, since the first version. Today the MX7000 is equipped with the latest in picture and sound technology. This is the first, and probably only, TV with an built-in active speaker system. By using the same technology as used in all their stand alone active speakers, Bang & Olufsen have managed to provide sound quality that is hard to believe. The MX6000 is really the same machine as the MX7000 but without the active speakers. It features a passive system instead. When it comes to the picture, the current version features a 28 inch Backline S CRT along with the contrast screen and the other VisionClear components.
The MX series can, of course, be equipped with built in satellite receiver/Positioner and a Picture-In-Picture (PIP) module. For those wishing to use the Teletext subtitles when a program is using them the MX sets automatically turns them on and, in conjunction with a Beocord VX7000, it can also record a program with subtitles. All versions can be connected to the motor stands giving the possibility to adjust the viewing angle remotely. The MX7000 is available in the same colours as the Avant, namely pearly red, blue, black, green and grey.
With the MX range, the TV finally becomes a discreet part of your interior decoration. Choose between a 51cm or 66cm screen, 6 different colours and a versatile range of stands and brackets – with or without motorised turning. What comes as standard, however, is an uncompromising sound and picture quality that has set the reference for modern television.
Design
Filling a television with every conceivable gadget that technology offers is easy enough. What’s more difficult is identifying what really improves the overall experience of watching TV and eliminating the things that don’t. That’s the philosophy behind the MX range. In both form and function, it’s a clear-cut case of less being more. Beovision MX 7000 is controlled by the Beo4 remote control.
Beovision MX 7000
With the MX 7000 you have a full range of 6 colours and 5 placement options. Whether you prefer blue to red or a motorised stand to a non-motorised stand, the MX 7000 will give you a number of possibilities.
Bang & Olufsen have a long lasting commitment to the principle of Active Loudspeakers, i.e. the idea that each loudspeaker unit is powered by an individual amplifier with a specific crossover network, to ensure perfectly natural sound reproduction. The principle has definite advantages in the field of television sound.
Despite critical operating conditions, Beovision products succeed in providing sonic performances which surpass those of many hi-fi systems. The active loudspeakers in Beovision Avant, for instance, reproduce a sound quality equal to a pair of BeoLab 2500s.
And if your demands exceed those of the average viewer, the speakers’ modularity allows you to enhance the sound performance with any choice of loudspeakers in the BeoLab range.
In October 2002, Beovision MX7000 was replaced with Beovision MX8000.
” BeoSound 1 is maximum expression. Simple, elegant and easy to move around. Use it in your home, in the office, or bring it with you on holiday. Sleek and sturdy the BeoSound 1 fits in wherever you have a desire for great sound “ B&O Catalogue 2001 – 2002
With a tough, robust construction, BeoSound 1 is constructed to be moved and used anywhere. From the home to the work place, and everywhere in between, it offers you CD and radio with the simplest of plug-and-play functionality. And hidden behind the compact design lies a set of exceptionally powerful loudspeakers, capable of producing a dynamic sound far beyond the modest dimensions of the cabinet.
Sound
From intense rhythms to laid-back listening – the impressive three-way loudspeaker system hiding behind the cool aluminium front will handle the deepest bass and highest notes with ease. With its integrated handle, BeoSound 1 is easy to pick up and move around. It’s small enough to fit in anywhere, but still big enough to power a party with a sound that’s true, pure and clear. With its integrated handle, BeoSound 1 is easy to pick up and move around. It’s small enough to fit in anywhere, but still big enough to power a party with a sound that’s true, pure and clear.
Design
Life can be rough, but BeoSound 1 is built to take all the knocks. Tough, robust and solid, it’s a piece of musical freedom that’s always ready for take off. Do you want BeoSound 1 to stand out or blend in? Should it make a statement or become a part of its surroundings? The perforated aluminium front comes in 5 different colours – natural aluminium, black, blue, green and russet – which lets you decide for yourself.
Operation
Just plug it in and BeoSound 1 is at your command. All the buttons are concealed behind the front panel and in a layout that’s easy to understand and simple to use. BeoSound 1 can also be controlled via a Beo4 remote control. The discreet display keeps you in touch with what source you’re listening to.
CD and radio
Press “Load” and watch the CD holder flip up to accept your disc. Or switch over to Radio and listen to one of the 60 stations that can be stored in the programme memory. And if you ever need better reception, the aerial will rise at the touch of a button. BeoSound 1 was updated mid-October 2002 with an addition of a Wake Up Timer. There is also a new colour to the existing range – violet – with jade green being discontinued.
BeoSound 1 wins Japanese design award
In late 2002, the monthly magazine Nikkei BP Design marked its 15th birthday by conferring gold, silver, bronze and special “Nikkei Design” awards. Bang & Olufsen won an impressive bronze award for BeoSound 1. In their citation, the judges emphasised the striking design and that Bang & Olufsen are challenging the market for portable music . They also emphasised that the relatively low price will appeal to young people, while the straightforward functionality will “appeal to the older generation”. (From Beolink magazine 5, March 2003) BeoSound 1 – a golden opportunity to purchase the first models on the Internet – Press Release August 2001 Reach out for BeoSound 1 on the Net – Limited edition of new movable sound system may only be ordered via Internet ” On 15 September the first ever Internet event from Bang & Olufsen will be launched. Running simultaneously with the release of a newly revised home page, this special event will feature on-line reservation of a limited edition BeoSound 1. The newest audio product from B&O integrates a CD player, FM radio and powerful active loudspeakers in a surprising design. Encased in an exclusive Internet-only russet yellow colour, these 1,000 units will be available for pre-launch reservation only through visiting the Bang & Olufsen Web site.
On-line reservation
On-line reservation of the limited edition BeoSound 1 takes place quickly and simply; the visitor only needs to click on the appropriate photograph and fill out the registration fields that appear next. Filling out his or her name, address, e-mail and the like, he or she will receive a special BeoSound 1 screen saver as well. The 1000 units will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. When they are no longer available, the special BeoSound 1 screen saver will be provided to event visitors, along with an invitation to visit their local B&O dealer to receive a product demonstration.
Choose their own dealer
One of the most important elements in this campaign is that the visitor chooses from which Bang & Olufsen dealer he or she will purchase the physical product. It is through this dealer, and not Bang & Olufsen a/s, that all purchase-related elements will take place, including delivery and after-sales service.
Certificate and individual numbering
A special welcome envelope containing a Special Edition Certificate will accompany each product, in addition to a special silver label indicating the individual production number of the product, such as 1/1000, 2/1000, 3/1000 and so on.
Delivery upon market launch
Whilst the customer may reserve a BeoSound 1 already from 15 September, the delivery will not take place until the actual launch of the product in his or her market. This rolling launch process stretches from week 45, 2000 until week 6, 2001, dependant upon market. ”
BeoSound 1 with timer: a movable music centre
“Place your BeoSound 1 where you like. The compact design enables you to bring it with you anywhere. BeoSound 1 gives you an excellent sound experience no matter how near or far you are from the speakers. The sound is optimised and no additional settings.”
CD operation:
All buttons on BeoSound 1 are located at the back of the operation panel together with the CD compartment. Press LOAD to raise the CD compartment. With the CD compartment raised, offer the CD into the slot provided. Always load the CD with the CD label facing upwards. Press LOAD again to lower the compartment or just press CD to play your CD. If no CD is loaded when you press one of the CD buttons, the CD compartment raises, ready for you to load a CD. When the CD has stopped playing and no commands have been received for 30 minutes, BeoSound 1 switches to standby.
Radio operation:
You can store up to 59 different radio stations. To step between stored radio stations, the programme number or frequency must be shown in the display. To listen to the radio, just press one of the radio buttons, the radio will start playing on the radio station you last listened to. You can extend the built-in aerial by pressing the AERIAL button.
Features
the speakers will be muted when headphones are connected. BeoSound 1 presents essential audio sources in a compact and easily operated way the compact design and the built-in handle lets you to take the music with you remove the cover at the back of BeoSound 1 and connect the headphones to the socket the radio finds the first available station the first time you press the RADIO button press AERIAL to extend or retract the built-in aerial. You can also push the aerial down manually if no CD is loaded when you press CD, the CD compartment raises automatically, ready to be loaded with your favourite CD you can adjust and store the volume level at any time. The display will keep you informed of what you have chosen and you can set the display light to the level suitable for you. Also, choose the display mode you prefer for radio stations; programme number or frequency
Timer facilities
BeoSound 1 has a built-in 24-hour clock. If you wish to make use of the Wake-up Timer function, you must first make sure that the built-in clock in the BeoSound 1 has been set correctly. If BeoSound 1 has been disconnected from the mains for about 30 minutes, the clock must be set again. You can program BeoSound 1 to wake you in the morning. The Wake-up Timer is a once-only timer. Like an alarm clock it is deleted once it has been executed. While the Timer is being carried out, the time is shown in the display. When you operate or switch off your BeoSound 1, the display returns to the mode you have chosen. Once you have made one Wake-up Timer, BeoSound 1 automatically suggests the time you entered for the latest Wake-up Timer in the display when you enter a new one. Wake-up Timers can of course also be deleted again. When you choose radio as your source, the radio will start playing on the station you last listened to. If you choose CD as your source, it is essential that a CD is first loaded. If you do not choose a source, the radio, by default, will be used for your Wake-up Timer.
Beo4 operation
Although designed primarily for close-up operation, BeoSound 1 can also be operated from a distance. The Beo4 remote control operates all the primary functions in your BeoSound 1. With Beo4, you can switch on or off, select radio programmes or CD tracks and adjust sound. You can also use the Beo4 remote control to enter a Wake-up Timer. This is carried out while BeoSound 1 is in standby by pressing the MENU button on Beo4. Pressing the red button on the Beo4 remote control will show the time in the display. Note that if the clock has not been set, or BeoSound 1 has been disconnected from the mains for approximately 30 minutes, it is not possible to set a Wake-up Timer. The clock must be set first. You can call up the settings for the Wake-up Timer in the display to check the time or to delete the Wake-up Timer.
Protecting your BeoSound 1
You can choose whether or not to activate the PIN code system as a security measure against unwanted usage or theft. By activating this, BeoSound 1 is protected with a four-digit PIN code. The use of a PIN code means that if BeoSound 1 is disconnected from the mains for more than 30 minutes, the system can only be activated again by keying in your own personal PIN code. If the PIN code is not entered, BeoSound 1 automatically switches to standby after 3 minutes. If a wrong PIN code is entered, you are allowed five attempts to key in the code, after which the system is switched off and cannot be switched on for 3 hours. Should you forget your PIN code, it is necessary to contact a retailer who can assist you in receiving a Master Code from Bang & Olufsen. You need this code in order to reactivate your BeoSound 1. Note that if a wrong code is entered a second time, the cue ‘Err’ appears in the display and you must enter and confirm the code again. If you accidentally store a wrong digit, pressing STOP will delete all digits again and you can enter new ones. You may change your PIN code at any time. However, for security reasons it is only possible to change the PIN code five times within a period of 3 hours. You must enter your current PIN code before changing the code.
Changing your BeoSound 1 cover:
You can change the front cover of your BeoSound 1 to complement your new room décor by using the following tips. Like always, if you’re unsure about what you’re doing then consult a professional Bang & Olufsen technician who will be able to do this task for you easily and safely. Use the floor or some soft furnishing to avoid damaging your unit: With the BeoSound 1 isolated from mains electricity lie it down on the floor with the front panel facing upwards and the controls away from you, at the top Press firmly but gently on the outside rim of the front cover about one-third of the way down from the top; at the same time pushing the cover up, away from you This will release the mechanism and the cover will slide up and off the front of the unit To replace the cover position it onto the front of the unit- ensuring that the inner black plastic ‘screen’ is positioned in the sliders within the metal cover Gently place the cover back into its cut-out grooves on the unit, about one centimetre or so from the base Firmly but gently push down the cover towards you. The cover should gently ‘snap’ into place!
BeoSound 1 Special Edition
In 2001, before BeoSound 1 was available to purchase in High Street stores, a gold-coloured version – limited to 1000 models – could be bought only from the Internet. Needless to say, this limited edition was sold very quickly and at the time was very desirable. However, as the CD format has sadly lost it’s appeal, the value of these units has declined to the point of them only being worth what someone is prepared to pay – which isn’t much!
BeoCenter AV5 was, at first glance, merely a television set. However, what you saw was just half the picture. The AV5 was in fact a fully integrated, compact digital home entertainment system, comprising a CD player, FM radio and powerful loudspeakers… as well as a television!
On top of the AV5 a CD player elegantly lifted open to allow you to drop in your CD and listen.
BeoCenter AV5 therefore offered the best of both worlds and allowed you decide. At the touch of a button, two motor-drive loudspeakers stretched silently out to each side of the TV set. It was a simple, welcoming gesture but one that also ensures a special performance every time you switch on. The extra width allowed the loudspeakers to combine with the ear-shattering centre bass to produce optimal stereo sound in its full perspective. It was something you could hear – and feel – every time you watched a movie or listened to the in-built radio or played a CD. Indeed, BeoCenter AV5 was so versatile that at the time of its introduction, it could also play CD-i discs.
Devoting efforts in creating the perfect sound didn’t mean that Bang & Olufsen had forgotten what they knew about creating the perfect picture. On the contrary. The AV5’s 63cm super flat picture tube, combined with the contrast screen’s anti-reflective coating, delivered a sharper picture, with more depth and perspective, than you had ever seen before. So when the AV5’s electronic curtains glided open you could be sure that what lay behind them was pure entertainment.
Another original Bang & Olufsen feature added to daylight viewing comfort. It was a small electronic sensor that registered the prevailing light conditions in the room and adjusted the picture, so that it was always sharp, no matter whether a reading lamp was lit or sunlight suddenly poured through the window.
Touch CD on the Beo4 remote control and the AV5 moved on its motorised stand to face the viewer’s favourite viewing position. And active speaker stretched out from each side. On top, a CD player elegantly lifted open to allow you to drop in your CD and listen. The superior sound of the AV5 was made possible by the creation of a ‘soundscape’ that widened the perspective of the sound to make each individual instrument clear and distinct. Combined with an inbuilt, ear-shattering centre bass, the AV5 delivered a sound so rich and true that the effect was remarkably similar to a dedicated surround system.
Like every other Bang & Olufsen product, Beovision AV5 was designed and crafted with the greatest care. To ensure that the powerful centre bass unit didn’t interfere with the steadiness of the picture, it was mounted on an intricate suspension system, which in turn was anchored to a special aluminium chassis. The CD unit was perhaps the most robust then, on the market, to allow it to cope with the demanding environment – electronic noise, hot air and interference – in which it had to perform. And on top of all that, the entire unit was ‘torture tested’ hundreds of thousands of times to make sure that it could cope with the rigours of daily use!
Beovision AV5 construction
The rear of the AV5 is removed by undoing four screws. It may have taken some 150 tools and six construction engineers to make the parts and components, but as far as possible, one size of screw was used to assemble the AV5. The result was, up to 1999, the most advanced piece of electronic design ever to leave the Struer assembly line. Yet everything follows a strictly modular pattern, making maintenance and servicing logical and straightforward.
How can 15 centimetres make a world of difference if you’re already sitting in front of the television, ideally positioned between the stereo loudspeakers?
If you want the full perspective of, say a symphony and you want to be able to identify each instrument in the orchestra, a distance of 80 centimetres is the absolute minimum. You must also make sure that the loudspeakers deliver exactly the same performance and have the same harmonic balance. This can only be obtained by the painstaking measurement, trimming, and pairing of every single tweeter and baffle that goes into the AV5 (or into any other Bang & Olufsen loudspeaker for that matter). Some manufacturers obtain “spatial effect” by reversing the signal phase on one side. This creates a broader perspective, but makes it impossible to locate voices or single instruments.
Flat as a pancake
The picture tube was a new 25″ ‘super-flat state-of-the-art’ tube. It delivered excellent focus, which, combined with the anti-reflective coating of the contrast screen, was experienced as a sharper picture with more depth and better resolution.
The antlers
The fact the loudspeakers disappeared into the front wall, calls for a special bearing structure. In the AV5, the heaviest component was the picture tube, which was fixed to a set of aluminium “antlers”, a moulded aluminium space-frame which also carried the loudspeakers and most of the wiring. Cast in two pieces, it was custom-designed to hold wiring and fixtures that traditionally, would have been mounted with additional clamps and screws. Aluminium has the advantage of being light, but rigid and non-vibrating. It will not conduct sound or allow oscillations that could affect sound or picture reproduction.
‘Dance steady’ is a term that B&O takes dead seriously. It refers to a product’s ability to perform effortlessly, no matter how animated the surroundings. The company’s secret remedy is rubber suspension. Inside the AV5, almost every vital unit was isolated from the bearing structure by little rubber sleeves. The transformer, the CD print card, the CD drive and last but not least, the centre bass, since it was the source of a sizeable proportion of the vibration pattern. Dance steadiness is measured on a vibrating table to determine the design of each individual rubber sleeve.
On and on and on…
Imagine that you’d turn the AV5 on and off maybe 10 times a day over the next ten years and multiply that by 5 for safety. That’s equivalent to turning it on and off 180,000 times over 10 years. In B&O’s torture chambers in the dungeons in Struer, the loudspeakers on the guinea pig AV5 were stretched well beyond the first 500,000 times!
“It can’t be done”
Buffers, shielded cables and a couple of brave hearts went into one of the most challenging technical solutions in the AV5. To make room for the CD player in the upper corner, it was necessary to separate the drive from the control unit. In an environment as compact and loaded with “electronic noise” as the AV5, a lot of sources could create interference and laser is a fragile technology. Servo signals have to travel a longer distance and streams of hot air will not make working conditions any more stable. As a result, the AV5’s CD player was one of the most robust on the market at the time of the AV5’s production.
” Beolit de Luxe FM (TR36), the sensational new Danish transistor radio. Housed in a beautiful rugged weather-resistant cabinet of impact proof leather grained polystyrene. It is available in the following elegant colours: red, green, buff, light grey, blue and dark grey.
The battery, protected by a plastic case, is easily and quickly exchanged. Large B&O high quality loudspeaker assures superb tone quality.
Beolit de Luxe FM (TR36) has unsurpassed dependability of operation, thanks to use of B&O printed circuit boards throughout and is well suited for use as a car radio.
The Beolit de Luxe FM (TR36) has a built-in ‘Radicator’ (a small moving coil meter) that puts you in a position to check the condition of your battery at any time. The Radicator is also a tuning aid. The Beolit de Luxe FM (TR36) may be used for direction finding. “
The first transistor radio!
Beolit AM-FM, the sensational Danish transistor radio. Housed in beautiful rugged weather-resistant cabinet of impact-proof leather grained polystyrene. Available in the following elegant colours: red, green, buff, light grey, blue, dark grey and black.
The battery, protected by, a plastic case, is easily and quickly replaceable. Large B&O high quality loudspeaker assures superb tone quality. The Beolit AM-FM has jacks for external aerial, external speaker, and gramophone – the gramophone jack may be quickly and easily rewired for use as tape recorder jack.
Best, newest, and most sensitive transistors obtainable in the world market. Precision engineered ferrite aerial composed of two different ferrite materials. The Beolit AM-FM has unsurpassed dependability of operation, thanks to use of B&O printed circuit boards throughout.
The Beolit AM-FM has a built-in ‘Radicator’ (a small moving coil meter) that puts you in a position to check the condition of your battery at any time. The Radicator is also a tuning aid.
Accessories: Type 2920 Gramophone Plug. Type 2920 Loudspeaker Plug. Type 10079 Aerial Plug.
Beolit AM and Beolit FM were the first radios to be manufactured with transistors instead of tubes – the very first ‘transistor radios
The Avant CTV was available only in 28″ widescreen format and filled a perceived gap at the bottom of the range. It offered the same high quality picture and sound provided by the VCR and DVD models but with no additional video sources.
It was replaced in 2003 by the introduction of the Beovision 3 28″ which seemed to offer much the same package but rather cheaper. One would however be mistaken if one thought was getting the same set as the Avant CTV was built upon the more expensive chassis , as was the BeoVison 3 32, whereas the BV3-28″ utilised the cheaper MX chassis.
The sound quality of the Avant CTV was every bit as good as its more expensive brethren though one did have to specify the anti reflection coated screen as an extra.
At the end of 2001 several variations of the BeoVision Avant were on offer – the BeoVision Avant 28 with and without VCR, and BeoVision Avant 32 with VCR or DVD player built in as standard. Then from March 2002, the BeoVision Avant 28 DVD was introduced to join its larger-screened brother.
BeoVision Avant encourages you to lose yourself in a sound and picture experience – and not in the technology. That’s why Bang & Olufsen hang the 16:9 Real Flat wide-screen on its own smooth wall and conceal everything else behind it – including a set of speakers that will outpace the average hi-fi and a video recorder that tunes itself automatically.
You could choose a built-in DVD player or video tape recorder and from a range of five colours. There was also the option of a simplified 66cm version – the BeoVision Avant CTV – with no integrated entertainment source.
Features
Watching movies should be about simple entertainment, not complicated technology. That’s why the Avant is available with its own built-in DVD or video recorder. Its presence is only given away by a discreet lid on the front. All cables are hidden in the back of the set.
To ensure even greater viewing comfort, the Avant has its own motorised stand that turns effortlessly through a 70 degree arc. You can program it to turn automatically towards your favourite viewing chair, or use the Beo4 to turn it in the opposite direction. When you switch the Avant off again, it returns silently to its original position in line with your furniture.
A red LED display on top of the cabinet gives you a discreet status of the source you are viewing, without intruding on the picture. It also shows the volume status when you adjust the volume level, and other information related to recording, Dolby Surround and so on. On the back of the display is a hidden push button panel for the most frequently used controls.
The Beo4 remote control is used to access all the various functions of video-playback and recording, menus, tuning, text-television, picture optimisation, sound properties and so on. Beo4 is designed for user-friendly and ergonomical operation with one hand. The buttons in a star-shape for search, ultra-sharp still-picture, super slow-motion, programme shift and fast forward can be controlled by your thumb only, you don’t even have to move your eyes.
Beo4 also controls all the latest B&O audio systems as well – it’s the key to complete home entertainment!
A discreet display on the upper right hand corner of the Avant lets you know what source is playing and a small control panel placed behind it offers hands-on control of all basic functions.
The sound quality of the active loudspeakers can compete with any modern audio system. When the herd of horses approaches your seat from within the widescreen, you can feel the tremble of the horses’ hooves – so powerful is the bass. And as a video-master in a Beolink® system, Avant can distribute sound and vision all over your home – just as it can play the music from your audio system in its speakers.
The Perfect Illusion
Press a key on the Beo4 remote and the electronic curtain glides aside to reveal a perfect picture. A theatrical gimmick or another technological leap forward? Actually, a bit of both! In the short reaction time before the curtain glides aside, a comprehensive circuit adjusts contrast levels, brilliance and colour to the prevailing light conditions in the room, ensuring the optimum picture reproduction every time.
An anti-reflective coating on the picture tube, as well as on the contrast screen is provided to eliminate reflections from windows, carpets and furniture. If you watch television during the day you’ve probably experienced the glare and reflections caused by direct sunshine. To minimise the problem, the Avant’s picture tube and contrast screen have been given a special anti-reflection coating that reduces reflections by up to 99%.
Home Cinema
There was a time when watching a movie on TV was a poor imitation of the real thing. But not anymore! BeoVision Avant brings the movies directly into your living room with a smooth, true-to-life picture and totally convincing sound.
BeoLab 2 completes this ultimate surround setup and – together with the other four active loudspeakers – allows you to make the most out of the advanced sound opportunities offered by the Avant’s built-in Dolby® Digital* module.
Colours
BeoVision Avant comes as one integrated unit. All you have to do is to plug in the mains and the antenna and you’re ready to watch. There are no other visible cords, allowing the Avant to be viewed from all sides – so it does not have to be set up in a corner or next to a wall. It fits nicely into any kind on home, thanks to the range of many available cabinet colours: pearly blue, pearly black, pearly red, pearly green and silver.
When the system is turned off, it turns back to its original position, the sound fades away and the curtains glide in front of the screen. Just like being in your own private small-screen cinema!
Features of the two Avant DVD models: Set-Top Box Controller module and Anti-Reflex coated Contrast Screen fitted as standard. All other modules are optional.
Motorised stand
The motorised stand of the Avant is rigorously tested. It’s built to be able to turn through an arc of 70° at least 20,000 times. If the TV was turned on and off 5 times a day, the motorised stand should perform flawlessly for more than ten years. In its tests, B&O stopped after 80,000 turns. A painted iron base plate, an aluminium top plate which carries the entire weight, with the actual turning mechanism of a 36 ball bearing race between them is how the stand is made up. Tests such as dropping it several centimetres directly onto the rim of the bottom plate ensure that the stand has many years of life in front of it.
*Dolby Digital is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
TV isn’t just something you watch, it’s something you experience. That’s why BeoVision Avant makes a big deal about giving you the best in audio-visual entertainment. The BeoVision Avant was created as a video system, but during its design, the idea came up of making the television a picture on the wall. This has been achieved by deceiving the eye: this is a familiar ploy in the very best of designs.
The BeoVision Avant gives you a television that acts like a picture on the wall: a wall you personally position in the room. It has a built-in video which is invisible to the viewer. Everything is operated via the Beo4 remote control. You have full control from the best seat in the living room, and the television turns towards the viewer using the motorised base.
BeoVision Avant – designed by David Lewis – was a totally new concept from Bang & Olufsen and was introduced in 1995. This video system is completely integrated holding a widescreen television, a hi-fi stereo VCR and a couple of active speakers in its attractive-looking cabinet. It was also the first wide-screen TV from Bang & Olufsen ever. Although by the end of the twentieth-century widescreen TVs were taking more and more market share, most TVs still used the 4:3 format. When Bang & Olufsen started planning for this model they originally envisaged to use the same technology then currently used in the MX series but along the way they decided to develop a completely new chassis. This new chassis is much more advanced.
The Avant is also a very environment-friendly TV using a lot of recycled material as well being recyclable itself at the end of its serviceable life. The set can also be expanded with several add-ons. For example: picture-in-picture (PIP), satellite receiver and Dolby Pro-Logic or Dolby Digital decoder. The Avant is the pathway to the future of video systems; a whole new concept of the most advanced video system from Bang & Olufsen to date.
The widescreen format 16:9 picture tube is used for the first time in the BeoVision Avant. This created conflict between designer David Lewis and Bang & Olufsen’s technicians, as the designer could not see the point of it. A new picture tube that could not be filled by the TV picture. Where randomly placed grey stripes on the picture tube were a part of the framing of the picture most of the time. The technicians did not think it could be their fault. Wide format 16:9 was an attempt to consolidate a whole industry around a new market standard. The designer’s talk of trimming and stretching the picture to fill out the frame was, in their eyes, simply distortion. There was no ideal solution to the dilemma.
Together they had to find the solution that would work best in practice. It was not possible to fill the 16:9 format with a 4:3 TV picture. The necessary trimming and stretching annoyed the eye too much. On the other hand, wide format had a lower limit. In the eyes of designer David Lewis, that lower limit lay in the 14:9 format. The technicians struggled to implement the format with as little distortion as possible. They also checked to see whether designer David Lewis would notice the difference if the format was a little bit smaller. Just a few millimetres smaller on the longer element! But David Lewis saw it straight away. There was a distinct limit in the eye’s perception of the transition to wide format, and it lay at 14:9.
Finally, they managed to come up with a method that could handle the problem satisfactorily in practice. A method that has subsequently been further developed to implement the 15:9 format that is close to the aesthetic ideal: the golden rectangle. Programmes recorded and distributed in 16:9 are the ideal way of filling the wide format, but the range is still limited. Bang & Olufsen’s wide-format TV offers a practical solution to filling the screen with ordinary TV and video programmes. It was created by trained eyes.
TOP TIP
Information valid for:
BeoVision Avant 50 HZ MK I MK II
Intermittent jamming of cassettes during eject; VTR fails
Symptom: Intermittent jamming of certain types of cassettes in the tape mechanism during eject.
Cause: An edge of the cassette or a misfitted label, etc. may catch the lower part of the cassette lid and prevent the cassette from being ejected.
Solution: Replace the cassette lid by the new type, which is fitted with two small round knobs on the lower part of the lid.
To avoid colour differences the lid is supplied together with side panels and the small triangle (BeoVision Avant TV, service manual pos. 9016).
This solution is implemented in the production as from Avant serial number 12159658 (week 38 of 1996)
Its standard features were: VisionClear Technology and multi-format picture. It houses a 16:9 widescreen television with automatic picture adaptation, which means that every broadcast, no matter where it originates, is automatically shown with the optimum reproduction, from news reports in standard format, to movies in widescreen.
BeoVision Avant features the same functions as Beosystem AV 9000. When you turn it on, first it turns on its motorised stand toward your favourite watching-place. Then comes the sound, produced by four active loudspeakers hidden directly underneath the widescreen, while behind the black curtain the picture adapts to its format and to the lighting conditions in the room, before the curtains glide aside and reveal a perfect picture.
BeoVision Avant encourages you to lose yourself in a sound and picture experience – and not in the technology. That’s why we hang the 16:9 Real Flat wide-screen on its own smooth wall and conceal everything else behind it – including a set of speakers that will outpace the average hi-fi and a video recorder that tunes itself automatically.
You can choose a built-in DVD player or video tape recorder and from a range of five colours. There’s also the option of a simplified 66cm version with no integrated entertainment source.
Design
Close your eyes and imagine the perfect TV. Open them again and take a look at BeoVision Avant. It’s a widescreen TV that’s easy to understand, effortless to use and always a pleasure to watch.
Though a widescreen TV is never going to be small in size, it doesn’t mean that it has to dominate its surroundings. The Avant has a subtle presence and comes in a range of colours that allow it to compliment any environment in which it’s placed.
At Bang & Olufsen, it is taken for granted that when you watch TV, you want to concentrate on the experience rather than on the technology. That’s why the Real Flat screen is ‘hung’ on its own “wall” with everything else concealed behind.
Widescreen
The picture quality provided by the Avant is as close to the real thing as you can get. Its smooth Real Flat widescreen provides the perfect format for movie watching – and together with the exceptional sound creates a spatial illusion that’s second to none.
Switch on the Avant and it automatically adjusts any broadcast to the optimal widescreen picture – no matter what format it was produced in. News and sports broadcasts are expanded from the traditional 4:3 format into 15:9, while movies shot in widescreen are reproduced in a 16:9 format that’s as close to the original cinema version as you can get. And, if you don’t like the picture as it is, you can easily change to another format with the Beo4 remote control.
BeoVision Avant models:
BeoVision Avant 100Hz MK III (832x)
BeoVision Avant 100Hz MK I MK II (830x)
BeoVision Avant 28 DVD (834X)
BeoVision Avant 32 MK II MK III (842x)
BeoVision Avant 32 DVD (844X)
BeoVision Avant 50Hz MK III MK IV (810x)
BeoVision Avant 50Hz MK I MK II (81xx)
BeoVision Avant CTV (836x)
BeoVision Avant RF 28 (833x)
BeoVision Avant RF 28 CTV (837x)
BeoVision Avant RF 32 (843x)
BeoVision Avant US (8490)
Features
Watching movies should be about simple entertainment, not complicated technology. That’s why the Avant is available with its own built-in DVD player or video recorder. Its presence is only given away by a discreet lid on the front. All cables are hidden in the back of the set.
To ensure even greater viewing comfort, the Avant has its own motorised stand that turns effortlessly through a 70 degree arc. You can program it to turn automatically towards your favourite viewing chair, or use the Beo4 to turn it in the opposite direction. When you switch the Avant off again, it returns silently to its original position in line with your furniture.
A red LED display on top of the cabinet gives you a discreet status of the source you are viewing, without intruding on the picture. It also shows the volume status when you adjust the volume level, and other information related to recording, Dolby Surround and so on. On the back of the display is a hidden push button panel for the most frequently used controls.
The Beo4 remote control is used to access all the various functions of video-playback and recording, menus, tuning, text-television, picture optimisation, sound properties and so on. Beo4 is designed for user-friendly and ergonomical operation with one hand. The buttons in a star-shape for search, ultra-sharp still-picture, super slow-motion, programme shift and fast forward can be controlled by your thumb only, you don’t even have to move your eyes. Beo4 also controls all the latest B&O audio systems as well – it’s the key to complete home entertainment!
A discreet display on the upper right hand corner of the Avant lets you know what source is playing and a small control panel placed behind it offers hands-on control of all basic functions.
This television became the basis for renewed efforts in the US television market which has been overall successful.
Let the show commence!
It has been said that ‘Bang & Olufsen’s products are enchanting’ ! And the magic, the good idea, often comes into being in the course of finding a solution to some practical problem. The practical problem here was that there was a short time lag between pressing the button and a picture appearing on the screen. So you would sit and wait expectantly for a little while. The experience of waiting reminded designer David Lewis of a theatre before the curtain went up! Behind the curtain, preparations are being made for the performance.
The lighting and sound are adjusted and the actors take their places. The curtain only goes up when everything is ready. The first television to have a curtain was the BeoVision AV 9000. The curtain was a thin steel sheet that was slid to one side by a clever mechanism when the stage was set. Bang & Olufsen’s wide-format television, the BeoVision Avant, is equipped with an electronic curtain. From the moment you press the button until the curtain slides away, the technology is busily working unnoticed. No pop from the loudspeakers, no random flash of light from the screen. Only when the sound is ready and the picture is in place can the performance begin.
VCR
Underneath the loudspeakers is the access to the VCR. The Avant incorporates the same video-technology as the V8000 systems, namely a stereo VCR that can play back recordings of all standards. The video machine has, naturally, record indexing and it can show the elapsed or remaining time of any cassette being played. Dolby Surround is an option, and when installed, Avant can take the place of the AV9000 video system. Another option is a PIP-module (Picture-In-Picture).
Sound
The perfect picture deserves a sound to match and that’s exactly what the Avant offers. A pair of specially developed loudspeaker units – capable of outperforming many traditional hi-fi setups – are discreetly placed below the screen and offer an exceptional sound performance that will enhance the best action-movie or concert footage.
The BeoVision Avant features a built-in Dolby® Digital* module that lets you bring the cinema directly into your living room. With a pair of loudspeakers from Bang & Olufsen’s BeoLab range positioned at either side of the TV and two more placed at the rear, you can put yourself in the middle of a surround sound experience that’s second to none.
The sound quality of the active loudspeakers can compete with any modern audio system. When the herd of horses approaches your seat from within the widescreen, you can feel the tremble of the horses’ hooves – so powerful is the bass. And as a video-master in a Beolink system, Avant can distribute sound and vision all over your home – just as it can play the music from your audio system in its speakers.
The Perfect Illusion
Press a key on the Beo4 remote and the electronic curtain glides aside to reveal a perfect picture. A theatrical gimmick or another technological leap forward? Actually, a bit of both! In the short reaction time before the curtain glides aside, a comprehensive circuit adjusts contrast levels, brilliance and colour to the prevailing light conditions in the room, ensuring the optimum picture reproduction every time.
An anti-reflective coating on the picture tube, as well as on the contrast screen is provided to eliminate reflections from windows, carpets and furniture. If you watch television during the day you’ve probably experienced the glare and reflections caused by direct sunshine. To minimise the problem, the Avant’s picture tube and contrast screen have been given a special anti-reflection coating that reduces reflections by up to 99%.
Home Cinema
There was a time when watching a movie on TV was a poor imitation of the real thing. But not anymore! BeoVision Avant brings the movies directly into your living room with a smooth, true-to-life picture and totally convincing sound.
BeoLab 2 completes this ultimate surround setup and – together with the other four active loudspeakers – allows you to make the most out of the advanced sound opportunities offered by the Avant’s built-in Dolby® Digital* module.
Colours
BeoVision Avant comes as one integrated unit. All you have to do is to plug in the mains and the antenna and you’re ready to watch. There are no other visible cords, allowing the Avant to be viewed from all sides – so it does not have to be set up in a corner or next to a wall. It fits nicely into any kind on home, thanks to the range of many available cabinet colours: pearly blue, pearly black, pearly red, pearly green and silver.
When the system is turned off, it turns back to its original position, the sound fades away and the curtains glide in front of the screen. Just like being in your own private small-screen cinema!
Wax & fix
The weight of the Avant’s widescreen picture tube called for new thinking in terms of construction. High density fibre board turned out to be as solid a solution as it is environmentally healthy. To disguise its low tech appearance, it is treated to a high quality two-component lacquer of the same type as is used at the upper end of the car industry. It will not scratch easily, but should this happen, a minor scratch can be polished away using liquid silicone car wax.
*Dolby Digital is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
At the end of 2001 several variations of the BeoVision Avant were on offer – the BeoVision Avant 28 with and without VCR, and BeoVision Avant 32 with VCR or DVD player built in as standard. Then from March 2002, the BeoVision Avant 28 DVD was introduced to join its larger-screened brother.
BeoVision Avant encourages you to lose yourself in a sound and picture experience – and not in the technology. That’s why Bang & Olufsen hang the 16:9 Real Flat wide-screen on its own smooth wall and conceal everything else behind it – including a set of speakers that will outpace the average hi-fi and a video recorder that tunes itself automatically.
You could choose a built-in DVD player or video tape recorder and from a range of five colours. There was also the option of a simplified 66cm version – the BeoVision Avant CTV – with no integrated entertainment source.
Features
Watching movies should be about simple entertainment, not complicated technology. That’s why the Avant is available with its own built-in DVD or video recorder. Its presence is only given away by a discreet lid on the front. All cables are hidden in the back of the set.
To ensure even greater viewing comfort, the Avant has its own motorised stand that turns effortlessly through a 70 degree arc. You can program it to turn automatically towards your favourite viewing chair, or use the Beo4 to turn it in the opposite direction. When you switch the Avant off again, it returns silently to its original position in line with your furniture.
A red LED display on top of the cabinet gives you a discreet status of the source you are viewing, without intruding on the picture. It also shows the volume status when you adjust the volume level, and other information related to recording, Dolby Surround and so on. On the back of the display is a hidden push button panel for the most frequently used controls.
The Beo4 remote control is used to access all the various functions of video-playback and recording, menus, tuning, text-television, picture optimisation, sound properties and so on. Beo4 is designed for user-friendly and ergonomical operation with one hand. The buttons in a star-shape for search, ultra-sharp still-picture, super slow-motion, programme shift and fast forward can be controlled by your thumb only, you don’t even have to move your eyes.
Beo4 also controls all the latest B&O audio systems as well – it’s the key to complete home entertainment!
A discreet display on the upper right hand corner of the Avant lets you know what source is playing and a small control panel placed behind it offers hands-on control of all basic functions.
The sound quality of the active loudspeakers can compete with any modern audio system. When the herd of horses approaches your seat from within the widescreen, you can feel the tremble of the horses’ hooves – so powerful is the bass. And as a video-master in a Beolink® system, Avant can distribute sound and vision all over your home – just as it can play the music from your audio system in its speakers.
The Perfect Illusion
Press a key on the Beo4 remote and the electronic curtain glides aside to reveal a perfect picture. A theatrical gimmick or another technological leap forward? Actually, a bit of both! In the short reaction time before the curtain glides aside, a comprehensive circuit adjusts contrast levels, brilliance and colour to the prevailing light conditions in the room, ensuring the optimum picture reproduction every time.
An anti-reflective coating on the picture tube, as well as on the contrast screen is provided to eliminate reflections from windows, carpets and furniture. If you watch television during the day you’ve probably experienced the glare and reflections caused by direct sunshine. To minimise the problem, the Avant’s picture tube and contrast screen have been given a special anti-reflection coating that reduces reflections by up to 99%.
Home Cinema
There was a time when watching a movie on TV was a poor imitation of the real thing. But not anymore! BeoVision Avant brings the movies directly into your living room with a smooth, true-to-life picture and totally convincing sound.
BeoLab 2 completes this ultimate surround setup and – together with the other four active loudspeakers – allows you to make the most out of the advanced sound opportunities offered by the Avant’s built-in Dolby® Digital* module.
Colours
BeoVision Avant comes as one integrated unit. All you have to do is to plug in the mains and the antenna and you’re ready to watch. There are no other visible cords, allowing the Avant to be viewed from all sides – so it does not have to be set up in a corner or next to a wall. It fits nicely into any kind on home, thanks to the range of many available cabinet colours: pearly blue, pearly black, pearly red, pearly green and silver.
When the system is turned off, it turns back to its original position, the sound fades away and the curtains glide in front of the screen. Just like being in your own private small-screen cinema!
Features of the two Avant DVD models: Set-Top Box Controller module and Anti-Reflex coated Contrast Screen fitted as standard. All other modules are optional.
Motorised stand
The motorised stand of the Avant is rigorously tested. It’s built to be able to turn through an arc of 70° at least 20,000 times. If the TV was turned on and off 5 times a day, the motorised stand should perform flawlessly for more than ten years. In its tests, B&O stopped after 80,000 turns. A painted iron base plate, an aluminium top plate which carries the entire weight, with the actual turning mechanism of a 36 ball bearing race between them is how the stand is made up. Tests such as dropping it several centimetres directly onto the rim of the bottom plate ensure that the stand has many years of life in front of it.
*Dolby Digital is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
The crowning glory of Beolab 20 is the Acoustic Lens that delivers smooth high-frequency sound in full 180 degrees. The results are uncompromising listening experiences across your room and much greater freedom in terms of where you place your speaker for optimal sound.
