As an alternative in furnishing styles, the high-technology chassis of the Beovision 8800 was combined with the traditional skills of Danish furniture craftsmanship. The result was the luxurious Beovision 9000.

When you purchased this model, you obtained all the quality and convenience of modern TV technology plus the pride and pleasure of owning and living with a fine piece of furniture.

Beovision 9000’s cabinet was finished in genuine, rich-grained teak and rosewood and had a beautifully crafted tambour screen door that rolled back to reveal the screen – and switched the set on at the same time. When you had finished viewing, you just slid shut the door. The set shut itself off automatically. The screen was protected from dust and accidents, and you were never confronted with a blank staring screen every time you entered the room.

All the technical features and facilities of the Beovision 8800 were included in this luxury 26″ model. The infra-red remote control Terminal allowed you to operate all primary functions from your armchair – including Teletext and the Beocord 8800 video cassette recorder if you chose those options.

Beovision 9000 was a replacement for Beovision 6002 – its predecessor was similar in looks to Beovision 9000 but was fitted with an ultrasonic remote control Commander. In turn, the model was superceded by Beovision 9002 in 1984.

Beovision 8800 marked a brand-new generation of televisions with significant technical improvements. One of the most important enhancements was probably the remote control, which now worked with infrared light instead of ultrasound, and had practically all the same functions we use today. Thus, it could also operate text-TV, a brand-new service offered to viewers, introduced in 1983. The remote control took on something of a cult status. Being cast in zinc, the remote control was much more pleasant to handle; as zinc conducts heat, you didn’t get clammy hands from handling it for an extended period.

Beovision 8800 had remarkable sound compared to other televisions. The engineers had managed to incorporate a built-in two-way loudspeaker system driven by a 14W amplifier. The energy consumption was only 75W, which is in fact on a par with today’s standards. But, back then, a television used more energy if you turned up the volume or increased the picture contrast. These factors are no longer very significant.

This system concept was new. It was now possible to use the same remote control for both the TV and the video recorder. Bang & Olufsen blazed new trails by fusing two remote control units into one. The technology should exist for the sake of people – not the other way around. This philosophy has been pervasive from the very beginning. And it is refreshed at regular intervals. For example, quoting a sales brochure from the 1970s asserts: “There is something that distinguishes Bang & Olufsen radically from everybody else. We are just as interested in what our products are used for as we are in their technological capabilities.

To us, coming up with a technically satisfying design is not enough. It also needs to be satisfying to use. It should operate intuitively. Knobs, buttons and dials need to be positioned logically and consistently so they can be understood and operated by children and adults alike. This might make people think the technology is less advanced. Nothing could be further from the truth. On the contrary, well-thought-out operation makes heavy demands on ingenuity, often requiring unconventional, sometimes radical solutions.

The objection is frequently heard that people quickly become accustomed to operating technical equipment even if it is complicated and illogical. We do not believe that this is necessarily so. In fact, people often find complicated things annoying – and give up trying to make sense of each of the functions they have paid for. There is simply no excuse for not thinking through the functions and their operation. Even when we’re talking about the most advanced high-fidelity equipment, the technology is there for the sake of the people – and not the other way around.”

Beovision 8800 became a classic, remaining in production until the launch of the Beovision LX family.

(Taken from Beolink Magazine: ‘The First 50 Years of Television’ © Bang & Olufsen a/s 2002)

These high quality remote control colour TVs had 8 channels which could be pre-tuned for instant access via the infra-red Video Terminal. Volume level and picture adjustments could also be made without moving more than a finger. Bass and treble tone and picture contrast adjustments were made via the controls sited behind the set’s front fascia.

All models used the 30AX in-line self-converging picture tube with its High Bright characteristics. Bang & Olufsen’s unique Permanent Colour Truth circuitry ensured that the balance between colours was always correct. Together, these features guaranteed a top quality picture that would not deteriorate as the set got older.

Teletext was available as an optional feature on all three models. When fitted, Teletext was accessible via the same Video Terminal used for ordinary entertainment viewing.

Beovisions 5100, 7100 and 8100 came complete with a smooth gliding undercarriage. Apart from screen size and cabinet options, they were technically identical in all respects.

Sound output was 6 watts RMS. Connections were provided for an extension speaker and tape recorder; the tape socket had an alternative function – you could use it to feed the TV sound through your hi-fi system. (From B&O Catalogue Supplement Winter 1982/83)