Release Date: 1988

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BeoVision LX 2800

BeoVision LX 2800

Beovision LX2800, LX2500
Beovision LX2800 and Beocord VHS 91.2 made up the ultimate video system. A harmonious fusion of aesthetic beauty, technical excellence and operational simplicity.

The combination of a 66cm flat-square TV and a stereo video recorder with up to four hours’ video and eight hours’ hi-fi quality music on a single tape hands you remote-controlled access to all forms of TV.

With its 63cm screen, Beovision LX2500 was the smallest member of the LX family in 1987. But no sacrifices were made in sound and picture excellence, nor was Beovision LX2500 ever caught out by new technical developments. No Master Control Link or additional speakers were required when installing a Beovision LX say, in the bedroom. The set came fully-equipped with a Master Control Link and all sound from the central music system could be fed through the TV speakers.

Installing a Beovision LX2500 in a study placed communication and information at your fingertips. Using a Beolink 1000 remote-control Terminal you could remote control and utilise all the features of the central system, including Teletext TV and video. And adding a home computer, video games and printer to the Beovision LX2500 used advanced electronics in a thoroughly practical way.

Beovisions LX2800 and LX2500 were identical in every detail except for the size of the picture screen.

Two television sets that were available but without Teletext, hi-fi sound or extra connection facilities were the Beovision L2800 and L2500. Other than these extra features, L2800 and L2500 were identical to the LX2800 and LX2500.

Designed by David Lewis, the televisions were released in 1986. At the time, the LX range was special as it was the first type of television to include a contrast-screen and automatic picture control called VisionClear. It was controlled by a ‘V Terminal’, the forerunner of Beolink 1000. It was also the first TV range with an Audio/Aux Link and hi-fi speakers.

Beovision LX2800 and LX2500 features:
Flat-square picture tube. Part of the VisionClear system which provides picture of studio quality.

In-line self-converging picture tube, also part of the VisionClear system. Reduces the chance of inadvertent mixing of picture colours and ensures perfect pictures throughout the life of the TV.

Automatic Cut-off – yet another part of the VisionClear system. An electronic circuit which adjusts the colour balance 50 times every second. A patented Bang & Olufsen innovation which ensures that you get lifelike colours – automatic and operates all the time.

Contrast screen – the most visually outstanding part of the VisionClear system. A Bang & Olufsen screen which reduces the effect of incident light. This ensures clear colours and optimum contrast conditions even in bright light.

Automatic contrast control – the picture’s contrast level is automatically adjusted to match the light levels in the room.

Remote-controlled channel tuning – included all relevant TV channels. You could use the buttons on the Beolink 1000 terminal to order the frequency of a specific TV channel and let the electronics take care of search, tuning and fine tuning. With the exception of the automation, it was the same search system that you used when you wished to find a new station on your radio.

AFC – A circuit that ensures perfect fine tuning and operated completely automatically.

Fine tuning – a manual feature which gave you access to sharp, stable pictures when reception conditions were poor or if the frequency of a signal deviated from standard settings e.g. in the case of cable TV, home computers etc. Fine tuning adjustments could of course, be stored in the memory.

2 x 15 watts sinus power output – the newly developed LX2800 and LX2500 speakers were based on the bass reflex system which gave the sound image extra depth and detail in hi-fi quality.

When there was a simulcast you could also send sound from the radio out through the speakers of Beovisions LX2800 and LX2500.

Stereo width adjustment ‘increased’ the distance between the speakers and gave a wider, richer sound image.

Enhanced mono broadcasts – the special stereo width circuit also improved the sound quality of mono broadcasts.

Extra hi-fi speakers – you could use the speakers on Beovision LX2800 or LX2500 as an extra pair of speakers for your hi-fi system as part of a Beolink® system.

Built-in Teletext decoder – the (then) new, ‘flickerless’ computer-controlled Teletext decoder (CCT) meant that you had the latest news right at hand as well as a whole host of information channels.

Computer-controlled Teletext (CCT) – had two memories so you could immediately ‘leaf’ up to two pages ahead on Teletext or back to the previous page. One touch and no waiting. Another memory store remembered up to four pages of Teletext information and provided immediate access to the TV listings or the complete Pools results, for example. This short-term memory was erased when the TV was returned to stand-by.

Three Teletext alphabets – if you received Teletext from a country with an alphabet that differed from your own, the Teletext alphabet switched over automatically.

Video recordings of Teletext subtitles – for the first time ever, it was possible to record the Teletext subtitles along with the TV programme itself. This was a big help for the hard-of-hearing.

Completely stable and ‘flickerless’ picture from home computers and TV games.

Built-in clock – When Teletext was broadcast, you could bring the correct time on-screen, either for a few seconds or for as long as you liked.

A wealth of connection facilities

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BeoVision LX 2802

BeoVision LX 2802

Advanced TV technology at its most elegant
Beovision 2802 was the latest version of the classic Bang & Olufsen TV. Fully remote controlled, it was created specially for those who require all the features of today’s TV – and who also seek a timeless design that would blend perfectly into their living environment. Slim and elegant, Beovision LX2802 came in either traditional natural woods or a contemporary white finish.

To the finest detail
B&O is renowned for its attention to detail and craftsmanship. You won’t find any fussy buttons on B&O’s sets – because, with full remote control, they simply aren’t necessary. Absolutely nothing looks out of place or superfluous with a Bang & Olufsen TV. The materials are always selected with the utmost care. The closest attention is always paid even to the design of the back of the TV. The company believes that appearances matter a great deal, because you’ve got to live with a TV day in, day out. On or off, it should be easy on the eye.

The perfect picture – from any angle
You don’t have to sit bang in front to get a good view of Bang & Olufsen TV sets. The 66cm flat-square picture tube of these Beovisions gave a clear, undistorted picture even when viewed from the side. Combine that with the specially developed VisionClear system, and you’ve got eye-opening picture quality. The colour balance and contrast are regulated automatically, 50 times every second. There’s even a contrast screen to make sure that your picture’s always in harmony with the light levels in the room. Razor-sharp quality – and it’s built to last.

And the sound to match
One of the things that make Bang & Olufsen TVs so special is the sound – because it’s just as breathtakingly good as the picture. The L and LX TVs have a bass reflex loudspeaker system – which, in words of one syllable, means great sound. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes, even listening to the news! Of course, you’ll also appreciate Bang & Olufsen sound quality when you listen to music from your sound system through the TV. (Perfectly possible – all Bang & Olufsen’s latest audio, TV and video systems can talk to each other). Close your eyes and it sounds like you’ve just acquired a splendid pair of new hi-fi speakers for your music centre. Which is exactly what you HAVE done.

A view to the future
Your LX 2802 TV was also ready for satellite broadcasts when they became available. It’ll be able to receive broadcasts either through communal aerials and a hybrid network, or through your own parabolic ‘dish’ antenna. Just add the BeoSat LX module when the future arrives.

No-wait Teletext
The live information bank of Teletext is a tremendous benefit, whether you want an instant weather update, flight times or racing results. Now we’ve added even more of a bonus, with the computer-controlled Teletext module. This allows you to flip through the Teletext pages without having to wait. You can also call up four different pages instantly on the screen (in the order you want) by pressing the Teletext button. So you can hop easily from one topic to another, with quicker access to the facts you need.

The right connections
When you buy a Bang & Olufsen video recorder to partner your TV, you’ll be able to operate both with one remote control – the Beolink 1000. Needless to say, our video recorders are as intelligently designed as our TVs: Beocord VX5000 and VHS 82.2 even have a visual display to make operation and programming absolute child’s play. But your connection options don’t stop there. Your TV can team up with your music system. It can even form part of your Bang & Olufsen ’round-the-house’ TV, video and music system. All under the command of the ingenious Beolink 1000 remote control. You can also connect headphones, your personal computer, video games and a loop amplifier for the hard of hearing.

Take four
You could choose one of four models: the 63cm L2502 and LX 2502, and the 66cm L2802 and LX 2802. In all the most important technical respects, these TVs shared the same advanced features.

Fine finishes
The Beovision LX series was available in rosewood, teak, white and White Line (B&O’s modern colour and styling treatment).

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A Terminal

Bang & Olufsen A Terminal

Beolink 1000 was Bang & Olufsen’s entry remote control terminal, released in 1986. Its bigger brothers were the two-way Beolink 5000 and Beolink 7000 terminals. It originally came in a number of guises: released in 1987 was Terminal A, followed by Terminal V and then Terminal AV. Their purpose was to control the audio section of various hi-fis (Terminal A); the video sections (Terminal V) and combined functions (Terminal AV).

Beolink 1000 won the ID Award in 1986.

From the Commander to the Beolink 1000 – a leap in ideas

Beomaster 2400’s new element was the Commander – the remote control – which no High-Fidelity producer had even dreamed of making before. In America, however, remote- controlled TVs had already become a reality and in Europe, the first TV commanders, with a plethora of buttons, had turned up in Germany.

Bang & Olufsen’s idea was not to supply remote controls for its systems, it was to provide the user with easier operation – to put the entire selection of sound and picture in users’ hands. Although today, this is perhaps self-evident, this was not the case at the time. Nobody had so far dared to pursue such an obvious concept. It did not take long for the idea to take root. Soon afterwards, all Bang & Olufsen’s systems enabled the user to operate the system from a commander.

The Bang & Olufsen Idea Group insisted that users should be able to operate the commander with one finger on one hand, the thumb. This was vastly different from the commanders manufactured by other producers where the many buttons meant that the user had to hold the commander in one hand, the manual in another while the index finger of the third hand pressed the button selected by the eye.

The concept was dubbed ‘the feel commander’. This meant that the TV could be operated by the thumb on one hand – almost as if the user was feeling his way through a new type of Braille, allowing the eye to concentrate on the essential, the picture.

The culmination of the development of the idea of a ‘total commander’ came in 1985 when David Lewis designed a Beolink terminal where the user, without using his eyes, could control picture, sound and light by applying a slight pressure of the thumb. Incredibly, it could be used in all the rooms of a house. This later system, known as Beolink®, eventually incorporated most of Bang & Olufsen’s audio and video products.

The Beolink 1000 family of remote controls is made up of four unique products; all similar in appearance, but each was brought out at a different time, for a variety of differing functions. First there was the Audio Terminal (or ‘A Terminal’). This was then followed by both the ‘Video Terminal’ (used by Beovisions LX2800 and LX2500) and then the ‘AV terminal’. Lastly was the Beolink 1000 as we recognise it today. Both of these latter Terminals are shown above.

The Audio and Video Terminals are similar in appearance to each other. However, they both accommodate different sets of buttons. With both these controls the bottom plate is stamped to differentiate them as either an Audio or Video Terminal. Size-wise, both Terminals are around 1,5cm shorter than a (current) Beolink 1000 Terminal.

Beolink 1000 Mk III was the last model produced and does not include a ‘turn’ button. To turn over the tape of your Beocord cassette deck, press SHIFT + SOUND.

In order to access ‘Balance’ press SOUND twice and then use the volume up and down to adjust.

To alter ‘Treble’, press SOUND three times and adjust in the same manner; for ‘Bass’ press SOUND four times.

To save your new settings, press SOUND and then STORE.

In comparison, the AV terminal is about 1cm longer than a Beolink 1000. The AV terminal could operate both audio and video and again was released before Beolink 1000. All three Terminals were black and dark grey coloured.

With Beolink 1000 (introduced in 1986), there have been six models. Beolink 1000 Mk 1 and 2 were also black and dark grey. The Mk 1 version would not work with light controllers such as LC1. However, Mk2 could, by simply pressing SHIFT + LINK more>>

Since its introduction in 1986, the Beolink 1000 family of remote controls has been able to control all subsequent Bang & Olufsen products – both audio and video. Beo4 is a direct descendant of these remote controls, together with its (former) smaller brother, Beo1.

Most infra-red remote controls work on a 40KHz carrier. Only Bang & Olufsen and a handful of Sony and Kenwood products use 455KHz as the carrier frequency. This more powerful frequency allows the Terminals to command products from a greater distance and often, it is not a requirement to ‘fire’ them directly at the items’ sensors.

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AV Terminal

Bang & Olufsen AV Terminal

Beolink 1000 was Bang & Olufsen’s entry remote control terminal, released in 1986. Its bigger brothers were the two-way Beolink 5000 and Beolink 7000 terminals. It originally came in a number of guises: released in 1987 was Terminal A, followed by Terminal V and then Terminal AV. Their purpose was to control the audio section of various hi-fis (Terminal A); the video sections (Terminal V) and combined functions (Terminal AV).

From the Commander to the Beolink 1000 – a leap in ideas

Beomaster 2400’s new element was the Commander – the remote control – which no High-Fidelity producer had even dreamed of making before. In America, however, remote- controlled TVs had already become a reality and in Europe, the first TV commanders, with a plethora of buttons, had turned up in Germany.

Bang & Olufsen’s idea was not to supply remote controls for its systems, it was to provide the user with easier operation – to put the entire selection of sound and picture in users’ hands. Although today, this is perhaps self-evident, this was not the case at the time. Nobody had so far dared to pursue such an obvious concept.

It did not take long for the idea to take root. Soon afterwards, all Bang & Olufsen’s systems enabled the user to operate the system from a commander.

The Bang & Olufsen Idea Group insisted that users should be able to operate the commander with one finger on one hand, the thumb. This was vastly different from the commanders manufactured by other producers where the many buttons meant that the user had to hold the commander in one hand, the manual in another while the index finger of the third hand pressed the button selected by the eye.

The concept was dubbed ‘the feel commander’. This meant that the TV could be operated by the thumb on one hand – almost as if the user was feeling his way through a new type of Braille, allowing the eye to concentrate on the essential, the picture.

The culmination of the development of the idea of a ‘total commander’ came in 1985 when David Lewis designed a Beolink terminal where the user, without using his eyes, could control picture, sound and light by applying a slight pressure of the thumb. Incredibly, it could be used in all the rooms of a house. This later system, known as Beolink®, eventually incorporated most of Bang & Olufsen’s audio and video products.

The Beolink 1000 family of remote controls is made up of four unique products; all similar in appearance, but each was brought out at a different time, for a variety of differing functions. First there was the Audio Terminal (or ‘Terminal A’). This was then followed by both the ‘Terminal V’ (used by Beovisions LX2800 and LX2500) and then the ‘Terminal AV’. Lastly was the Beolink 1000 as we recognise it today. Both of these latter Terminals are shown above.

The Audio and Video Terminals are similar in appearance to each other. However, they both accommodate different sets of buttons. With both these controls the bottom plate is stamped to differentiate them as either an Audio or Video Terminal. Size-wise, both Terminals are around 1,5cm shorter than a (current) Beolink 1000 Terminal.

Beolink 1000 Mk III was the last model produced and does not include a ‘turn’ button. To turn over the tape of your Beocord cassette deck, press SHIFT + SOUND.

In order to access ‘Balance’ press SOUND twice and then use the volume up and down to adjust.

To alter ‘Treble’, press SOUND three times and adjust in the same manner; for ‘Bass’ press SOUND four times.

To save your new settings, press SOUND and then STORE.

In comparison, the Terminal AV is about 1cm longer than a Beolink 1000. The Terminal AV could operate both audio and video and again was released before Beolink 1000. All three Terminals were black and dark grey coloured.

With Beolink 1000 (introduced in 1986), there have been six models. Beolink 1000 Mk 1 and 2 were also black and dark grey. The Mk 1 version would not work with light controllers such as LC1. However, Mk2 could, by simply pressing SHIFT + LINK more>>

Since its introduction in 1986, the Beolink 1000 family of remote controls has been able to control all subsequent Bang & Olufsen products – both audio and video. Beo4 is a direct descendant of these remote controls, together with its (former) smaller brother, Beo1.

Most infra-red remote controls work on a 40KHz carrier. Only Bang & Olufsen and a handful of Sony and Kenwood products use 455KHz as the carrier frequency. This more powerful frequency allows the Terminals to command products from a greater distance and often, it is not a requirement to ‘fire’ them directly at the items’ sensors.

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BeoGram CD 3500

Bang & Olufsen BeoGram CD 3500

The sound reproduction achieved by Bang & Olufsen’s CD 3500 CD player was truly outstanding. It played both 12cm and 8cm compact discs and had an ingenious ‘step’ function which allowed you to go straight to a chose track selected from anywhere on the disc. The CD player was one of the most technologically-advanced pieces of hi-fi on the market at the time and yet was one of the easiest to operate. The explicit display always indicated what the CD player was doing all the time – for example, which track was being played, and how many tracks there were on the played compact disc.

Beogram CD 3500 could be used as part of the Beosystem 3500 hi-fi system.

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BeoGram 3300

Bang & Olufsen BeoGram 3300

It’s better both for your records and for sound quality to play a record the way the master was made – in a straight line from the edge to the centre. This tangential arm record player did just that, giving a far more precise reading of the signals in the groove. The MMC4 cartridge made a vital contribution too; it was feather-weight, with a stylus pressure of only 1,2 grams, giving outstanding sound quality but minimising wear and tear on your records.

There’s more protection too – invaluable for all-night parties. The electronically controlled tangential arm was suspended so that it isolated mechanical vibrations from the cartridge. The suspension chassis was also thoroughly engineered to neutralise vibrations. So keep on dancing – the record player can take it! Beogram 3300 was part of Beosystem 3300 although may be used as a stand-alone item.

One of many tangential decks all utilising the same basic design, the 3300 was noticeable mainly for its grey finish and slightly lurid graphics. Very much a child of the 80s, it was replaced by the 3500 and 4500.

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BeoCord VHS91.2

Bang & Olufsen BeoCord VHS91.2

With Beocord VHS 91.2 Bang & Olufsen created a stereo video tape recorder which, in 1987, was close to studio equipment in terms of sound and picture quality. And when it came to design, operation and uses it was a natural, integrated part of home entertainment and communication.

Beocord VHS91.2 could record up to four hours of video or eight hours of stereo hi-fi sound on just the one four-hour tape. And it could of course be remote-controlled regardless of which Bang & Olufsen TV and music system you put it to work with.

The many picture functions included such things as distortion-free single frame pictures, play back just one picture at a time, ‘flickerless’ breaks between recordings and automatic picture search with the help of the tape counter. And Beocord VHS91.2 could also be programmed to record daily or weekly for an unlimited period of time.

With a completely new recording technique and one built-in stereo decoder, Beocord VHS 91.2 provided unlimited possibilities for combining TV, video and music systems, such as recording stereo simulcasts.

In terms of design, colours and uses, Beocord VHS 91.2 was created to harmonise with Beovision MX2000. And the same remote control Terminal could be used to control both units.

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BeoCord VHS82

Beocord VHS 82 was Bang & Olufsen’s 1987 addition to the stereo video cassette recorder line-up with up to four hours of video playing time and eight hours of hi-fi quality stereo sound on just one video tape!

In terms of design, colours and uses, Beocord VHS 82 was created to harmonise with Beovision MX2000. And the same remote control Video Terminal could be used to control both units. Control was so integrated that the TV screen acted as an open instruction manual for the video cassette recorder.

All of the functions on Beocord VHS 82 were described and stored on ‘menus’ that were brought to the screen with the assistance of the Terminal. This step-by-step instruction ensured fast, faultless operation. So even things like presetting channels, time programming and picture search were as easy as was possible. And although the special menu operation was only possible in connection with the latest TV generations from Bang & Olufsen, Beocord VHS82 was an ideal video supplement for ant TV.

The fact that Beocord VHS 82 could take its place as a technically superior audio tape recorder in any music system emphasizes just how outstanding this stereo video recorder was.

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BeoCord 3300

Bang & Olufsen BeoCord 3300

You had the benefits of the very latest technology with this cassette recorder when it was first introduced. Such as the patented HX Pro recording system which enriched the sound image by giving vastly superior reproduction of the treble range.

You were certain to approve of the wealth of useful features too. For example, if the record finished while you were recording, the tape stopped automatically and restarted automatically when you turn the record over.

When you pressed STOP after a recording, a four-second pause was inserted between tracks with the automatic search system. Clever stuff – all designed to make life easier and more fun. Beocord 3300 was part of Beosystem 3300 although it could also be used as a stand-alone item.