B&O reveals self-calibrating robo TV

HD TV manufacturers often claim their TVs provide a 1080p resolution, but how can you actually check it's delivering the best picture it can? Bang & Olufsen (B&O) has the answer: a robotic arm with a camera on the end. beovision_in_room B&O's BeoVision 4 HD TV has a robotic arm for colour management Its BeoVision 4 Ppasma …

[Anonymous Coward]

Slight problem...

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

I note that, not only is your spell-checker using US English, but it doesn't even know any Latin!

Aren't I the smug b*st*rd.

I'll get my toga.

[Marc]

4000 €, strange

Hmm - Listprice of the BeoVision 4 in Germany is 8423 Euros, plus VAT...

[Anonymous Coward]

The camera calibrates the TV so...

...what calibrates the camera?

[Phil Driscoll]

Calibrating the camera

Every 500 hours does a message come up on screen asking you to stick a well lit test card on the screen so the camera can calibibrate itself?

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course...

...it seems to me that having a self-calibrating TV is a bit stupid if you're going to watch the thing in a huge white room with a wall of windows. In that environment you'd be lucky to tell the difference between the B&O and the Wal-Mart store brand. Assuming they're not using the same panel anyway...

[Graham Bartlett]

B&O - typical

Sounds about right for B&O, purveyors of overpriced tat to male yuppies with too much cash for their trouser pockets. If they want to rip off Tarquin Tax-Lawyer and Simon Stockbroker with yet another pointless willy-waving gadget, it's no skin off my nose.

[xyz]

I thought the headline said B & Q...

...I'll get me coat

[Morely Dotes]

Imagine my surprise

You were talking about Bang & Olafsen. Here I was thinking the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was branching out into etertainment electronics.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: 4000 €, strange and B&O - typical

Marc, it's quite possible that the model you look at is the big model (which is listed at €8000 RRP).

And Graham, stop being a sour grape... B&O sound quality is top grade. Their headphones for example have the most fantastic sound (better than many others, including some Sennheiser models). I'm not the richest man on the planet, but I will pay for B&O quality stuff.

[Anonymous Coward]

Really?

So can it save different values for each input? Does it make you go through all the inputs? Because the settings good for DVD are mostly useless for videogames or regular TV, and if you have vintage devices such as Laserdisc players or - gasp - a VCR you will definitely want separate picture values for those. I think this is pretty much a waste, as most people don't give a damn about properly setting up their TV, but out of the three people who do AND still buy B&O, one might be happy with this. So thumbs up for that guy, while the other two just set stuff by hand, spinning a copy of Video Essentials.

[Cameron Colley]

RE: Slight problem...

Erm, you are kidding about the spell check, right?

Anon: Try Shure if you like quality earphones.

[David H]

Camera shy

Wonder if the TV automatically switches channels if the camera sees that you're watching a cheap reality TV show?

[Anonymous Coward]

@graham Bartlett

I remember the B&O video recorders, a bog standard Hitachi machine with some fancy brushed aluminium and shiny black plastic bits stuck on. Oh, and a price tag that was three times the one on the equivalent Hitachi machine for sale in the shop a few doors away.. Still, someone has to separate yuppies and stupid people from their money.

[Alan Gregson]

@Anonymous Coward

B & O never used Hitachi VCRs (which were pretty decent quality anyway) they used Philips & Panasonic.

[Marc]

Nope, Anonymous Coward

The 65 Inch model is 15828 € without the Control Unit.

http://www.radio-ring.de/Preisliste_B_O_.pdf

[Iain]

re: B&O using others components

The B&O plasmas are (at least were, last time I looked) Panasonic panels, but they have their own, higher quality, electronics hanging off the back. So while the improvement over the Panny model is incremental, it's pretty clear if you look, particularly with standard-def sources.

Their hifi equipment is excellent, and if you're spending that kind of money on something that looks flash, kicks that horrible Bose stuff all around the park for sound and build quality.

[Bronek Kozicki]

@Cameron & anon

Shure, like B&O. are off-the-shelf standard stuff. Try custom made Ultimate Ears, Sensaphonics or ACS if you want earphones ultimate in sound quality. Actually, B&O are kind of a joke in this context.

[Iain]

@Bronek

A quick Google puts a pair of their bottom-of-the-range custom earphones (UE 5 Pros) at a touch over £500. B&O Earphones are around £90.

Yes, your professional monitors cost more money. There's ALWAYS a way to get better quality if you can afford it. That doesn't make the B&Os a joke in their own right, any more than their home audio range is just because a decent Meridian pre/pro setup is even better.

[Anonymous Coward]

Daleks?

Those are some type of new model Dalek's in the corner of the room, aren't they.