Bang & Olufsen unveiled the BeoPlay V1 TV concept yesterday, and hopes to appeal to other consumer groups with the lower price point and the flexible design. FlatpanelsHD attended the world premiere and bring you our first hands-on impressions and pictures.

Torben Rasmussen has contributed with photos for this article. 
B&O BeoPlay V1 - hands-on impressions
Bang & Olufsen unveiled a range of new products at an event yesterday, including the BeoPlay A8 speaker with AirPlay, the BeoPlay A3 iPad speaker dock and BeoPlay V1 TV. In this article we will focus solely on BeoPlay V1.


The new B&O BeoPlay V1 TV

With the new TV concept, Bang & Olufsen hopes to appeal to a more digital and broader audience. BeoPlay V1 is first and foremost very flexible. It comes in either black or white-painted metal and offers a range of placement options.


The new B&O BeoPlay V1 TV

Material selection is great and we can only applaud that after having tested numerous TVs with plastic bezels over the years. The joints are visible at the top and bottom, which is a deliberate choice from B&O in order to make the TV appear rawer – but the joints are still elegantly integrated.


The new B&O BeoPlay V1 TV

The ceiling mounting solution uses wires and can be adjusted in height and tilt angle. The floor stand can be used to place the TV directly onto the floor without the need for a TV table, and a new wall stand enable users to rotate the TV up to 180 degrees. Lastly, a table stand is designed for placement on furniture and raises the TV 20 centimeters.


The new B&O BeoPlay V1 TV

On the back of the TV, we found a number of connectivity options. B&O would like to make integration with other devices tighter and has included 5 HDMI ports. Perhaps even more interestingly, B&O has included a slot-in for an Apple TV box on the backside of the TV. And that brings on to our next subject; remote controlling.


The new B&O BeoPlay V1 TV

Bang & Olufsen has always prioritized unified controlling of the home devices, and with BeoPlay V1 it becomes easier to set up. BeoPlay V1 is connected to B&O’s database of PUC codes for almost any electronic device. Say you want to connect an Apple TV box; you just connect it via HDMI and the TV automatically detects the new device. From here you select “Apple” and “Apple TV” from the database and your Bang & Olufsen remote can now control the Apple TV. You can also program devices to turn on and off with the TV.


The new B&O BeoPlay V1 TV

B&O has also developed a new media player that can access media content on other devices in the home. The media player supports music, images and video and can stream content from for example a PC, Mac, a network hard drive, tablet or smartphone on the home network. Devices are automatically detected and you can browse freely just like with other DLNA devices.


The new B&O BeoPlay V1 TV

BeoPlay V1 can also play content from two media servers simultaneously, with music coming from for example a BeoSound 5 and pictures for a slideshow coming from an iPad. All devices obviously need to be connected to the same home network. BeoPlay V1 can connect either via cable or WiFi.


The new B&O BeoPlay V1 TV

It is always hard to examine picture quality based on public presentations and we will return with more information later. When it comes to the technical spec sheet, BeoPlay V1 incorporates an LCD panel with edge LED backlighting, like most TVs today. It also has a built-in 100/120 Hz engine, an automatic light sensor, and a glossy filter with anti-reflective coating.

Another interesting detail is the new Movie profile that B&O has incorporated. It has been designed to comply with the 65K standard for correct picture reproduction. Similarly, B&O has integrated a game profile that aims to reduce input lag to a minimum. B&O has also integrated their characteristic electronic curtains that are “drawn” when the TV turns on.


The new B&O BeoPlay V1 TV

When it comes sound quality, we have a few more concrete experiences to talk about. We had a chance to hear the TV in a completely silent room, and the speakers easily beat pretty much everything else found in today’s TV. The speakers are obviously inferior to B&O’s BeoLab speakers but the speakers are surprisingly good for a TV this thin. The speakers can easily deliver background music for a small party.


The new B&O BeoPlay A3 iPad dock speaker 

The 40 inch variant has more capable speakers than the 32 inch version but B&O’s bas port is found in both models. If you want more, you can connect external BeoLab speakers to BeoPlay V1. This is done via the built-in 5.1 surround amplifier and ethernet cables that are split into PowerLink cables. The TV can also enter into different sound setups; for example as a center speaker.

BeoPlay V1 is available in 32 and 40 inch sizes in either black or white. Recommended retail prices from are around – converted from UK prices - $3,200 and $4,000 (including floor stand and Beo4).

Also, see our introduction article to B&O BeoPlay V1 here.