When the first Ultra HD televisions first started to trickle into the consumer space, early adopters paid quite a premium to be the first in the neighborhood to enjoy all that eye-popping visual goodness at four times the resolution of bog standard High Definition. Thankfully, prices soon began to drop and viewers today can get hold of a good-sized 4K TV for under a grand ... unless it carries the mark of Bang & Olufsen. The Danish luxury consumer tech manufacturer today released its new 55-inch UHD BeoVision Avant television for a cool US$8,000.
Other than squeezing more than 8 million pixels into the Avant's 55-inch Ultra HD LED panel with backlight dimming, B&O has also included a rather nifty sound panel that unfolds when the TV is switched on, then disappears when the unit is turned off. The panel contains no less than eight driver units (three tweeters, three midrange speakers and two bass drivers), each with its own dedicated amplifier.
Users can also connect B&O's new flagship goggle-box to external speakers of course, to help create an immersive 7.1 surround sound experience (the Avant has built-in Immaculate Wireless Sound support).
"Our research shows that consumers want more and more from their televisions," CEO Tue Mantoni explained. "People are pressed for time, and they want entertainment that just works so they can focus on it – and each other – rather than the technology itself. BeoVision Avant delivers on all counts. The name Avant is a nod to our most successful TV to date, the Avant launched in 1995. Just as the first Avant was a game changer in an analogue era, we believe the new BeoVision Avant will set the standard for what should be expected from a television in the future."
The company has made enough room in the back of the TV to slot in an Apple TV unit, if desired, and the device comes with a new BeoVision remote called the One. The new TV's screen has also been treated to high-grade anti-reflection coatings on both sides its dual layer reinforced glass to reduce annoying reflection by a claimed 98 percent.
B&O says that, rather than arranging a room around the TV, the Avant works with motorized stands for flexible positioning, to turn the position toward the viewer. There's a table stand that can raise the TV to attention from its slightly tilted resting position, a floor stand that can pivot the Avant up to 90 degrees from the wall, and a wall bracket that can move it up to 60 degrees from the wall. The stands are optional extras, and start at $895. But if you're not bothered about all that assisted placement magic, there's a fixed wall bracket available too.
The BeoVision Avant is available now for a recommended retail price of $7,995.
Have a look at B&O's short promo video below.
Product page: BeoVision Avant