BeoVision 7-40 was a 40″ LCD colour TV whose technical specifications and colour finishes matched those of the smaller-screened BeoVision 7-32.
Iconic B&O looks and a dream performer, but the picture and price isn’t complete perfection
Whenever a new Bang & Olufsen TV appears, you can be sure its design will be utterly iconic. So it goes with the BeoVision 7-40 - and then some.
The version of this 40in LCD we tested looks resplendent in its gloss-black, mirror finish screen surround, anodised aluminium outer frame and optional (add £425 to the ‘tabletop’ price above), hydraulically rotating, screen-tilting ‘pole’ stand. Another cool touch is that extraordinary looking speaker bar unning below the screen. Two speakers are available: one mono centre channel option, the 7-4, and a bigger three-way stereo version, the 7-2, which we used for our tests.
Battle the bulge
We’ve saved the best bit till last, though. See that little bulge under the middle of the screen? Well, believe it or not it houses a sumptuous, built-in DVD player. Lightly press a button under the TV’s bottom ledge and a DVD tray will slide out in high-tech fashion, complete with little lights to help you see what you’re doing.
Connectivity includes an HDCP-enabled DVI jack and component video inputs in keeping with the HD Ready specification, plus a trio of Scarts (all RGB ready). The DVI jack can also take PC inputs. We couldn’t possibly cover all of the 7-40’s features in the space available here. But more highlights include control of a Sky box via the BeoLink 4 handset, playback of CDs, DivX files, MP3s, JPEGs and Video CDs by the DVD section and the facility to link into a full B&O home installation.
The 7-40’s performance is seriously impressive. Pictures using our Gladiator test DVD are phenomenally rich and stable - partly due to the wonderfully rich colours and partly to superlatively subtle greyscaling and colour gradations that give pictures endless depth and texture.
The TV’s black levels are also good and seem deep and packed with shadow detailing. In fact, fine detailing in general is first rate, as evidenced spectacularly by the shots of the crowd in the Colosseum. It’s good to note, too, that there’s no overt MPEG blocking noise from the built-in DVD deck - or noise of any other sort, come to that.
One final strength of the picture, though, also gives rise to its greatest weakness. For while motion looks unusually smooth and cinematic, the processing that causes this can also cause shimmering noise around moving edges. But this glitch still means the picture is excellent rather than all-out great.
Time at the bar
The 7-2 stereo sound ‘bar’, however, is truly great. CD playback enjoys genuinely hi-fi levels of power, clarity and frequency range, while everything in Gladiator is delivered with unprecedented power and dynamism.
It’s tricky to form a conclusion about the BeoVision 7-40. On the one hand, its build quality and design are without equal, and it’s a mostly dreamy performer to boot. On the other, its price is extreme and the picture isn’t completely perfect.
Ultimately, though, we suspect that for anyone even considering buying a B&O TV the cost issue probably isn’t an issue at all, and the little motion glitch probably seems a tiny price to pay for all the other uniquely opulent B&O glories.
Dimensions:
Dimensions (W x H x D) | 108 x 68 x 18 cm + Stand |
Weight | Approx. 45 kg |
Details:
CTV : | |
Cabinet finish | Black/Blue/Dark Grey/Red/Silver |
Power consumption | Typically180 watt/Stand-by <1 W |
Terminal included | Beo4 |
LCD | 40″ 16:9 TFT LCD |
Resolution | 1366×768 (WXGA) |
Display colours | 16.7 mio. (true) |
Luminance of white (center of screen) | typ. 500 cd/m2 (typical) |
Contrast ratio (center of screen) | typ. 1000:1 |
Response time | typ. 8 msec. |
Viewing angle | typ. 85 degrees (min. 75 degrees) both vertical and horizontal |
Contrast screen | Anti-reflex coated |
HD-ready | Yes |
VisionClear | Adaptive black Digital Adaptive Dynamic Luminance Peaking Digital Adaptive Noise Reduction Blue Stretch Digital Colour Transient Improvement Motion Compensated Film Mode Comb Filter Vertical Peaking Automatic Picture Control |
Teletext | Teletext level 2½, approx. 2000 pages Wide Screen Signalling (WSS) VPT (Video Programming by Teletext) 9 memory pages per program 17 teletext languages in 7 groups |
Group 0 Group 1 Group 2 (Russian) Group 3 (Greece) Group 4 (Arabic) Group 5 (Hebrew) Group 6 |
English, German, Swedish, Italian, French, Spanish/Portuguese, Czech/Slovak Polish, German, Swedish, Italian, French, Serbocroat, Czech/Slovak, Romanian English, German, Swedish, Italian, French, Spanish/Portuguese, Turkish English, Russian, Estonian, Czech/Slovak, German, Lithuanian/Lettish, Ukrainian English, German, Swedish, Italian, French, Spanish/Portuguese, Turkish, Greek English, Arabic, French English, Hebrew, Arabic |
Tuning | Autotune, program move and automatic naming |
Tuner range | 45 - 860 MHz, VHF, S, Hyper, UHF |
TV programmes | 99 |
Stereo decoders | A2 + Nicam |
Formats | Format 1: 16:9 Panorama - 15:9 Panorama - 4:3 Format 2: Letterbox + Soft Scroll. Format 3: 16:9 Automatic format optimization via “Black Bar Detection” 16:9 detection on all Scart connectors. Support of WSS (Wide Screen Signalling pulses) from broadcaster. |
Options | 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6. |
Menu languages | English, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Swedish |
PIN-code protection | With pin-code or Disabled |
DVD: | |
Disc sizes | 12 cm |
Frequency range | 20Hz - 20KHz |
Playback the following: | DVD-Video, Video CD, CD-DA, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD -/+R, DVD -/+ RW, CD-MP3, JPEG, DivX Multistandard PAL/NTSC |
Signal-to-noise-ratio | Typical 100 dB, A weighted, in Audio mode |
DVD Region | According to type (see survey below) |
Peripheral Unit Control (=STB-C): | Built in - (IR-blaster included). |
Controlling boxes with BEO4 | Supported boxes : See list at Bang & Olufsen Retail System |
System modulator : | System modulator output to link room (BeoLink Video Distribution) |
Frequency range | 471 - 855 MHz (in 1 MHz step), Dual side band |
Audio | Mono FM sound system G : 5.5MHz or FM sound system I : 6MHz depending on setup. |
DSM (Digital Surround Sound Module): | Standard (always mounted) Supports: Dolby digital 5.1 (AC3), Dolby prologic, DTS 5.1 |
Loudspeakers (bought separately): | |
BeoLab 7-2 | Types 6213/6214 depending on market for more technical details see Techn.Spec. for BeoLab 7-2 |
BeoLab 7-4 | Types 6215/6216 depending on market |
for more technical details see Techn.Spec. for BeoLab 7-4 |
Connections:
Link compatibility:
Master Link |
Optional features/Modules:
Digital Satellite module (DVB-S) | Type 4048 (part no. 1404800) |
Digital Terrestrial module(DVB-T) | Type 4464 (part no. 1446400) |
Home Cinema Control kit | Type 4364 (part no. 1436400) |
Table stand (grey) | Type 4055 (part no. 1405509) |
Motorised table stand (aluminium) | Type 4057 (part no. 1405711) |
Motorised floor stand (aluminium) (for BeoLab7-2 use) | Type 4056 (part no. 1405611) |
Motorised floor stand (aluminium) (for BeoLab7-4 use) | Type 4041 (part no. 1404111) |
Motorised Wall Bracket (for BeoLab7-2 use) | Type 4395 (part no. 1439511) |
Motorised Wall Bracket (for BeoLab7-4 use) | Type 4396 (part no. 1439611) |
RF link amplifier | Type 4052 (part no. 1405266) |
RF link amplifier with return path | Type 4053 (part no. 1405366) |
Galvanic Isolator (to be used with above RF link amplifiers) | Part no. 8039004 |
Stands specifications:
Types | Turning angle | Tilt angle (measured with vertical pos as ref) |
Weight | Dimensions on stand | |
Motorised table stand | 4057 | +/-35 degrees +/- 2 degrees | + 9 degrees - 6 degrees |
26 kg | Height: 710 mm Foot plate diametre: 500 mm |
Motorised floor stand | 4056 and 4041 | +/-35 degrees +/- 2 degrees | + 9 degrees - 6 degrees |
30 kg | Height: 991 mm Foot plate diametre: 500 mm |
Motorised Wall Bracket | 4395 and 4396 | +/- 20 degrees +/- 1 degree | + 9 degrees - 6 degrees |
9.7 kg | 557 x 180 x 225 mm (height x width x depth) |
Market specifications:
Type | Type no. | Market | Basic TV system*) | Active TV system |
System modulator |
DVD Region |
NEU-2 | 9361 | Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Germany
Greece Holland, Israel, Italy, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Norway, Oman Portugal,Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Arab Emirates |
B/G | B/G | G | 2 |
NEU-3 | 9362 | Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand | B/G | B/G | G | 3 |
HK | 9363 | Hong Kong | B/G/L/D/K/M/I | D/K/M/I | I | 3 |
GB | 9364 | South Africa, UK | B/G/L/L’/I/D/K | I | I | 2 |
AUS | 9365 | Australia, New Zealand | B/G | B/G | G | 4 |
EEU-2 | 9366 | Czech Repub., Hungary, Poland, Slovak Rep. | B/G/L/L’/I/D/K | B/G/D/K | G | 2 |
EEU-5 | 9367 | Russia, Morocco | B/G/L/L’/I/D/K | B/G/D/K | G | 5 |
FGB-2 | 9368 | Bahrain, Egypt, France, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland | B/G/L/L’/I/D/K | B/G/L/L,I | G | 2 |
CN | 9369 | China | B/G/L/D/K/M/I | D/K/M/I | I | 6 |
*) Basic CTV systems can be switched ON in Service menu
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