BeoVision 7-40 MKIwas 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 BeoLab 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.

BeoVision 7-40 MKI technical specifications

Dimensions:

Dimensions CTV: W x H x D 108 x 68 x 18 cm + Stand Weight Approx. 45 kg

Details:

CTV :
Cabinet finish	Black, blue, red, dark grey, silver
Power consumption	Typically180 W /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 (but not from launch start)
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 - 5″
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)
Set Top Box Controller (STB-C):	Built in - (IR-blaster included).
Controlling boxes with BEO4	Consult dealer
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
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

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)
HD-ready kit	Type 4370 (part no. 1437000)
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)
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

Market specifications:

Type	Type no.	Market	Basic TV system*)	Active TV system	System modulator	DVD Region
NEU-2	9351	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	9352	Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand	B/G	B/G	G	3
HK	9353	Hong Kong	B/G/L/D/K/M/I	D/K/M/I	I	3
GB	9354	South Africa, UK	B/G/L/L’/I/D/K	I	I	2
AUS	9355	Australia, New Zealand	B/G	B/G	G	4
EEU-2	9356	Czech Repub., Hungary, Poland, Slovak Rep.	B/G/L/L’/I/D/K	B/G/D/K	G	2
EEU-5	9357	Russia, Morocco	B/G/L/L’/I/D/K	B/G/D/K	G	5
FGB-2	9358	Bahrain, Egypt, France, Lebanon, Qatar, S. Arabia, Switzerland	B/G/L/L’/I/D/K	B/G/L/L,I	G	2
CN	9359	China	B/G/L/D/K/M/I	D/K/M/I	I	6