BeoVision 8-40

The BeoVision 8 range of flat-screened televisions was introduced in 2007 designed to be the BeoVision MX LCD widescreened-equivalent replacement.  Hardly an equivalent though… with prices doubled from CRT to LCD and features cut short - but one nevertheless which was designed with a mid-market position, and certainly well under the full-specified BeoVision 7 range of LCD televisions.

The arrival of BeoVision 8 came as a bit of a break from the ‘framed screens’ that had gone before it in that the loudspeakers, situated beneath the LCD screen, were a more prominent feature, sealed in their own bass reflex cabinet in order to enhance the output. The speaker system was made up of three drive units: a 5cm treble/midrange unit fitted at the two ends of the cabinet together with a centrally-positioned 10cm woofer. Similar in some ways to the loudspeaker system of the BeoSound 1 although that particular product had separate midrange and tweeters rather than relying on a full range unit.

At the time of release, BeoVision 8 was but one of a family, a 26″ screened set available in black (with an aluminium grille).  By the end of its first year it had been joined by a larger 32″ set. Both cabinets were then available in the original black cabinet as well as white.

A contrast screen - as opposed to others on the BeoVision range - was no longer fitted, which marked its more ‘budget end’ appeal.  A Sharp LCD monitor was used (for the smaller sets) with resolution set at 1366 x 768.  Not exactly full-HQ but one which was quite acceptable for a screen such as this.

Connections included an HDMI socket for linking to other digital-source products, as well as two SCART sockets.  Additional extras for the BeoVision 8 were a ‘System Module’ which enhanced the set’s connectivity yet further with MasterLink, RF modulator and a third SCART connection. STB-C connections were offered but unfortunately no DVB-T module for reception of digital broadcasts was offered. There was also a lack of a Suround Sound option too - meaning that the set differed from the other sets available in the BeoVision range by a marked degree - although the set did come with one Power Link socket which permitted the use of a pair of BeoLab speakers with the option of a Central Balance control (as per Beovision sets of a decade and a half previously). There was no option of a Dolby Surround Module although a headphone socket was provided as standard.

At the time of purchase the TV came with noremote control handset although users had to possess one to actually control it! Bang & Olufsen recomended either the Beo4 to be used, or perhaps the more ambitious Beo5. The rationale behind this move was, that as a “second set” Bang & Olufsen users would already have a remote control terminal in use with other equipment.

The larger BeoVision 8-40 introduced in 2009 offered, among many other benefits, a full-HD 1080p panel, a better 100Hz refresh rate, a high-quality integrated loudspeaker system, full DSP surround sound processing and several placement options including its own specially-designed cabinet (see below) as well as its own dedicated floor and wall stands.

BeoVision 8-40 Press Release:

With its attractive price point, the BeoVision 8 TV now also comes in a 40-inch version that offers a Full High Definition experience based on a glare LCD screen with a range of exciting new picture improvement technologies.  The new 40-inch version of the acclaimed BeoVision 8 TV combines a technologically advanced home cinema viewing experience with the straightforward elegance and ease of use characteristic of this compact TV concept.

Optimised performance

The new technologies include double frame rate technology, also known as 100Hz, with motion compensation. As a consequence, the picture refresh rate has been doubled compared to conventional LCD TVs, and the inherent blur of LCD technology has thus been reduced significantly.

BeoVision 8 40-inch also includes contrast improvement technology – so-called Dynamic Contrast – which optimises the contrast according to the picture content in each scene. In addition, both BeoLink home integration functionality and extra video connections can be included with a convenient plug-and-play module.

Great sound from small cabinet

The sound performance of BeoVision 8 also sets new standards for compact TVs. The down-facing bass speaker provides a firm foundation for movies and music programmes, while the front units are tuned specifically for the reproduction of human speech. The overall sound is extremely natural and clearly audible, giving the feeling of voices coming directly out of the screen.

Designer David Lewis explains: “What we did was we moved the sound forward and up, designing the TV like a proper stage with an orchestra pit. This ensured the synergy between performance and design expected of Bang & Olufsen.”

Flexible solution

BeoVision 8 from Bang & Olufsen offers maximum flexibility as this compact television can easily be moved around and placed high or low; the retractable feet support BeoVision 8 casually either directly on the floor or on a countertop, and the elegant stands and wall bracket programme will cover customers’ every need.

Made for those who are looking for an entry-level TV with multiple placement options and fantastic picture and sound performance, BeoVision 8 40-inch offers a radical synthesis of time-honoured craftsmanship, technological innovation and easy operation.

BeoVision 8-40 technical specifications

TELEVISION 

BeoVision 8 - 40 
DESIGNER 

David Lewis 
CABINET FINISH 

Black soft touch/silver 
REMOTE CONTROL 

Beo4 (not included) 
POWER CONSUMPTION 

Typical: 160 W / 1 W 
PICTURE: 


CONTRAST SCREEN 

No 
HD READY 

Yes 
PICTURE AND TELETEXT 

Yes 
TELETEXT 

Level 1 1/2, 2000 pages 
Teletext and Picture, 9 memory pages, WSS 
SCREEN TYPE 

40" 16:9 TFT LCD with glare surface and low reflection coating, display colours 1.08 billion 
REFRESH RATE 

100/120 Hz 
RESOLUTION 

1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 
VIDEO INPUT FORMATS 

View PDF 
BRIGTHNESS 

typical 500 cd/m2 
CONTRAST RATIO 

typical 3000:1 
RESPONSE TIME 

typical 6 msec. 
VIEWING ANGLE 

typical +/-89 degrees both vertical and horizontal 
OPERATING CONDITIONS 

10 - 40 degrees centigrade 
TV SYSTEM 

According to type and setup: 
B/G/L/L'/I/D/K PAL, SECAM, NTSC on AV. 
TUNING 

99 programmes, auto tune, programme move and automatic naming 
STEREO SYSTEM 

A2 + Nicam 
DIGITAL TV SYSTEM 

DVB-T/C 
DVB HD 

Yes 
SUPPORT OF ACTIVE AERIAL 
(DVB-T) 

Yes 
SUPPORT OF MHEG (UK) 

No (will be implement in a later software update) 
NUMBER OF COMMON INTERFACE AND SMART CARD SLOTS 

1 SmartCard slot, 1 PCMCIA 
TUNER FREQUENCY RANGE AND BANDWIDTH 

110 MHz to 862 MHz (Band 3, 4, 5) IF Bandwidth 6,7 & 8 MHz selectable 
HD AND/OR SD DECODING 

480i, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i 
DECODER VIDEO, AUDIO 

Video: Mpeg2 (MP@ML, MP@HL), H264 (Mpeg4) 
Audio: Mpeg1, Mpeg2, AAC, AAC+ and AC3 decoding and downmix 
SURROUND SOUND SYSTEMS 

Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, DTS Digital Surround | Neo:6, Pro-Logic II, 
PLAY TIMERS 

No 
MENU LANGUAGES 

English, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Swedish 
PERIPHERAL UNIT CONTROLLER: 

Built in (one IR-blaster included). 
CONTROLLING SOURCES WITH BEO4 

CONNECTION 

4 x mini jack (PUC1-4) 
LOUDSPEAKERS: 


EFFECTIVE FREQUENCY RANGE 

85 – 20,000 Hz 
CABINET PRINCIPLE/VOLUME 

Closed box/Bass reflex 5 litres 
WOOFER / TWEETER 

Woofer 100 mm, Midrange 50 mm full range type, Tweeter loudspeaker driver 19 mm dome type 
BASS EQUALISER 

Adaptive Bass Linearization (ABL)