This is the OLED TV you want but probably can't afford

We go hands-on with Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision TV, a souped-up, very expensive LG OLED TV that has an integrated soundbar and a motorized stand.

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews

Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.

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David Carnoy

Dec. 11, 2017 11:15 p.m. PT

2 min read

bo-beovison-1 — Bang & Olufsen's 65-inch BeoVision OLED TV retails for around $15,000.
David Carnoy/CNET

LG's C7 65-inch OLED TV costs around $2,700. For a lot of people, that's a lot of money to spend on a TV, even if does have the best picture quality we've seen in a TV this year.

But you can spend more -- or in the case of Bang & Olufsen's 65-inch BeoVision Eclipse, a lot more.

Available in 55- and 65-inch versions, the Eclipse costs $10,990 (£8,290) and $15,990 (£11,590), respectively. Directly converted, that's about AU$13,500 and AU$18,900 for Australian buyers.

The key extras are the motorized pedestal stand and an integrated 450-watt three-channel soundbar that's available in silver or black and can be paired with extra speakers, including Bang Olufsen's $40,000 BeoLab 50 tower speakers, to complete your surround-sound setup.

beovision-oled-remote — The included remote.
David Carnoy/CNET

The stand is on motorized wheels and has a double axis. With a touch of a button, you can can rotate the TV and bring it out from the wall. You can then adjust the viewing angle for the best possible picture based on you where you're sitting. However, it's worth noting that with OLED the picture quality doesn't degrade like LCD does when you're in an off-axis viewing position.

Prefer the TV on a wall? You can opt instead for a motorized wall bracket. Touch a button and the TV will pull away from the wall at up to a 90-degree angle (it's a little like turning the page of a book but then stopping halfway).

When I saw the TV earlier this year in New York, I didn't see the wall-mount in action but I did see the motorized pedestal do its thing. There's something weirdly gratifying about having your TV move by pressing a button on a remote. It's not quite as gratifying raising and lowering motorized shades, but there's no denying it's a pretty posh experience.

beovision-oled-2 — The music menu system.
David Carnoy/CNET

The TV is designed to be a full audio and video entertainment system. Onboard are music streaming services, internet radio and LG's WebOS 3.5 software. It can access Spotify, Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and various other services. It can also talk to Chromecast, AirPlay and Bluetooth devices. And you can customize the swanky looking remote control with your own shortcuts.

Needless to say, for most people, the handful of extra features, integrated speaker, rotating stand and added design flair probably aren't worth the extra $13,000 or so over what the bare-bones LG's OLED C7 65-inch costs.

The other issue -- even for lottery winners or NBA players with deep pockets -- is that you can now get an even larger 77-inch LG OLED TV for less: "only" $10,000.

But I'll give Bang & Olufsen this: At least when you buy this really expensive TV, you're getting the best TV -- by that I mean the best display. That wasn't the case with past Bang & Olufsen TVs.

Editors' note: This story is updated from the earlier version written by CNET's Richard Trenholm. It adds hands-on impressions and photos.