Press Event: Live from Bang & Olufsen’s Private Press Event
Posted January 23, 2007 at 07:25 PM by Doug Berger
Section: Audio, Home Audio, Communications, Cellphones, Trade Shows, CES, HDTV
Due to an embargo scare, we waited to post this until now. The following is a Live-blog of the private Bang & Olufsen Press Event on January 8, 2007 when we were Live @ CES 2007. Pictures will be added shortly.
We’re live here at the Bang & Olufsen press event at the Venician in Las Vegas. Looks like we’re jumping right into it…
1) Make life easy, make it uncomplicated
2) Our customers enjoy the true authenticity of the original.
Kim Gravesen, the President of B&O is now in front of the crowd We’re getting the history of the company. Now going over the awards they won for this year’s CES.
Highlights for 2007 -
Continue after the break…
Expand distribution in North America with 5 - 8 new flagship stores.
Continued efforts in hospitality industry.
Contribution to the automotive industry with Advanced Sound System. Audi’s new A8 has the new system.
“It’s all about finding the right partnerships.“
Serene - New Cellphone
“Like an oyster” -Screen is at the bottom
He mentioned that they feel it is a mobile phone for adults.
-Dial is like a rotary phone -“You can’t download Pimp Daddy or Snoop Dogg” -It’s not a PDA phone, you can’t sync with outlook.
There’s a waiting list for the device because of the holiday season.
Ear Set 2
- First Bluetooth earset - “You can use it for a game of airhockey.“ - Based on the design of the A8 Earphones. - “Does not light up blue like other Bluetooth headsets, so if you want to make a scene out at night, you need a flashlight”
New products this year:
Beocom 4 Ear Set 2 BeoVision 9 BeoLab 9 BeoLab 4 PC Serene BeoSystem 3 BeoVox 1 BeoMedia 1 - Media remoteThey’re now running down their competitive advantages… Quality, Picture, Sound, and Design.
Quality - Dedicted to quality as well as Design
Picture - they want to bring you the original. Have light sensing that based on the ambient light, it will adjust the screen to give you a true experienece.
Seamless Integration - Work with “master link” that connects - with BOA speakers and link product, you can network in your house.
Humanization - when you walk up to a product, you want it to be interacting with you. When you press the eject button on the DVD player, it automatically pops up and waits for the DVD. Looks kind of like a slim pedastil sink.
BeoCom 4 - Redefined Elegance - Two componant handset and base. Available in blue beige and black. MSRP $350.00… and this is an entry level product.
BeoVision 9 - Cinema Master - This is a 50 inch Plasma screen and integrated loudspeaker. Built in center channel with acoustic lense technology - supports up to 7.1 surround. The unit swivels on its motorized stand, integrated digital media device (BeoMedia 1
BeoMedia 1 can be accessed just like another source (audio or video) - He just did a demo where he pulled it up the audio on the plasma TV, played it (sounded great), then turned off everything but the center channel. Then he cranked it up and it still sounded great with just 1 center channel speaker.
We’re now looking at pictures on the BeoVision 9 via the BeoMedia 1. The native resolution is 768p of the BeoVision 9. The digital photos on there didn’t look fantasitc, but if you were sitting in your living room looking at it, I’m sure it would be fine.
The TV was just demoed with the B&O surround sound and it sounded very crisp. We just watched a trailer of Fantasic Four on Blu-ray.
BeoLab 9
We’re now looking at the little brother to their large model cone shaped speakers. And now another quick demo. They sound great!
BeoVision 9 will retail for $9,900 (since it’s plasma)
It’s now time for Q&A..
Q: You have announced all of these CE products and are trying to bring new customers into the brand. is it working?
A: Of course they said yes. “It’s a process.“
Q: Are you talking with any other car manufacturers at this time?
A: We have an exclusivity with Audi for some time, but you will be able to find it in other car manufacturers vehicles in the future.
Q: Is the BeoVision 9 a networked unit or hard drive integrated?
A: “It has a 250GB hard drive, I’m sorry I forgot to mention that”.
Q: Why doesn’t your BeoVision 9 TV have Blu-ray built-in?
A: “It’s not a standard”