Once, talking to Jacob ODGAARDOM, CEO of the Danish company BANG & OLUFSEN, specializes in upscale Audio-visual equipment and establishing an integrated "intelligent" systems for the home, We touched about production of television sets capable of displaying images to a format 3D.
Then Jacob did not answer my question about the possibility of the appearance of such a household appliance in the Bang & Olufsen collection. However, after some time, such a TV was designed and manufactured, and Jacob himself told me about all its advantages and other novelties of B&O, who presented a new miracle of technology from B&O at the exclusive villa of the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray resort on The Palm Jumeirah.
Jacob, good afternoon. Thank you for the excellent presentation of the new BeoVision 4-85 TV, capable of showing programs and films in three-dimensional format. Please tell me how much time it took to develop and implement this model?
We spent quite a lot of time and effort on this project. It seems that we talked with you about six months ago, then the specialists of our company were already close to completing the development of BeoVision 4-85. It took almost a year to adapt new 3D technologies to those television devices that were already produced by Bang & Olufsen and earned unconditional authority among customers. We had to maintain the same level that characterizes the rest of the B&O equipment, and this, believe me, was not easy.
You have demonstrated in Dubai a rather impressive screen size of the new TV. Do you plan to introduce TVs of other sizes in production, but already using 3D technology?
Yes, this model is quite large, with a screen size of 1920x1080 cm. In the near future, we plan to start production of TVs with a diagonal of 103 inches, in which 3D technologies will also be applied. And I won’t be surprised if in the future the same TVs appear, only of a smaller size. However, large televisions, I think, will be in higher demand, since they offer home watching movies and programs with almost the same level of quality as in the most modern cinema.
Tell me, Jacob, is the 3D technology you used your own development or is it a joint work?
It would be foolish to develop your own 3D technologies when other manufacturers did an excellent job of this. The BeoVision 4-85 TV was created by us in collaboration with Panasonic, the developer of leading 3D television technologies. In my opinion, the result of collaboration was good. The novelty has all the main advantages that characterize the Bang & Olufsen technique, such as a special mechanism that can raise, lower and rotate the screen depending on the wishes of the audience; unique sound and image quality; special systems that automatically adjust the brightness and contrast of the picture on the screen, depending on the level of lighting in the room; anti-glare screen and so on.
I noticed that the 3D glasses that came with this TV model should be turned on using a special button on the bow. Do they need to be bought separately or are they included with the TV?
Good question. 3D glasses are sold separately, because each customer determines the quantity he needs and his family. If I'm not mistaken, one pair of these high-tech glasses costs about 200 euros.
In how many countries around the world can your customers purchase BeoVision 4-85 TVs today? Except Denmark, of course.
This time in the case of precisely these TVs, we did not start the first presentation in our own country - in Denmark, but started, and this should please you, from Russia. We had an amazing presentation at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Moscow, whose windows look directly onto the Bolshoi Theater.
The reaction and enthusiasm of the Russian public cannot be described in words. Moreover, in Moscow, we held the world premiere of BeoVision 4-85, to which we invited representatives of the international press, including the Danish. Believe me, our journalists were shocked. I really enjoyed it.
Does this mean that Russia is becoming a key market for Bang & Olufsen? For a similar technique, definitely yes. What happened after the Moscow premiere?
Then we moved to China, and then to Dubai, because these are the most important markets in which there is a steady increased demand for luxury goods and upscale modern appliances. The countries of Europe are much more modest in this regard; not the largest and most expensive household appliances are purchased there, with fewer impressive options. In addition, European houses are usually not very large rooms, but in Russia or the Middle East, wealthy people prefer to live in private mansions and villas, and they need the appropriate equipment.
Do you plan to install new televisions in any exclusive UAE hotels?
Today we are negotiating with the Jumeirah Group in order to equip some of the properties of her property with our equipment. In Abu Dhabi, the Shangri-La Hotel is fully equipped with our technology, but we continue to study the market and try to negotiate with other hotel chains.
What makes you personally especially proud of the new Bang & Olufsen 3D TV?
This is probably very personal, but I still admire our unique mechanism that can move up and down the “leg” of the rack and rotate such giant television screens as BeoVision 4-85. It is amazing how the weight, which is almost a quarter of a ton, easily soars up without making a sound. This miracle of mechanics never ceases to amaze me for many years. And, of course, a 3D image that gives such a realistic picture that it seems that the viewer is directly involved in what is happening on the screen. This is amazing!
Last and traditional question - what next? What are Bang & Olufsen geniuses working on today? What will it be - 4D format or maybe 5D?
4D format? I don’t know, I don’t think. We will try to deliver to the market a more comprehensible technique for consumers of everyday demand - new audio systems, interesting new products for the home. In general, our task is to create a steady demand among the younger generation of customers. I believe that today we are in much better shape than several years ago. We kept the company at a stable level, continuing to invest in research and innovation, which allowed us to create many new product samples. This speaks only about one thing - we have adequately coped with the financial crisis, and now the time has come for new achievements and further expansion of the business.
On this optimistic note, let me say goodbye to you for another six months. See you at the presentation of the next unique Bang & Olufsen development. Thank you too.
See you soon in Dubai.
