A Bang & Olufsen television was never just a screen. It was a piece of furniture that turned towards you, speakers that mattered, and a remote control that could run the whole house. Many of those televisions still stand in living rooms, and they are kept for good reason.
Anyone with a classic Beovision sooner or later wonders what would stand in that place today. At Brussee, an official Bang & Olufsen dealer since 1995, we know these models at close hand. In this guide we walk through the best known of them, from the LX of the 1980s to the Eclipse, and show which Beovision fills the same role today.
Contents
- What always set a Beovision apart
- Every model at a glance
- The 1980s: Beovision LX and MX
- Around 2000: Beovision 1, Beovision 3 and the Avant
- The first flat screens: Beovision 5, 6 and 7
- Beovision 8, 9, 10 and 11: from home cinema to smart TV
- Beovision 12, Avant 4K, Horizon and Eclipse
- The Beovision range today
- Keep using your classic Beovision
- Frequently asked questions
- Personal advice in our showrooms
What always set a Beovision apart
Three things run like a thread through four decades of Beovision.
Sound that counts. Where other brands long treated sound as an afterthought, Bang & Olufsen built active speakers into or beside the screen. The Beovision 7 even came with a separate speaker alongside it, the Beolab 7-1.
Movement. Many Beovisions stand on a motorised base or bracket that turns the screen towards your seat. The 2002 Avant could turn automatically towards your favourite chair and returned as soon as you switched it off.
One system. Through Beolink the television worked together with the music systems and speakers in the rest of the house, controlled with a single remote.
Every model at a glance
| Classic model | What it was | What fills that role today |
|---|---|---|
| Beovision LX | Television with contrast screen, from 1986 | Beovision Contour |
| Beovision MX | Portable television with handle | Beovision Contour |
| Beovision 1 | Television back to basics, with Beo1 | Beovision Contour |
| Beovision 3 | Widescreen, 28 and 32 inch | Beovision Contour |
| Beovision Avant (2002) | Widescreen on a turning motorised base, with DVD or video | Beovision Theatre |
| Beovision 5 | Bang & Olufsen’s first plasma screen, 42 inch | Beovision Theatre |
| Beovision 6 | Bang & Olufsen’s first LCD television | Beovision Contour |
| Beovision 7 | LCD with DVD player and separate Beolab 7-1 | Beovision Theatre |
| Beovision 8 | Successor to the MX range, with HDMI | Beovision Contour |
| Beovision 9 | 50 inch plasma with Acoustic Lens | Beovision Theatre or Harmony |
| Beovision 10 | Television in 32, 40 and 46 inch, basis for the 11 | Beovision Contour |
| Beovision 11 | Bang & Olufsen’s first smart TV | Beovision Contour or Theatre |
| Beovision 12 | 65 inch plasma for the wall | Beovision Theatre or Harmony |
| Beovision Avant (2014) | 4K in 55, 75 and 85 inch, motorised | Beovision Theatre or Harmony |
| Beovision Horizon | 4K with Android TV, flexible placement | Beovision Contour |
| Beovision Eclipse | OLED with 450-watt three-channel sound | Beovision Theatre |
The right-hand column shows which current model fills the same role in the home, not a technical successor in the strict sense.
The 1980s: Beovision LX and MX
David Lewis’s Beovision LX range appeared in 1986 and brought a contrast screen and VisionClear, an automatic picture control. The LX2500, with a 63 centimetre screen, was the smallest of the family, suited to a bedroom or study, and could play the sound of the music system in the living room.
The Beovision MX1500 of 1988 was a portable television with a built-in handle and a 39 centimetre flat-square picture tube. You carried it from room to room, and it came in bright red, white, grey and black. It was the television for anyone who watched little or wanted a second set.
Around 2000: Beovision 1, Beovision 3 and the Avant
With the Beovision 1, Bang & Olufsen went back to basics: a remote control with four buttons, the Beo1, and for every member of the family their own group of favourite channels. The Beovision 3 brought widescreen in 28 and 32 inch, with a Powerlink connection for extra speakers as standard.
David Lewis’s Beovision Avant became an icon. The 16:9 screen sat on its own smooth wall with everything hidden behind it, including speakers and, if you wished, a built-in DVD player or video recorder. The motorised base turned through a 70 degree arc, could be set to turn towards your chair automatically, and returned silently to its starting position when switched off.
The first flat screens: Beovision 5, 6 and 7
The Beovision 5 was Bang & Olufsen’s first plasma television for the home cinema. A 42 inch screen in brushed aluminium with a built-in active speaker, so no extra equipment was needed for good sound.
The Beovision 6, introduced in November 2003, was Bang & Olufsen’s first LCD television. Compact, with a 22 and later 26 inch screen, intended for the kitchen or bedroom. With a DVI connection it could also serve as a computer monitor.
The Beovision 7 arrived from 2004 and became one of the best-known Beovisions. A 32 inch LCD screen, later also 40 inch, with a built-in DVD player and a separate active speaker, the Beolab 7-1. It was available on table stands, wall brackets and a motorised floor stand.
Beovision 8, 9, 10 and 11: from home cinema to smart TV
The Beovision 8 succeeded the MX range, in 26 and then 32 inch, with a speaker optimised for speech. Unlike the other LCD Beovisions of the time, it had an HDMI connection for digital sources.
The Beovision 9 was a complete home cinema: a 50 inch HD plasma screen with a centre speaker featuring Acoustic Lens Technology, sound processing for up to 7.1 channels and connections for up to ten Beolab speakers. A sensor adjusted brightness and contrast to the light in the room.
David Lewis’s Beovision 10 appeared in 2010, in 32, 40 and 46 inch. The 2012 Beovision 11 built on that design as Bang & Olufsen’s first smart TV, with 3D, six HDMI connections and control via Beo4, Beo6 or a tablet. It came in 40, 46 and 55 inch.
Beovision 12, Avant 4K, Horizon and Eclipse
The Beovision 12, from 2012 to 2014, was a 65 inch plasma screen with 3D. Its frame was made from a single piece of aluminium without seams, and beneath the screen sat a centre speaker with an aluminium grille of 5,000 holes.
In 2014 the Avant name returned. The new Beovision Avant by David Lewis and Torsten Valeur brought 4K in 55, 75 and 85 inch, with a three-channel speaker system of three tweeters, three midrange units and two woofers. The motorised floor stand turned the screen up to 90 degrees from the wall, in both directions.
The Beovision Horizon, from 2016 to 2019, was the flexible Beovision: 4K in 40 and 48 inch, with Android TV and Google Cast, on the wall or on a wheeled stand. The Beovision Eclipse combined an OLED screen with an integrated 450-watt three-channel sound system, in an aluminium body designed to be seen from every side.
The Beovision range today
Today the range comprises three models, each with built-in Bang & Olufsen sound.
| Model | Screen sizes | Sound | Distinctive | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beovision Contour | 48 and 55 inch | 11 drivers, 550 watts, Dolby Atmos | All in one, on floor, wall or table stand | EUR 7,000 |
| Beovision Theatre | 55, 65 and 77 inch | 12 drivers, 800 watts, 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos | Motorised floor stand, upgradeable design | EUR 12,899 |
| Beovision Harmony | 65, 77 and 83 inch | 450 watts, 7.1 surround | Speakers that glide aside as the screen comes on | EUR 20,750 |
Prices verified live on brussee.eu on 30 September 2026.
The Beovision Contour fills the role of the all-round television, as the Beovision 3, 8, 10 and Horizon did. The Beovision Theatre is the heir to the Avant and the Beovision 7: a complete home cinema with a motorised floor stand that turns the screen up to 35 degrees to the left or right. And the Beovision Harmony takes the idea of the television as furniture furthest: at rest an object of aluminium and wood, and the moment you start watching, the speakers glide theatrically aside.
If you would rather keep your own television and only bring the sound up to Bang & Olufsen level, the Beosound Theatre soundbar, from EUR 10,400, is the logical step. You will find every television and soundbar on our page of Bang & Olufsen televisions.
Keep using your classic Beovision
A classic Beovision that works well does not have to go. Two things help keep it in use alongside new equipment.
The Beoremote One, from EUR 400, works with both Bluetooth and infrared and, according to Bang & Olufsen, controls new and classic products alike. One remote for old and new.
Classic Beovisions such as the Beovision 3 also have a Powerlink connection for Beolab speakers. Which classic Beolab corresponds to which current model is covered in our guide to classic Beolab speakers and their successors. Exactly which connections your television has differs per model and year; our specialists work that out for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the successor to the Beovision 7?
A direct successor with a built-in DVD player no longer exists. The Beovision 7’s role as a complete home cinema on a motorised stand is filled today by the Beovision Theatre, with 4K OLED in 55, 65 or 77 inch, twelve drivers and 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos. It starts from EUR 12,899.
What was Bang & Olufsen’s first smart TV?
The Beovision 11 of 2012. It built on the design of the Beovision 10 and added 3D, six HDMI connections and control via a tablet. The Beovision 11 came in 40, 46 and 55 inch.
What is the difference between the 2002 Beovision Avant and the 2014 version?
The 2002 Avant was a 16:9 widescreen television, optionally with a built-in DVD player or video recorder, on a motorised base that turned through 70 degrees. The 2014 Avant was a 4K television in 55, 75 or 85 inch with a three-channel speaker system and a motorised stand that turned up to 90 degrees.
Can I control a classic Beovision with a new remote?
Yes. The Beoremote One works with Bluetooth and infrared and, according to Bang & Olufsen, is suitable for new and classic products alike. Which functions you can control on your own Beovision depends on the model; we are glad to test it with you in the showroom.
Which Beovision suits a smaller room best today?
The Beovision Contour, in 48 or 55 inch. It is an all-in-one OLED television with 550 watts of Dolby Atmos sound, for a floor stand, wall bracket or table stand. Bang & Olufsen recommends it for rooms of 10 to 60 square metres. It starts from EUR 7,000.
Personal advice in our showrooms
You choose a television on picture and on sound, and both are best judged with your own eyes and ears. The current Beovision models are set up in our showrooms. Do bring a photograph or the type number of your current Beovision.
- Brussee Haarlem, Grote Houtstraat 7
- Brussee Amsterdam, P.C. Hooftstraat 73
- Brussee Katwijk, Voorstraat 35
If you want to build picture and sound together, read our guide to creating a Bang & Olufsen home cinema, or request a quote without obligation.
