Been wondering about this for years....


When I went to San Fran for a little vaca around the end 1998-99 I stopped into a B&O store to check things out. Living in MS makes one forget that there are actully stores that you can go in and listen to high end audio. Amazing.

Anyway, I noticed they had The Fifth Element movie playing on one of their CRT based tv's , approximately 27-32 inches in size. I sat down to veg a little and was dumbfounded by the picture that this TV had. I dont mean the colors etc...I mean the picture was so 3 dimensional that I was blown away. I had NEVER seen anything like this before. I called my then girlfriend (now wife) over to check it out..and for the next hour and ahalf she did not budge from that seat. The picture was so lifelike (on a small scale of course) that even she was mesmerized by it. Can someone tell me what the heck kind of technology that B&O were using??? Had I possibly NOT been exposed to high end video to this extreme that I did not realize what could be had? Is this level of quality something that can be purchased today?? I have NEVER seen a television picture so vivid and again "3D" since then. I am more into audiophile 2 channel more than anything else, so I could have been (and probably still am) a video newbie.

thanks again for your time folks.

Spiro
aptquark
wow guys, thanks a bunch. Just to think that as I sit here enjoying the new tech gear of this decade...10 years ago I had seen an image that is still very clearly visible in my mind. Crazy.

much appreciated
Kirkus,
When did B&O stop making the avant? What is a normal price to pay for this TV? Bob
Aptquark,

Go to Ebay, type Beovision Avant or item #150330121112, a 32" BluePearl in Maryland for 2K.
Hi Bob, the US Avant was available until I think 2005-ish . . . the same chassis was used in BeoVision 5 (plasma) and the BeoSystem 1 (external sound & picture processor), so I'm not sure exactly how production resources were allocated to these three products at the end. BTW, the Avant is the best of this generation in terms of picture quality.

But if anybody's looking for one, I'd certainly stay away from Ebay - they're expensive to service, and 2K is more than I'd pay on Ebay for one. Rumor has it that Bang & Olufsen Newberry Street in Boston has "a bunch" of Avants, so I'd start there.
Rx8man,

I did as a matter of fact decide to search ebay for one. Yes, that is the unit I remember. I wonder if there is anything out there today that will compete with the quality of this TV?

thanks