If you've done all of the research, agonized over your decision, and went ahead and spent $3,000 or $4,000 for a new, state-of-the art 55" 3D LED HDTV, prepare to be disappointed.
Those pesky folks at ultra high-end electronics manufacturer Bang & Olufsen have just introduced their super luxurious 85" 3D set, larger than anything else available for the home market.
The BeoVision 4:85 lists for $85,000. That's a $1,000 per diagonal inch. If you are waiting for a Groupon coupon, you cannot afford this baby.
What you get for the price of a well-equipped BMW is a mammoth TV that, according to the company's press release "incorporates state-of-the-art performance within audio, video, magical moving mechanics and intelligent home integration."
Huh?
Actually, there's a lot of advanced technology packed into this TV and its accompanying sound system. You will have to decide for yourself if it amounts to $85,000 worth.
To get one, you'll have to schedule a visit from a B&O custom install team who'll carry out an assessment of the structural strength of your floor and walls, as the plasma TV weighs nearly half a ton. It sits on a motorized stand that will raise, lower, turn and tilt the screen.
Following the visit you'll go over a multi-page checklist detailing the installation options. The set comes in your choice of colors — silver, black, red, blue, dark grey, or gold (with matching remote, of course) — since, as the editors of Sound & Vision magazine note, "if you're forking over this kind of cash, you want it to match your couch and curtains."
What you do not get for $85,000 are B&O's proprietary active shutter 3D glasses, which you must have in order to enjoy the full multi-dimensional experience. Those cost $149 each, and it's good to know that you can buy as many pairs as you want at any Bang & Olufsen store worldwide.
Sound & Vision's review is here. Bang & Olufsen's website is here.