Bang & Olufsen's Beovision Contour designer TV now comes in a new 55-inch size, and it could spell trouble for the manufacturer's other high-end OLED TVs.
The stylish Beovision Contour is an OLED TV that comes with a built-in soundbar, described by B&O as "the perfect solution for those seeking a compact television. Delivering an all-in-one TV and music experience thanks to sound technology based on the award-winning Beosound Stage soundbar, the new Beovision Contour gives an elevated television experience."
The Contour is said to improve the bass performance from the original Beosound Stage soundbar down to 30Hz, all while offering a premium OLED picture and outward stylings found in any B&O creation. It packs in three-channel Dolby Atmos speakers to ensure you don't need an external sound system, and a "minimalist" aluminium frame too.
- Best 55-inch 4K TVs to consider
- What is OLED?
- OLED vs QLED: we explain the difference between these two TV panel technologies
Joining the club
In late 2020, B&O unveiled the Contour as its only 48-inch OLED TV, at a time when very few TVs of that size were on the market (LG CX OLED, Sony A9S, etc).
Now, however, as the TV size gradually becomes more widespread (LG C1, LG G1), B&O is expanding the Contour range with a 55-inch size that sees it overlap with the sizing options for its premium Beovision Harmony – a blisteringly expensive OLED screen with a mechanical TV stand that opens up into a speaker system when in use.
The Contour is a far simpler proposition, with no mechanical or moving parts, making it an easier screen to fit or hang in your home. Befitting the more compact sizing of the Contour, B&O has integrated speakers into the casing of the set itself, hanging below to give the appearance of the polaroid photograph, with a bold bezel running along the edges.
There's a host of color options, too, from Gold and Silver to Black Anthracite (coal). In order to keep things looking pretty, too, we're told that "All cables are routed through the centre rear of the TV and hidden from view, offering a holistic 360-degree design, which allows the TV to remain visually appealing from any angle."
This 55-inch OLED TV is available now for £6,300 (around £4,500 / AU$8,100) with a fabric finish, or £7,100 (around £5,000 / AU$9,100) with a wood finish. Buyers can opt for a swivelling aluminium floor stand, wall-mounting, or a tabletop stand to place on higher surfaces.
The 48-inch model launched first in the UK and Europe, only coming to the US in February of this year – so we expect a similar delay to the set's launch in North America.
The 48-inch Beovision Contour, on the other hand, retails for $5,999 / £5,150 / AU$9,990 – so it may be a good shout if you can't stretch to the 55-inch models' RRP.
Practise those contours
Why call it 'contour'? Well, it could refer to the geographical features of a landscape, though we expect it's more directly related to the contours of a face, or the practice of applying darker cosmetics to emphasize certain facial features, as framed by the TV's photograph design.
As one online makeup tutorial puts it, "While highlighting draws out certain features and adds light to your face, contouring involves placing darker colors in areas you want to define or recede." For an OLED TV boasting deep blacks and colors dark enough to provide real contrast with other parts of an image onscreen, that seems pretty fitting.
- What TV size do you need?
