Beovision 600

The Beovision 600 was a small, attractive set based on the same chassis as the larger Beovision 1600. The compact nature of the all-transistor chassis meant that a really compact cabinet could be designed around the 16” wide-angle tube. Mounting the (unusually large) loudspeaker in the rear cover meant that the front of the set was nearly “all screen”, except for a slim strip of controls down the right hand side. These controls were taken from the Beovision 1600 as well, though the two blocks were mounted one above the other instead of side by side to save space. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

The design of the cabinet included a sturdy metal carrying handle, which retracted fully blended in nicely with the rest of the set. To make the handle easier to raise, small fluted sections at the side gave one’s fingers something to grip on. So that the set could be carried safely, the mains lead retracted inside the cabinet automatically, using a mechanism similar to that found in some vacuum cleaners. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

The Beovision 600 included a built-in antenna and was small enough to be placed nearly anywhere. A trumpet shaped floor stand was available as an optional extra, though in truth this was a little large for the set, and would later be used with some of the larger colour models. All in all, the Beovision 600 was an excellent portable television set, clearly in the luxury class. Its only shortcoming was that unlike some monochrome portable sets it could not be powered from a car battery. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.