Loewe Reference ID TVs launched, custom designs coming soon
Loewe has introduced its latest flagship TV range, the Reference ID, which will initially ship in a single design but later expand to custom colours and patterns
Loewe has officially launched the Reference ID, the company’s latest flagship TV in its luxury line-up. As well as retaining Loewe’s unique design and focus on high-end materials, it can be customised to suit individual rooms for those on a near-limitless budget.
From the outset, it’s clear that Loewe has focused on design for the Reference ID – sharp angles, premium materials and a minimal appearance all scream high-end, as do the optional white LEDs embedded into the backside of the frame. They softly illuminate any wall on which the TV is mounted or sat in front of, although unlike TP Vision’s Philips TVs, the lights don’t change colour or react to what’s on screen.
We were shown the base model Reference ID, which has an aluminium bezel with touch-sensitive buttons built into the top edge, along with a contrasting black mesh speaker cover. If those colours don’t suit you though, there are several other options to let you customise your TV as you see fit. Wood and marble finishes were shown, with more to be introduced at a later date.
Each active 3D, Full HD set has a 400Hz refresh rate, LED backlight and non-reflective coating that should help reduce the amount of glare. The Large 160 watt integrated speakers arguably makes the Reference ID the most comprehensive TV around for raw sound power, with the option to add a Loewe Highline subwoofer and matching rear satellites for a complete 5.1 surround sound setup.
Freeview HD and Freesat tuners are built-in, along with a Common Interface slot for pay TV and several HDMI inputs for connecting set-top boxes, Blu-ray players and games consoles.
As you would expect from a TV in 2013, the Reference ID series is fully network-ready, with DLNA playback support over LAN or Wi-Fi, video and audio on-demand services (many of which are still to be finalised, but don’t expect Samsung levels of catch-up TV services) through the MediaNet portal, internet radio and both Facebook and Twitter.
Whereas most TVs let you connect an external hard disk to record live TV, the Reference ID includes 1TB of storage built into the set. Timeshift, pausing live TV and series link are all supported, and it can also stream recordings to other Loewe TVs over the local network.
The Reference ID range will have a staggered launch here in the UK, with the base model appearing in July – it will have an aluminium frame and choice of four speaker cover designs; black, white, black Rhombus and beige Rhombus. Expect to pay £4,500 for the 40in model, £5,500 for 46in or £6,500 for the 55in model.
Additional frame colours and materials will be introduced in the Autumn, along with further speaker cover designs. Finally, the winter will see a full bespoke tailoring service launched, which will let customers mix and match their own materials, patterns and colours into their TVs designs – although expect prices to skyrocket if you opt for premium materials like the 24-carat gold used to frame the display model Loewe had on show at the event. We’ll get to see more designs closer to launch.