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Pioneer KURO PDP-5020FD Review

Pioneer KURO PDP-5020FD - A great HDTV!

A member of the distinguished Kuro line from Pioneer, the PDP-5020FD is an extra-ordinary HDTV that delivers top-notch and unrivaled performance. Pioneer proves that it reigns supreme when it comes to the large plasmas, though high-quality does come with a hefty tag. The PDP-5020FD is in fact the cheapest in the Kuro series for this year, yet it still costs much more than competing brands.

Design

Pioneer maintained the unadorned look of its plasmas in the PDP-5020FD - a shiny black frame surrounding the screen with a removable speaker at the panel’s bottom. The clean sheer look is perfect, though the screen is not flushed with the frame, leaving a thin strip that reflects bright lights that may become distracting. Moreover, this set comes with a solid-looking, non-swiveling stand that limits viewing to only one position.

Pioneer re-designed its remote for this year and some of the changes aren’t quite welcome. The new remote ditched the different shapes for secondary functions and replaced these with tiny, uniformly-sized keys, added more buttons and arranged these in a neat grid that lends itself to frequent remote-pressing mistakes. The direct access to the TV’s inputs and glow-in-the-dark buttons are nice touches, though. The menu system was also overhauled, and gratefully, the changes implemented here are well-thought of and are quite welcome.

Screen/picture clarity

As usual, the PDP-5020FD gives the deepest black in HDTVs. This is expected, as Pioneer made the contrast ratio five times more intense than the previous models, affording never-before-seen black levels that pave the way for breathtaking images, impressive shadow details, and vibrant colors. There are color accuracy issues, with red and green deviating slightly from HD standards, but generally, these are not deal-breaking ones. The anti-reflective screen is also among the best, giving exceptional picture clarity even with open windows and bright lights.

Equipped with a dejudder and 72hz. refresh rates, the PDP-5020FD smoothed images and played Blu-ray discs without apparent issues, though some artifacts may arise when the dejudder is engaged. The plasma also deinterlaced 1080i sources and resolved standard-def materials quite well. Even as PC monitor, the PDP-5020FD resolved every line of the 1,920×1,080-pixel PC signal, when connected as digital.

Features

The PDP-5020FD is a non-Elite model in the Kuro line, so its features are relatively fewer. Picture control settings are limited, and it doesn’t have color temperature presets; it has seven picture presets, including the Optimum mode which adjusts intelligently according to ambient conditions. The plasma has four HDMI ports, an Ethernet port that allows streaming over the home network, USB port and an assortment of connectivity options. Other features include side-by-side picture-in-picture viewing, anti-burn features, and power-saving modes.

The PDP-5020FD is undoubtedly an expensive HDTV, but for home theater enthusiasts, splurging on this TV may just be the right decision, as this TV surely rocks when it comes to picture quality. It also has advanced features that ensure pure entertainment, so you certainly wouldn’t go wrong with the PDP-5020FD.

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Overall Rating
Picture Quality
Value For Money

Pioneer KURO PDP-6020FD Review

Pioneer KURO PDP-6020FD - Unrivaled Plasma

If you are looking for great performance HDTV and ready to spend for it, you definitely have to take a look at the awesome Pioneer KURO PDP-6020FD.

Words surely are not enough to describe the breathtaking performance of this top-notch HDTV from the most respected name in plasma TVs. It’s no wonder it’s the favorite piece of serious videophiles who know a great piece of equipment when they see one.

Design

The improvements in this HDTV are obviously in the electronics, rather than aesthetics, as this ninth generation plasma in the Kuro line basically looks much like its predecessors - simple minimalist frame with glossy finish, removable speakers and non-swiveling stand - a very clean look which is probably preferred by those who dislike being distracted from their TV viewing. Pioneer reconfigured the menu system and the remote but it seems the changes made it difficult to access some menus - such as the Picture menu which now takes about four button pushes. Along with the smaller and closely-spaced buttons, we didn’t find the changes adding value to this product.

Screen/picture clarity

The Kuro series is known for its deep blacks and the Pioneer KURO PDP-6020FD surely doesn’t disappoint in this aspect. Truly exceptional blacks are rendered, making the screen come to life with deeper and richer colors. Even shadow details that are usually lost in ordinary HDTVs are observable in this TV set.

The Improved ASIC Video Processing and Scaling provides excellent video rendering and deinterlacing of different video sources. Even Blu-ray discs - often problematic in HDTVs due to the lower 24fps rate in which the discs are recorded - are scaled nicely in this TV and doesn’t present the usual jerky movements that are quite irritating. This set really delivers smooth, realistic pictures that are simply unparalleled in TV plasmas.

One of the things that can stand improvement is color accuracy - the tone is a little bit off in some cases which viewers may find distracting. Another negative thing is the limited tweaking options - something which dedicated videophiles would find annoying. Specialized controls for setting color temperature and sharpening images are almost de rigueur in this class of HDTVs, and Pioneer erred for not including these options.

Features

This Kuro is certainly packed with features, as can be expected from a high-end HDTV. One surely wouldn’t complain gripe about lack of connectivity with this HDTV, as it has four v1.3 HDMI ports, one USB port, one PC connector and an Ethernet port that can be used to link the TV to a home network. Burn-in problems are addressed by the Screen Protection system which allows you to control different features designed to prevent image burn-in. It also has SRS audio technology for sound reproduction that matches the clarity of the screen images.

For video and film enthusiasts who value the deepest black possible in HDTVs, this Kuro definitely delivers that and more, ultimately giving consumers new experiences in TV viewing. Of course, that depends if you have a lot of cash to burn in this pricey set.

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