Pioneer Announces 2008 Kuro Plasma HDTV Line-up

Pioneer takes the evolution of plasma to the next level. Despite jumping out of the plasma manufacturing game, second generation Pioneer Kuro plasma panels offer even deeper blacks and just keep getting thinner.

Plasma technology’s reputation has taken a beating lately with some manufacturers (like Sony and Pioneer) quitting all manufacture of plasma panels. But how is Pioneer able to keep putting out new plasma HDTVs whist cutting out of their manufacture?

Easy, someone else makes the panels. In Pioneer’s case it’s Panasonic that’s making glass plasma panels for its Kuro line. Pioneer works its magic by fitting a Panny panel into its electronics for some of the best plasma images available.

Pioneer’s new 1080P plasmas include a 50” (PDP-5020FD) at $4,000 and a 60” (PDP-6020FD) for $5,500. Both models offer those magical Kuro black levels you’ve been hearing about and measure a measly 3.7” thick.

Plasma has always had an easier time producing shades of deep black than LCD display technology, particularly compared to front and rear projectors. But no display can match CRT for plumbing the depths of blacker-than-black shades.

Why all this focus on black, don’t we like to see bright brilliant colors? Sure, but the brilliance with which we perceive bright colors on an HDTV relies on contrast with deep, dark black. Darker blacks will give images a three dimensional look and will make bright colors leap from the screen.

It has been a long standing problem with new display technologies that black is only shown by blocking out as much back-lighting as possible. It leaves blacks appearing as only shades of gray.

Plasma technology doesn’t have the back-light limitation of other display types because each individual pixel is a separate light source. Pioneer believes it’s invented the secret sauce for unbelievable blacker-than-black shades to rival anything you’ve seen on CRT.

Despite the bad press plasma has gotten lately it’s good to see the technology hasn’t been abandoned completely. There are still those who believe in the plasma panel burn-in myth, which simply isn’t true for newer panels. It’s very possible that these new Pioneer Kuro panels will offer some of the best images seen yet on HDTV.

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