Pioneer

[milohimself]

Has announced they will stop making Plasma displays for at least a couple years, and is planning on selling their Kuro technology. The last run of TV's will be available in June.

This sucks. These are by FAR the best-looking tv's around.

 

[DrRosenRosen]

It sucks they are selling the best technology? It sucks that more companies will be able to use it, drive the cost down, and create better, more affordable sets?

 

[mason3132]

yeah the elite versions are unreal.

 

[DrRosenRosen]

My brother got the 50" elite about a month ago. He said he stood in front of the 50 and 60" models for roughly 3 hours on 2 different occasions. In the end, he opted for the 50" because it looked better to him. He was seeing what the thought was very slight stretching of the picture at 60".

I stressed from the get go get whatever looks best to your eye. I'm glad he did this. I'm very jealous, but I'm hoping I get to see it one day in person.

 

[milohimself]

It sucks they are selling the best technology? It sucks that more companies will be able to use it, drive the cost down, and create better, more affordable sets?

Well, Kuro tech will be more widely available (I don't see the price coming down on TV's equipped with that though) which is nice. But companies will probably look at Pioneer and how much money they dumped into premium TV's before failing, and not tread the same path. Face it, though, Pioneer has been the one company driving the push in TV tech the last few years. 1080p. Color depth. You name it, Pioneer innovates and the competition tries to follow. I don't see that happening again until Pioneer gets back in the plasma game (some say around 2010).

And that 50" 1080p Elite is awesome, no doubt. It is, from a technical standpoint, the most accurate TV on the consumer market being able to display 92% or 94% (I forget which) of the color gamut.

 

[milohimself]

I stressed from the get go get whatever looks best to your eye. I'm glad he did this. I'm very jealous, but I'm hoping I get to see it one day in person.

Honestly, I really don't believe in that, for a few reasons.

1. Manufacturers produce TV's preset to look the best in the showroom, not in your living room.
2. What's surrounding the TV makes all the difference. With high level gear like that, how the room is configured, how every bit of light gets in, how he's got electronic equipment arranged, can all make a difference. The sort of difference you simply can't replicate at the store.

That said, the Elite is still a really good model. He should ask for an ISF calibration on that guy, Pioneers are made for it.

But, I agree with him. Once you pass 50-55" in size, you really have to build a theater room and get a projector.

 

[g8terh8ter_eric]

This is a good thing. They are going to release something great when the Digital mandate is finally a reality. I may have to invest in something then.

 

[DrRosenRosen]

Honestly, I really don't believe in that, for a few reasons.

1. Manufacturers produce TV's preset to look the best in the showroom, not in your living room.
2. What's surrounding the TV makes all the difference. With high level gear like that, how the room is configured, how every bit of light gets in, how he's got electronic equipment arranged, can all make a difference. The sort of difference you simply can't replicate at the store.

That said, the Elite is still a really good model. He should ask for an ISF calibration on that guy, Pioneers are made for it.

But, I agree with him. Once you pass 50-55" in size, you really have to build a theater room and get a projector.

I agree, but that's not exactly what I mean when I say 'what's best in your eyes.' I consider that to mean checking it in different lighting and playing with the settings. Pick up some settings people use on AVSForum and try those at different stores. I always recommend people seek out alternative hi-fi stores from Best Buy, CC, etc. When you get into specialty shops, you can see what it looks like with normal lighting, play with the settings, take in additional gear, etc. In my brother's case, it simply came down to the panel and what he was seeing picture wise, not necessarily color wise. He's going to get it calibrated after he hits 200-300 hours.

But, back to the original topic. I think selling the Kuro tech will bring costs down as more manufacturers use it. Pioneer had no choice with pricing after all they've dumped in R&D and the limited line/products using it. Most other manufacturers will wholesale different parts which helps bring the price down (that LG plasma may very well have a panasonic panel inside, etc.). Pioneer was not doing this and it was hurting their bottom line. This isn't the end of Pioneer's financial problems, but it's a part. Now you've have multiple other dev teams working to make it cheaper. There will be good attempts and bad attempts, and pricing hopefully that reflects it.

 

[milohimself]

I can't see the technology going widespread. More likely to one company who will use it to create another line of premium TV's, although not quite as high-priced as Pioneers. Speculation seems to be Panasonic, who would put the plasma market on lockdown with such a move IMO.

 

[rwemyss]

1. Manufacturers produce TV's preset to look the best in the showroom, not in your living room.

That's not true. It is you d-bags at Best Buy that configure the TV in such a way that they don't look realistic to a living room setting. Turning the brightness way up and all that jazz.

 

[SmokeyVol]

hmy:

 

[milohimself]

That's not true. It is you d-bags at Best Buy that configure the TV in such a way that they don't look realistic to a living room setting. Turning the brightness way up and all that jazz.

LOL I had a customer tell me that once.