Pioneer KURO PDP-5020FD 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV | 
| Brand: Pioneer
List Price: $3,999.99
Buy New: $2,497.66
You Save: $1502.33 (38%)
New (7)
Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 2322
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Display Size: 50
Shipping Weight (lbs): 86
Dimensions (in): 48.5 x 3.7 x 34.2
MPN: PDP-5020FD
Model: PDP-5020FD
UPC: 012562887098
EAN: 0012562887098
ASIN: B001AAPEDC
Release Date: June 12, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Features:
| • | High Definition 1080p Resolution (1920 x 1080p) | | • | 50-Inch Diagonal Class / 16:9 Widescreen Aspect Ratio | | • | New Deeper Intense Blacks for Unmatched Contrast (5x the Previous Generation) | | • | New Thinner Cosmetic Design | | • | 4 Independent HDMI 1.3 Inputs |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Prepare yourself for the next generation of Pioneer KURO with the high-definition 1080p PDP-5020FD. Open your eyes to a world where black levels are beyond what was thought possible and are so deep, they disappear into an infinite abyss. Where breathtaking detail, added dimension and vibrant color will change the way you see, hear and feel the world forever.Discover for yourself what happens when sight and sound come together in the most extraordinary, beautiful and amazing way of ways in the Pioneer KURO PDP-5020FD.With an optimum Mode, the KURO lets you enjoy entertainment as it was meant to be. No need to toggle through or change settings for each type of programming. Built-in intelligence seamlessly monitors content and room light, and then automatically adjusts both audio and video settings for an immaculate picture and pristine sound. Together they become something remarkable and unlike any other experience. Sports come alive, news casts are crisp and clear and movies take on a life all their own.The KURO features a totally redesigned GUI (graphical user interface) for ease of navigation. A universe of advanced picture-in-picture settings and game control preferences ensures your experience is unique and tailored to your specific tastes. Improved video processing for both standard and high-definition content surpasses Pioneer's highest standards and provides you with the best viewing experience possible today. But there's more to this world than meets the eye. It sounds different too - thanks to a fully integrated digital amplifier and detachable bottom speaker, improved audio and clarity have become the norm.Set your sights on the Pioneer KURO PDP-5020FD and experience a world unlike anything that has ever existed before.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 Pioneer 5020 is the best!!! July 3, 2008
M. Kang (Los Angeles, CA)
38 out of 39 found this review helpful
Just got my 5020 last week and this is the best TV that I have seen. I did a lot of research at high end stores and the side by side comparisons with the older 5010 model vs. any other tv (lcd or plasma) wasn't even close. I was looking at the newest Samsung plasmas and LCD's (Toc) but the black levels on the Pioneer really made a big difference. I even asked my 10 year old son to pick the tv with the best picture and he chose the Pioneer. I really wanted to buy the Samsung LCD (Toc) but couldn't get myself to do it knowing the Pioneer's picture was better. I think I would have regretted it later.
The 5020 is thinner than the 5010 and has the newest HDMI 1.3a inputs. I hooked this TV to a brand new Onkyo 606 which is HDMI 1.3a compliant, Time Warner DVR, and a PS3. All I needed was 3 HDMI cables for the entire system.
This TV has the best black levels i have seen which makes the colors really pop and gives more depth to the picture. The TV makes the high def content more 3 dimensional. At this price, you can't go wrong with this plasma. In addition, this will be the last year that Pioneer makes their own screens.
My first HDTV, no regrets July 26, 2008
JC (new york, ny)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
I have been researching HDTVs for what seems like forever, until this month when I finally pulled the trigger. You cannot go wrong with this TV. This is my first HDTV, but I consider myself fairly tech savvy and somewhat of an audiophile. That said I don't have any history with HDTVs so can't compare this TV with anything I've owned in the past, but rather friends' TVs or in store comparisons.
The negatives on this TV are as some may have already discovered; an inability to more finely calibrate this TV yourself, unlike the 5080 of last year or the Elites. That was kind of a downer given how much you pay for it. On the flip side, if you have it calibrated, I believe the professional can adjust these settings. Not 100% sure yet, but I may give that a shot at some point. Why would you want to adjust these settings at all from the way they come out of the box? Well, according to a few reviews, as well as the CNET review, Reds and Greens are not 100% accurate. This may be difficult to determine through the naked eye of most viewers. But I can say that Reds appear a little heavy to me. Greens look fairly accurate to me, but again according to CNET they were off a bit too. We are not talking about anything that is a deal breaker here by any stretch. Ask someone with an untrained eye and they'd probably wonder what the heck you're talking about. Anyway these are about the only negatives about this TV that I can find, if you consider them "negatives." Assuming you have it calibrated, then there are NO negatives to this TV.
Positives are many. Outstanding picture quality, and probably the best SD picture you can find or have ever found from an HDTV. Far better than what I've seen on any LCD thats for sure. DVDs scaled to fit this picture look almost HD. HDTV content is outstanding. You cannot find better black levels. The Panasonics have really improved their sets, but still the Pioneers are better, you can see the difference even if it is subtle.
Another thing to note, when I first got this TV, for the first week or so, I was worried that the picture was just a little dark. Plasma is definitely darker than LCD, and I thought hey, you can't have the best blacks and brightness all in one TV right? True, sort of. What you need to do after a break-in period (I have no idea whether break-in is even necesary on plasmas anymore, but some do) is set the TV to Movie Mode, then calibrate from there. Movie mode produces a brighter picture. I think most people are so accustomed to a super-bright set (read: LCDs) that produce very inaccurate pictures and tones that Movie mode might look dull to them at first. Your eyes will adjust, trust me. And you will slowly realize that once calibrated, the Pioneer produces a picture that is about as close to a movie theater screen as you can get.
Once in movie mode, use the following settings:
Contrast: 38
Brightness: -1
Color: -5
Tint: 0
Sharpness: -15
Pure Cinema
Film Mode: Advance
Text Optimization: Off
Power Save Mode: Off
Orbiter: Mode 1 (All screen size modes except Dot-by-Dot)
Mode 2 (Dot-by-Dot screen size mode ONLY)
Feel free to tweak from there as you feel necessary. But that is the so-called reference setting; I assume what a technician would set to produce the most accurate picture.
Once you're set in this, again, give it some time for your eyes to adjust to it, and you will see a truly outstanding real to life image. Film content is about as close to a move screen as you will get in my opinion.
Other cool features are 1)An optical output for audio 2.)Home networking feature to display Videos and Pictures from your PC right on your plasma. This works very well and is pretty intuitive. 3.) Great sound right out of the factory speaker. 4.)A very nice stand that is already attached.
I was recently in a Best Buy and looked at the new Panasonics, which are very good, side by side with the Pioneers. But I still think the Pioneer produces a better picture overall. I haven't seen a calibrated Panny, so not a perfectly fair assessment.
Hope this helps, good luck!
Incredible! July 11, 2008
F. V. Martin (Seattle)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I just plugged it in an hour ago - amazing. I'm upgrading from a 3-year-old 720p NEC 50" plasma. What a difference. My source is Dish HD via HDMI, and PS3. I bought it without even seeing one in person, and I was not disappointed. I haven't tweaked it one bit, just went through the different picture modes. I started with the Herbie Hancock special I had from DISH - black grand piano and white sheet music - the details in the black were as good as I've seen ever, (over 30 years as TV producer/director). The whites got a bit blown out in Dynamic Mode, but switching to Game mode looked incredible. I can't wait to fiddle with it tomorrow. Other impressions:
* No burn in that I can see - freezing on menu for a couple of minutes - nothing...
* Very minimal screen reflections
* With room light on - it truly is black when there is no picture on.
* In a blacked-out room you can see that it's on, (but I haven't tweaked it yet)
* I sat 4 feet away from BlueRay Ratatouille and thought about rearranging the furniture permanently - it's that nice. It looked like a theater screen - only cleaner...
Believe The Kuro Hype! The 5020 Is Amazing! July 25, 2008
C G (DC)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I just recently purchased the Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020 from Amazon and I couldn't have been happier. I ordered the TV on a Monday evening and I had the TV in my house on the Thursday of the same week. It was less than 72 hours from clicking the mouse to clicking the remote on the TV, which I find amazing. The TV was delivered by Eagle/CEVA and the delivery guys were very helpful in getting the TV into my 2nd floor bedroom.
I chose the 5020 Kuro after an exhaustive search of what TV would be the best for my room. I read many websites and AV forums and found the only thing people could agree on is that the Pioneer Kuro's have the best black levels out there period. Sure the Kuro is a little more expensive than sets from Panasonic or Samsung but over the life span of the TV the difference in price is minimal. So I say go with the best and don't look back.
You can't go wrong with a Pioneer 5020 July 13, 2008
Mostafa Alattar
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I could not be more satisfied with this television. Last year I bought a 42" Vizio LCD for gaming because it was the only 42" I could find under $1000. However, after upgrading my home theater audio with a new receiver/speakers and buying a PS3 to watch Blu-ray movies, I really discovered what a sour piece of hardware my screen was. When you've spent the cash for a new player and bought a bunch of your favorite movies in Blu-ray format, the last thing you want to see is unnatural looking skin tones, lack of detail in dark and bright scenes, and awful video processing and motion blur!
I got fed up and decided to do my homework this time and prepare to spend what it takes to get a true quality display. I read several critical reviews and message boards which directed my attention to the Kuro line of Pioneer plasmas. I finally got a chance to see one at a local A/V store and absolutely fell in love. They had SportsCenter on in HD, doing an interview with Coach K from Duke, and the black backdrop was so dark and the colors so perfect that it looked like he was sitting across the room talking to us. A friend was with me and his reaction was "Super Bowl at your place!"
No one can deny the black levels and contrast on this TV, and that's what makes watching it so great. If it's completely dark in the room, you can still tell that it's on, but when you've got a widescreen movie on and there are black bars on the top and bottom of the screen, you can barely make out where the screen stops and the bezel begins. Colors benefit from the depth and it creates a 3D image, and you don't miss anything because everything is so clear. This screen makes me want to watch all my Blu-rays over again because you really haven't watched high definition until you've watched it on a Pioneer.
For anyone who is feeling gun-shy, just pull the trigger and don't look back. You will surely be satisfied!!
|
|
|
