Product Description Enter the next generation of Pioneer KURO, where a picture is worth more than a thousand words. Awake your senses and discover there is more to this television than meets the eye. Deeper black levels that pave the way to breathtaking detail, added dimension and more vibrant color are just the beginning. Optimum Mode automatically analyzes and adjusts audio and video settings according to specific room light conditions and type of light and color. Program content is also monitored and finely adjusted so movies, sports and news are all faithfully reproduced. Smooth Film mode eliminates motion jitter in 3:2 Pulldown (60Hz), providing natural even playback of film content. Detachable bottom speaker with fully integrated digital amplifier for pristine clarity and accuracy of sound 4 Independent HDMI 1.3 inputs with HDMI-CEC control and the ability to accept 1080p 24/60Hz signal Room Light Sensor for automatic picture adjustment Standard 3 - 2 (60Hz) and Advanced PureCinema with 3 - 3 Pulldown (72Hz) for accurate playback of film content Fully Integrated ATSC and NTSC Tuner with Clear QAM Supported Formats - Video - WMV9, MPEG1, MPEG2-PS, MPEG2-TS, MPEG4 (SP/ASP), and MPEG4 (H.264/AVC) Audio - WMA9, MP3, Linear PCM (WAV), HE-AAC, and MPEG-4 AAC Photos - JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and BMP 4 Independent HDMI 1.3 (1 side, 3 rear) with PC support, 2 with analog audio, 1 Component, 3x Composite, 1 S-Video Antenna, USB (Mass Storage Class), LAN (10/100 Base-T --Ethernet), and PC input Optical Digital Audio (Dolby Digital/PCM), Audio LR, Subwoofer, SR, and Headphone output Dimensions - Width 48-17/32 x Height 28-15/32 x Depth 3-21/32 / 48-17/32 x 31-5/8 x 3-21/32 with speaker Weight - 74 pounds 1 ounces / 86 pounds with speaker and stand
Pull the trigger and get the best.August 29, 2008 This a great set, forget the rest, this is what you want. I have owned the PDP-5020FD for almost 6 weeks now, and I am glad I did my research and pulled the trigger on the purchase when I did. I had been holding off on buying a flat panel / HD set for years as it seemed the prices kept falling and technology kept improving, at such a rate that every set I looked at was much cheaper and much better in less than a year. I simply couldn't justify a large outlay of cash for a TV that would be replaced in the market by a better and less expensive set in a matter of months. Nevertheless, I kept looking.
This year, the ninth generation (9G) Pioneers were released, on the 5020, the MSRP is a full $1000 LESS THAN LAST YEAR'S MODEL! And, while some of the picture fine tuning capability has been limited, unless you are a videophile, or have the visual accuity to discerne discrete differences in color hue / temperture, you will never miss it. In fact, the number of settings this set has is more than enough to create the perfect picture you want. That being said, the closest competition is probably the Panasonic 800 series, which was on my short list along with the Samsung 550/650 series, both of which have additional picture / color settings compared to the 9G Pioneerand are less expensive (MSRP).
But when it came down to looking at the images on the screen, the Pioneer was the hands down winner. It is not the brightest screen out there, but don't be fooled into thinking brighter equals better, it doesn't. It just means it is brighter. In some circumstances a very bright screen is what you need (example: a good sized room with light colored walls and lots of uncovered windows, in other words, a VERY bright room). This is not usually the case, but if it is, you may want to be looking at LCDs and not plasmas. The Pioneer's big selling point is the blackest blacks available. What this means to the viewer is vibrant colors, and more importantly, when that scene in your favorite movie is shot in a darkened room or night-shot, you will be able to see what is actually happening instead of just a dark mess. As an example, watch the night scenes from Batman Begins (especially on Blue-Ray) and be amazed at what you have been missing!
Another selling point for Pioneer is the conectivity of the set...4 HDMI, component and composite inputs, RF/coax, the list goes on. Also, the processer is top-notch. If you are like me and were waiting for the HD-DVD/Blue-Ray war to end before investing is a 1080p player, and were planning on using an upscaling DVD for now, don't bother. The 9G processor upscales SD DVDs to 1080 beautifully, so don't waste money on that upscaling player, just go for the Blue Ray player and keep using your old DVD player (you can connect them both), the set will do the upscaling for you!
Anyway, I was able to find a store that had all of my choices on display, I asked the salesperson to cover the names of the sets so I wouldn't be biased, and then had him show a variety of programming. One set was clearly superior to my eyes on all of the viewing, and while I secretly hoped it would be the Panasonic, it was the PIONEER!
Now, while everyone's opinions will vary as to what looks good to them, I think in an objective test, without regard for name or price, the answer to the question will be evident. As for the time to buy, with the economy in a hole, gas prices climbing and the dollar still losing ground to overseas manufacturers, the chances of seeing continued huge drops in prices for these sets are not very good, in my opinion. This is why I decided to buy now and not wait for another year.
Pioneer prices are higher than their compeitor's, but when you start crunching numbers, the difference is about $500. At that point, unless you are on a drop-dead budget, the price difference doesn't have to be justified, you ARE getting what you pay for. If you still are not certain, look into the "AVS Forum", there are LOTS of threads of discussion on the Pioneers as well as all other brands, with all kinds of advice and recommendations from owners, retailers and even some experts. Personally, I think the 5020 is fantastic, I have never been happier with a major purchase, no regrets at all, and even my wife is pleased that we spent the money.
I will refer you to all of the other posts regareding the picture quality, I agree with them in spades and really have nothing to add. Do ignore the negative comments in some of these reviews, they have nothing to do with the set or whether you should buy the 5020. As for Amazon, I am so happy with the price and service, I can't believe I even thought about buying elsewhere. You may find the set cheaper, but you may have to pay for shipping, and/or tax, and most likely they won't have free white glove delivery or a 30 day no-questions free-return / price guarantee!
If you have been on the fence about buying now or which set to buy, just do it now and get the Pioneer PDP-5020FD. You will not be sorry!
Superb televisionAugust 29, 2008 I didn't know much about televisions when I bought this on the recommendation of a friend who has one. As somebody who doesn't know much about televisions I can't tell you much about the color saturation, refresh rates, black levels, contrast, or indeed many other technical topics. I can tell you, though, that the TV is a joy to watch. Super-clear picture, great color (once you take it out of "dynamic" mode and put it into "movie" mode), and even switched off it's very attractive in a black minimalistic kind of way.
Amazon delivered early, a pleasant surprise. The delivery firm was helpful and careful, and did everything I'd hope for in terms of getting the thing out of the box and mounting it on the stand.
Two small disappointments, neither a big deal: 1. The remote is pretty lame. The one with this TV is altogether fully-featured but otherwise dull and unimaginative. No attention to ergonomics or usability whatsoever. I know, I know, just like most remotes... but I'm a TiVo user so have high standards. They could have done much better, but I guess it wasn't their focus. 2. No way to disable inputs. This TV has a huge number of inputs (which is great) but there's no way to tell it "hey, there's nothing on inputs 1,2, and 6". That means that when you cycle through them you have to go via all the ones you're not using as well as the ones you are. I have a Sony LCD where you can disable certain inputs in the settings; works much better.
All in all, though: very happy indeed with this thing.
Awesome pictureAugust 29, 2008 I was shopping for a bigscreen HDTV to watch olympics'08.The shortlist narrowed down to Sony bravia and Pioneer Kuro and i am glad i chose Kuro. The opening ceremony is unbelievably vivid and life like. On contrary to some reviews i have read, the picture is good even in daylight, i think from very efficient antiglare filter. I keep tapping myself on my shoulder every night when i watch the TV programs for making a smart choice. My only disappointment is lack of internet connectivity and retriction of media players to Windows media player only. Wireless connectivity to computer should be included in the next upgrade to this model. Having said that, This TV is for viewing pleasure of HDTV programs and does this job second to NONE. The only thing that could beat this TV's picture quality is perhaps a 3D picture!
Pioneer makes best Plasmas.August 24, 2008 I have been reading about flat panel TV's since they first hit the market. Yes, it takes me a few years to make a decision about a new product format. The entire Pioneer plasma product line has the best black level and signal processing compared with its competitors, two areas that not enough reviewers write about. These are the two main reasons that Pioneer stands out above the rest. The Elite line has a few more options, this year for the true videophile, more levels of picture adjustment. Pioneer tends to be at the top of the pricing scale as a base plasma TV and the additional picture adjustments were not worth the price premium to me. What I can tell you is regardless of the model, you won't be disappointed.
great tvAugust 24, 2008 this tv is amazing. no need to spend an extra 2g's for the elite model when this one is just as good to all but the most discerning viewer. right out of the box i was blown away by the picture quality. set up was a breeze. even the sound bar is pretty amazing.
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