Next Generation KURO Information

Plasma increased its black-level edge over LCD this week as Pioneer showed off the latest generation of Kuro products. Also announced at the New York press event were Pioneer's first front-projector, two new Blu-ray players, and four new receivers.

(May 9, 2008; Home Theater Magazine) Pioneer didn't go into detail about the technical specifics, instead settling for a dramatic juxtaposition. Set up in a demo room were six screens: the new Kuro, the old Kuro, other plasmas by Samsung and Panasonic, and LCDs by Samsung and Sony. No doubt the other manufacturers, if asked, might have some pertinent questions about the way their competitor calibrated the sets. But the new Kuro clearly showed the deepest black, followed by the old Kuro, the other plasmas, and the LCDs. Color fidelity and resolution were great though I wouldn't say the other entrants were slouches in those departments. I took some screen shots but my digital camera didn't distinguish between numerous shades of grey-black as well as my eyes, so the pics will have to stay imprisoned on the SD card.

These 3.7-inch-thick models will presumably be the last generation of Pioneer Kuro plasmas to use Pioneer-made panels. In the future Panasonic will provide panels which Pioneer will assemble with its own circuitry and other proprietary technologies. One of the latter is a new method of upsampling color information from a Blu-ray disc. Panasonic showed something similar yesterday, but each version is unique to the manufacturer. An IP link will allow installers to troubleshoot sets remotely.

Elite models include two tuner-equipped HDTVs and two tuner-less monitors. The HDTVs are the 60-inch PRO-151FD ($6500, June) and 50-inch PRO-111FD ($5000, June). The monitors are the 60-inch PRO-141FD (price n/a, August) and the 50-inch PRO-101FD (price n/a, October). Non-Elite models include the 60-inch PDP-6020FD ($5500) and 50-inch PDP-5020FD ($4000), both shipping in June. All are 1080p.

With a tip of the hat to the custom-install industry, Pioneer introduced its first projector. The press release describes it as LCoS-based. When asked, the Pioneer people said it uses a D-ILA chip. The Elite Kuro projector will ship in June for $9000.

Pioneer's new Blu-ray players are the Elite BDP-05FD and non-Elite BDP-51FD. Thanks to a new chipset partner, loading time has been reduced to as little as 10 seconds depending on the title. The interactivity profile is 1.1, not 2.0, so these new players are not BD Live capable, though a BD Live model will follow in the fall. The Elite model includes gold-plated jacks and an aluminum front panel with "capacitance touch key buttons." It also has a "precision quartz lock system" that reduces CD-playback jitter and helps sync audio data from Blu-ray when used with the Elite SC-05 or SC-07 receivers. Prices are $799 for the BDP-05FD and $599 for the BDP-51FD, shipping in summer.

Two of four new Elite surround receivers use the same ICEpower digital amps that animate the top-line SC-09. And all will handle Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD, and other new surround codecs via HDMI 1.3. The SC-07 will sell for $2200 and the SC-05 for $1800, with both available in August. The more conventional VSX-03THX and VSX-01THX will be available in June for $1000 and $750.

Pioneer's 2008 KURO models will be released throughout the year, claiming to provide black levels five times deeper than the 2007 KURO models

(May 7, 2008; infoSync World)Pioneer today introduced six new plasma HDTVs, two Blu-ray disc players and four new A/V receivers The new line of 2008 KURO plasma displays features black levels five times deeper than the 2007 KURO models. The philosophy behind Pioneer's Project KURO and the driving force is to be able to produce a pure black color and in turn reproduce an accurate color spectrum.

The 2008 KURO models include the 50-inch PDP-5020FD and the 60-inch PDP-6020FD, both measuring 3.7-inches thin and offering networked Home Media Gallery for playback of digital content from a PC or via USB. The new HDTVs also come with a new remote control and redesigned high-definition graphic user interface for seamless integration with other A/V equipment. Both models offer a 1080p resolution and should be available in June 2008. The 50-inch model will cost approximately $4000, while the 60-inch model will cost approximately $5500.

Pioneer also introduced the new Elite Signature Series of monitors, boasting hand selected and hand assembled parts to offer customers more unique and distinct options when buying plasma HDTVs. According to Pioneer, these models also exceed a stricter examination process than most plasma HDTVs in the industry. A 50-inch model (PRO-101FD) will be available in October 2008, while a 60-inch model (PRO-141FD) will be available in August. Both models offer 1080p resolution, but pricing has yet to be determined.

Pioneer is also introducing two Elite KURO HD flat panel televisions that is claimed to offer picture customization features that ensure better picture performance of films, sports and TV shows. Employing an enhanced "Optimum mode" feature, the new displays is claimed to seamlessly examine the sound, picture and room light conditions at the same time and adjust the audio and video settings by the slightest variation to deliver a better viewing experience based on each type of programming.

Designed for entertainment connoisseurs, the new televisions offer calibration features as well as allow users to switch between six picture and sound pre-set modes. The new televisions also sport Pioneer's Home Media Gallery functionality.

The 50-inch Pioneer KURO PRO-111FD and 60-inch Pioneer KURO PRO-151FD both offers 1080p resolution and should be available in June 2008 for $5000 and $6500, respectively.

Hollywood helps Pioneer launch 2008 Kuro HDTVs

(May 8, 2008, BetaNews) Pioneer's 2008 line of plasma HDTVs, monitors, Blu-ray drives, and projectors are billed as offering five times the level of black as the first generation of Project Kuro, which wowed audiences at CES 2008 just last January.

Despite the hard work of Hollywood film makers, movies show up on most flat panel high-definition displays "all washed out," said cinematographer Ousama Rawi, meanwhile making it clear he considers Pioneer's 2008 Project Kuro line-up -- rolled out at a press launch Wednesday night -- to be a shining exception.

"We want to paint a black canvas so that the colors will come alive," said Russ Johnston, senior VP of marketing and product development for Pioneer Electronics USA, speaking at the press conference in Manhattan.

Consequently, Pioneer has embarked on a quest for attaining "absolute black," Johnston told reporters. True, deep black produces pictures with greater contrast, finer detail, and deeper colors, according to Paul Neyhoeser, Pioneer's VP of display marketing and product development.

Slated for release later this year, Pioneer's 2008 generation of Kuro products are also accompanied by a feature called Optimum Mode, designed to monitor video and room light conditions and make automatic adjustments to produce the best possible image quality for a room.

In addition, the 2008 HDTVs provide a new user interface for HD integration; a redesigned remote control; and a networked "home media gallery" for playback of HD movies and other files over USB; and compatibility with Microsoft's PlaysForSure and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) home networking specifications.

In developing these new capabilities for Kuro, Pioneer is departing from tradition by working closely with Hollywood pros such as Rawi, whose credits as a cinematographer include the TV mini-series and Blu-ray disk set "The Tudors."

Rawi told journalists at the press conference that cinematographers are frustrated by how their work comes across on most plasma and LCD flat panel displays.

After testing eight different flat panel displays, including one display in the Kuro line-up, Rawi gives high marks only to the Pioneer model. The cinematographer indicated that high contrast displays are particularly important for viewing scenes shot under lighting conditions with a lot of contrast.

In "The Tudors," for instance, the nighttime scenes used only candlelight against the dark, since electricity didn't even exist back in the seventeenth century, when the movie is set.

Suggesting the need for an automatic adjustment feature such as Pioneer's new Optimum Mode, Rawi also noted that employees in consumer electronics stores aren't necessarily well versed on how to handle the complicated settings on most HD equipment.

In an interview with BetaNews during the event, Neyhoeser said that Pioneer has consistently targeted a high level of technical innovation, starting with audio speakers and car stereo systems several decades ago.

Neyhoeser told BetaNews that, for the future, Pioneer is working on plasma screens in larger form factors than the 50- and 60-inch 1080p models in the 2008 line-up. "And, of course, we'll continue to strive for 'absolute black,'" he added.