Over the past 2 years, new flat-panel LCD TVs with 1080p resolution have turned up in stores regularly, causing plasma-TV enthusiasts like me to wonder: Where are all the 1080p plasmas? A number of such sets have been announced, but the one I've been waiting for is the Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 50-inch 1080p plasma monitor. This beauty lists at 10 grand — substantial coin for a 50-inch set lacking a built-in tuner. But it doesn't just have the highest pixel count yet available in a 50-inch plasma TV, said to be an achievement given the small size and proximity of the pixels. It also offers a handful of superb video enhancements, including 10-bit digital video processing, Pioneer's deep-encased pixel structure (to reduce light leakage between adjacent cells), and a crystal emissive layer (which improves contrast by allowing the phosphors to discharge light more efficiently).
The PRO-FHD1 has the same minimalist, gloss-black look as other gear in the Pioneer Elite line. A dark-tinted acrylic panel bordering the entire screen lends it a "floating" appearance and also helps boost perceived contrast by offsetting the picture. Pioneer tosses in a sturdy, well-balanced plastic table stand (the company's optional PWM-F110 wall mount will run you $199).
Other than the gold Pioneer and Elite logos, the TV's front is free of buttons and other visual distractions, but there's a complete set of controls on its side panel in case you misplace the remote. Input connections on the back include two HDMI jacks and a DVI port (all three accept up to 1080p-resolution HDTV signals), plus five bayonet-type connectors that let you plug in either component-video cables or an RGB source such as a computer. Each input also has a set of stereo RCA audio connectors, just in case you need them.
Full 1080p resolution aside, it was the remote control that really grabbed my attention. The thin yet substantial wand has an amazingly clean, uncluttered layout; it was so easy to find buttons that I didn't even mind that its keypad wasn't backlit. A navigation-control pad is dead center, alongside buttons to enter and exit menus. Six dedicated buttons at the top let you quickly switch sources, and adjacent are the important controls for toggling picture and display modes (aspect ratios).
The Pioneer provides an unusually long list of display modes, most of which work with both standard and high-def signals. Along with a handful of stretch and zoom options, they include 4:3, for watching standard-shape pictures with gray bars on the sides; Full, for widescreen 16:9 DVDs and HDTV; and Dot-by-Dot, a special mode that functions only with native 1080i- or 1080p HDTV signals and lets you bypass the TV's internal scaler. At first I didn't see much difference between it and Full, but test patterns revealed a slightly sharper, cleaner picture in Dot-by-Dot.
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The Short Form
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| pioneerelectronics.com / 800-421-1404 / $8,500 ($10,000 LIST) |
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Snapshot
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| The first 50-inch 1080p plasma to hit the streets ain't cheap, but its stunning picture quality sets a new standard. |
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Plus
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| •Ultra-crisp high-def picture •Vivid, natural color •Punchy contrast and excellent shadow detail •Loads of adjustments for picture tweaking •Sleek, minimalist looks and design |
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Minus
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| •Expensive •No built-in HDTV tuner |
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Key Features
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| •1,920 x 1,080 resolution plasma monitor •Accepts native 1080p signals via digital inputs •Multiscreen function for watching two programs side by side with original aspect ratios •Inputs: 2 HDMI, DVI, component-video/RGB+H/V, and composite-/S-video, all with analog stereo audio •Outputs: Stereo speaker output terminals |
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Test Bench
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| The Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1's Low color-temperature preset measured closest to the 6,500°K NTSC grayscale standard, although the resulting picture looked slightly greenish. After adjustments in the set's Manual color-temperature mode, grayscale tracking measured ± 150 degrees K from 30 to 100 IRE — excellent performance. There was no color decoder error on the HDMI or component-video inputs. Overscan — the picture area "hidden" behind the edges of the TV's screen — measured 3% for both the HDMI and component-video inputs in the Full display mode and 0% in the Dot-by-Dot mode. Both 1080i/p- and 720p-format test patterns showed excellent resolution via all high-def inputs, and there was no visible edge enhancement. — A.G. Full Lab Results |
With the PRO-FHD1, Pioneer has continued its tradition of offering a huge number of ways to tweak the picture. Along with a User mode that can be tailored for each video input, you can modify three of the set's five additional picture presets; the TV will store your changes. There are five color-temperature presets, from High (bluish whites) to Low (reddish whites), plus a manual adjustment that lets you alter the overall levels of red, green, and blue in the high and low (bright and dark) sections of the grayscale. Although the Low preset turned out to be close to the 6500°K grayscale standard, I used the manual adjustment to get it right on the money (see Test Bench for details).
Other useful tweaks include a three-step gamma adjustment; a color-management menu that lets you individually modify levels of red, green, blue, yellow, cyan, and magenta; and two types of noise reduction: DNR and MPEG NR, both of which I left on.
PICTURE QUALITY With a brand-new HD DVD player plugged into my system, I could barely wait to see how high-def movies looked on the Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1. Loading up Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, I jumped to a scene where Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey, Jr.) chats up his former high school crush (Michelle Monaghan) in a trendy L.A. bar. The first thing that struck me was the Pioneer's vivid color reproduction: Both the red lights lining the walls and a green wedge of lime illuminated by the bar's glowing white surface had remarkable intensity. Less lurid scenes showed that the set's handling of skin tones was completely natural. The Pioneer's shadow detail was also a solid notch above that of pretty much every other plasma I've tested. Even in the bar's thoroughly dim environment, faces had a sculpted, 3-D look, and I could clearly see the patterns and textures in the patrons' dark clothing.
You expect a very crisp high-def picture from a 1080p TV, and the Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 definitely delivered. Watching another scene from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, in which Harry discovers a corpse in his hotel bathroom, the fine crosshatch of the tiled wall looked completely solid and detailed, even in wide shots. And in almost every scene where Downey appears, it was easy to make out the coarse stubble and fine creases on the actor's weathered face.
Genre-hopping from neo-noir to neo-western, I tuned in Deadwood on HBO HD. As a regular viewer, I'm used to watching the show unfold in dim, grungy brothels and saloons. On the Pioneer, however, the same dark environments showed a much broader range of background details. Not only that, but the picture appeared subjectively brighter, while still retaining punchy contrast. On Deadwood, as well as other cable programs I watched on the TV — both standard and high-def — I was impressed at how smooth the picture looked and how well the video noise reduction features worked to clean things up. Even with NR pushed up high, the Pioneer's image still looked very crisp and detailed.
BOTTOM LINE From the standpoint of pure video performance, the Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 50-inch 1080p plasma monitor prowls at the top of the flat-panel TV food chain. It's the perfect companion for new HDTV sources like HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc. My only (minor) complaint is that its screen wasn't 15 inches larger, so I could soak in all that high-def detail from my usual couch-potato position!
Seriously, though: If you're going to drop 10 grand on Pioneer's PRO-FHD1, make sure you sit close enough to appreciate its gloriously detailed picture. Even if you don't, you'll still have the satisfaction of knowing that you've got the best plasma TV around.
Full Lab Results
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