Pioneer KURO PDP-5020FD — Get It Before It’s Gone
Posted by hdtv buying guide on July 17, 2009 under HDTV Buyer Guides, Pioneer, Plasma HDTV | 
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In the early days of high-definition plasma, Pioneer quickly emerged as the the market leader. It had the technology, the resources and the marketing power to cement its place at the head of the table.
Fast-forward a few years, though, and Pioneer is on the verge of leaving the plasma-screen industry. For the past couple of years, the company has partnered with Panasonic on its flat panels.
But when the 2009 model-year ends, the company will cease production of plasma-screen televisions.
Before the doors close, it’s a good time to get a hold of an excellent television. The Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD is a 50-inch, 1080p resolution television that originally retailed for $3,499. It can be purchased directly from Pioneer for $2,399, though supplies are limited.
For that price, it’s an outstanding choice. It includes Pioneer’s Optimum Mode, which adjusts the picture’s brightness and color settings based upon the light in the room.
If the room is bright, the screen cranks up the brightness to compensate. In a dim room, the screen darkens so as not to overpower the viewer. It’s all automatic — there’s no fiddling with picture settings required.
Pioneer has long claimed its black levels are deeper than any others, and customer reviews seem to back that up. Reviews on CNet and Amazon universally praise the PDP-5020FD’s picture and color quality.
But if you’re the type who likes to fine-tune the color settings, you’ll need to find the Kuro Elite model. Those on the PDP-5020FD are fairly well locked down and uncustomizable. There have been some consumer reviews that allude to electronics technicians being able to adjust the settings, but that’s well beyond the reach of the average viewer.
As with many other high-end televisions, the PDP-5020FD has internet connectivity to enable wireless content streaming from a networked computer. You’ll need an add-on to share content wireless, though. Additional inputs include PC, USB (for flash drives, cameras and camcorders) and composite video.
If you can find one, it’s hard to go wrong with Pioneer’s plasma-screen offerings. A few years ago, it was the plasma screen to have. Should supplies run out soon, you’ll still probably be OK with a competitor’s model. Panasonic’s offerings mirror those available from Pioneer.
But it just won’t have the cache of Pioneer plasma.
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