Why is there no Full HD 42" Pioneer Kuro?
Afternoon everyone
I'm really keen to purchase one of the latest generation of TVs because finally the picture quality appears to have caught up (and even overtaken) that of CRT's. It's impossible to ignore the excellent reviews of the Pioneer Kuro range.
What HiFi have already confirmed that the 50" Full HD Pioneer was better than the HD ready set, and yet there isn't a Full HD option available at 42" even though at this screen size there do appear to be tangible benefits of having the extra pixels available.
So, I'm in a bit of a dilemma - it seems as if there is still a big difference in quality between the Pioneers and the best of the rest, I want to get a screen which is as future proofed as possible (Full HD) and I don't have room for a 50" screen.
What is the answer? Should I just take the plunge now, or wait for this years crop of screen to see if the gap has been closed - will the 9th gen Pioneers have a full HD 42" screen (and will it be any good if they are changing production?)
Too many questions - hopefully someone will have some answers?
Many thanks
Steve
Thanks Andrew
42" must be right on the cusp of where you do gain real world benefits of Full HD then?
Is there really no disadvantage of a TV having to scale a HD image (1080p) to fit a HD ready panel rather than just displaying it at true matched pixel for pixel?
I know it's early in the year, but have any of this years screens that you've seen so far closed the gap between themselves and the Kuros?
Don't know why, but it just feels intuitively wrong to be spending quite so much money on a screen which isn't, on paper at least, the best spec. Just shows what I know eh?
Cheers
Steve
PS Having been an avid reader of What HiFi for years, I just want to say that these forums are incredibly useful for getting access to the expertise of the review teams.
I am in the exact same predicament!
After doing my research was all ready to go and purchase the 42" Kuro - but still feel a little unsure.
Now I am thinking of waiting for the new Panasonic 42" Plasmas Z80/85/800 due to launch in the next couple of months. They are FullHD and seem better value for money.
Maybe I just need to get the sales guy to put the 2 TVs next to each other on a Full HD source and let me eyes judge!!!
Bil
Strictly personal opinion, but no. And I reckon you need to be looking at a 50in screen at least to see real benefits from full HD - the rest is driven by the current specification fetish.
Hi,
I have had a 428 Kuro for a couple of weeks and like you spent a considerable time debating what was the best set to buy. I looked at LCD full HD and also the panny plasma 42 full HD before settling on the pioneer. In my opinion I have made the right choice, SD pictures are excellent, HD are superb and I can only imagine what 1080p will look like. Get a 428, you will not regret it
from personal viewing experience i would say the pioneer handles a 1080P signal than most TVs of its size
Hi,
I have had a 428 Kuro for a couple of weeks and like you spent a considerable time debating what was the best set to buy. I looked at LCD full HD and also the panny plasma 42 full HD before settling on the pioneer. In my opinion I have made the right choice, SD pictures are excellent, HD are superb and I can only imagine what 1080p will look like. Get a 428, you will not regret it
How far from the tv is your viewing position? I only have a restricted 8ft from the set and was wondering how acceptable SD and HD source material is at that close distance. Also, being this close distance and a 42" I thought you would be able to tell the difference between HD and FullHD...
I sit eight feet from my tv. I measured it before I went shopping for a tv. In the end it came down to the Panny 42PZ70 or the Pio 4280XD. My test disc was Casino Royale on Blu Ray (it was the only one I owned at that point in time). From about 5 feet away I could see that the Panny was slightly sharper but it lost out to the Pio in every other way. From 8 feet away, I could not see any real difference in sharpness and settled on the the Pio. The colours and vividness of the image won me over. I should also mention that the guy in the shop let me play with the settings on the Panny but I couldn't get it to look as good as the Pio, which was left with it's shopfloor settings. Maybe my eyesight isn't as god as some people here, but from eight feet away, I don't think Full HD is necessary on a 42" set. Of course, it varies from person to person depending on what they use there tv for but in the three months that I have had the Pio it has left me in no doubt that I made the right choice.
I feel that whether Full HD is better than HD Ready depends on each individual screen. The 42in Pioneer is such an exceptional screen that it really doesn't matter that it doesn't have the Full HD resolution. And I agree with Andrew - so far, we've still not seen anything that can rival last year's Kuros.
I think FullHD makes a difference if your going to be playing hidef games (PS3 for example) because most people tend to sit closer to the screen then normal viewing.
Anyone have an idea when the 9th gen Pioneer Kuros expected in the shops? Will the be a fullHD 42" then?
1. Current 42in Pioneer Kuros aren't full HD as the Pioneer engineers reckon there's no advantage in Full HD in this screen size.
2. I tend to agree.
3. No firm info on whether or not the new 42in Kuros, if and when they are launched sometime this summer, will be Full HD.
4. Pioneer isn't changing production - ie not buying in panels for an outside supplier - for the 2008-2009 range. That will happen for the 2009-2010 range.
5. The current 42in Pioneer Kuro looks fab - you can buy it with confidence.
Consulting Editor, What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision/whathifi.com Audio Editor, Gramophone