Pioneer's PRO-FHD1 50-inch 1080p plasma

CES is turning into Attack of the 50-inch TVs.  Pioneer claims its new $10,000 PRO-FHD1 display, positioned as a companion to the company's Blu-ray player, has pixels 35% smaller than previous models.  It's so new we couldn't get any decent press photos, but we snapped this shot at their press conference.  Specs: 1920 x 1080 progressive, built-in upconversion and HDMI.  

[Ima Pseudonym @ Jan 4th 2006 7:27PM]

Not much of an achievement to brag about at a $10,000 price.



I'll bet I could find a pretty sweet big screen HDTV **AND** an excellent HDTV projector with screen for less than that...



Panasonic must be slacking. I expect more from them.

[Imma Strange R @ Jan 4th 2006 8:13PM]

Did you mean Pioneer? Panasonic is a whole 'nother company, last time I checked...

[Jay Johnson @ Jan 4th 2006 8:32PM]

Don't they have to make the pixels smaller to achieve the 1920 x 1080? So why is 35% smaller pixels such a big deal? They should be working on how to make the pixel boundary smaller so we don't get the screen door effect (SDE). The SDE is the only disadvantage of plasma compared to LCD, DLP, or Lcos.



I'm waiting to here about the SED from Toshiba. That technology is also 1920 x 1080 but it supposedly has faster response time and blacker blacks. If these advantages are true, why would anyone pay $10,000 for a plasma when they could get the Toshiba SED for the same price?

[Ima Pseudonym @ Jan 4th 2006 8:41PM]

DOH!!

[Jeff @ Jan 4th 2006 10:25PM]

"Don't they have to make the pixels smaller to achieve the 1920 x 1080?"



I noticed that oddity too, but my take was that they meant smaller than their earlier 1080p displays... which would make even less sense. "We made our pixels smaller, so now the screen door effect is even *more* pronounced!"



But I'm sure you're right; they're just trying to invent some statistic that sounds impressive when it's really just a total byproduct of making a 1080p display vs. a 720p display.

[John @ Jan 5th 2006 9:12AM]

Do we know for sure that this overpriced TV will actually recieve a 1080p input?

[Bob G @ Jan 5th 2006 8:19PM]

Well...if you make the pixels smaller and cram in another million pixels, than it is a nice resoluiton step up without the screen door effect. Example: all HD plasmas except a few ALIS plasmas (1024x1024) display 1366 x 768. the bigger the plasma, the more SDE usually (65 inch Plasma upclose anyone?), even at 50 inches. Make the pixels smaller and cram in another 1+ million pixels and viola!!

[John @ Jan 6th 2006 9:23AM]

I wonder how this compares with the Panasonic announced linup here: http://www.i4u.com/article4077.html



It suggests a 65" model at $9,000. The Panasonic TH-50PX50 should be much less.

[John @ Jan 6th 2006 10:38AM]

Ooops, old link, disregard above.

[John @ Jan 6th 2006 10:39AM]

Ooops, old link, disregard above. Not sure that 50" model is 1080p anyway.

[mike jacobi @ Jan 6th 2006 12:58PM]

panasonic's th50px50u and the th50px500u are not 1080p. there were no 1080p plasma's available until this elite model from pioneer. the only 1080p tv's available are DLP and sony's SXRD projection tv's and front projectors.

[Donald @ Jan 6th 2006 2:22PM]

I just bought a PRO-1410 61" for $6600. Who needs this at that price?

[Ian @ Jan 7th 2006 12:56AM]

" just bought a PRO-1410 61" for $6600. Who needs this at that price?"



People who want 1080p.... lol



Your screen is very nice no doubt and congradulations because you got one HELL of a price... but you might be disappointed in a few months when rear projectors at half that price are displaying 1080p....



Your screen is retailing for 10,000 in most stores... so if you think about it.. pioneer is actually putting out a decent price for this screen as a direct replacement for a major upgrade with 1080p and BUILT IN UPCONVERSION...



This is the first plasma with 1920x1080 that i have heard of so far... Robert Heron mentioned it briefly i think on the last dl.tv...