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Pioneer's limited edition white / beige KURO plasmas now available
Remember that pair of vivid KUROs we got wind of around a month ago? You know, that limited run set that would only be available to deep-pocketed souls in Europe? Yeah, well we've finally got an official release from Pioneer confirming their existence, not to mention a plethora of drool-worthy images. Both the beige KRP-500ABG and the white KRP-500AW are on sale across the pond for €4,499 ($5,741) apiece, though you'd better hurry -- with an economy like this, the affluent are apt to have these snapped up in no time flat just to rub it in the layman's face.[Via Marcush]%Gallery-37843%
Pioneer rechristens Black Friday "KURO Friday," won't lower prices
Talk about a marketing catastrophe. Apparently no one told Pioneer's promotional firm what Black Friday is (hint: it's a day for unprecedented price cuts to get consumers to camp out in the cold for a deeply discounted blender), as it has inexplicably decided to re-coin the holiday "KURO Friday." Why do such a thing? To quote Pioneer, it's to "celebrate the creative visionaries" who helped bring KURO to life. In other words, KURO Friday is not being established to announce sweet, sweet price drops on all KURO wares. Two thumbs way down, Pioneer.
Pioneer CEO expects its flat-panel sales to prevail through economic downturn
While some boutique outfits are finding it hard to stay afloat during these cash-strapped times, many are faring just fine. At first glance, it's easy to say that Pioneer is certainly not one of those outfits with nothing to fret over, but according to Masao Kawabata, chairman and CEO of Pioneer North America, things aren't nearly as bad as they seem. In a recent interview, he explained that while he was saddened about the recent events surrounding Tweeter and Circuit City, he still felt that "strong relationships with independent channels" would spur sales. In fact, he noted that "premium products [read: Pioneer products] are not subject to too much of the ups and downs of the economy, and for those who can [afford] the very best they will go and shop for the very best." Make no mistake -- KURO flat-panels and Elite Blu-ray players aren't the cheapest on the block, but we're still hesitant to say they're recession proof.
Pioneer opens second US retail store in Phoenix, Arizona
For those ensconced in the Arizona desert and looking for a new KURO, you're in luck. Pioneer has just swung the doors open on its second US retail store, a 3,200 square-foot facility situated in the Northeast Valley of Phoenix, Arizona. The outfit opened its first US store in Orange County, California in August of 2006, and both stores will be responsible for selling a wide variety of Pioneer gear, most notably KURO flat-panels, Blu-ray decks and speakers / headphones typically reserved for the Japanese market. Now, if it manages to notch anything close to an impressive amount of sales (without vast, deep discounts) in this economy, you can color us floored.
Pioneer's 37-inch KRL-37V KURO LCD reviewed: other LCDs should be scared
Anyone remotely familiar with the KURO brand knows that with it comes the expectation of awesomeness (and a large price tag), and the question on everyone's mind has been: will the KURO LCD line live up to the name? According to TrustedReview's critique of the 37-inch KRL-37V, the answer is a resounding "yes." The reviewers put together five long-winded pages detailing the ins and outs of this here set, but in general, they found that it produced better pictures than most other LCDs on the market today, and that's saying something. Sure, it wasn't without its flaws -- there were occurrences where odd color tones popped up in SD footage, black levels weren't astonishing and the viewing angles weren't the greatest -- but the colors in HD were simply terrific. 'Tis a shame we North Americans will have to wait until sometime next year before we can even have a look for ourselves, but those in Europe may want to give this one some serious attention.[Via HDTV Lounge]
Pioneer's 32-inch KRL-32V KURO LCD HDTV gets unboxed
Peeks and glimpses are alright, but we all know those are just the crumbs leading up to the feast. CNET's UK branch was able to grab hold of what appears to be a retail Pioneer KRL-32V KURO LCD, and of course, they paused every few seconds during the presumably mayhem-filled unboxing process in order to snap a few photos and let us all in on the fun. Early impressions were overly positive, with the lucky unboxers noting that Freeview picture quality was "impressive," and that this here set proves that Pioneer definitely "has something to bring to the LCD party." Hit the read link to get yourself all kinds of jealous on the inside.[Thanks, John]
Pioneer releases colored bezel Kuros to Europe
This must be the new trend in TVs -- Pioneer has released its own colored bezel Kuro models in Europe, but rather than make the tint an option, it's been elevated to "feature" level through limited production runs. Only 1,000 lucky folks will bring home the Beige Grisé KRP-500ABG, while the membership roll for the White KRP-500AW will be less exclusive at 1,500. Don't be alarmed, the "Kuro" name only applies to the image, not the set itself -- as Pioneer demonstrated earlier this year with its Shiro Kuro set. Other than the bezel, these are looking identical to their "any color, as long as it's black" brethren, including the media receivers tethered by a single cable. If this trend continues, we'll soon see a new cottage industry based on retrofit colored-bezels.
Ask Engadget HD: What's the best plasma to pick up?
With plasma sets apparently gaining back some of that ground it has been losing to LCD for, like, ever now, this question from Raul seemed like the perfect fit for this week's edition of Ask Engadget HD. "I've got my heart set on getting a new plasma on Black Friday or as the holiday sales get going, but I'm running into too many options that I think will work. Obviously, I want deep blacks and the ability to hang it on my wall, but I'm trying to keep the cost down. Are these Vizio PDPs even worth looking at? Is the KURO really the end-all answer? Help!" Surely more than a few of you out there have plasmas -- KURO or otherwise -- and are willing to throw this guy a bone. No size was mentioned, but we're guessing he's looking in the 42- to 50-inch range. Have at it in comments below!Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.
Pioneer KURO LCD pics from CEATEC emerge
In case CNET's pics of the upcoming Pioneer KURO LCDs weren't enough to get your wild speculation going, and you can't get over to Germany to pick one up for yourself, some more photos of the KRL-32V, 37V and 46V sets have emerged from the CEATEC show. Getting good photos from the tradeshow floor is tough, but these pics (especially the ones against a black backdrop) look promising in terms of black level, at least. The linked post hints that the LCDs may not have quite measured up to the namesake plasmas, so remember what we said about show floor pics. Still, even if Pioneer is sourcing the panels from Sharp, we're encouraged by the focus on image quality over slim profiles. Hit the link for more eye-candy and let us know what you think.
Pioneer to launch LCD HDTVs in North America next year
On the whole, we'd say KURO plasma owners are pretty stoked about their sets. Those who'd prefer a KURO-branded LCD, however, have been waiting anxiously to hear something more from ole Pioneer for months. Thankfully, the firm has finally spoken, and while it doesn't mention any brand / model names specifically, we can assume that those LCD HDTVs we saw emerge in Europe will be gracing US shores in mere months. During the first half of 2009, Pioneer LCD HDTVs will be loosed in North America and Asia, and unless plans change, the panels within will actually be supplied by Sharp. Might we be on the lookout for a sneak peek at CES '09?
Pioneer's KRP-500A and KRP-600A plasmas pose for the cameras
Pioneer got official with its 50-inch KRP-500A and 60-inch KRP-600A over in Europe earlier this summer, and just as each set got set to ship, the firm felt it necessary to bring 'em to Japan. Best of all, AkihabaraNews was able to see just how deep those blacks really were at a recent press event, and it was kind enough to host up a plethora of photographs for us common folk to gaze at. If we just rang your bell, pop down into the links below for specs and images galore.Read - Camera flash, capture Pioneer's new plasmasRead - Formal introduction in Japan
Pioneer's Kuro PDP-6020FD plasma gets reviewed
Home Theater magazine got its hands on Pioneer's 60-inch KURO PDP-6020FD plasma, and surprise, surprise -- it's the set to beat for now. By now, KURO black levels and contrast are so well established that not much ink needs to be spilled over them, except to say that the ninth generation 6020FD bested the reigning champ Elite PRO-150FD, but the review does a good job of finding nits to pick. Most notably, infinitely tweakable parameters like color temperature and sharpening are missing; we're guessing these are design choices made to leave room for the Pioneer Elite models. We have to wonder, though, how many high-end plasma shoppers (at $5500, are there any other kind?) will be willing to give up full calibration capability.
Pioneer Signature Series 50- and 60-inch plasmas now shipping
Pioneer's top of the line Elite Signature Series Kuro plasmas are finally officially priced and shipping, but make a decision quick, word on the street is these "limited run" screens have been finding their way into more than a few installers pipelines over the last few weeks. At 2.5-inches thick, these panels -- hand selected for the deepest blacks and accurate colors --- will fit anywhere you'd like to have them installed, and each unique serial number gives access to a Pioneer website for that specific monitor's certified factory white balance setting. A slew of tweaks and calibrations for your guy to run through when he's putting this in are also part of the package, ultimately contributing to a $5,500 (PRO-101FD, 50-inch) or $7,000 (PRO-141FD, 60-inch) price tag. Pros only, please.
Pioneer goes crazy with 16 new speaker models, KURO brand push
Lookee here, our first sight at what Pioneer's bringing to CEDIA. For the audio crowd, it's unveiling a mind-boggling 16 new speaker models including four floorstanding subwoofers. The new line of "dynamic architectural loudspeakers (pictured after the jump) come in three different performance levels – Elite EX Series, Pioneer CST and plain ole Pioneer. As you can likely imagine, we don't have the luxury of space here to cover the sweet sixteen, but everything is laid out nicely in the link below. In somewhat related news, the outfit has also announced a new KURO brand campaign that "embodies transformation." We'll spare you the marketing hoopla, but there's a nice link down there should you want to dive in.Read - 16 new speaker modelsRead - New KURO campaign
Philips LCDs better than Kuro plasmas...at least according to Philips
Philips marketing exec Danny Tack is pulling no punches at IFA, proclaiming the company's new LCDs are better than the vaunted Pioneer Kuro plasmas. Measuring -- by his own estimation -- on par with the 9th-gen Pioneer plasmas on black levels, and better brightness, natural motion and motion sharpness, he's ready to call LED-backlit LCDs and OLED HDTVs the long term winners, with plasma relegated to only the biggest screens. The read link points to his comments in full, but most importantly, do you have a side, or are you waiting to get eyes-on the new Essence and FlatTV models first?
Pioneer's 37-inch KRL-37V KURO LCD HDTV on sale in German shop
Not that we weren't expecting Pioneer's much-anticipated KURO LCD to emerge in Europe sometime this month, but early August sure beats 11:59PM on August 31st. Due to obvious language barriers, it's a bit hard to tell where exactly this 37-inch KRL-37V is in Germany, but it's obvious that it's for sale. Initial reports suggest that image quality rivals that of a KURO plasma, but with more reflections. Yeah, we can buy that. More images where this one came from are down there -- do tell when one pops up on US soil, alright?[Via HDTV-Space]
Pioneer's KURO PDP-5020FD plasma reviewed, not as flawless as previously assumed
Now that you've seen what the Pro-111FD can do, how's about a closer look at the PDP-5020FD? A member of Pioneer's second-generation KURO plasma family, this display was held in high regards from day one, although a recent CNET review explains that may it have received a bit too much credit. Yeah, it did produce the deepest blacks reviewers had ever seen on a big-screen display, and color decoding was also pleasantly accurate. The port selection was praised alongside the gorgeous anti-reflective screen, but surprisingly, not all was well. For starters, Pioneer is charging a small fortune for this thing, thus every flaw is understandably magnified. Critics found that primary colors were "inaccurate," and they seemed to lament the omission of advanced picture controls. In the end, the unit still received an "Excellent" badge, but it's hard to say this one is totally worthy of the sky-high price tag.[Thanks, Matthew]
Pioneer's 32- / 37-inch KURO LCD HDTVs get hands-on treatment
Just under a month ago, Pioneer finally came clean with its KURO LCD rollout in Europe. Now, we're being treated to the first hands-on pictures of the 32- and 37-inch models, both of which are set to hit shelves next month. We'll let the photos do the talking from here. (Psst... they're in the read link.)[Thanks, Chris]
The HD Guru puts Pioneer's Pro-111FD plasma to the test
You've got to respect the effort that Gary Merson, a.k.a. the HD Guru, puts into his TV reviews. Thorough and technically savvy, he relentlessly exposes the weaknesses of displays passing through his lab. His latest review is a showdown between two 50-inch plasmas vying for the top, the new Pioneer Pro-111FD and the Panasonic TH-50PZ850U. We've long heard about these 9th generation Pioneer plasmas, the last to come off of Pioneer production lines, so our eyes perked up at the comparison. We won't spoil the outcome of the "two plasmas enter, one plasma leaves" showdown (and that pesky $1500 price difference between the two units is significant), but we will say that the Pioneer lived up to the Kuro name by displaying blacks too dark for the Guru to reliably measure with his test gear. Oh, and the 10th generation promises to be darker still.
Pioneer's 60-inch KURO PDP-LX6090 plasma gets unboxed
Just in case you didn't get a close enough look at Pioneer's next-gen KUROs earlier this year, the folks over at CNET UK managed to bring home a 60-inch PDP-LX6090 and snap a few pics. As expected, onlookers were thoroughly wowed after ripping it from the box and firing it up, with a tag line dubbing it "big, black and beautiful." See what they mean in the read link below.[Thanks, John]
