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Kuro posts

Another look at Nintendo's kuro Wii, jet black Classic Controller Pro

by Darren Murph posted Jun 5th 2009 at 10:27AM

We know, it's just another angle -- and one that we're not quite sure the origin of -- but considering just how many years we've been waiting for the Wii to be anything other than glossy white, we'll take every opportunity we can to relish this moment. Hop on past the break for a more official look at the jet black controllers. Hey Nintendo, you do realize that North Americans love new hues too, right? Cool, just checking.

[Thanks, Craig]

Read - Kuro Wii
Read - Black controllers

Continue reading Another look at Nintendo's kuro Wii, jet black Classic Controller Pro

Black Nintendo Wii, red DSi this summer

by Thomas Ricker posted Jun 4th 2009 at 3:34AM

It's not Colorware, the black Wii and red DSi are coming straight out of Nintendo Japan. The black Wii (or "KURO Wii" to be precise) is particularly interesting as it's been rumored for over two years now. Ok, it's not that interesting but it sure is edgy... right? Oh nevermind. Expect the ¥25,000 black Wii with like-colored Wiimote, nunchuck, and classic controller to hit Japan on August 1st and the ¥18,900 red DSi on July 11th. Red DSi after the break.

[Via Joystiq]

Continue reading Black Nintendo Wii, red DSi this summer

Plasma market getting smaller and higher-end, but it's still alive

by Nilay Patel posted May 13th 2009 at 2:07PM

Pioneer's decision to axe the Kuro earlier this year set off a wave of gloomy predictions about the future of plasma, but we've never really bought into it -- and it sounds like the product planners at LG, Samsung, and Panasonic haven't either. HD Guru asked reps from each company for their thoughts on the state of the plasma market, and the responses were pretty similar across the board: plasma remains the connoisseur's choice overall, and it still makes up just about half of 50-inch and bigger sales. Of course, that means that plasma's niche is shrinking and moving higher-end while LCDs more or less take over the rest of HDTV market, but until something like OLED develops into a true competitor we think plasma's around for a while. Check out the full company responses at the read link.

Pioneer outlines KURO plasma exit, insinuates that you should buy one now

by Darren Murph posted Mar 24th 2009 at 3:02PM

Okay, so maybe that harshly translated version of Pioneer's recent KURO-related press release doesn't actually encourage prospective buyers to snag a unit while they still can, but it may as well have. Following up on the outfit's curious decision to abandon a product line that was universally adored, Pioneer has decided that just four of its PDPs will stay in production until April 11th. After 3,000 or so of the KRP-500A, KRP-500M, KRP-600A and KRP-600M units have been produced, the lines will be shut down and we'll all be invited to what will undoubtedly be a tear-filled memorial service. The company has also made clear that warranty service will still be provided for an undisclosed amount of time (at least in Japan), but there has yet to be a statement made specifically regarding the North American market.

[Via Slashgear]

Pioneer officially leaving the TV biz by March 2010, focusing on audio

by Richard Lawler posted Feb 12th 2009 at 3:31AM

Bad news Kuro fans, the rumors were true and Pioneer is leaving the TV manufacturing business. On the upside, the restructuring deadline is March 2010, so a predicted net 130 billion yen ($1.44 billion) loss shouldn't be enough to get between you and the plasma HDTV of your dreams. The company's U.S. and U.K. plants are shutting down by April and February of this year, respectively, and product development for TVs beyond what's currently on the market is ending, seeing no prospects for improving profitability even after combining plasma efforts with Panasonic and LCDs with Sharp. Overall, there will be 10,000 fewer full time and temporary Pioneer employees than there were at the end of last year, while pay and bonuses for execs have been cut. The future for Pioneer? Mostly car audio, including in-car Blu-ray players and networked electronics, while its home electronics business focus on audio, DJ equipment and cable TV boxes, with a focus on using its expertise in improving sound. All other ugly details are contained in the press release, mourning the passing of another plasma supplier is in the comments.

[Via Bloomberg and AV Watch, thanks Carl H.]

Pioneer reportedly ending TV production, spinning off DVD business

by Richard Lawler posted Feb 6th 2009 at 6:23PM

Say it ain't so (again) Pioneer, Japan's Nikkei is reporting that despite planning a return to profitability by sourcing Panasonic plasma panels, facing a consolidated loss of 100 billion yen ($1.08 billion U.S.) it will end TV development and production entirely. The DVD business will be spun off into a new venture with Sharp as part of a plan to shed several thousand employees over the next year, including a shutdown of its Shizuoka plant, along with already planned closings in the U.S. and Europe. Honestly, we should have seen things were going badly when it let LaserDisc die, but the worsening economy may have proved too tough for the idea that its Kuro and Elite line of products would not be subject to the ups and downs of the economy.

[Via Gearlog, registration required on read link]

Pioneer's 37-inch KRL-37V KURO LCD reviewed: other LCDs should be scared

by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2008 at 2:06PM

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

by Darren Murph posted Oct 30th 2008 at 5:51PM

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 to launch LCD HDTVs in North America next year

by Darren Murph posted Sep 17th 2008 at 5:29PM

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

by Darren Murph posted Sep 12th 2008 at 5:51AM

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 plasmas
Read - Formal introduction in Japan

Pioneer Signature Series 50- and 60-inch plasmas now shipping

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 4th 2008 at 10:46AM

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 intros 60-inch KRP-600M KURO plasma in Japan

by Darren Murph posted Jun 11th 2008 at 4:45PM

Here in North America, we already saw Pioneer get official with its second-generation of KURO plasmas, but today is all about Japan. Said outfit has just revealed the dazzling KRP-600M, which checks in at 60-inches diagonally and 64-millimeters in depth. Pioneer is being its typical self when it comes to specs by simply tossing the 1,920 x 1,080 resolution out there and insisting that it pretty much looks better than any other TV on the entire planet. Not that we really dig that Bose approach™, but at least we're told that there are component, VGA, DVI, HDMI, Ethernet, RS-232C, IR repeater and audio in / out jacks. The set should hit Japanese shelves later this month for around ¥850,000 ($7,970), while the optional table stand, wall mount and speaker system will run you quite a bit less.

[Via Tech-On]

Pioneer KURO and friends hands-on

by Paul Miller posted May 7th 2008 at 4:07PM

We got to plant our eyeballs on Pioneer's second-gen KURO plasma display (bottom center), along with all that other new gear Pioneer released today. While all by its lonesome the new flagship display is no doubt impressive, when stacked up against the competition it becomes quite clear that this new KURO is the one to beat. Granted, this was Pioneer's own setup designed to make us believe precisely that, but we certainly did find the new display notably blacker than its predecessor, and quite a lot better than the competing offerings Pioneer had on display. The new KURO projector was also quite impressive, and we even got treated to the much-improved start times of Pioneer's new Blu-ray players.

Gallery: Pioneer KURO and friends hands-on

Second-generation Pioneer KURO unveiled: 5x deeper black levels

by Darren Murph posted May 7th 2008 at 9:00AM

Quite a lot has gone on in Pioneer's world since it wowed us all with the Project KURO at CES, but one thing hasn't changed: it's dedication to world-class black levels. Announced alongside several other fine pieces of kit today in NYC, the 2008 KURO family will posses black levels "five times deeper than the previous KURO." According to company bigwig Paul Meyhoefer, the ultimate goal is "pure, absolute black," and it's well on its way with the latest line. You'll also find a feature dubbed Optimum Mode, which "simultaneously monitors video and room light conditions" and then makes the most appropriate adjustments based on what it senses. Sadly, most of the nitty-gritty details have been omitted for now, but you can count on the June-bound models checking in at just 3.7-inches thick, sporting 1080p panels alone (no 720p), coming in 50- ($4,000) / 60-inch ($5,500) sizes (no 42-inch) and arriving with a new remote / redesigned HD interface. Jump on past the break for the full release, but we're warning you, there's an awful lot of gloating down there.

Continue reading Second-generation Pioneer KURO unveiled: 5x deeper black levels

Pioneer gets really official with $9,000 Elite KURO projector

by Darren Murph posted May 7th 2008 at 9:00AM

Sure, those flashy new KURO plasmas or that new array of receivers may have taken you by surprise, but don't pretend you didn't know this one was coming. Known simply as the PRO-FPJ1, this 1080p beamer incorporates LCoS technology, dual HDMI 1.3 ports, wide lens shift capacity, a trio of viewing modes (standard, dynamic and movie) and a real semblance to JVC's DLA-HD100. According to the firm, it's designed for "high-end cinematic installations and supports advanced calibration," and of course, you can't escape a KURO release without a little bragging about black levels. We're still waiting on a finalized specifications list, but 'til then, you can chew on that $9,000 price tag and wait for these to hit dealers next month.