PM: Coming soon - The World's best flat screen TV (från Pioneer)

   
With significantly deeper black levels (80% deeper than before), which ultimately lead to richer colours and sharper details, the new screens are unrivalled in video and audio performance.
The line-up will be available in 42, 50 and 60-inch screen sizes, in both XGA (availalbe from June) and Full HD (available from September) versions.

Flat screen TVs have become commodities. These screens break the mold; bringing uncompromised quality, finely-tuned performance and intelligent design to your living room.

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The new line-up

Notes:
* 'Optimum Mode' intelligently controls brightness so that you get the best picture, regardless of the lighting conditions. Our designers also call this 'Intelligent Brightness Control'.
** 'Digital Colour Filter III Plus' provides the most accurate colour reproduction in commercially available flat screen TVs.

Design notes

Why we chose Plasma technology
Ten years ago, we began designing and building flat screen TVs. But the story really began back in 1980, when we first launched laser disc. At that time TV was sized between 14-20 inches and had a resolution of 240.

Laser disc had a resolution of 400, but there was no display available to match with this source. At that time we launched the SD-26, which was considered to be one of the most advanced screens of its time, and it made a strong impact.

Following the SD-26, we produced a 40-inch projection TV. However the actual tube in our projection TV had to be purchased from an outside supplier, so there was no way that we could improve the picture quality of this product as we wanted.

We then decided to make our own ideal high quality display.

This prompted our research in 1991, where we evaluated various technologies, including PDP, LCD, EL, OEL, Thin CRT and others.

Our conclusion was straightforward: because plasma is self emissive in red, green and blue, it can reproduce the entire colour spectrum from black to white. It became clear, that in striving for the highest quality picture, that plasma would be the right technology for us.

Ever since, our mantra has been to create the world’s best flat panel displays with the best quality pictures. For people who demand the best.

The result is our new line-up, launched under the name ‘Project KURO’ (which means ‘black’ in Japanese).

Flat screens have become commodities; our new screens break the mould. They are designed for people who demand the best in quality, performance and design.

Why black is so important
Black creates the perfect canvas for rich colours.

In the art world, a plain white canvas represents a blank slate waiting for an artist to create. In the world of television, a black screen is similarly a blank canvas ready for content to be displayed.

If black encompasses the entire spectrum of colour, the ability to create the deepest black results in the ability to create the richest colours. To create the deepest blacks, it is necessary to create a world completely absent of colour or light reflection.

Our engineers reached a significant achievement by creating black levels that are 80% deeper than previously possible, and with a true contrast ratio of 20,000: 1. This defines the ultimate “blank canvas” ready for high definition movies, television and sporting events. The deep blacks and vivid colours are the result of our new deep encased cell structure, crystal emissive layer and first surface colour filter.

Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”, nominated for “Chicago”) spoke rabout the importance of black, light and color in his work. “Where light becomes interesting to me is not just in blacks and whites but the shades between light and dark and the subtle tones and textures within shadows,” Beebe said.

"In terms of what I do as a cinematographer, it’s the ultimate tool in terms of creating a situation and imposing a look on a situation. The interplay of light, darkness and color captures everything, without a word being said.”

Innovation in the new line-up
Our engineering goal was to create video signal processing without error, noise or compromise. What you will see in our new line up is pure and original – just as the director intended.

The new screens also have an ‘Optimum Mode’, or what the designers call “Intelligent brightness control”, which intelligently controls brightness so that you get the best picture, regardless of the lighting conditions.

This automatically processes the images based on the source and the room conditions.

For example, a dark image will be processed differently than a bright one, so, for example, a football game during the day will be processed differently than a night game. The signal will also be processed based on your actual living room conditions. So, the screen will make adjustments for a day game recorded and viewed in a dark room at night.

We have a rich audio heritage, too. And the incredible innovations with the PDP motivated our sound engineers, too.

Historically, TV manufacturers had not paid much attention to high quality audio, often integrating low grade components. This time, however, our sound engineers developed a carefully tuned system; even without using the television picture in their tuning process.

The result is speakers and an amplifier that are made of high-grade parts. The best sound you can expect from a flat panel display.