 Worth the Money |
| Review Date: January 2, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Daren Geremia, |
The 5010FD is an elegant television with spectacular HD output and outstanding SD upscaling. I had purchased a top of the line Sony about two years ago, but I was highly disappointed by the atrocious quality of SD signals, which dominated most viewing material at the time. I returned the set and have been waiting for the right combination of technology and programming to purchase another HD TV. I have had the 5010FD for about two months, and I am never disappointed by the picture quality.
I did a great deal of research before deciding on this set: all reviews unequivocally touted the KURO line (both standard and Elite) as the best televisions ever made. Though I am not qualified to corroborate or refute those professional reviews, I can say that I am regularly amazed at the beautiful picture quality and stunning contrast this set can produce. I cannot say if the Elite version is worth the extra money, but I can say that I well pleased with the standard model.
I only have two beefs:
1) The lack of independent RGB adjustment controls (this is available on the Elite version). Though I have adjusted the settings to the best of my ability, reds occasionally appear distractingly brilliant. With much less frequency greens sometimes appear over bright. This is a very minor issue though, and I notice the over saturation vary rarely. IMHO, the pros of this set overwhelmingly outweigh this small con. On this note, do not judge the picture quality of this set if set on Dynmaic mode (the default setting). You should use either Movie mode or the User preset adjusted properly. As with most sets,`torch' mode produces a sickeningly `unreal' picture.
2) The fact that the volume control only controls the set's detachable speakers. It will not control the gain of external RCA outputs, and if I am reading the manual correctly, of the digital out. On that note, I decided to use the TV's speakers for aesthetic reasons (temporarily at least), and I am pretty impressed by their audio quality. It isn't as good as my old surround system, but it does the trick. I will eventually replace them with a new soundbar or surround system, but the built-ins are working very well in the meanwhile.
Two final notes:
1) I was wary to order such an expensive purchase online, but my experience was smooth as silk, and I saved a fortune over purchasing the set locally. The set arrived amazingly fast (2 days after shipping), and it was delivered in excellent shape.
2) My wife was furiously opposed to purchasing a 50" given the smallish nature of our viewing room (we sit about 7-8 feet from the set), but by the end of the week she apologized for treating me ire because I insisted on the 50". She has remarked that the TV is the perfect size for viewing at that distance on several occasions.
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Just spend the money
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| Review Date: December 11, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Padres, Yuma, AZ USA |
| After the contrast went out for the second time on our rear projection 53 inch, it was time to "bite the bullet." After looking at LCD's and plasmas, I decided on the plasma, since I primarily watch sports and the hesitation with the LCD wouldn't work. A friend of mine said that the Pioneer Kuro was the way to go and after all the reviews of the different plasmas, I decided to spend the extra bucks and order the Kuro. It was well worth it. The picture is great and will be even better after I unload Time Warner and get satellite. The price was a bit high but withour tax and shipping, it all worked out. I ordered the TV on November 8th and hoped to have it by Thaksgiving. Amazon said it would be delivered on the 20th. It arrived on the 13th. Darn! I was really impressed by the fact that the delivery driver was supposed to wait until the set produced sound and picture. I released him early and called him later when the set was up and running. I had to install the speakers and download the cable information. I would definitely buy a large electronic purchase from Amazon again and am really impressed with the picture quality and especially the contrast.. |
Best Picture Ever?
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| Review Date: December 20, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Robert D. Covell, Kansas |
I've been waiting for the right set to come along before replacing my direct view 40" Sony. Picture quality was my highest priority. When I got a chance to view a demo of the new Pioneer Kuro plasmas, I was impressed.
After discussion, test report reviews and a viewing of the set with my wife, we decided to get the 50" non-Elite model. We liked that the speaker bar was located on the bottom of the panel and not the sides and the set came with a table top stand. We have no need for the Home Gallery option or the advanced tweaking that the Elite model offered.
Once it was set up, we were even more impressed with the set. There's plenty of inputs, adequate picture control and as expected, the picture quality is outstanding. The black level is incredible and really makes the colors 'pop' and the contrast is quite good. We have a light controlled room, so we were able to reduce the default light output level from the 'torch' mode to more reasonable levels.
We get our hi-def signals from a rooftop antenna and they look great. I love to fire up my receiver and listen in 5.1 sound when it's available. (Journeyman, The Unit, CSI and Moonlight all have great sound production.)
The digital tuner works well, the remote has 4 direct inputs for favorite channels and the set looks good even when it's off! It's reasonably quick to display a picture when started from the typical standby mode.
My only nits to pick: I don't care for the PIP function, it's awkward to use and not terribly useful, a far cry from the previous Sony set. The channel changes are a bit slow and the display info that accompanies each change lingers too long. The set does run warm in use, but, that's not unusual for a plasma.
Overall, both my wife and I love this set. It's the perfect size for our application. The picture quality is outstanding and is the main reason we bought this set. Though not 'cheap', it's highly recommended. |
Pioneer PDP-5010 1080P
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| Review Date: December 24, 2007 |
| Reviewer: ETLBI, Albany, NY |
The Pioneer PDP-5010 1080P plasma HDTV is awesome. The picture is crystal clear. I read all of the reviews for plasma televisions and Pioneer was rated the best. The reviews are absolutely true. The deep black colors are amazing. Since the blacks are so deep, all of the other colors stand out. This costs more than other plasmas, but it is worth it. The set includes more HDMI and Component inputs than you will probably ever use. Also has a PC input which is great. All of the input slots are in the back or on the side of the television. I like this a lot. This makes the front of the plasma very sleek and pleasing to the eye. This is the best looking plasma that I've seen. My brother has the Panasonic TH-50PZ700U and the looks of the Pioneer are just hands down better. The picture is also a step above the highly rated Panasonic. Picture adjustment of the Pioneer is simple; the on-screen menu is easy to use. I was able to hook the Pioneer remote up to my DVD player and my Time Warner cable box so that I can use just one remote. The television comes attached to the stand, which makes it even easier to start using. The bottom speaker comes detached, but is easy to assemble. If you want the best plasma, I highly recommend the Pioneer PDP 5010.
I am fully satisfied with my purchase from Amazon.com. I ordered the Pioneer on Nov 24th (day after Thanksgiving) and it was delivered on Wednesday Dec. 4th. Its estimated delivery date was Dec 3rd, but the shippers called on the 2nd and told me that it would be delivered on the 4th and gave me a time window for delivery and they came as expected.
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Finally, a flat panel HDTV beats my CRT HDTV
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| Review Date: March 2, 2008 |
| Reviewer: M. Wang, |
I have been searching for a replacement for my 5-yr old Sony 34" CRT HDTV for years. The search is finally over. My ISF calibrated Sony HDTV has been a great performer. Until recently, it had consistently beaten both LCDs and Plasmas with its excellent black level, outstanding details, accurate color (after ISF calibration fixed its "red push") and lacking of motion blur. But due to the weight of the tube, anything bigger than 34" would be a huge burden.
After months of research and comparison, I finally found it. This Pioneer not only matches all the performance areas that my 34" Sony CRT HDTV has excelled but also adds the "WOW" factor thanks to its considerable bigger screen size. Now I feel I finally step into the picture instead of watching from outside.
The only major downside of this plasma is that the sound quality of TV speakers is nowhere near the quality of picture it delivers. As matter of the fact, it sounds much worse than my 34" Sony CRT TV. So a separate quality sound system is more than a necessity to get full enjoyment from this TV.
Now I only wish that I have more time to watch all my favorite movies on this Big TV again... |
Awesome TV
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| Review Date: January 12, 2008 |
| Reviewer: David Chatenay, San Francisco |
This plasma TV is amazing. The colors are vibrant, the picture is bright and the darks are really dark, the contrast is superb. This is vastly superior to any LCD TV, and among the best plasma TVs. It has plenty of inputs, is easy to setup, and looks stylish. Watching 1080p movies on this screen is the best TV experience you can get.
I have one small gripe: there is no digital sound output. My old Philips plasma had one and it was great. Since I have 3 digital sources, having to switch both TV and amplifier when switching input was annoying. I bought an Onkyo receiver with HDMI switching, and routed all my sources through the amplifier, with a single HDMI cable to the TV: this simplifies a lot my cabling, I use a single remote (the receiver's), and the sound is great.
I highly recommend investing in a home theater receiver and a HD player to get the best out of this TV. |
A Kuro convert
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| Review Date: May 2, 2008 |
| Reviewer: menelaosk, Seattle, WA USA |
After considerable time and effort over the last few months researching what "type" of HDTV to get, plasma won over LCD. With this choice behind me, the KURO pretty much dominated the competition. I spent countless hours looking at screens in stores. The Panasonic and Samsung plasmas are good but not anywhere near as good as this KURO. This is unfortunate, because there is a considerable price premium to be paid for the KURO. It IS worth it! So let me start with a warning for the videophiles out there: The default setings on this TV (which is what you are likely to "see" when you preview this at the Best Buys of the world) are set for watching cartoons! In this mode, the colors are oversaturated to the extreme, so when looking at skin tones they all look sunburnt! Trees look like they have been painted green, a room in a Victorian home will look like it has been painted with bright reds and or royal purples! It really is a very odd choice...So, spend the half hour or so to read through the manual on how to bring your TV back to normal.
Now the details: For off-the-air content, with my old $20 Magnavox amplified loop for antenna input, the HD programs from ABC/CBS/NBC/PBS are jaw dropping! I have never seen anything like this. Moreover, the automatic TV tuner setup routine has picked up channels I never knew existed! Even TV-Guide channel listing info... By comparison, analog programs (Matlock and Law and Order re-runs for example) looked just "ok". Unfortunatelly, compared to the HD quality, ANY analog program will look just "ok" on this display. The biggest "probem" with this TV is that the display quality is SO good, that if you give it a sub-par input (whatever the source may be) you will really be able to SEE sub-par quality. KURO's electronics will compensate, quite well mind you, but there is only so much magic that can be performed here with analog programs, in terms of noise reduction and up-conversion. I wonder how things will change when I get a "real antenna" (CM 4228 comes to mind here) up and running. Then again, all the analog broadcasts will end in a few months, so the entire issue of sub-par quality of-the-air programs will be of academic interset to TV historians...but I digress.
For playback, I hooked up my $80 Sony NS72 (upconverting) DVD player -this is just a little older than the current NS75-. I used the HDMI connection, so that I could send 1080p upconverted signals to the KURO. Man, oh man was I stunned! Everything I threw at it came out with such gorgeous detail! Watching any of the space scenes in the Starwars movies, there was no way to tell where the top and bottom black bars started on the screen, except by looking for the point where the background stars "disappear". Watching Mary Poppins, I could see Julie's makeup on her face! I ran the HQV Silicon Optix test DVD revealing, quite clearly I am afraid, all the shortcomings of my cheap DVD player. In matters of image detail, color fidelity and contrast and cadence the KURO -and the DVD- passed with flying colors...I could not find jaggies in the flag test. The flower, boat ride, freeway and sunset scenes were stunning. The race car zooming past the stands showed moire, but this is Sony's fault! Looking at of-the-air HD car races with cars and cameras zooming/panning past stands and the like, these are rock solid images...The cadence tests reveal what happens when you display 1080p/24fps, or any number of very esoteric cadences. There is no 3:2 frame-rate nonsense with the KURO. You'll be really hard pressed to find "jaggies" in anything except perhaps a couple of cartoon or anime cadences. I am not sure how this "failure" will ever be seen in a live program. I wonder if anyone out there is feeding home-video to thisTV directly from a video-camera that has some weird recording cadence. That might replicate such effects... but again, I digress.
As a second battery of what I like to call graduate student checks, I connected the DVD player to the TV with the composite video cables. The DVD here does no "upconverting" to 1080p. It merely puts out the 480p progressive scan it was designed for. The KURO on the other hand has some wonderful magic here. The same movies (Starwars and Mary Poppins) were perfectly viewable, only marginally below the quality of the ones through the HDMI. So, do not feel compelled to throw away your "older" DVD player just because it is "merely" a 480p progressive scan type. For ultimate performance this TV, unfortunatelly, pretty much requires a Blu-Ray player. But I am not in any hurry yet.
Last, but by no means least, I should mention the audio performance of the KURO, which is in fact closer to that of a good sound bar. When running the THX audio setup from the Starwars DVD, the speaker bar generated a clearly discernible directional sound for the L, R and C channels when the L,R and C were triggered. When the surround-L and surround-R speakers were triggered the speakerbar produced "back-firing" sounds, (from the left and right side respectively) that reflected off the wall behind the TV! This was quite astounding. The surround sound effect is quite nicely done with what is essentially a very effective phased-array approach! Congrats to the Pioneer sound engineers. This is top notch work! Triggering the "sub" produces no responce from the speakerbar. The KURO has an independent sub output, so if anyone wants to "improve" the speakerbar, a sub can be direclty linked to the TV and will provide all the low-end oomph you might desire. Clearly, having a high quality audio system generate a high quality soundstage will be a wonderful complement to the visual perfection from this TV. That being said, the current speakerbar is good enough for anyone who does not plan to do this right away.
Before I sign off, I should point out that with 4-HDMI inputs, a digital audio out, and a subwoofer out, this TV in many ways eliminates the need to have an A/V receiver with more than two HDMI inputs. There are a lot of very good middle-of-the-road receivers that only have two HDMI inputs and the everyone seems to be complaining about how inadequate this is. With this KURO -and HDMI control- the TV can become the switch-board rather than the receiver. Inter-Brand and HDMI incompatibilities aside, having spent all this money on the Kuro I see no reason not to take advantage of its capabilities...
This TV will spoil you... (:- |
3 Hours and counting (updated)
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| Review Date: February 1, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Ray Ostrom, East Coast USA |
The Kuro PDP 5010 has been here for 3 hours now.
Out of the box picture is good. A few quick adjustments and it's better.
More in the area of personal preference adjustments up to this point.
Quite stunning images with not much tweaking at all.
No audible buzz whatsoever from the chassis at this point.
..and black levels like I've not seen since watching my old Sony 37" CRT.
Update Feb 11.
I could not be happier with the Kuro. I have not found "fatal flaw" like I generally do with electronics devices.
The Grammy awards last evening looked spectacular. Dark picture areas maintin their detail and do not get that solarized look as many other LCD and Plasma displays do.
I'm trying to find something to complain about, I can't come up with anything.
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The greatest flat panel to ever exist!
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| Review Date: February 7, 2008 |
| Reviewer: BriS2K, Canada |
The single HDTV that I've been waiting for the past 8 years to upgrade from my 32" Sony XBR CRT ...and it is unbelievable, I recommend this panel 1 million percent.
Pros:
- obviously, the picture quality is jaw dropping, amazing shadow details, inky blacks
- nearly NO image retention (IR)
- SD performance is exceptional, upscaled DVD can look nearly Hi-Def
- 24p/72Hz mode, smooth motion
- lots of inputs, 4 HDMI 1.3 inputs
- panel design is gorgeous: glossy bezel, removable speaker: perfect for home theater wall mount
- onscreen menus are professional and nicely designed
Cons:
- PC input (15 pin) is not 1920x1080 capable (but this can be achieved through HDMI)
- optical output is not DD 5.1 capable
- mezmerizing, brings new meaning to home theater addiction!!! ;)
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Plasma Perfect
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| Review Date: February 9, 2008 |
| Reviewer: David F. Colella, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA USA |
| After reading all the stellar reviews in top video/audio magazines covering this Pioneer plasma television and it's big brother, the Elite, I was not sure the differances between it and it's rivals would be that noticable and worth all the hype. A trip to my local Best Buy proved that, indeed the price is worth it. The picture quality and the black levels of this plasma are amazing. With text on the screen, the lines around each letter or number are smooth and without smear or pixel blocking compared to just about any other set within the store. The blacks were just that...BLACK. Clear and clean, not gray or any other shade. The complaints I've heard about a buzzing or humming coming from the screen also proved completely false. Without a doubt, Pioneer has the best looking picture, hands down. Always worried that what you see in the store will not look as good when you get it home, I have now had this Plasma in my home for over a month, connected to HD cable and I must say that I am very impressed. I have never reviewed anything purchased on Amazon but with this Plasma, I just had to spread the word. I was worried about ordering something this expensive and fragile off the net, but it arrived on time and without a problem. I'm glad I took the time and did my homework. If you consider yourself a "videophile" and love a beautiful picture, do yourself a favor and check this Pioneer out for yourself. My friends and family are all amazed, you will be too. |
The best purchase I've ever made
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| Review Date: April 5, 2008 |
| Reviewer: C. Press, Chicago, IL |
| I would love to add my 5 star comments to everyone else who has ever reviewed this product. Much like them, I SCOURED over different TV models/specifications to determine which was the best. This was a gift to myself, and I was ready to buy the top of the line. All roads led me to Pioneer Plasmas. When starting off with a demand to provide me the best overall quality picture, I initially narrowed my search to plasma and this was far and away the best product out there. I have had this TV for over 5 months now, and I love it as much now as I did when I first bought it. My desire was to have it professionally calibrated after ~100 hours of viewing, but out of the box, the quality is just so amazing, I'm having a hard time justifying the expense. The black levels (which really is the most important quality of a television, NOT resolution as people in the stores would want you to believe) are incredible - and this TV outperforms every other one on the market by a significant amount. The picture, in my opinion, produces more vibrant colors even better than my parents' Sony 61" SXRD LCoS projection. There has been no issue with burn-in on images, even with extended hours of watching ESPN with its logo sitting in the corner the entire time. The reflection off the screen is unnoticeable when the TV is on. Other reviews have commented on the "audible buzzing" when the TV is on. While you can hear it if you put your ear up to the TV, it has never been an issue or interfered with my viewing experience. The quality of the sound from the speakers is commendable as well. I look forward to many years of happy viewing with this Pioneer and recommend it as highly as I can recommend a product. Spend the money, and you won't be sorry. |
Great TV backed by good customer service
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| Review Date: February 13, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Paul G. Gregory, Marblehead, MA USA |
| The picture quality and input flexibility are great. While some have complained about noise, I am only 85' above sea level and the set is very quiet. After a week the set failed and the power light would blink 7 times. Pioneer support got right on it and showed a genuine interest in fixing my problem. I have never experienced better customer support. |
A Stunning State of the Art
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| Review Date: April 4, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Charles Lynch, Louisville, Kentucky |
Unbelievable picture quality on both HD and SD sources. The black levels are truly astonishing. The dynamic Contrast Ratio is 20,000:1 and static (ANSI) CR is 448:1. This is approaching CRT performance and far exceeds any other platform (LCD, plasma, etc.)
I wanted something that was going to last, so I did extensive homework on the KURO. While the KURO is a total redesign, it is a Pioneer 8th generation--a very stable platform. The repair rate, according to Consumer Reports, for Pioneer plasmas is 3% (statistically equivalent to major brand LCDs).
And talk about future-ready. This panel has 4(!) HDMI v1.3 inputs and 2 component video inputs. It has PC connectivity and is one of the only tvs available that accepts 1080p/24 signals. It does so by changing it's display to 72Hz...no need for a 2:3 pull down so you have a much less jittery film.
Absolutely stunning! |
Unreal Plasma
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| Review Date: March 2, 2008 |
| Reviewer: G. E. Bucknor, California |
I've had this tv for about a month and am absolutely in love with it. I spent months reading reviews and customer opinions on AVS before deciding to make the leap. My other tv is a Samsung 4254 plasma that I purchased a few years back and I noticed considerable noise on the screen and artifact problems during movies.
This tv is is worlds better than that one and none of those same problems exist. No buzzing as some have experienced btw. Now my only problem is my addiction to blu ray movies. I can't wait to watch no country for old men on this set...friendo. |
Best Online Purchase I Have Ever Made!
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| Review Date: May 27, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Matt, Midwest, U.S.A. |
First, the purchase and delivery experience:
I purchased the pdp-5010fd directly from amazon.com, and I could not have been happier with the experience. I ordered it online on Saturday evening, and the local delivery company called me on Wednesday to arrange for a delivery time on Thursday morning. The television was not supposed to have arrived until the following week.
When the television arrived, two men carried it in, uncrated it, and set it on my stand. All told it took 10 minutes tops. The delivery men were very courteous and waited around for me to inspect the television for breakage or defect but not for me to turn it on and make sure it worked.
I saved hundreds over purchasing this television locally, and I would totally make another purchase of this expense again from amazon.com.
The television itself:
In a word, outstanding! I absolutely love this television. I expected the hd channels to look awesome, and they are (I cannot wait until football this fall), but for me the pleasant surprise is that 480p content from my sony es dvd player looks very good, also, through component video. I had read that this television did a good job of upconverting content 480i/480p content, but it is much better than I expected. You will not be disappointed in the performance of this television. Ours is in the living room, which is quite bright during the day, as a lot of sunlight comes in, and it still looks great. I also have no issue with the amount of reflection on the screen (it is less than the old 31" CRT television that it replaced). |
Good excuse for being a couch potato
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| Review Date: January 7, 2008 |
| Reviewer: B. Farley, Birmingham, AL USA |
| With an upgrade to HD cable, this tv provides just what I was looking for! The only caveat - make sure you have sufficient space in the room so as not to have to sit too close - that makes the movement too distracting. Purchased through 6th Ave at approximately $1400 off the cost at Best Buy - and 6AVE delivered for free! |
Pioneer 1080p Plasma HDTV
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| Review Date: December 30, 2007 |
| Reviewer: QM, |
| Great service and best price. The TV arrived just as scheduled, and was delivered to the desired room in perfect condition and worked well with no problems. I would do business with this vendor again. |
simply the best
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| Review Date: November 26, 2008 |
| Reviewer: David F. Judd, usa |
After shopping and reviewing flat panel T.V.'S for over a year,all roads kept leading back to Pioneer. After finally biting the bullet and taking the plunge, I chose the KURO 5010. Well the moment of truth arrived when I recieved the T.V. and and got it hooked up to an HD signal. WOW! My wife and I couldn't believe our eyes. The picture is absolutely the very best I have ever seen. The in store picture just doesn't compare.(unless you see it play blue ray) The cable guy, after hooking up the set, was blown away. He said it smoked his brand new Samsung 52" LCD. In fact I felt a little sad for him as I could see his disappointment that he may have made the wrong choice. Watching football on this thing is amazing. You can see the individual blades of grass on the field. And no motion blur at all. My only problem now is,I have the stress of probably being the default host for the Super Bowl once my football buddies see it.
A warning to anyone that buys this thing. Get your chores done for the day before you turn it on. |
Fantastic!
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| Review Date: November 26, 2009 |
| Reviewer: banjoblivion, |
| Had to throw my two cents in - I have owned this TV for over a year, and even now in stores I see NOTHING that bests it as far as picture quality, and most don't even come close, especially with black levels. I watch mostly movies, SD is good, HD is great, and Blu-Ray is absolutely amazing! Can't comment on the detachable speakers as I never used them, but I've heard their sound is better than average. If you do purchase this set, my advice is to go to a few online forums to find the optimum viewing settings for movies, etc - these settings are surprisingly easy to find and use. As to the reported "buzz" that some reviewers have noted, I have never heard it. It does put off a fair amount of heat from the top of the set, so as it says in the instructions you want to leave a good amount of space above the set. As far as durability, after a year it is still performing flawlessly, with no "burn-in" or any other problems. Pioneer has contacted me a couple of times with firmware updates which were also very easy and painless to install. Bought it online, saved a bundle, and the delivery was fast and efficient. In short, I did weeks of research before making this purchase, and haven't regretted it for a minute. Kudos, Kuro! |
Its in a different league
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| Review Date: February 1, 2010 |
| Reviewer: S. Sachdeva, Chicago, IL |
| I dont think it does justice to this or other Plasma / LCD TVs to compare Pioneer Kuro with them. They are in two different leagues. No one cam come even close to this except Pioneer Kuro Elite..which loses out on price. |
Awesome!
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| Review Date: June 10, 2008 |
| Reviewer: spiros, |
I've had this TV for about 3 months now and it is amazing. When I go to other people's houses and look at their non-Kuro plasmas, or even LCDs, I quietly snicker when they tell me how amazing the picture is on their sets. They don't know what they're missing!
I don't have much to say about the picture quality, other than it is in a class all it's own. I am very satisfied with my purchase. I do lots of fine art and photography printing and have been doing so for years, and have a trained eye for image quality. I obsess over tiny details in my printing. Pioneer definitely has the best plasma technology out there.
I would like to ding my review 1/2 star because of the tuner, but that wouldn't be fair to Pioneer since I believe most people don't use an antenna like I do. I am pulling my signal from an outdoor HDTV antenna. I am having problems with my channels 2.1 and 4.1 & 4.2. It seems the problem is a combination of my location being quite close to the towers and the software in the Kuro tuner not able to cope with my location.
I've tried different antennas, moving the location on the roof, and amplifiers & attenuators. Nothing works completely. My Pioneer works fine a few miles away at the dealer with any antenna, but not at my house much closer to the towers. I have improved the problem channels quite a lot with a mobile antenna mount that is weighted down with cinder block - and pointing the antenna in the wrong direction, but I do still have some problem with the image on those 2 channels. I can get the problem to disappear for a few hours, but it returns. It is as thought the tuner is "learning" the signal wrong. I am going to next try a less powerful indoor antenna to see what that does. Anyone want to buy a set of outdoor antenna, amplifiers and attenuators? :) Real cheap! :)
As to the audible buzz other reviewers have mentioned, I will get the buzz too when I install an amplifier for the antenna. But the buzz disappears when the amp is removed.
I very highly recommend the Elite Kuro to anyone who is using satellite or cable TV. If they will be using an antenna for their signal, I would explain my difficulties caused by being too close to the towers and have them keep their location in mind. |
Pioneer Plasma c'est magnifique
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| Review Date: January 30, 2008 |
| Reviewer: M. R. Gunsel, Concord, NC United States |
| Wonderful picture quality from all angles. This is my 2nd Pioneer plasma TV and, even though they are a little pricey, they are well worth the extra money. Now all everyone needs is more HD channels to enjoy on this TV!! |
Simply stunning device
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| Review Date: August 3, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Larry Wagner, Northridge, California, USA |
Jaw droppingly beautiful picture. Sound, wonderful. I can't imagine how a picture could be better.
Pioneer's standard of excellence is off the charts. Few other TV's may amaze you like these. |
Top of the Class
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| Review Date: May 4, 2009 |
| Reviewer: George Hashimoto, Fresno, CA |
| The Pioneer Kuro is a step above the rest of the best. It provides the COLOR, clarity, sharpness, that brings the screen to life. I've looked and shopped for quite some time before deciding on the Pioneer Kuro. It has been well worth the wait. |
Pioneer PDP-5010FD 50 Inch Plasma
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| Review Date: October 27, 2009 |
| Reviewer: H. Ragan, Atlanta, Ga |
| I went back and forth for at least a year, plasma or LCD. Unless you have a particularly bright room plasma takes the prize. I've had this pioneer about 3 months. My buddy bought a 50" Sony LCD about the same time. We've watched football on both TVs. There is really no comparison for clarilty of picture, depth of black and smoothness of motion. The plasma is like looking through a window. Drawbacks? Price, maybe and it does give off quite a bit of heat. |
Grab one while you still can!
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| Review Date: December 6, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Charles Foster, Washington State |
As other reviewers have already stated with plenty of supporting information, the picture quality of this set is fantastic, even if you're watching an SD broadcast, and the sound from the detachable speaker bar is good enough to let you forgo, or at least put off, investing in a surround-sound system. What you may not know is that you can currently buy a PDP-5010fd from the Sam's Club auction website for around 1.2K, (which the guy I bought mine RIGHT HERE ON AMAZON did immediately after he got my 2 grand), so factor that in to your buying decision.
If you are unlucky, you may get one with an annoying buzz of varying intensity that emanates from the back of the panel. My set is blissfully silent, but many plasma panels are not. If you get one with a more serious issue, and live near an authorized Pioneer warranty service provider, just have it repaired - that's a lot cheaper than trying to ship one of these back at your own expense. Pioneer isn't making these anymore, but they'll still stand behind them for the 1-year warranty period.
I now own both a 60-inch Pioneer Plasma, and this 50-inch, and love both of them. If cost isn't your primary concern, buy the PDP-6020FD instead; the picture quality of that one will bring tears of joy to your eyes. In any case, I'd rather buy the slightly over-the-hill Pioneer Kuro than a "cutting-edge" set from another maker any day. They ARE that good.
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Fantastic Plasma, Only one problem...
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| Review Date: October 1, 2008 |
| Reviewer: M. Vermette, Chicago, IL |
| I have been in awe of this television since I got it a month ago from Best Buy. I bought the four year service plan and unfortunately I believe I will need to use it. The panel has the best picture I've seen yet except for the Kuro Elite panel. The only flaw is a buzzing sound that changes pitch depending on what the panel displays. When I switch to power mode 2 it fades a little but it is still there and annoying. I hope that when the panel gets calibrated it will fix it but if not I will be throwing a fit to Best Buy to repair or replace the TV. Other than that the TV is great! |
DO NOT BUY THIS TV
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| Review Date: January 30, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Michael Caldwell, Santa Clara, CA |
| The Pioneer plasma TV engine is the best in the industry. But they stopped making TVs (they license the technology) over a year ago. Prices actually went up as the last units were sold. I was looking for the last model year 5020, and when I searched Amazon this 5010 came up mixed in with 5020s. I did not notice the difference, and bought this prior-year model instead by mistake. It is fine for when it was made, but lacks many of the features, plus an inferior black level, compared to the 5020. So don't buy this one, buy the 5020 if you can find any left. |
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