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Engadget: When it comes to TV reviews, we have to give a nod to CNet and its David Katzmaier for being one of the best around; so when he says it is the best TV he’s ever tested, we officially want one. The new Panasonic VT25 line didn’t rule every category though, and of course there are concerns that the black levels will prematurely degrade like last year’s — CNet intends to continuously test the VT25 to keep Panasonic honest. Now we know you’re wondering about how it compares to the legendary Kuro and while it lit up the light meeter at a crazy low .004 ftl, the PRO-111FD Kuro is still the winner at .001 ftl — interestingly the similarly speced G20 line only managed .007 ftl. Whether this difference is noticeable at home is up for debate, but Kuro still reigns king as far as the light black meter is concerned. Also of note is the fact that while LED backlit LCDs can also get down real far on the meter, the inconsistency across the screen pretty much makes it a moot point. While we’re comparing to LCDs; according to CNet, the 55-inch Samsung C8000 costs about $35 less a year to operate than the 50-inch VT25, and while the anti-glare screen on the Panny is more effective at reducing reflections than the Samsung LCDs, it didn’t preserve the black levels as well. It was also discovered that the 96hz mode, unique to the VT25 line, produced flicker free motion with 24p content, which is a must have for movie buffs. And what about 3D? Well just like Consumer reports and many others, CNet agrees that the VT25 is the best 3DTV yet, and although it does show some signs of ghosting on 3D content, it is noticeably less than Samsung 3DTVs.

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EngadgetHD: While most HDTV manufactures are focused on being thin and 3D, Panasonic still recognizes the importance of having great contrast and deep blacks.

Hidden away in the Panasonic booth we pulled back the curtain on a contrast demo and walked away impressed.

Now obviously black levels are very hard to compare without being either being very familiar with the content or by having the two TVs next to each other, but one thing is for sure, the 2010 Panasonic plasmas have better black levels than the previous models.

We snapped a few pictures where you can see the difference, and judging by how close the V10 series was to the ultra deep blacks of the Kuro, we wouldn’t be one bit surprised if the new Panny sets make us forget about the discontinued Kuro line once and for all — it might just be wishful thinking.

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EngadgetHD: Panasonic’s run of critical acclaim for its NeoPDP panels, and the V10 series in particular, just keeps rolling along. Given the positive reception the HD Guru gave Panny’s G10-series set, it should come as no surprise that the higher-spec TC-P54V10 model came through its review with flying colors.

The Guru blew right past the “sheet of glass” aesthetic and added color spaces that will largely go unused and got right into the good stuff. Sure, the 96Hz mode delivered on its promise of judder-free 4:4 pulldown, but most surprising was the V10′s black level performance, which fell below the test equipment’s ability to measure — the review guessed it to be about half as bright as the G10′s black level.

That’s in spitting distance of the Kuro performance, and the V10 managed to pull a little more dark detail as well. Yeah, it’s a winner — so much so that the Guru had to break out a fifth heart in its rating. The Kuro is dead, long live the Kuro.

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Ubergizmo: Pioneer says its goodbye to the world of TVs today by presenting its final launch of four Kuro models in Japan.

No idea on who would actually purchase these TVs if they know the company will already cease production of TVs due to the unprofitable venture though.

Two of the models from the latest Kuro range, the KRP-500A and KRP-600A, come equipped with an external tuner. As for both of those alongside the all-in-one equivalents, the KRP-500M and KRP-600M, are able to churn out 1080p images at 50″ and 60″ inches respectively.

There is no word on contrast ratios, but you will find a quartet of HDMI inputs, VGA, component and a USB port for connectivity options.

Don’t worry about your warranty though – Pioneer will continue to provide repairs on sets for up to 8 years, and keep your fingers crossed that there are enough replacement parts to go round till then.

Note: it would seem that all 4 models are already availabe in Europe.

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Techradar: Pioneer has announced that it is doing a total re-think of its business. This means it is shedding 10,000 jobs – 6,000 full-time positions – and shutting down production of its much-lauded Kuro TV brand.

In an official statement Pioneer says it will stop plasma production as of March 2010. “We have implemented restructuring measures mainly to improve profitability,” the statement continues.

“These measures have included termination of in-house plasma display panel production and implementation of early retirement programs including personnel in administrative and sales divisions.

“Overseas, we have started to streamline our sales structures and have decided to close plasma display production facilities. Plans call for ending production at our US and UK display production facilities in April and February 2009, respectively.”

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Pioneer Europe: Four products in Pioneer’s KURO plasma television and home audio line have won an iF Product Design Award, recognising design excellence.

The four are the KRP-600A 60-inch KURO TV, the KRP-500A 50-inch KURO TV, the LX03 home cinema system and
the PDX-Z9 Super Audio CD receiver.  

iF also honoured Pioneer’s ability to successfully assert itself in a highly competitive international environment. Founded in 1953, the iF Product Design Award is a celebration of superior product design and is known throughout the world as one of the most prestigious distinctions for manufacturers.

This year the association’s members judged 2,808 products from more than 1,000 contestants in 39 different countries on criteria such as degree of innovation, ergonomics, workmanship, high-quality design and environmental friendliness.

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Techradar: A select few individuals were invited to Pioneer’s R&D facility within its Kawasaki HQ in Japan recently, to witness the future of the AV company’s Kuro TV range.

Home Cinema Choice magazine was invited along, and has revealed all about Fuga, the codename for the latest Kuro picture processing tech. Speaking about the video demonstration, Tatsuya Sugimoto, from Pioneer’s Display Product Planning Division, explained to HCC: “Our new technology has been designed to massively improve the smoothness of lower-quality video. While high-grade images pass through the circuit untouched, low-grade video is significantly enhanced.”

This points to a similar thing that Toshiba is doing with its Regza range of TVs, which upscale standard-def images to near-HD quality.

Steve May, Senior Editor of Home Cinema Choice, was impressed with what he saw, saying: “Demonstrations were predictably dramatic, and bode well for enhancing the picture performance of standard definition sources.” Behind the new processing tech is Fuga, a replacement vibrancy circuit for Pioneer’s current processing chip, PureDrive.

Video upscaling isn’t the only new technology that Pioneer is working on. The company’s next-gen TVs may also have the power to change depth of field within an image.

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EngadgetHD: Pioneer is using the spotlight at CES to showcase its high-performance architectural speaker line. All told, there are a half dozen new models in the family, all of which utilize the company’s CST driver technology in order to expand the sweet spot.

Each speaker houses a titanium tweeter, woven aramid fiber woofer and cast aluminum chassis, not to mention individual treble and bass controls for fine(r) tuning. There’s no mention of prices nor release dates, but those that have to ask in regards to MSRP probably shouldn’t bother.

At CES 2009, Pioneer is expanding its high-performance architectural speaker line with a new Elite series

Pioneer’s Chief Speaker Designer Andrew Jones and his engineering team drew inspiration from the company’s professional TAD speaker offering, which, combined with a 70-year legacy in speaker manufacturing, creates the ultimate in full definition home entertainment.

The complete Pioneer Elite architectural loudspeaker models work in concert with leading KURO displays, Blu-ray Disc players and A/V receivers.

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HD News: With the introduction of Sharp LCD TV’s as re-badged Pioneer’s are we seeing any real integration of technology between the two companies?

Having seen the inexorable rise of LCD TV’s to become the most popular flat panel technology we could hardly blame Pioneer for wanting a slice of this lucrative market and for Sharp to want a bigger percentage of European sales. The fruits of Sharp’s 14.28 per cent stake in Pioneer has seen the recent introduction of KURO branded KRL LCD TV’s, offered in 32in, 37in and 46in sizes, which represent the first crack at this lucrative market.

The LCD screens from Pioneer certainly introduce a distinctive look, standing apart from the crowd with an ‘industrial’ look with brushed aluminium finish. Under the covers, we were pleased to see some real integration of technology with the presence of Pioneer’s ‘high contrast front filter’. The technology from Pioneer’s plasma range of flat panels has been designed to increase contrast ratio and colour saturation. Early indications are that Pioneer’s LCD TV’s are good, with excellent black levels.

Elsewhere we can see integration between Sharp and Pioneer on a more rudimentary, albeit supremely stylish level, with Sharp’s XS1E LCD TV’s. The svelte like, 23mm thick screens feature RGB-LED backlighting and a detachable Pioneer 2.1 soundbar.

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Stuff.tv: Pioneer unleashed two new limited edition Kuro models.

There are white and beige grise, known respectively as the KRP–500AW and KRP–500ABG, offering the same amazing TV experience but with a neat bod’ to match whatever home furnishings you can still afford once you’ve stumped up for such a wallet–hammering piece of kit.

Both models measure in at a living room–dominating 50in and come with 1080p Full HD. There’s also a media receiver, so you can mount it on the wall over your fireplace and look all classy without having all your cables on show.

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Big Picture Big Sound: Earlier this year, Pioneer announced they would exit the plasma manufacturing business. They will continue to design and sell plasmas, but will be buying the plasma glass itself from Panasonic.

But perhaps more surprising was the announcement that they would begin selling LCD televisions, in a partnership with Sharp, under the Pioneer KURO brand.

We spotted the first three models in the KURO LCD HDTV line at the CEATEC show in Japan last week, and while they may not have completely lived up to their “KURO” namesake, they did look pretty impressive. In three sizes: the 32-inch KRL-32V, 37-inch KRL-37V and 46-inch KRL-46V, Pioneer’s KURO LCD televisions will be introduced for the European market this year. Each features a Pioneer-designed anti-reflective screen which enhances black levels.

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Techradar.com: If this Kuro delivers half as much as it promises, it will be a very special set indeed. Pioneer’s latest flagship plasma carries the kind of specification that most other TVs would kill for, and turns them into a picture that, if first impressions are to be trusted, could reset the standard for flatscreen excellence.

The 50-inch panel packs a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and makes sure every one of them operates to its full potential with some of the most sophisticated hard and software we’ve ever seen.

The company’s own, much envied, Pure Cinema circuitry sits at the heart of everything and is joined by the Picture Detail Settings suite, plus a whole host of colour management and noise reduction technologies.

Perhaps more intriguing, though, is a clip-on light and colour sensor that monitors the ambient lighting conditions of your viewing environment and optimises the set’s output accordingly. A flexible and intuitive setup procedure enables you to use any combination of the aforementioned in conjunction with a snazzy and intuitive new operating system to ensure that the picture is tweaked to your precise requirements.

We were treated to a demo of the KRP-500A and we reckon the set is guaranteed to leave mouths agape when it hits stores this month. Ratatouille on Blu-ray looked absolutely amazing, with some of the most uncannily accurate colour reproduction we’d seen outside a cinema. And the blacks, as we’ve come to expect from the consistently excellent Kuro range, are awesome.

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