Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 Plasma TV

LCD TV’s are slowly gaining popularity. In fact, there may come a time when LCD’s will replace plasma TV’s in the market. In the past few years, flat-panel LCD’s with 1080p resolution have been released with blinding speeds that consumers nowadays are overwhelmed by it. Well, its good to have something other than LCD here - the -FHD1 50-inch 1080p plasma monitor. But take note, you have to pay a King’s ransom for this baby that doesn’t even have a built-in tuner. But the set makes up for this by giving you the highest pixel count yet available in a 50-inch plasma TV. It also offers a handful of superb video enhancements, including 10-bit digital video processing, Pioneer’s deep-encased pixel structure, and a crystal layer.

Same as other Pioneer sets, the PRO-FHD1 has the same minimalist, gloss-black look. A dark-tinted acrylic panel bordering the entire screen lends it a “floating” appearance and also helps boost perceived contrast by offsetting the picture.

The front side of the set is free of any distractions except for the gold Pioneer and Elite logos. The complete set of controls though are located on its side panel. Input connections on the back include two HDMI jacks and a DVI port - which accepts up to 1080p-resolution HDTV signals - plus five bayonet-type connectors that let you plug in either component-video cables or an RGB source such as a computer. Each input also has a set of stereo RCA audio connectors included.

This Pioneer set is equipped with a long list of display modes. The have of course the standard stretch and zoom options. But with this comes modes such as 4:3, for watching standard-shape pictures with gray bars on the sides; Full, for widescreen 16:9 DVDs and HDTV; and Dot-by-Dot, a special mode that functions only with native 1080i- or 1080p HDTV signals and lets you bypass the TV’s internal scaler.

Pioneer has continued its tradition of offering a huge number of ways to tweak the picture. Along with a User mode that can be tailored for each video input, you can modify three of the set’s five additional picture presets. There are five color-temperature presets, from High (bluish whites) to Low (reddish whites), plus a manual adjustment that lets you alter the overall levels of red, green, and blue in the high and low (bright and dark) sections of the grayscale.

As for its performance, you can definitely say that you get what you are paying for.The Pioneer shows vivid color reproduction. Both reds and greens ad remarkable intensity. Combine this with natural looking skin tones, and you get perfection. The Pioneer’s shadow detail was also a solid notch above that of pretty much every other plasma television out there. Even on dim environments, faces had a sculpted, 3-D look, and you could clearly see the patterns and textures of each image. You expect a very crisp high-def picture from a 1080p TV, and the Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 definitely delivered.

From the standpoint of pure video performance, the Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 50-inch 1080p plasma monitor prowls at the top of the flat-panel TV food chain. It’s the perfect companion for new HDTV sources like HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc. If you’re going to drop a lot of money on an HDTV, make sure you sit close enough to the Pioneer’s PRO-FHD1 and its gloriously detailed picture. Even if you don’t, you’ll still have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve got the best plasma TV around.

Sources:
http://www.reviews-plasma-tv.com
http://shopper.cnet.com
http://www.audioholics.com