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.

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.

Not content with just busting out a new pair of Elite KURO plasmas, Pioneer has separately introduced four 1080p Pro models for those with (even more) exquisite tastes and deep wallets to back it up. The whole lot enjoys the firm's highly touted Optimum Mode, which "simultaneously monitors video and room light conditions" and then makes the most appropriate adjustments based on what it senses, and "industry leading" calibration features. As for the 50-inch PRO-111FD ($5,000) and PRO-151FD ($6,500), you can expect a bolstered two year warranty and a ship date to be determined, while the Signature Series PRO-101FD (50-inch) / PRO-141FD (60-inch) units will arrive in October and August (respectively) with prices not yet disclosed.

Aw yeah, that sexy-on-paper Kuro projector you've been dreaming about the past few weeks just got real today in Munich, as Pioneer made official (even more official?) the KRF-9000FD. Said beamer will be packed with LCoS technology, twin HDMI inputs to go along with the component / composite / S-Video sockets, full 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution, 600 lumens and a 30,000:1 contrast ratio; you'll also find a RS-232c control port, a noise level of just 24-decibels in normal operation and a striking likeness to JVC's DLA HD100. Here's to hoping you weren't expecting this thing to be a bargain, however, as it's all set to land in the next week or so for a stiff €8,000 ($12,460).

[Via Heise]

Pioneer and Matsushita (Panasonic) have finally hammered out the basics of a deal that will allow the latter to supply panels for future Kuro plasma displays, and plasma HDTV fans to breathe easy again. Pending a final agreement in May, dollars and cents remain undisclosed, but we can expect a fusion of Panasonic's current "Neo PDP" technology from its Viera line when they begin production May 2009 in Amagasaki before hitting shelves in the fall. Kuro will still be maintained as a premium brand (with a premium price) with different image processing, while both companies plan to keep working together on reducing power consumption and the infinite black level plasma. Pioneer still plans future Kuro LCD HDTVs based on panels from Sharp,but it'll also apparently have access to IPS technology from Panasonic's tie-up with Canon and Hitachi. See? We told you it'd be okay.

[Via AV Watch]

Hey, 8th-generation Kuro owners -- got a hankering to really get behind the scenes and tweak 'til your heart's content? If you, like many, spent a good chunk of your kid's college fund on a brand new plasma and don't have the coinage to pay for professional applications to unlock access to the full array of ISFccc controls, ControlCAL's got your back. The v1.4 RC1 has just been loosed (in Beta), which grants owners of Pioneer's famed PDP with access to more calibration controls than they can shake a stick at. Excited? Confused? Either way, we'd advise you to check out the links below if you're ready to dive in.

Read - ControlCAL adds 8G C3 support for Kuro Elites
Read - ControlCAL Kuro discussions at AVSForum

There's one model year to go before Pioneer switches over to Panasonic-sourced plasma panels, but the European Kuro lineup announced for 2008 gives some indication of where things are headed. We like the verbiage and strategy: LCDs for displays less than 50-inches, plasmas for the ultimate quality in the 50 - 60-inch category, and 3-chip D-ILA projectors for wall-sized entertainment. Blanketing the size spectrum is good, and notice that the delineation between LCD and plasma is in both size and picture quality; lots of eyes will be on whether the Kuro hallmarks carried over to the LCDs supplied by Sharp. Everything is treated to the all-important (for marketing, at least) 1920x1080 resolution. More significantly, the plasmas claim to have five times better black level performance than the previous generation's. Finally, the listed availability dates are telling: the KRF-9000FD projector shows up in April (any day now); plasma models PDP-LX5090 and PDP-LX6090 in June; KRL-32V and KRL-37V LCDs wait until August; and no word on the KRL-46V LCD which size-wise is in striking distance of a 50-inch plasma. Follow the link for the full press release.

[Via HDTVOrigin]

If you're all broken up about Pioneer's seeming exit of the plasma business, take heart. Pioneer Executive Vice President Russ Johnston claims Pioneer's plans aren't to abandon Kuro-quality plasma displays in any way. The move to an outside manufacturer (Matsushita, parent company of Panasonic) is designed to cut cost in plasma production, but Pioneer still plans to maintain its premium edge over competitors. "The number-one goal is to make sure we can maintain our differentiation," said Russ, "and specifically our Kuro difference in the marketplace." Apparently Pioneer will be still be responsible for the video circuit and processing, the color filter strategy and other such secret sauce, and the company is confident Matsushita can step up to the Pioneer level of panel production -- even if it might involve sharing a few trade secrets along the way. Apparently Matsushita is slated to start providing the modules by 2009.

Say goodbye to Kuro as we knew (and loved) it, as Pioneer officially announced that after panel production of the next series of models is complete, it's ending all in-house plasma panel production and will build HDTVs based on panels bought elsewhere. The source went unnamed pending a final agreement, but Panasonic will likely follow up the 42-inch it's providing with plasmas of up to 60-inches. Due this fall are Kuro-edition LCDs, combining Pioneer's ultra-thin speakers and exacting picture quality standards with screens built by Sharp (hopefully this time sans-banding issues) that should see release Europe first. Other businesses affected are car audio, DJ equipment and Blu-ray players, but by streamlining operations and working closely with Sharp, it expects a return to profitability in 2010. Fans of deep black levels and accurate color reproduction probably shouldn't be alone right now, take a look at the .pdf and let the healing process begin in the comments. You're among friends, you're strong, you will get through this.

While the world waits for official word on the fate of Pioneer's plasma HDTV operations, The Nikkei offers an analysis of the state the company is in, and how it got here. The problems started with Sony's choice of LCD over plasma back in 2005, leaving Pioneer without a partner to sell its plasma panels (the way Samsung and Sharp sell Sony LCDs), and unable to reduce prices by boosting production. Now the company is caught between its top shareholder Sharp -- an LCD manufacturer, that wants to put Pioneer's speakers in its TVs and sell Pioneer LCDs -- and its new plasma supplier Panasonic (fear not, Panasonic hopes to exceed even the Kuro's contrast ratio in its upcoming displays). The Nikkei expects Pioneer to announce it will sell 40- to 50-inch LCD & plasma HDTVs at its press conference March 7, but we just want to know what happens to Project Kuro.

Read - [subscription required]

Pioneer is officially "reviewing the plasma business", according to a release today -- much like Toshiba's "review" of the HD DVD business in February when it had decided to quit in January -- while a Reuters source confirmed The Nikkei's earlier report that Pioneer is getting out of the plasma panel manufacturing game altogether. While Pioneer would keep building plasmas based on panels sourced from Panasonic, according to the report, this would mark the exit of the 5th ranked plasma manufacturer, and host to some of the best PDP displays and technologies around. We can't expect any official word until the company's press conference on March 7, but rumors have swirled recently that it is considering a switch to LCD. We'll find out on Friday (our money is on SED rising again), but for now we'll just look longingly at our lovely Kuros.

Read - Pioneer reviewing plasma business
Read - Pioneer to cease output of plasma panels, source says
Read - Pioneer press release [via Impress; warning: PDF link, Japanese]

We wondered why its so hard to find one of Pioneer's award winning Kuro plasmas on shelves these days, and here is the answer. The Nikkei is reporting that Pioneer plans to stop producing plasma panels altogether, and only put together HDTVs with panels purchased from other sources. Panasonic and Hitachi remain as the only Japanese plasma manufacturers, Pioneer already has a deal with the former to purchase plasmas for its 42-inch model, and will expand that agreement according to The Nikkei. Honestly, this wouldn't be a big deal for most companies, as we've seen with the Sony/Sharp/Samsung triangle in LCD manufacturing, but since Pioneer is the only manufacturer promising the blackest black levels this side of carbon nanotubes, we're freaking out a bit. Here's hoping Pioneer slides over the blueprints to the infinite contrast concept (and that sexy 9mm model) and keeps the party going.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in; via CNBC; warning: reg required on read link]

With price differences shrinking, all we want to know is which HDTV tech provides the best picture quality. Home Theater Mag has tried to throw personal bias out the window in its 2008 HDTV Technology Face Off, with a blind test of DLP, LCD and plasma sets, the only requirement being a price around $3,000 and size of 50-inches or so. If you're thinking a 1365x768 resolution Pioneer Kuro could best competition featuring 120Hz technology, 1080p resolution and all the other latest buzzwords in high definition -- you'd be right. Deep black levels made the difference, boosting the PDP-5080HD over the second place Panasonic TH-50PZ750. Those looking to purchase the winner might be in for a tough search, as rumors indicate retailers are out of stock (this goes for the PDP-4280HD as well) and not expecting new shipments anytime soon, pending new product announcements from Pioneer. Which HDTV deserves to hang on your wall? Hit the read link to get the details and let us know which one you like.

Everybody knows that Pioneer's Kuro plasmas do dark images really well. But now Pioneer is getting into the whites as well with its upcoming Shiro Kuro. "Shiro" being Japanese for "white," this model will basically be a 50-inch 1080p Kuro display with, you guessed it, a white bezel. You know, to match your Apple gear. Seriously, though, short of the Pioneer "concept" displays shown at CES this year, it's hard for us to imagine improving on the Kuro picture quality, so we'll let this fashionista revamp pass. But we always heard that black had a slimming effect, and thinner bezels are better in our book; so for our bucks we'll stick with the standard Kuro model, thanks. No US availability announced, the Shiro Kuro will show up later this year in the UK at about £3300 ($6500).