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| Pioneer PRO-1000HD Plasma Monitor |
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Reviews July 2003 • Vol.9 Issue 7 Page(s) 20 in print issue |
Pioneer PRO-1000HD Plasma Monitor | ||
First impressions. Take an ordinary television, add true HD (high definition) capability, then tweak it so it can convert analog television signals to 768 progressive format. Throw in a bushel of connector inputs, squeeze it to a wafer-thin 4-inch depth, and top it off with a glossy black bezel. Now give it the brightness, clarity, and color fidelity to make it seem as if you're looking through a window instead of at a screen. Just be sure to lock your front door before turning it on because once your neighbors get a glimpse of the fantastic quality of the PRO-1000HD, you'll become the most popular person in your neighborhood. The specs. The PRO-1000HD measures 50 inches diagonally and a shade over 4 inches deep and tips the scales at 90 pounds. Its default resolution is 1,280 x 768 pixels in 16:9 letterbox mode, and 1,024 x 768 pixels in the more traditional 4:3 mode. The PRO-1000HD accepts S-Video (Super-Video), Composite, D-sub15, RGB, RS-232C and, naturally, component video inputs for HD signals. If you want to have the largest computer monitor in town, you can connect your computer to the PRO-1000HD for an XGA (extended graphics array) display (1,024 x 768). Performance. Setting up the PRO-1000HD took only a few minutes, and watching standard television quickly demonstrated the PRO-1000HD's strengths. Viewing standard television broadcasts on HDTVs can be painful, because the large screen size magnifies the flaws in the NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) signal. The smaller screen size of more traditional televisions often conceals these flaws. Yet the PRO-1000HD eases your pain by up-converting this signal to 768 progressive. While the result would never be confused with HDTV, it does make it more palatable. We did notice that sporting events (notably tennis) experienced motion blurring of fast moving objects. Once we noticed this flaw, it quickly became irritating. Next, we connected our notebook computer and were amazed at how well the PRO-1000HD performed as a jumbo-sized computer monitor. Text and images were amazingly sharp. The PRO-1000HD would be a fantastic tool for sales presentations or training seminars. Watching "The Matrix" on DVD emphasized how well the PRO-1000HD renders dark and shadowy scenes. Both plasma and LCD (liquid-crystal display) televisions have a reputation for not rendering true black scenes, but the PRO-1000HD did an excellent job in replicating the dark and gloomy scenes of "The Matrix." Switching to "Monsters Inc.," the PRO-1000HD delivered deeply saturated colors with no apparent bleed-over between the screen's plasma "cells." The final test was seeing how well the PRO-1000HD performed in the HDTV arena. To put it simply, HBO's HD broadcast of "The Fifth Element" was stunning. Detail that was obscured on the DVD edition was crystal clear in the HD format. CGI (computer generated imagery) scenes blended into live action without distraction, and fast motion footage was rendered without any visible pixelation. Shortcomings. For a $17,500 television, the included remote was flimsy and cheap-looking. Although aftermarket remotes are commonplace at this end of the TV spectrum, the remote still seems like an afterthought. Also, a penalty you pay for such a thin screen is difficult access to the input connectors. These are located on the back of the monitor and are difficult to reach. If you plan on mounting this on a wall, be sure to give adequate forethought to all your cabling requirements. Final thoughts. Gorgeous. Luscious. Adjectives fail to do justice to how good this monitor looks, especially with a HD signal. Yet it's hard to ignore the glaring sticker price. In comparison to our Elite PRO510 RPTV (rear projection television), the PRO-1000HD was noticeably better. But with the Elite PRO530 available for less than $4,000, it's hard to justify the extra $13,000. However, if you've got money to burn and want a flat-panel television to hang on your wall, you won't be disappointed with the PRO-1000HD.  by Chris Jackson
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