Audio Video News

Pioneer has opened a special showroom at the corner of Hollywood and Vine to show Hollywood professionals what their works really look like once they get into someone's home.

The Kuro Loft gives "the industry" a chance to look at six  flat-panel TVs at once, so the makers of your favorite movies and TV shows can see how different TV designs affect what their audience sees. Those are Panasonic and Samsung plasmas on the left, Pioneer Kuros in the center, and Samsung and Sony LCDs on the right.

It's quite an effective demo; visitors see how the level and color temperature of the blacks and dark grays of the different sets can alter the viewer's perception of a movie or TV show. Obviously, the Kuros look best (Pioneer demos with all the sets at factory settings), and Pioneer's hoping the Loft will help it persuade some of Hollywood's opinion-makers to pick up a few Kuros of their own.

There's also a living room vignette with another Kuro and Pioneer's top-of-the-line surround-sound gear, for relaxed viewing of the guests' chosen material.

The catch is, you have to be a member of the entertainment industry (or a tech journalist) to wangle an invite to the Kuro Loft. If you happen to fit that first category, the Loft will be open for your perusal through November of this year. -Brent Butterworth