The problem is, even when a pixel is "off," it isn't really off. It's like a 10-year-old hyped up on caffeine and sugar. It's all bouncing around and ready to fire off if you let it. So even an "off" pixel lets off a little light because of its excitement. In these new KURO plasmas, Pioneer reduced the idle luminance (that "off" stage) by 80 percent. Thus, the absolute darkest the pixel (and, therefore, the plasma) could be was reduced by roughly the same amount. Case in point: The best of Pioneer's previous generation, the PRO-FHD1, had a black level of 0.032 ft-L. Now, they're down to 0.004 ft-L.

It Doesn't Stop There
If the contrast ratio was all this TV was good at, it would still be one of the best flat panels ever made. But that's not all it's good for. Over HDMI, the PRO-110FD deinterlaces 1080i correctly, as well as picking up the 3:2 sequence in 1080i material (as tested with the Silicon Optics HD HQV Benchmark HD DVD). It can also reproduce a one-pixel-on/one-pixel-off pattern with 1080 signals. Over component, oddly, it's another story. The 1080i is deinterlaced properly, but it neither picks up the 3:2, nor can it do the one-pixel-on/off. Previous Pioneer plasmas could pass this picky test. So, it's odd that this one doesn't.

With 480i, the PRO-110FD also performed well. It picked up 3:2 with no problem. With the DVD version of the Silicon Optix disc, the processing across the board was excellent. The rotating-bar pattern was well above average and amongst the best I've seen (as in very few jagged edges on diagonal lines). The waving flag was nearly devoid of any jagged edges. With the test scene from chapter 2 of The Fifth Element, the professor's beard appeared detailed, although I've seen displays that can pull more detail from this disc. It was a bit noisier than I've seen, but the 3DNR noise reduction set to Low alleviated much of this, without softening the image.

Color
As you can see in the measurements box, the color points are pretty close to accurate, with just a touch of oversaturation. With regular video, such as Batman Begins on HD DVD, the fleshtones looked pleasingly natural.

There's also an extra level of calibration possible with this set called ISFccc (Certified Calibration Configuration). It was created with input from the Imaging Science Foundation. Within it, a trained calibrator can nudge the color points closer to accurate. Full adjustment isn't possible, as they say it can make the image wonky (my word, not theirs). The points are pretty close to start with, so any improvement is a bonus. The coolest part is the ability to adjust 10 different brightness steps of the gray scale separately, so you can even out most bumps in the gray scale. Again, it already tracks pretty well, but being able to even it out even more sure doesn't hurt.

Like most Pioneer plasmas, this model can increase its refresh rate to 72 hertz. This allows a 3:3 pulldown to happen when you send it 24p. Consequently, there's no more 3:2 judder. This doesn't mean it will look smooth, just not as jerky as happens with a normal 3:2 sequence. I did a GearWorks on this in the June 2007 issue, which you can find here, or there's a post in my blog here that is basically the same article. (Woot! Self-plagiarism.) While the overall 3:3 effect isn't life changing, it is noticeable and adds that little bit extra. The RGB input maxes out at 1,360 by 768. Lame. But you can do PC over HDMI if you're so inclined, up to 1,920 by 1,080.

So, how does all this look? In spite of being the most obnoxious disc to use ever made, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl is a great demo. There are a lot of brightly lit scenes with dark areas and dark scenes with bright spots. On most displays, the latter can seem flat, but on the PRO-110FD, the bright spots really popped. Highlights were actually brighter than other areas of the picture. When was the last time you saw that? In contrast (a pun), the bright scenes had dark areas that were actually dark. Color was vibrant and natural. The Lobsterbacks' uniforms were a rich red in contrast to the blue sky, which was a lovely shade of sky-blue. You can make out individual hairs on heads and even see texture in the clothing. You're not going to see a TV look much better than this.

Honey, How Much Can We Get for the Kids?
At $5,999 the Pioneer Elite is roughly twice as expensive as a 50-inch Panasonic plasma or Sharp LCD. However, as you've seen, the performance is well more than twice as good. But before you call that loan shark, consider this, the $3,500 Pioneer PDP-5080HD is the same size and will have nearly identical performance as in the KURO line as well (You can read a review of that plasma here at UltimateAVMag.com). The catch? It's "only" 768p; but from where you're sitting, you probably won't be able to see that difference anyway.

It's rare that I'm impressed by a display, and I don't think I've ever been this impressed by a flat panel. A jaded reviewer I may be, but even I can't help but be impressed by this plasma. The PRO-110FD measures, performs, and looks better than any other flat panel on the market, and it's one of the best displays of any type available now. No matter what type of TV you're looking to buy, you owe it to yourself to see how one of these looks, just for comparison. On second thought, maybe that's a bad idea. . .

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