The HD Guru recently reviewed the 50-inch Pioneer Elite Kuro PRO-111FD and, after putting the $5,000 premium plasma through its paces, called it “simply the best” HDTV he’s ever tested. Why so good, you ask?
Well, the black levels are so dark that the HD Guru’s current test equipment couldn’t even measure them, the energy consumption levels are pretty admirable, and the color saturation has improved over previous models. The Pioneer isn’t cheap, though, so you’ll have to decide A) If you have a lot of money and B) If you have a significant other who will let you spend a lot of that money on a TV. I have neither.
“With comparable color reproduction to the Panasonic 850, improved noise reduction, slightly better real world energy consumption and the best black level of any plasma tested, the Pioneer Elite PRO-111FD lands at top of the flat panel universe. On the other hand, you’ll pay a premium of $1500 over the highly rated Panasonic TH-50PZ850U. Is it worth it extra dollars? That is up to you to decide.”