New York, NY — Last month at the boutique Gramercy Park Hotel in New York, Pioneer introduced its equally deluxe 2008 KURO 1080p line. Engineers believe the new products and new Elite Signature Series are ideally suited for the custom install market and synergize video, audio, and networking in a new way. The new KUROs are 3.7-inches thick, reduced by nearly 20 percent from the first-generation models. They include new remote controls and redesigned GUIs, a networked “Home Media Gallery” for playback of digital assets such as HD movies, music, and photos from a PC or via USB, and they are DLNA compatible and Windows PlaysForSure compatible.
Matsushita, Panasonic’s parent company, will supply the panels for future Pioneer plasma TVs since Pioneer is leaving plasma panel manufacturing business. The last generation of Pioneer-made KURO panels includes Pioneer and Elite 1080p models in 50- and 60-inch varieties and a new Elite Signature Series. The company says the new models offer true black levels, five times deeper than first-generation KURO models.
The 50-inch PRO-101FD and 60-inch PRO-141FD Elite Signature monitors are limited-edition models designed for custom installers.They are both IP addressable for remote ISF calibration, dealer diagnostics, and superior quality control. The 50-inch PDP-5020FD ($4,000) and the 60-inch PDP-6020FD ($5,500) both offer a 1-year warranty. The Elite models, 50-inch PRO-111FD ($5,000) and 60-inch PRO-151FD ($6,500), are available now.
Also at the Ian Shrager-designed Gramercy Park Hotel, Pioneer introduced new CEDIA-friendly Blu-ray players–the $799 Elite BDP-05FD and the $599 Pioneer BDP-51FD–equipped with the latest HDMI connections.
