Pioneer PDP-5070HD

Pioneer PDP-5070HD Plasma TV Review

If you're thinking about a home theater setup the Pioneer PDP-5070HD plasma TV is a good choice for just about any home. Right out of the box this system stands above the rest, not only in terms of picture quality, but also in the amount of standard features for the price.

Picture Perfect

The main reason people buy HD plasma televisions is for their incredible picture quality and the Pioneer PDP-5070HD won't disappoint. The display is a full 50 inches wide and the set comes ready to go with a built-in ATSC digital tuner capable of picking up high definition channels over the air. High-def programming from your digital cable provider can be seen with the HDMI capable cable or satellite set top box.

The Pioneer PDP-5070HD uses an exclusive Crystal Emissive Layer, which sits between the glass of the plasma display and the individual light cells. This layer conducts energy in a more efficient manner so that each cell charges and discharges faster than other TVs on the market. In addition to the CEL, this set uses Pioneer's Advanced Continuous Emission IV. The ACE IV works together with the CEL to reduce the visual steps between the levels of color. This makes the transition from one color to the next a lot smoother and less noticeable. Also, light becomes more focused and concentrated thanks to horizontal "ribs" that prevent the light from spilling over into adjacent cells.

Adding to the picture quality is the Pioneer PDP-5070HD's 1365 X 768 pixel resolution and ultra-wide 160 degree viewing angle. In many of its plasma TVs Pioneer employs Pure Drive II, which is 10 bit all digital processing that is able to keep a digital path during signal processing. By using this technology this set delivers a picture with almost no video noise or loss of quality. If that weren't enough, this TV features Dynamic Range Expansion or DRE, which helps to further reduce video noise. And the Advanced Pure Cinema 3:3 pulldown allows for smoother, more natural film content reproduction.

Great Sound and More

The Pioneer PDP-5070HD is a compact system despite the size of the display thanks to bottom mounted speakers and small footprint. Sound quality is top notch with the set's SRS TruSurround XT technology. This system simulates 3D surround sound with crisp, clear highs and fat lows. The speakers put out 10 watts of power each for a total of 20 watts. As in many of their other plasma televisions Pioneer employs the SRS WOW feature in the PDP-5070HD. This system processes standard two-channel encoded material and multi-channel encoded material to widen the soundstage. This makes for a dramatic improvement when it comes to audio playback over a two-speaker system.

Additional features include: TV Guide On Screen interactive program guide, split screen picture in picture display, AV memory selection presets (standard, dynamic, movie, game, and user configurable), aspect ratio control, and V-Chip parental controls.

Also, if you enjoy taking photos with a digital camera, the Pioneer PDP-5070HD includes the Home Gallery Feature, which allows users to look at their digital pictures right on the TV screen using an integrated USB connection.

In addition to USB the Pioneer PDP-5070HD offers these connections:

* Composite AV (RCA): 4 in (1 side), 1 out

* S-Video: 3 in (1 side)

* Component Video: 3 in (1 side)

* HDMI: 2 in

* RF: 2 in

* PC VGA: 1

* Digital audio output: 1 optical

* Subwoofer output: 1

Conclusion

There aren't many negatives about the Pioneer PDP-5070HD. It offers amazing picture quality and a vast array of features. The speakers, while slightly underpowered, will fill most average rooms with lifelike 3D sound. The set comes with a glow-in-the-dark remote control (batteries included), TV Guide control and a table-top stand and cleaning cloth. An optional wall mount is also available.

Best DVD Recorder Reviews Rating

9/10

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Pioneer PDP-5070HD Plasma TV Review
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