Pioneer PDP-428XD - 1080p Version????

[admin_exported]

I don't know if anyone else has picked this up but there are rumours in other forums and in the shops in London that Pioneer are to release a 1080p version of the PDP-428XD. This sounds odd to me as they have been banging on about how 1080p resolution doesn't matter in screens this size. Has anyone else heard anything along these lines? I'm just about to buy one of these beauties, but would hate it if they brought out a new and improved version only six months from now. Do the What hifi people know anything?

 

[Clare Newsome]

As flatscreen TVs now seem to be on a 9-12 month product cycle, I wouldn't be incredibly shocked if Pioneer announce something at the CES show in January (which is where they announced the Kuros last year), but that would be along with other model updates,for introduction from summer 2008 onwards.

However, to date, Pioneer has been firm about having no plans for a Full HD 42in in the current Kuro range.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Clare Newsome"]
As flatscreen TVs now seem to be on a 9-12 month product cycle, I wouldn't be incredibly shocked if Pioneer announce something at the CES show in January (which is where they announced the Kuros last year), but that would be along with other model updates,for introduction from summer 2008 onwards.

However, to date, Pioneer has been firm about having no plans for a Full HD 42in in the current Kuro range.

[/quote]SAME DILEMMA!!!!I can't wait any more..Its either the 428XD now,OR a FULL-HD model(most propably the Philips 42PFL9732,or the Sony KDL-W3000)

 

[Anonymous]

I wish I had never read this post - I am also in the same dilemma, however judging from the other posts everyone seems to reccommend the Pioneer over everything else in this size. IF I end up buying the 1080i Pioneer now and a 1080p comes out I will cry ....... for months!!

When is this CES show? If they dont announce anything at that then I can purchase without regret.

 

[Clare Newsome]

CES starts on Monday, but we'll be at a whole day of press previews on Sunday. Pioneer's second-up at 9am (LG start it all off at 8am!), which with the eight-hour time difference plus time to get the story posted up here to you means you should be able to read about it on Sunday evening/Monday morning.

In fact by Monday morning you should get an idea of the product plans for:

LG

Pioneer

Toshiba

Panasonic

Sharp

Philips

Samsung

and Sony!

With lots more coverage from the core hi-fi brands to follow Monday-Wednesday.

 

[Anonymous]

My guess is that Pioneer will introduce a full HD version of all its plasma's in 2008. I don't think any manufacturer is immune to the FULL HD evolution / hype.

If all other manufacturers are releasing full HD models, can a premium brand stay "behind", eventhough the benefits of 1080P are questionable at 42in?

People just want to compare specs when shopping and more importantly compare them with their neighbours. Ha ha, my TV has a higher resolution than yours... It's human nature and the basis of marketing.

 

[FuzzyinLondon]

I agree. It's likely to happen sooner rather than later and I'm sure they'll be brilliant and cost an arm and a leg. The question is whether it really matter that much? The smartest people will be those who realize that at ten feet away they barely see any difference and look around for great deals on the 8G Kuros. As someone who's just bought a 4280XD, I knew full well that there was something better around the corner, but I'm fine with that. When I decide to upgrade in a few years time, hopefully to a 50" or 60" ;-), they'll be even better and there'll be a hell of a lot more to enjoy in HD.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="PurpleHead"] IF I end up buying the 1080i Pioneer[/quote]

Purple Head (funny name... are you on drugs?!) what exactly do you mean when you describe the tv (the Pioneer 428xd I'm sure you were talking about) as being a "1080i Pioneer"? This tv does not have a native resolution of 1080 lines, nor is the maximum resolution you can feed it 1080i. It only has a 720 line resolution, but despite this, the maximum resolution that can be input is 1080p (which is then scaled accordingly). So what reason did you call it a 1080i screen? I'm not having a go at anyone in any way, shape or form, just interested because I've heard people talking about 1080i screens in the past. I reckon most these people were mistaken - it is bloody confusing. Also, you can (or used to be able to) buy 1080i screens, ie. with a 1080 line resolution and able to handle a maximum input of 1080i but you should know that even these sets don't actually display an interlaced picture; they convert the 1080i signal into a proggressive one before showing it, effectively producing a 1080p image.

 

[Anonymous]

According to http://www.digitaldirect.co.uk/products_moreinfo3/index.asp?product_id=13545

"The digital Experts" this Pioneer is a 1080i ??!!! To be honest I dont know an awful lot about TV's but I do know that 1080p is better than 1080i. Basically should I spent 1300 quid (dixons) on this TV or buy something else? How can this TV be better than a 1080p if it has a lower resolution?

 

[FuzzyinLondon]

You sound like I did 6 months ago as that was exactly I was asking myself. After doing a lot of research and going out and viewing tvs at a lot of dealers, along with the calibrated broadcast monitors we use at work, I came to the following earth-shattering conclusion: resolution is not the most important aspect of a television image. Things like colour management, motion-handling, contrast and processing are all just as important if not more so. 1080p resolution only becomes apparent when you're quite close to the screen eg. you need to sit about 6ft from a 42" screen to really see the benefit. There are a lot of people out there buying 1080p tvs who will see no real benefit from them apart from getting a bigger picture. In most respects it will feel like a downgrade in picture quality, especially if they are only watching standard definition sources. Of course it's good to have a tv that can accept a 1080p24 source, as the Pioneer does, in order to view Blu Rays and HD DVDs at their intended speed but don't look at the spec sheet, trust your own eyes.