The Zone

Last week, Pioneer had a regional launch in Singapore for their upcoming second generation Kuro plasma TVs, which also marks the introduction of their 9th generation Plasmas to the market. We didn't manage to publish this on time for the November issue of HWM, so why not tease you with some of the images from the launch itself? The new Kuro TVs sport even deeper blacks than the previous-gen televisions, and one should certainly see them in action - seeing is believing, its what they say with the Kuro! Although Pioneer did not refresh the smaller 42" market, we saw a new 60" Kuro that boasts some really juicy specs, as below;

Full HD 1920x1080 resolution with 24p capability, Enhanced Optimum Mode - a seperate white balance probe can be purchased for on-the-fly claibration of both room darkness and hue, Five times the darkness as compared to previous Kuro models, a 100000:1 contrast ratio and the capability to blow your mind.

More images after the jump!

This is Deynes Lee who brought us for a walkthrough on the total high-end AV solution from Pioneer - everything can be found in a single brand, from speakers, Blu-ray players to AV recievers.

Chin Tong Wah demonstrated the new Blu-ray disc players. Speedy startup and high image quality are hallmarks of the new series.

The full range of the second-generation Kuros.

Pioneer even brought out their first-gen laser-disc player for a trip down memory lane!

A comparision between the last-gen Kuro on the left (50") and the new Kuro (50") on the right. A good computer monitor would be able to distinguish between some backlight emmitance and none. If you want an easier comparision, check out the total light output on the left as opposed to the right and the black levels on the man's shirt. 

This is a comparision between a competitor's best plasma display (I'm sure readers will be able to tell the brand/model), the previous-gen Kuro, the current Kuro and an LCD TV, all from left to right. A truly staggering comparision to those who were present.