Since first getting a glimpse of Pioneer's delectable 8Gplasmas at CES 2007 in January, we've been dying to put one through its paces. Andnow we have, in the shape of the PDP-508XD .

At the official launch of the range in May, the glamour of Milan was the backdrop forthis equally glamorous plasma to wow us with its unparalleled level of blackreproduction.

At the time I said that this was the kind of step forwardthat represented a serious dent in any aspirations LCD had of going toe to toe(or pixel to pixel) with plasma in the long term.

Now that Home Cinema Choice has had the chance to test onein depth, I'm happy to stand by that belief.

These 8th generation Pioneers are such a big dealbecause of their black levels, with a maximum claimed contrast ratio of 20000:1for the bigger models.

ThePDP-508XD turns this promise into breathtaking reality. The space backdrop tothe opening battle of Revenge of the Sith is described as never having looked"more convincingly, cinematically, emphatically ebony".

Alongwith Panasonic, Pioneer is well established as the unquestioned market leader inplasma performance. Well, Home Cinema Choice thought the PDP-508XD was "darkerand more dynamic than any previous Pioneer plasma".

Needlessto say, the verdict is an emphatic five stars.

Butthe scary part is that Pioneer's 8th generation models are arrivingin two waves, and the PDP-508XD is part of the first, lower specified wave.

It'san XGA set, not Full HD, its claimed contrast ratio is 16K:1 rather than 20,and it's a mid-range 50 inches across, rather than a quality-stretching 60. Allthose things have still to come.

Companies are never afraid of self-promotion, and inMay Pioneer said its 8G sets would give "the best flat panel picture quality inthe world". Looking at the PDP-508XD, we can only partially agree. We'd sayit's nearly the best. The best is yet to come.