The Pioneer PDP-LX508D is a high-performance bigscreen plasma TV with a Full HD resolution.
The asking price is a whopping £3,300. And that price doesn't generally include speakers or a desktop stand, either.
Compare this with the likes of Panasonic's 50in Full HD 50PZ70 - doing the rounds for about £1,200 from various online retailers - it's clear that the PDP-LX508D has one hell of a mountain to climb to justify that price hike.
A premium plasma
The PDP-LX508D begins by seducing us with its sexy looks: it's every inch the premium model in its ultra-minimalist, slender, glass-coated black bezel.
All the connections you could desire are here too, including a USB port, an optical digital audio output, a PC port, a subwoofer line out, and - naturally - three v1.3 HDMIs. These HDMIs can handle both the Deep Colour image format now found on a couple of HD camcorders, and 1080p/24 feeds from Blu-ray players.
Unquestionably the most important feature here is the TV's Kuro technology, which produces genuinely revolutionary pictures, especially when it comes to black levels.
Inside Pioneer's latest TV
These bends-inducing black levels are generated by a combination of a new pixel structure designed to reduce light and colour bleed; a new Crystal Emissive Layer built into the screen to enhance the screen's brightness, contrast and response times; plasma cells divided by unusually high walls, so that light and colour can't seep between them; and image processing designed to work completely differently for dark and light footage. In short, some killer tech that'll cost you a hefty admission fee.
Another significant trick of the LX508D is the 72Hz mode you can call in when watching 1080p/24fps footage from a Blu-ray player, which is less likely to introduce stuttering and artefacting.
Our experience with previous Pioneer KURO plasmas means we know the PDP-LX508D is going to be a cracker before we even switch it on. A more interesting question to ask is whether it's sufficiently better than Pioneer's 508XD - the comparatively-sized, HD-ready sister screen - to justify costing well over £1,000 more.
How much does the PDP-LX508D Full HD resolution improve the picture quality?
Vital image improvements
Improvements can be seen in vital areas. High definition sources, such as our Blu-ray of Casino Royale, look a little bit crisper on this Full HD screen. Particularly detailed shots look fantastically intense.
