squidget

I currently have a 43 pioneer from 2005 which still kicks ass but I'm in the process of moving and what better excuse to get a new TV? Best Buy has the Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD on clearance for 2 grand. And now that Pioneer is out of the TV making business this seems to be only chance to snag a Kuro before it's too late. So, I guess the question is should I bite the bullet and get the Kuro now or wait another year and something Kuro worthy will be out?

tommyp007

Get the Kuro while you can. My guess is mor like 5+ years before tv's approach that level of quality for the price.

greymatter

Yea, Kuro is in a league of its own. just dont get why pioneer is going to stop making them anymore

squidget

rumor has it was cost - they are expensive to make, so they are expensive to sell/buy however most folks buy the cheaper (much cheaper) LCD's and they were not making that much of a profit.

DthRdrX

Pioneer exited selling TVs. They just cut 6,000 to 10,000 workers worldwide a couple weeks back. I was worried that they were going to stop selling receivers given some of the deals that have shown up over the last few months.

edclem

I'll chime in with another recommendation to buy a Kuro while you can.
I have an older Kuro (the 5080), and it's stunning. I can only expect that the newer 1080p models are that much more impressive.

sg2386

It's an AMAZING tv!

I bought the 60'' in Dec. 2008 for my basement, it cost me over 5 grand but was definitely worth every penny...picture quality is awesome with my PS3, 360, HD PVR and upconvert DVD player hooked up.

Still have to find a decent home theatre receiver (thinking about the Pioneer Elite) and tower speakers for it though. The receiver i currently have hooked up is about 3-4 years old, and think it's time to upgrade it.

Great tv though, should definitely get it especially for 2 grand.

SUPERMANROB

I would have to agree and go with the Kuro. It will be awhile before anyone will get to that league again.

sg2386 if your after good SQ I would suggest plugging more your budget into your speakers and get middle of the road AVR($500 area).

Sdallnct

They are selling the Kuro's around here for about $2,000. Which is just a fantastic deal. I just can't justify it, but did give it some thought.

I went and looked at one at one of the higher end stores. They do a good job of set up and calibration. OMG it is such an awesome picture. It it really a shame that big box stores ruined peoples perception of getting a TV. It became all about size, flatness and cost. Nobody asked for quality....

As for waiting, I don't believe getting a better picture quality is a priority for most makers. It is all about size, cost and gee wizz numbers. Yea, there are some exceptions, but I think they will be "niche" products that will be expensive. Ok realistically, the Kuro would be considered a niche product. But now it is less than half the price of just a 18-24 months ago.

yakuza70

I have to agree with everyone else. Jump at this opportunity or else you'll regret it for a long time. I have a Pioneer Kuro 5020d 50" and couldn't be happier. It does a very good job of displaying standard def tv too - much better than any LCD I've seen. The only problem is when I go over to my family and friends' houses and watch tv there, I cringe at the black levels and color reproduction of their tvs.

nmr1723

Another vote for the Kuro. I just got a KRP-500M (very similar to the 101FD Sig. Elite)...and the improvement over my old Sony A10 (LCD Rear Proj.) is remarkable. The black levels, the shadow detail, and the colors. It has the "pop" that my Sony lacked. It also handily beats my Panny plasma in my bedroom too...the PQ is that good...

squidget

Sadly I haven't gotten it yet. The move cost more then I had originally budgeted for so I'm doing the wise thing and not getting a TV. *sniffle* It's still there - here's hoping it will hang around for another few months.

JimRochester

Too bad. A year and half ago I was doing very well financially and had contracted for the 60" at around $6000. I was just waiting for one to come in. At the end of January I got laid off and just couldn't justify the cost. I picked up the top of the line (at the time) 58" Panasonic for around $3500. Although the Pioneer was a kick-ass picture I just couldn't justify the expense. Sadly I'm sure the recession hit a lot of folks just like me. Even people who had jobs were worried about losing them and that will greatly cut down on the number of people willing to dish out the money for the top TV made. I also agree that stores like Best Buy and the other chains made it much more about square footage than quality.

Breakfast with Girls

Well, I missed the boat on this one—wish I had seen this thread 3 weeks ago! I just called around to electronics stores in the area and the only clearance model still in stock was a floor model, which I'm not crazy about (I'm sure they kept it in torch mode).

jackson walker

Pioneer sold their Kuro technology to Panasonic. In fact, word is a lot of the Kuro engineers are now either working or consulting in the Panasonic Plasma division. Now this doesn't mean Panasonic Plasmas will soon be as good as the Pioneer Kuros, but at least they might.

DthRdrX

That sounds good, hopefully Panny continues selling them.

rexinnih

That would be great. In the market for a TV next year when we get a new house.