Doughku, don't freak out, what i'm about to tell you is true. I waited in line for a special demo of Pioneer's next generation 'advanced design' project. first they showed some background on the KURO project. Some Japanese exect saying how he wanted to make TV evoke 'emotion' with something that they said could NEVER be done before..ABSOLUTE BLACK. Black level on tv that emits ZERO light. So the tiny theater (lights off) showed today's Pioneer Elite KURO running a demo. then 'concept' suddenly turns on . They showed some gold fish swimming in a black background (HD of course)then they show it on the concept side by side. the lights were off so it was completely dark. you can tell that there is a plasma on the right showing that demo. on the left, you can't see the TV, it looked like the gold fish were FLOATING cause the black level was absolute. then they showed fireworks. looked like the fire works were really coming out of nowhere on the 'concept' model. at the end of the demo, the Count Doughku guy kept asking the dude when its coming out and how much it costs. the dude kept telling him he can't answer that question. he really wanted to buy it right there and then, not matter what the cost! this was more impressive than OLED.
Perhaps the contrast ratio is better than OLED (which says a LOT considering that the prototype OLED has a 1,000,000-to-one ratio)...But there are a lot more qualities to oled that make it the technology of the future.
I don't want to see a tv like this in person. I'm happy with my 42" Westinghouse. It likely doesn't stack up with the top of the line sets, but it seems to serve the purpose for me. I figure if I were ever to see one of these top high tech sets in person I wouldn't look at my set the same.
man I tried that once, it was without doubt the worst thing I ever had and every time I think of it I feel sick. But back on topic, I have no clue what is going on here!
http://gear.ign.com/articles/844/844444p1.html CES 2008: Pioneer's Extreme Contrast Kuru Plasma Contrast ratios? Where we're going, we don't need contrast ratios. by Matt Casamassina January 9, 2008 - Last year Pioneer introduced its industry-leading Kuro lineup of plasma televisions, which featured a higher contrast ratio, the measure and difference between true white and black, than any competitor. In fact, the company's holiday 2007 Kuro line of plasmas proved that flat-panel displays could nearly compete with the deep blacks rendered by traditional CRT sets. But as we learned at CES 2008, Pioneer was just getting started. At the big show in Las Vegas this week, Pioneer showed off its still-concept "extreme contrast" Kuro television, a 50" plasma that kicks all debates about contrast ratios and flat-panel displays directly to the curb. Pioneer has effectively for the first time in a flat-panel display achieved true black. "Thanks to the self emitting principle of plasma, we were able to crack the code on plasma luminance. Pioneer technology has advanced to the point where we have achieved virtually zero idling luminance in more than six million cells, previously thought to be impossible. The result is, in essence, absolute black with no measurable light coming from the television," said Yoichi Sato, senior executive office and chief technology officer at Pioneer. "For consumers, this creates the experience that the image is floating in space, with a picture that has exceptional detail and vivid color. Ultimately, our goal is focused on bringing to market a new KURO that unifies the extreme contrast and advanced design concepts to transcend anything currently possible in home entertainment. We feel that this will not only surpass our previous best, it will completely change the playing field." After watching a 15-minute demonstration of the new Kuro television, we have to agree. Pioneer reps brought us into a small, completely dark screening room whose center hosted two televisions: the one on the left, today's currently-available 50" Kuro plasma; and the one on the right, the new "extreme contrast" 50" Kuro. The difference in luminosity and black levels between the two sets was incredible, especially considering that today's Kuro plasmas set the benchmark for color and black levels. Even so, the "extreme contrast" Kuro plasma's black levels were so true and so black that the television could not be seen in the darkness of the room; images it displayed appeared to levitate in thin air. On the other hand, the black levels on today's Kuro appeared gray by comparison. The demo blew all of those in attendance away. The black levels on the "extreme contrast" Kuro were so deep and true that there is simply no longer any need to consider contrast ratio measurements. One could simply say, "The colors are real." Pioneer is planning to combine the "extreme contrast" technology with that in another set it displayed, a 9-millimeter thick "advanced design" plasma for the ultimate television. Unfortunately, consumers looking for the very best in form and function will have to wait just a little longer. While Pioneer wouldn't say exactly when these units would be available to the masses, it did confirm that it wouldn't happen this year. Pioneer's new Kuro televisions are already in the running for Best Technology of CES 2008
the biggest was that 27 inch Sony prototype at the show. The Kuro prototype was 50 inches don't get me wrong, the OLED is amazing, but mainstream, not anytime soon.
I fixed it for you. Sounds amazing, but I'm poor as all hell, so maybe if I'm lucky, I'll be able to afford a nice flat (plasma, OLED, or otherwise) TV in 10 years or so. At least I'll have something to look forward to!
tin- you still here? thanks for the drink- i've been swamped on the floor, but has some killer evenings- tuesday night at mix, got to sit outside- a little breezy, but a killer view and experience.
hey basso, i left last night. mix is at mandalay right? i was all over the place on tues night. had to squeeze in some gambling. did you check out the rest of the show? did you got to see BMW F1 Racing at the North end lot?
on the redeye back to nyc tonight. i hardly left the booth unfortunately, but did see some cool stuff in the venetian tonight...in the lobby, and in the towers.
Damn, the TV gets first class when I get stuck on Southwest! http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9845548-7.html?tag=nefd.only January 8, 2008 12:55 PM PST Luxury trip for Panasonic's 150-inch plasma Posted by Michael Kanellos LAS VEGAS--How do you bring a 150-inch plasma TV from Japan to the U.S.? One plane at a time. The 150-inch plasma TVs that Panasonic is showing off this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas can only be carried in the storage container in the nose of a 747, said Toshihiro Sakamoto, president of Panasonic AVC Networks company. And only one TV fits at a time. The TV has to go in the middle of the storage unit. There isn't enough clearance on the edges. Panasonic has three of the sets at the show, so three planes were used. Panasonic expects to sell these commercially in the future. Most of the time, these big TVs get bought by hotels or stadiums. Some people, however, buy big TVs for their home. Mark Cuban owns a 100-inch plus Panasonic plasma.
did they fix the durability of the tubes? (i think that's what it's called). if they still go out every 3-4 years....think of how much it'll cost to replace it..... this is my sole reason why lcd > plasma
you are thinking of dlp. they use lamps, they go out every 3 years or so, and they cost like $99-$200 to replace, no picture quality loss. plasma's use gas. the newer plasmas have 60k-100k hrs of life before they get dim. http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/plasma-display1.htm he xenon and neon gas in a plasma television is contained in hundreds of thousands of tiny cells positioned between two plates of glass. Long electrodes are also sandwiched between the glass plates, on both sides of the cells. The address electrodes sit behind the cells, along the rear glass plate. The transparent display electrodes, which are surrounded by an insulating dielectric material and covered by a magnesium oxide protective layer, are mounted above the cell, along the front glass plate.
