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Pioneer KRL-37V Review |
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Reviewed: 13 December 2008
Pioneer's first foray into the world of LCD TV's has been achieved with the help of Sharp who have supplied the raw panels. Pioneer are hoping that distinctive styling, top notch build quality and their own sprinkling of picture processing magic will convince consumers to spend just that little bit extra.
Design
We liked the brushed aluminium overlapping frame design of the Pioneer KRL-37V although the rather 'industrial' look may not appeal to all. This is quite a heavy piece of kit with a very solid feel. Everyone should appreciate the top notch build quality and finish, which we have come to expect from Pioneer.
Gunmetal grey has replaced the familiar piano black finish of Pioneer's plasma range. A full length speaker runs alongside the bottom of the frame while the whole unit sits on a 15-degree swivel stand.
Features
Although the KRL-37V's panel has been sourced from Sharp this hasn't stopped Pioneer working its own particular magic in the form of some proprietary picture processing wizardry.
Screen: 37in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Contrast Ratio: 10000:1 Other Features: 100Hz picture processing, High Contrast Filter. Sockets: 3 HDMI, 2 SCART, S-video, Component Video, Composite Video, D-sub PC input.
The 'high contrast front filter' comes straight from Pioneer's range of plasma screens and offers the potential for greatly enhanced colour, contrast and shadow detailing.
Not surprisingly the KRL-37V offers a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. Pioneer have also added their take on 100Hz processing. Elsewhere there are 3 HDMI (v1.3) inputs along with an optical digital audio output, and a D-Sub PC port.
A useful feature courtesy of Sharp enables the HDMI sockets to automatically detect what device is attached to them. If you connect a PS3 to the KRL-37V, the HDMI you've used will automatically be tagged 'PS3'.
The KRL-37V features an automatic backlight adjustment facility, and there's an ambient light sensor which optimises on-screen images according to the brightness of your room.
The presence of 'KURO LINK' technology means that once the 37V is connected to another HDMI Pioneer amplifier or Blu-ray disc player, for example, a single remote control can be used to control all connected systems.
Performance
Adding 'Kuro' to the description of their new range of LCD TV's considerably raised our expectations of just what the new screens could achieve in terms of their black level ability. 'Kuro' translates as 'black' in Japanese and has become synonymous with the exceptional ability that Pioneer plasmas have achieved in this respect.
Not so long ago we would have judged the ability of the KRL-37V to produce deep rich blacks as class leading. Intense competition from the likes of Sony, Panasonic and Samsung have raised the bar for LCD performance and while the KRL-37V joins the leading pack of LCD's in this respect it is certainly not out on its own. In fact, the subtle graduations across darker scenes that we have seen on a couple of LCD with Standard Definition sources are a touch more accomplished than the Pioneer.
A fine black level ability has the added advantage of producing an excellent backdrop for colour. The KRL-37V takes full advantage of this backdrop with some of the most glorious full-bodied colours we have seen. These rich colour saturations are complemented with a subtlety to their presentation which guarantees a high level of accuracy and realism for tricky areas such as facial tones.
Not so good is an element of motion blur which can become apparent with faster on-screen action. 100Hz processing really doesn't seem to counteract the effects and we didn't notice any considerable difference in performance with the feature turned on or off.
We were impressed by the Standard Definition (SD) performance of the KRL-37V. Again, there are LCD TV's that match the Pioneer but the leading pack is small and even with a poor quality Freeview source MPEG noise was kept to a minimum. If you enjoy a Cable or Satellite feed the 37V delivers some exceptional pictures. While colours were just a touch over saturated at times, detail and sharpness were really quite exceptional.
The 37V's High Definition (HD) performance is the area where this panel really excels. Even placed alongside other Full HD screens, pictures look slightly sharper and more detailed. Edging just ahead of the competition the KRL-37V achieves a subtle graduation of detail across darker scenes that places it just a nose in front of the rest.
Conclusion
As the first LCD offering from Pioneer, the KRL-37V promised much and to a degree it has delivered on this promise. Certainly part of a leading pack of LCD TV's the only real question mark is the high price.
Pioneer KRL-37V 
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