Pioneer PDP-507XD Review

50in Plasma TV

Picture
Sound
Features
Usability
Value

Outstanding picture quality with great connectivity and features.

89%

1365 x 768 pixels

HD Ready

Reviewed: 20 March 2007

Design

The Pioneer PDP-507XD exudes quality and style with its minimalist appearance and glossy black finish. Its understated looks will add a touch of class to any living space and its appearance will attract envious glances from friends and neighbours.

Features

At the core of the PDP-507XD lies the latest Pureblack Panel 2 with a unique Crystal Emissive Layer as part of the front glass panel, which is designed to reduce unwanted light emissions to create distinctive black levels that enhance contrast and definition.

Details

Screen size & shape: 50in 16:9

Tuner: Digital

Sound system: Stereo

Resolution: 1365 x 768

HD Ready: Yes

Contrast Ratio: 4000:1

Brightness: 1,100cd/m2

OTHER FEATURES: PUREBLACK Panel 2, Direct Colour Filter 2,PURE Drive 2HD

SOCKETS: 2 x HDMI, 1 x component, 1 x S-video, 1 x RCA A/V, 3 x Euro-SCART, 1 x PC

The PDP-507XD sports an improved version of Pioneer’s revolutionary Direct Colour Filter panel design, which does away with the ‘secondary offset image’ visible on standard plasma TVs if you watch them from the side with improvements to the screen’s phosphors reckoned to improve the colour spectrum on this panel by around 9%

Setting up the Pioneer PDP-507XD is as simple or as complex as you desire. leave the panel in its out of the box standard setting, or choose to navigate through a serious of on-screen menus to adjust virtually every aspect of the screen.

Additionally you can choose to have the screen calibrated to by a professional Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) representative.

Connectivity on the PDP-507XD is very good with twin HDMIs, component video jacks, a D-Sub PC port, a subwoofer line out, three Scarts, and two jacks there to support a built-in digital (Freeview) tuner, a Common Interface slot for adding subscription TV cards, and a digital audio output for potential Freeview Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks through an AV receiver

Performance

It was difficult to see how Pioneer could improve its 6th generation plasma offering with the 7 series, but improve it they have. Colours in particular have reached another level, with a range and naturalism that betters all of Pioneers previous screens and matches anything from its competitors.

The images delivered by the PDP-507XD can only be described as pristine, with a crisp sharpness that is almost devoid of any video noise.

PUREBLACK Panel 2 technology delivers simply the most stunning black level performance of any screen out there at the time of writing. Never have blacks been so pure with subtle graduations of greyscale detail that produce a truly remarkable viewing experience for darker scenes.

Impressively, the picture retains most of its composure even when viewing Standard Definition sources. Inevitably, you will notice the switch from the pure crispness of High Definition, but the loss of quality is nowhere near the levels of most of this screen's rivals

The Pioneer stands out further from the crowd with its impressive sonic ability. A clean and powerful sound leaves other manufacturers efforts look tame in comparison.

Conclusion

Outstanding picture quality, and in particular superb black levels separate the Pioneer PDP-507XD from the flat panel crowd. Combined with all round excellence in other departments at a reasonable price we have a class leading plasma.