Pioneer PDP-LX608D Review

60in Plasma

Picture
Features
Usability
Value

Along with the 50in model, the best TV money can buy.

HD Ready:

yes

Resolution:

1,920 x 1,080

Rating:

97%

Reviewed: 11 December 2007

Note

The PDP-LX608D sits alongside the very similar PDP-LX6080D which comes equipped with stand, but loses the Direct Colour Filter 3 technology of the LX608D.

Direct Colour Filter 3 has been designed to improve contrast in a brightly lit environment. Directly attached to the front of the screen, it aims to provide a wide horizontal viewing angle without any reflections or mirroring effects.

Design

The Pioneer PDP-LX608 at 60in is a true leviathan, and like the rest of the 'Kuro' range oozes quality and style from every pore. The glossy black slim-framed PDP-LX608D will gain as many admiring glances for its quality as for its size.

Features

By dubbing their 8th generation plasma screens Kuro ('Kuro' meaning 'black' in Japanese), Pioneer have firmly indicated in which direction their new range has been designed to excel.

Screen: 60in 16:9

Tuner: Digital

Sound System: Nicam

Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Contrast Ratio: 20,000:1

Other Features: PURE Drive 2HD, Digital Noise Reduction (DNR), Direct Colour Filter III, MPEG NR (Noise Reduction). .

Sockets: 3 HDMI, 3 SCART, Component Video, Composite Video, S-Video, PC input.

The big talking point with the latest range of Plasma TV's from Pioneer is Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. Pioneer's non HD plasma screens have been outperforming most Full HD offerings from other manufacturers, so we are are literally salivating with the arrival of these new panels.

Alongside Full HD, claimed contrast ratio has gone up from 16:000:1 to 20,000:1 bringing with it the promise of even deeper black levels.

Picture processing technology on the PDP-LX608D comes in the shape of Pioneer's PURE DRIVE 2HD which has been designed to eliminate video noise by minimising intermediate analogue-to-digital and digital-to-analogue conversions. Image processing has been optimised for Plasma screens, and to work with Pioneer's latest 8th generation screen.

PURE DRIVE 2HD is complemented by i-CLEAR Drive which employs multi bit digital video processors to increase the range of gradation levels, producing more subtle colour differences.

To ensure that picture quality on the PDP-LX608D remains consistent from the centre of the screen to its edges, Pioneer have once again deployed their 'Deep Waffle Rib' structure which has also been designed to reduce cross-pixel light and colour contamination.

Performance

The PDP-LX608D is positively crying out for High Definition material. Take a 60in screen and add the best picture performance currently available and all you need to do is immerse yourself in a true cinematic experience in your own home.

We expect beautifully sharp and detailed pictures from any Full HD screen, but the performance of the PDP-LX608 in this respect is simply breathtaking. If we hadn't already seen the PDP-LX508D in action, we would not have believed HD material could be so realistic, so dripping with detail, so believable.

The increased contrast ratio contributes to a screen with even deeper and more precise blacks. Existing Pioneer plasma owners will be glad to know that the improvement is not massive, just enough in fact to be noticeable.

With an unrivalled black level performance, we expected colours on the PDP-LX608D to impress. Again, the PDP-LX608D pushes the boundaries of colour performance, which is class leading. This screen displays unparalleled vibrancy which produced the most realistic skin tones we have seen on any flat panel. The depth and ranger of the colour palette on the PDP-LX608D puts the efforts of most other manufacturers some way behind.

If you ever manage to tear yourself away from HD material on the PDP-LX608D, the Standard Definition (SD) performance will come as a pleasant surprise. While lower quality Freeview will highlight the limitations of a 60in screen and its abilities with SD sources, move up to Sky SD and the pictures while not perfect are wholly watchable. Motion handling is a revelation for such a large screen, and overall the PDP-LX608 is a convincing performer with SD material.

Conclusion

Pioneer have created a gargantuan screen at a gargantuan price with gargantuan performance. This is the best 60in screen money can buy, and one of the best TV's of any size, at a price ...