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Pioneer has announced its new audiovisual lineup for 2007/8 which includes the new ultra-black Kuro televisions, DVD recorders and receivers.
The range brings with it the launch of Pioneer’s new slogan — “Seeing and hearing like never before” — and is part of the company’s attempt to restore its reputation as a premium brand.
There are two different types of Kuro plasmas, with two XGA models — a 42 Pioneer PDP-428XDA and a 50-inch Pioneer PDP-508XDA — and two 1080p LX models — the Pioneer PDP-LX508A and Pioneer PDP-LX608A .
All feature contrast ratios of 16,000:1 or more, 3 HDMI ports, HD tuners, and improved video processing. Meanwhile, the flagship LX range adds a 1080p resolution and a greater 20,000:1 contrast ratio.
Pioneer’s new AV range also includes two new DVD recorders with built-in SD digital tuners and 1080p up-scaling — the DVR-550HX-S and DVR-LX60D. Both devices come with onboard storage — a160Gb Hard Disc Drive (HDD) on the DVR-550HX-S and a 250Gb HDD on the DVR-LX60D. Users can rip CDs or copy MP3s from a USB source straight to the HDD to turn the recorder into a digital jukebox. Both players feature JPEG compatibility, which means you can also watch slideshows or even print photographs from the hard disk with a PictBridge compatible USB printer.
Also coming soon, are three new flagship A/V receivers — the VSX-LX50, the VSX-LX60, and the VSX-LX70. In addition to the new piano-black finish, the receivers will feature onboard Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS HD Master Audio decoding for full compatibility with Blu-ray and HD DVD.
Kuro XGA plasmas
Pioneer PDP-508XDA
Price
AU$4699
AU$5699
On sale
October
October
Size
42-inch
50-inch
Resolution
1024 x 768
1365 x 768
Contrast ratio
16,000:1
16,000:1
Kuro 1080p plasmas
On sale October October Size 50-inch 60-inch Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 Contrast ratio 20,000:1 20,000:1
DVD recorders
Pioneer DVR-LX60D
Price
AU$899
AU$1099
On sale
October
October
Storage space
160GB
250GB
Upconversion
Yes, up to 1080p
Yes, up to 1080p
DivX playback
Yes
Yes
