I have been doing a lot of research on 50" plasmas and was pretty much set on purchasing the Panasonic TH50PZ800U until I visited Best Buy today and saw the Pioneer Kuro PDP5020FD on sale for $2199. The Kuro had been well out of my price constraints. Unfortunately, Best Buy did not have the 800U Panasonic on display so I could do a side by side comparison. I read the CNET review on the Kuro that states a problem with inaccurate primary colors. I sure could not tell. The picture quality was great.

What is the consensus out there on these 2 models? The picture quality on both apear to be great. Being that the price on the Kuro is only $200 more than what I can purchase the Panasonic for, should I go with Kuro?

Only $200 more? Go with the Kuro.

The Kuro has superior black levels. That alone should make you want to get the Kuro.

Kuro for sure, though I'd wait until tomorrow to see how far the Elites come down as well.

the contrast/black level advantage of the Kuro far outweighs the relatively minor flaw of inaccurate primaries, IMO.

the PZ800U has the advantage in terms of tweakability, something that i would personally miss on the 5020. once professionally calibrated, however, this would be less of a concern....if you would be willing to go that route.

Kuro.

That's an incredible deal at Best Buy. Don't miss out.

New KURO owner. Goody Goody

Read d-nice's review on the pio xx20 and the elite version, it's in his signature. Don't judge a tv in a store or compare it. The other day I was watching an LG LCD next to a pioneer 6020 and the LG looked way better. It was sharper, colors seemed more natural and it looked smoother. If I got both sets home I know that the 6020 would smash it to bits. All those people in the stores and little kids walk by and press all the buttons on the remotes and doing who knows what to them.

Then go read all the reviews on the panaonics in the panny owners thread and do the same in the pio xx20 owners thread. Make a list of pros and cons and see which one weighs higher for you and buy it. It seems you allready have your mind made up and just need someone to justify your purchase it's just that 9/10 people will tell you to get the pio. The 1/10 has a panasonic

Thanks for the advice SharpJunkie. I read D-Nice's review earlier today. That really helped.

Get a Kuro

End of discussion.

I was curious about the same thing when it came to the kuro and the 58' 800U. I was wondering wether or not the the 8 extra inches would make up for the picture.

I was wondering wether or not the the 8 extra inches would make up for the picture.


Ask the wife. :)

lol... I just chose the Kuro against the Panny 85/850 due to superior black levels and the ability to run 24p content properly without flickering. Thursday can't come soon enough.

someone on another site said the Elite 111 is under $3k now at best buy. thats CNET's "best TV Ever".

I would say the Kuro... I would be returning my TH50PZ800U in a heartbeat and getting the Kuro...but the fact I paid $540 for my 800U BNIB makes it hard to justify $1600 difference for a Kuro. Both sets are awesome with the advantage going to Kuro for the Black levels.

Ask the wife. :)

I guess I was asking that. good one.

I would say the Kuro... I would be returning my TH50PZ800U in a heartbeat and getting the Kuro...but the fact I paid $540 for my 800U BNIB makes it hard to justify $1600 difference for a Kuro. Both sets are awesome with the advantage going to Kuro for the Black levels.

$540? how did you pull that off? 50"?

I just got a Panasonic, 80u but if I could get a Kuro I would for an extra 200.....get the Pioneer.

Kuro. The Pioneer and Panasonic aren't even in the same league

Kuro. The Pioneer and Panasonic aren't even in the same league

Pioneer = Kuro. ;)

Chris

I'd also go for the Kuro unless you plan on doing any serious gaming on it. That Panasonic has no noticeable input-lag to speak of (less than 7ms) natively; on the kuro the native lag is around 65ms but can be brought down close to that of the panny (I have no numbers here) if you disable the kuro-magic processing and only in the GAME image preset.

That'd be my only caveat. The KURO is definitely superior PQ wise.

I'd also go for the Kuro unless you plan on doing any serious gaming on it. That Panasonic has no noticeable input-lag to speak of (less than 7ms) natively; on the kuro the native lag is around 65ms but can be brought down close to that of the panny (I have no numbers here) if you disable the kuro-magic processing and only in the GAME image preset.

That'd be my only caveat. The KURO is definitely superior PQ wise.

That's not what I've heard, in regards to gaming that is.

Pioneer = Kuro. ;)

Chris

OK? Where did I say that a Kuro was not a Pioneer?

OK? Where did I say that a Kuro was not a Pioneer?

I think the way you wrote it made him think you were saying that the pioneer and the panasonic weren't in the same league as the Kuro.

I think the way you wrote it made him think you were saying that the pioneer and the panasonic weren't in the same league as the Kuro.

That's why people use "periods" and not "colons" :D

$540? how did you pull that off? 50"?

i am one of the managers at my Best Buy and I noticed that the TH50PZ800U is End Of Life with a charge back rate for $540 per month. I offered the new Home Theater Supervisor $540 to take the tv off their hands so they wouldn't get charged back that amount. Unknowingly he accepted and I got the tv for that amount.

End Of Life?

That's why people use "periods" and not "colons" :D

Just giving you a hard time. LOL! :D

Chris

Just giving you a hard time. LOL! :D

Chris

You sound like my wife :D

End Of Life?

End of Life meaning it is a discontinued model for Best Buy

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=210633886

just got this email, pioneer kuro 5020 @ buy.com for $100 more than BB, but includes BDP-51FD Player, seems like a great deal, out of my price range but figured i would post this up none the less

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=210633886

just got this email, pioneer kuro 5020 @ buy.com for $100 more than BB, but includes BDP-51FD Player, seems like a great deal, out of my price range but figured i would post this up none the less

You can not post prices or links on the forum. Just giving you a heads up. ;)

Chris

.. authorized online etailers: (+ select forum sponsors)

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/FindStore/Buy+Pioneer+Products+on+the+Internet

that Elite BR player is worth $400 bucks on ebay, good deal.

End of Life meaning it is a discontinued model for Best Buy

so any 50" 800u at Best buy right now is "End of Life"

I have a friend that works in the Magnolia part of a best buy, he was going to get me a Panny at employee discount, but turns out there are better deals to be found than that at the moment, he said Panny had a Purchase program and it may be coming back soon, which is real good prices. Anyway, think there is a chance he could do same thing on the same model at best buy or really any 50" Panny Plasma that is "End of Life"

so any 50" 800u at Best buy right now is "End of Life"

I have a friend that works in the Magnolia part of a best buy, he was going to get me a Panny at employee discount, but turns out there are better deals to be found than that at the moment, he said Panny had a Purchase program and it may be coming back soon, which is real good prices. Anyway, think there is a chance he could do same thing on the same model at best buy or really any 50" Panny Plasma that is "End of Life"

Nope... this sale wasn't supposed to happen like this... I just lucked out and did enough favors for this to slide through. I haven't heard anything about the Panasonic accommodation program coming back at all. There is some good deals... I really want the 5020.... but again... the price difference just makes it so hard for me to swallow. As I am sure he knows be careful using his discount... it is instant termination if he gets caught. I already had to let 2 people go because of this. Again... the 50" 800U's I was told are EOL... that should be the situation across the board.. but with Best Buy nothing is ever a given.

just got this email, pioneer kuro 5020 @ buy.com for $100 more than BB, but includes BDP-51FD Player, seems like a great deal, out of my price range but figured i would post this up none the less

I got the same e-mail, and it's made for an anxious day of research. I was all about getting the 800, then I see this offer. :eek:

Seems like BB is dropping alot of panels from last year about two months too early??

Seems like BB is dropping alot of panels from last year about two months too early??

could be just dumping inventory ... with how the economy is going I wouldn't want to sit on a lot of last year's model

Could be but it was explained to me at my closest one that many people are still asking daily post x-mas and now pre-SB...but all 1080p sammy plasmas and all but the 850 panny's in 50" are gone.
Said expected arrival is early March for all......sounds like no more of these and ~6 week gap or more to be able to get one of the new ones then only.
I went online and all of them that are within 30 miles of me are the same.(after some calling too)

Wow, the buy.com deal is much better than Best Buy, no tax either. Sell the Blu-ray and that's like $1950 end price. Very tempting...

A Forum sponsor has better. :)

Any idea what is driving the 5020 price down so much? I am interested in the 6020. Any news that the same price reduction will occur for that model?

someone said pioneer wont let u buy a extended warrentee if u buy off buy.com

is this true?

When I went back to BB to look at the Kuro again yesterday, one of the salesmen told me they were offering the same deal as Buy.com on this bundle a week ago for even less than the Buy.com offer. I have not been able to confirm that and I can't believe I overlooked that sale. Now I am wondering if I should wait for it to come around again instead of purchasing just the 5020 for the same price.