I've been in the market for a TV in the $1000-1500 range for a while now. Of course that was LCD territory (except Vizio plasma).

Saw that Sam's had one Pioneer PDP-5010FD plasma TV brand new (box says April 2008 as manufacture date) in-the-box they were letting go for a few dollars underneath my max budget. After researching the interwebs it sounds like a killer TV. My only concern is that it is an older model and that Pioneer is exiting this market.

Did I make a mistake here? The thing is sitting in my living room still in-the-box. I didn't know if I should start enjoying it or if I should take it back and bide my time til the newer 2009 models of TV's come out.

I'd appreciate any feedback. I'm no n00b, but I'm not the experts you guys are for sure. I know there will always be better and better TV's. I just want to make sure I made a wise purchase at this point-in-time.

I'll be watching the thing upstairs in a room with lots of natural light (that can thankfully be dimmed with blinds). My only other concern is that plasmas tend to be power suckers? Were there any firmware updates for this line? Didn't see anything on Pio's web site.

Thanks for your time and help. Much appreciated. I'll just be sitting here staring at this large box in my living room!!! :)

I haven't followed prices but the 5010 is still better than almost all displays on the market. As long as it's new in the box and you are ok with the price you will love it.

There were no firmware updates for the 5010. I think the "power sucker" thing is way overblown.

Thanks for your input. I think my hesitation is just due to the fact that this came along like an impulse purchase almost. I had no idea that this was potentially this nice of a deal til I did the research. Nowhere on the tag at Sam's was the words "Kuro" which would have tipped me off big time. Due to price I just had not been exploring this type of television.

I think my initial fear was that the next model of Pio plasma would be even better and even more affordable. Making this deal (sub $1500) not that great. But now I've seen that they are leaving this market.

I'm pretty sure now that this thing will be taken out of the box soon! I have some more errands to run so I'll wait for some more posts before pulling the trigger. After that it's deciding whether to do the whole burn-in thing, etc. (more reading to do on the forums!).

Thanks again. These forums rock!

The 5010FD also has a lot more picture adjustments than the newer 5020FD.

It's a great TV, I am sure you will enjoy it.

Take that sucker out of the box, and bookmark the following pages:


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=858851

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=858455

Duly noted on both threads. One is 100+ pages the other 550+ pages. That's crazy. I guess the worst thing would be no info!!

I guess my other big decision will be whether to do the burn-in process. Seems like a lot of mixed opinions. Makes sense to me on some levels. Off to do more reading.

Thanks again for the opinions/advice. I'm feeling better and better about this purchase!

Duly noted on both threads. One is 100+ pages the other 550+ pages. That's crazy.

Very crazy indeed. But no one will mind if you post questions instead of spending the next week reading all that.

Sweet. I was hoping that I wouldn't get flamed if I asked for a years worth of Cliff Notes!

ummmmmmm, correct me if i am wrong but i have been following these set for some time at several Sams clubs here in NY and they are still at $1,999 so i am confused at how you can get one NIB for $1500 or less, seems odd and a steal if it is true?

Not sure really. I didn't see it listed on the web site at all. I just saw the demo set on display with all the other TV's. When I went back to check there was a new one sitting in the box. Not sure if it was the last one or not. But the white tag just lists the product name (nothing about Kuro...just the model #) and says it was listed for sale close to 3k in June. They had it priced right under the max price I note above. That's why I jumped. I did see the 5020 listed on BB's site for about $800 more so I figured it was a really good deal. I called the other store (there are just 2 here) and they didn't even have it in their computer. Going to set it up tomorrow. Can't wait!

pm'd you. its optional but i would break it in using D-nice recommended method and then his settings

ummmmmmm, correct me if i am wrong but i have been following these set for some time at several Sams clubs here in NY and they are still at $1,999 so i am confused at how you can get one NIB for $1500 or less, seems odd and a steal if it is true?There has been a steady stream of 5010s on Sam's Club Auctions which have been going for considerably less.

unbox that bad boy and start using it! :)

for the price you paid for it, you aren't going to find ANY display that outperforms it... this year, next year, and likely the couple years beyond that... imo, those 5010's might be the one of the greatest bargains in the history of video at the prices they are going for now... if i hadn't have been able to score a 111 at a ridiculous price during the recent feeding frenzy, i believe i would have gone in that direction...

"natural light" is a non-issue...

"power sucker" is a non-issue...

great, virtually sota display, at a steal of a price... what's not to like?

Here's one way as noted a few posts above - Sam's auction site:
http://auctions.samsclub.com/scripts/ListingInfo.asp?LotNo=79853296
The other is if your Sam's Club has a few in stock as does one store in my town ask for the manager, they will deal. If I didn't have a 5020 I would be doing the same thing the OP did or buying a 500M or 600M. Enjoy your new Kuro.

So if the Sam's store close to you has the item and you win the auction...you just pick up and pay there? If not you have to pay shipping charges?

Nevermind...I tried it out and they want $215 to ship. Have to be a steamy deal at that point.

It's out of the box. Hooked up and all I can say is....WOW. It exceeds my expectations beyond measure. Even if I wanted to take it back I have a four year old that I'd have to get through first. Guess that's the ultimate stamp of approval!

It's out of the box. Hooked up and all I can say is....WOW. It exceeds my expectations beyond measure. Even if I wanted to take it back I have a four year old that I'd have to get through first. Guess that's the ultimate stamp of approval!

way to go! :)

it only gets better once it settles in and you dial it in... :D

i'd like to join this club as well... just pulled the trigger on a 5010fd from ebay... for it $1500 signed, sealed, delivered (with insurance)... so i hope that the original poster of this topic won't mind if we advance ahead and make it a CONDENSED version/survival guide for new 5010 owners...

things that i would be especially interested in are 1) what to do first thing out of the box/callibration info and 2) optimal settings for this beast... d-nice's setting in particular...

a cut and paste conglomerate from different sources would be more helpful than links to 150+ pages, spanning a number of years :D

No problems there. I'm all for the latest gleaned info. That was step #2 for me. Going through the forums and finding out what is what.

Congrats on your purchase. I went from being unsure to having zero buyers remorse. Wish all my electronics purchases were like this one!

Thanks again to everyone who chimed in. It's a nice luxury to have access to all you guys' experiences. Much appreciated.

No problems there. I'm all for the latest gleaned info. That was step #2 for me. Going through the forums and finding out what is what.

Congrats on your purchase. I went from being unsure to having zero buyers remorse. Wish all my electronics purchases were like this one!

Thanks again to everyone who chimed in. It's a nice luxury to have access to all you guys' experiences. Much appreciated.

Above all else for right now, keep the 4 year old hands off the screen. The Pioneers use a delicate front surface film that can be easily damaged and is difficult to clean (careful use of distilled water and a soft micro-fiber cloth).

It's by far my least favorite Kuro feature.

things that i would be especially interested in are 1) what to do first thing out of the box/callibration info and 2) optimal settings for this beast... d-nice's setting in particular...

a cut and paste conglomerate from different sources would be more helpful than links to 150+ pages, spanning a number of years :D

This should get you going:

D-Nice break-in settings; use ONLY with break-in disc. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10743797#post10743797)

D-Nice reference settings for 5010 and 6010 (without service menu RGB tweaks). (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10743815#post10743815)

D-Nice settings with service menu tweaks. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13001984#post13001984)

Service menu hours check. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10788398#post10788398)

Service menu black side bar adjustment (I would leave them gray until you accumulate a few hundred hours on your display). (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12219209#post12219209)

Note that you should not screw around with ANYTHING else in the service menu, because you will void your warranty if you go in there and mess with a setting that damages your display. It is certainly safe enough to go in there if you pay attention to what you are doing, but you do so at your own risk. Also, write down all original service menu settings before you change them.

nice post p59.... yes difinitely keep anyone off the screen. its not your normal plasma so the glass is bonded with a filter on the outside of the glass.

never touch the screen and never try to clean it. worse comes to worse find the most softest clean microfiber DRY then if that doesnt do it give the cloth a tab of water and try it then.

NEVER NEVER use cleaning products on the pioneer even if the bottle says its safe to do so its NOT!!!.

enjoy your tv!

Put in d-nice settings

Quick question....I've got the 5010 hooked up to my DirectTV HDDVR (using HDMI into input #4). There is a setting on the DVR that lets me select if I want to put the DVR in native mode or just leave it in the resolution I choose.

I played around with it and can see the resolution change (there is an indicator on the front) when I move through channels. It can cause my TV to bug out a little bit for a short bit of time. No biggie as I'm sure there is some magic happening til it adjusts and locks in.

Is this optimal or should I just leave the DVR set as the highest resolution possible (1080i/1080p) and call it good?

Generally speaking, the Kuro will do better at upscaling signals than a satellite or cable box will, so it's best to let the signal pass through as "native" if the box will let you do that.

The 3-4 seconds of weirdness when you switch resolutions is normal and nothing to be concerned about.

the last poster is right, i have D* with HDVR and yes you leave it at native mode, make sure all resolutions are checked, and its normal to have a small delay.

Quick question....I've got the 5010 hooked up to my DirectTV HDDVR (using HDMI into input #4). There is a setting on the DVR that lets me select if I want to put the DVR in native mode or just leave it in the resolution I choose.

I played around with it and can see the resolution change (there is an indicator on the front) when I move through channels. It can cause my TV to bug out a little bit for a short bit of time. No biggie as I'm sure there is some magic happening til it adjusts and locks in.

Is this optimal or should I just leave the DVR set as the highest resolution possible (1080i/1080p) and call it good?

I'm a 6020FD owner and been looking to replace my kids old Sony PJ TV for a long while, but I didn't want to spend over 1k a TV for my kids to break.
Been eyeing on the PDP-5010FD for long time, but way over my budget, I know Sams auctions have them and most of the time they bid up to $1400-$1500 and additional for shipping. My brother saw it posted in Sams@$1499 last weekend and purchased one himself, he also have a 50in elite already.
But we couldn't give up the once in a lifetime deal for another (probably last) near perfect Pioneer Plasma display. (pioneer is in the top 10 company to go into bankrupt) There was three NIB and we brought two of them, this Sam in Pleasantville, NJ is only 3.5% tax and if you have Sams credit/Sams Discover, 12 months interest free promo. No Way I was going to give up this deal, NO WAY!

(I have to train my kids now on how to use this Pio carefully)

D-Nice setting is the best, In the burn in process now and can't wait to tweak it to look as stunning as my PDP-6020FD!

All you Pioneer owner, give yourself a pat on the back for getting the best FD display ever!

i have been using my 5010fd for about 3 days now with d-nice's settings and i have a couple comments about them... i have noticed that the picutre is definitely very natural... good pop on the colors with good blacks, when you have an ideal hd source transmitting through... now when i say that, i mean that not all hd is created equal... some things, even in hd, look like crap because it just doesn't look very bright... things are quite dull and i am very tempted to watch in optimum or dynamic mode... i know that those modes really "torch" the screen and aren't very acurate... but honestly, i have not been very impressed by the biblical d-nice settings that i have been hearing everyone go on and on about... no disrespect to d-nice... i am nowhere near a videophile, so i don't care really what is color acurate or not... i want it to look nice and have a fun viewing experience... i don't want to be justifying and explaining to people that it's actually the source video that sucks and producing dull colors, not the $1500 tv i just bought.....

having said all this, i do think that the dynamic and optimum modes are really overkill on the contrast and all... so what do you guys think... is there any middle ground here???

You could try these settings (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13985843#post13985843). Not as accurate as D-Nice's final settings, but maybe they'll get you closer to where you want to be.

Thanks for the extra settings. I will give these a try. D-Nice's seem ok at times, but other times the red seemed to be too much.

Overall though....I am in serious like with this TV!

Thanks for the extra settings. I will give these a try. D-Nice's seem ok at times, but other times the red seemed to be too much.

Overall though....I am in serious like with this TV!

Jumped on the Sams deal as well - how religious have you folks been about break-in? I am running the breakin dvd slideshow of colors via a usb drive connected to my oppo. is it safe to alternate b/w this and normal material if it occupies the full screen?