I just went through a tv dying on the wall for no reason, and thankfully it was a Panasonic. Their customer service is first rate, and after trying to repair it twice, they're replacing it.

I understand that Pioneer is the king of the Plasma hill to this day, but I have to wonder what's going to happen in 8 or 10 months, when they're not making any more televisions, and there aren't any available anymore. What's going to happen to you guys buying them up, if something happens to your set? Are you considering this? Surely, they're not immune to failure, and if you know now that there will not be a replacement available, isn't it a bit of a risk to choose them?

Honestly, if I was spending $2K+ on a tv right now, I wouldn't choose Pioneer for that reason alone. Given that there is such a close competitor on the market (Panasonic) that doesn't seem like it's going anywhere, that would be my choice. Let's be fair - it's not like I'd be choosing a 50 to Pioneer's 100...maybe a 92. I'm good with 92, knowing they'll be around next year.

Thoughts?

Not sure what your point is (is there a reason you started a thread just to knock one brand??). I'm sure if you bought a Pioneer and an EW, then the EW company (Mack, for example) would either fix it or replace it with another comparable display. Buying a Panny is certainly another excellent option.

Not sure what your point is (is there a reason you started a thread just to knock one brand??). I'm sure if you bought a Pioneer and an EW, then the EW company (Mack, for example) would either fix it or replace it with another comparable display. Buying a Panny is certainly another excellent option.

My point is to pose a legitimate question, not to strike a nerve (which I've apparently done with you personally). Are the people snatching up the remaining Kuros thinking about this?

I am by NO MEANS knocking ANY brand (where did you get that, exactly?)...ESPECIALLY Pioneer (did I not say they were the King of the Plasma Hill?). But the fact is, they're gone. Period. If someone needs a replacement, they're SOL. What then?

I have no problems whatsoever buying a Kuro; in fact, I'm trying to snag another 50" non-elite before they're no longer available. I've already got a 5010 and a 151.

I bought my first HD television about 6 years ago, a Toshiba 52" 720p DLP. I paid more for it than my 5010 cost me. At the time, it was a fantastic display, and the conventional wisdom was that rear-projection was a "safe" bet due to no risk of burn-in, simple bulb changes, more screen real-estate for less money, etc. I still have and use this display, but it's in our exercise room, used about 20-45 min/day. Toshiba hasn't made DLP displays for a couple years, and I have no idea if they would be able to provide repair service if my display needed it.

With the economy right now, there's no guarantee that a company that produces ANY item you buy today will be around in a year, 5 years, or 10 years from now. However, I'm not going to buy what I consider to be inferior-quality products on a simple gamble that the company will be around in the future for repair reasons. By no means am I knocking Panasonic plasmas (which I have recommended to several family members and friends), or Samsung (with which I have less experience). I currently get to watch 2 of the best flat-panel displays available, and I enjoy them immensely. Of course they could die or need a repair in the future. I'll take my chances.

Of course, future repairs is something that one might and possibly should take into consideration. For me, however, it's outweighed by the benefits of owning 2 ISF-calibrated Kuros, displays that are so far and away superior to the other displays I've seen it wasn't even a tough decision.

I usually buy the best display tech. I don't want to buy the 2nd or 3rd best unless the price is out of the stratosphere. The Kuros are currently available at ridiculously low prices. I wouldn't pass one up because the competition can't even come close to the performance of the Kuro. If by chance the set goes out I'll have it repaired but most Pioneer owner's I've known say there plasmas have lasted 3-5 years with no problems and still going strong. :D

With the economy right now, there's no guarantee that a company that produces ANY item you buy today will be around in a year, 5 years, or 10 years from now.

A valid point...almost.

You're posing a possibility to argue a certainty. It's possible that, given the current economic climate, Panasonic (or any other company) could file for C11 next week. It's certain that Pioneer will not be able to offer a replacement plasma set within months.

The "I love it & don't really give a **** if I can't get a replacement next year" response is really the only one I can respect. At least it's honest all 'round.

...the competition can't even come close to the performance of the Kuro.


A gross overstatement here. No one is disputing that the Kuro is the reigning champ of flat-panel HDTV displays.

But the competition comes VERY close.

A gross overstatement here. No one is disputing that the Kuro is the reigning champ of flat-panel HDTV displays.

But the competition comes VERY close.

Name one panel that has HD AND SD performance at $2G that matches the Kuro. I'vs seen them all. Whoever matches the Kuro's performance will charge a arm and a leg 2-3 years from now. I'm thinking $4-5G. You might as well get a Kuro now and enjoy at a ridiculously low price for 2-3 years ahead of schedule. :D

A valid point...almost.

You're posing a possibility to argue a certainty. It's possible that, given the current economic climate, Panasonic (or any other company) could file for C11 next week. It's certain that Pioneer will not be able to offer a replacement plasma set within months.

The "I love it & don't really give a **** if I can't get a replacement next year" response is really the only one I can respect. At least it's honest all 'round.

There is no reason to think that parts won't be around in the near future.
I know a few dealers now that have many parts and enough to last a very long time.
And heck, even if there are no parts during the warranty period, then they will just replace the whole set with some other model.

If I was worried at all about this, I think my best bet would be to find a set with broken glass of the same model I have and store it away. With the amount of sets that get damaged by shipping companys, there are alot of them around.

Sure you can be paranoid and worry that thier is going to be some massive shortage of Pioneer parts in the future, but like the other guy said, theres no promise right now that ANY company will be around years from now.

A gross overstatement here. No one is disputing that the Kuro is the reigning champ of flat-panel HDTV displays.

But the competition comes VERY close.

For someone who is "new" to the forums, you sure seem to argue like one who has been here for ages.:rolleyes:

This is an easy problem to solve. You buy a Pioneer from BB, get a 4 year warranty, and if your set breaks in say 3 years and cannot be fixed, BB will replace your Pioneer with a second rate TV like yours. And don't fool yourself, Panasonic ain't that close.

I bought a 141 and a 111 from BB and have no worries. There's no way I could step down to a Panasonic or Samsung.

A gross overstatement here. No one is disputing that the Kuro is the reigning champ of flat-panel HDTV displays.

But the competition comes VERY close.

No it doesn't. You're just saying that to make yourself feel better about your purchase. Black levels aren't everything. Pioneer still slaps around the competition in PL (phosphor lag), image retention, noise free image and of course black levels. I also LOVE Pioneer's style. It has nothing to do with performance, but IMO it looks much more elegant than anything out there.

No it doesn't. You're just saying that to make yourself feel better about your purchase. Black levels aren't everything. Pioneer still slaps around the competition in PL (phosphor lag), image retention, noise free image and of course black levels. I also LOVE Pioneer's style. It has nothing to do with performance, but IMO it looks much more elegant than anything out there.

phosphor lag, image retention and noise free image , pioneer slaps around Panasonic?

One could argue that Panasonic does a better job on the first two with their current panels.

Panasonic's do have noise but you have to put the settings to a level of brightness that the kuros cant reach. Does this really mean they have bad noise compared to pioneer?

I do think that panasnoic's are ugly, I don't like that lip at the bottom.

Jesus Christ you guys are freakin sensitive.

For the record, I feel just fine knowing I have THE best display I can buy for the money I spent (I couldn't have touched a Kuro for what I paid for this, and everything else IS inferior IMO), and that if something happens, I'm more than covered by Panasonic's far superior customer service...and the fact that they'll still be making Plasmas next year. It's not I who is obviously trying to justify my purchase...

Again, if you just don't care that your support system is questionable...you just want the best display on the market...fantastic. That's respectable, and no one is arguing those facts. But lose the over-justification & the "my tv makes everything else look like a twelve inch black & white" attitude, because it's just not the case. Get over yourselves.

You create a thread that would probably ruffle feathers and now you are pissed at the responses you get?!?!?!

Lets make this short and sweet.....

Your old Panasonic broke and they are replacing it. Good for you and thanks for verifying that once your display is out of production, the chances of getting it repaired diminishes... regardless if the company is still making the technology behind your display or not.

So you would like to know what Pioneer will do for its customers? If they cannot repair it, they are going to cut them a check.... as long as it is still under the original Pioneer warranty. Now that your worries of other people displays have been resolved, move on and enjoy your Panasonic.I just went through a tv dying on the wall for no reason, and thankfully it was a Panasonic. Their customer service is first rate, and after trying to repair it twice, they're replacing it.

I understand that Pioneer is the king of the Plasma hill to this day, but I have to wonder what's going to happen in 8 or 10 months, when they're not making any more televisions, and there aren't any available anymore. What's going to happen to you guys buying them up, if something happens to your set? Are you considering this? Surely, they're not immune to failure, and if you know now that there will not be a replacement available, isn't it a bit of a risk to choose them?

Honestly, if I was spending $2K+ on a tv right now, I wouldn't choose Pioneer for that reason alone. Given that there is such a close competitor on the market (Panasonic) that doesn't seem like it's going anywhere, that would be my choice. Let's be fair - it's not like I'd be choosing a 50 to Pioneer's 100...maybe a 92. I'm good with 92, knowing they'll be around next year.

Thoughts?

So what exactly is your point with this thread? You complain and ridicule us for basically saying that we bought a Kuro because we considered it to be far and away the best display on the market (and that's not only owner's opinions, but an opinion shared by pretty much every professional reviewer, as well as owners of other displays that have seen my calibrated Kuro). We've all essentially implied that repairs/warranty service is not as big of an issue for us as you seem to imply it should be. Also, I for one am as confident that there will be parts/service available if I need it as I would be if I bought a Panasonic or a display from any other manufacturer. That confidence level is 50%; they'll either have the parts or they won't. I'm sorry to tell you this, but there are no guarantees in lilfe, you can make all the assumptions you want to about availability of parts in the future. Just because Panasonic still produces plasmas doesn't mean that they continue to make or warehouse a part from a plasma produced 4 or 5 years ago; technology does change, and the parts in today's plasmas or tomorrow's plasmas may not work in an older model. It's fantastic that you had a great customer service experience with your Panasonic. However, you and I both know that there are many times when the customer service from yes, even Panasonic, essentially leaves an owner screwed. The fact that they continue to produce the same product is no guarantee of anything.

In essence, you ask in the OP for our justification of buying a Kuro, then in your 8:33 a.m. post you claim that we're "over-justifying", and that you're not the one that needs to justify your purchase. It seems to me reading through this thread that you're the one having to justify your purchase by hyping up the customer service aspect over what you qualify as an inferior display. How is that any different from us hyping up the quality of the display over customer service which may or may not be an issue? At least what we're hyping and praising is a known factor; customer service is ALWAYS an unknown, despite your great experience.

D-nice beat me, but we're both basically stating the same thing.

A gross overstatement here. No one is disputing that the Kuro is the reigning champ of flat-panel HDTV displays.

But thehttp://www.****************/img/i/P.jpg competition comes VERY close.http://***************/9/P/i.jpg

Agree, the competition is getting closer and closer, more manufacturers, new products, more innovation can only be good for us all

My worry is if Panasonic decides to call it quits with the plasmas and focuses on lcd's. Would that be the end of the plasma era? Panasonic seems to be the last reliable plasma maker out there. It's getting scary.

If they cannot repair it, they are going to cut them a check.... as long as it is still under the original Pioneer warranty.

I'm thinking of buying a 151 if any "blowout" deals come. I figure I'll get an extended warranty, and after the Pioneer one is up, I can get a replacement of some other brand if it dies.

I've never owned a Pioneer plasma, but I've owned a ton of Pioneer car audio equipment through the years. Dealt with their customer service several times, it's been 5 stars all the way, at least my experience.

I have a 1 year warranty with my Kuro so I'm not worried. If it breaks after that period, then that's the dice I rolled and so be it.

If one was so fearful of a possible issue with warranty, an after factory warranty can be had for just a little bit more. It doesn't matter who makes the panel, as we all know electronics tend to have issues from time to time and the warranty is "outsourced" to companies throughout the market to service on behalf of the manufacturer. If your Panasonic fell ill, do you think they will fly someone from the middle east in to take a look?

One of your posts stated you bought the best panel YOUR money could buy, as well as each of us bought the best panel OUR money could buy. The inferior Panasonics are great and all and they are very reasonable- they just don't compare to the secret sauce that makes the Kuro the world beater it is. If you want to argue the point, then I suppose every single respected reviewer both in print and in the forum is drinking the cool-aid as they all SEE the difference the panel offers. I would prefer my Kuro for a short time than your Panasonic for a long time. I AM NOT TRYING TO BELITTLE YOU OR ANYONE ELSE, just speaking the facts.