First, I want to say there sometimes is a misinterpretation of the written word and as a simple person we tend to "read" into statements and when we ask for clarification it is misconstrued to be a challenge or argumentative in nature.
Rest assured I am not that person who tries to belittle or challenge another's opinion. We are all proud Pioneer owner's and we all believe in our hearts we have the best value that each of our money could buy... with that said, here goes:
D-Nice, I want to thank you sincerely for the professionalism and patience in working with me last night, you are not just a miracle man... you are a PQ surgeon with the ability to get the most out of what lies in front of you. It was everything I anticipated and more, my sincere thanks to you for your time. (The man did not give up until after 1am)!!!
Playing field: I would say it was rather jaw-dropping to be able to place each panel within the same room and evaluate them as they were calibrated. D-Nice started with the 5020 and moved then to the 500 with the 600 coming up last (was well worth the wait). He calibrated with the PS3 as it was more efficient than the Denon 2500 BTCI, though we used both in comparison.
Our reference Blu-Ray was The Dark Knight (we both agreed was best movie in last 5 years) as we had two copies for direct comparison. (side note, D-Nice is quite the miracle man as on both comparisons he was able to get both discs exactly running second for second, pretty cool)
5020FD Benefits: In comparison to the other panels it was amazing to see the 5020FD really come in strong when it came to brightness comparison. With the lights on at a low level (evening lamps) one could even say the 5020FD had a more eye-pleasing picture then the 500 or the 600 at moments. Of course the black level was less to some extent but the brightness made up for this in some respects.
A benefit to the end user with the 5020FD is once it is calibrated there is no additional functionality needed as the movie setting is quite enjoyable and will maintain consistency with any programming fed to it. Additional benefits in comparison were speakers, stand and tuner capabilities- I bring this up simply because if an end user was to need these in their components and was not a true videophile the argument could be made that the 5020 has the best value of any panel in the comparison, or the market for that matter- Hands Down!
Weaknesses: Simple color saturation with reds, greens, and blues was not spot on to a wide extent. Had definite variations that were made tolerable though not entirely rectifiable per calibration (No New info there). Again, end users that are non-videophiles would not know and may even enjoy the adulterated color pallet more as it does add a more vivid red to the presentation and definitely gives a punch.
Black levels with this panel were surprisingly not on par with 500/600, though differences were quite noticeable- in no way did it make the panel a loser. The best explanation would be the 5020's deepest black level (1%) would come in at around 2.0-2.5% on the 500m and probably 1.5-2.0% on the 600m at time of calibration, not enough to know unless they were side by side in comparison.
Comparison: The 5020 was lucky enough to be compared to both the 500 and 600 independently with the Dark Knight as follows:
5020 vs. 500: The 5020 with the lights on as noted earlier was actually drawing the attention from the 500 due to brightness. Once the lights went down/low the 500 started just eating the 5020 for lunch... and I mean for Lunch. It was quite noticeable in the scene in Dark Knight where you can truly see the depth of Batman's suit and even the outline of the bat on his chest plate which was the first time I have ever seen or noticed that. I was amazed to say the least.
5020 vs. 600: The sheer size difference of the two when compared would make one believe the 50" would be able to handle the 600 with black level- not the case. I will provide more details with the review of the 600.
500m Benefits: I am writing these in the order they were calibrated to stay consistent, though truth be told this was hands down the most amazing panel in the trio. The crispness of the picture and the pop post calibration was stunning to say the least. My eyes kept noticing details which were never there before, honestly I am not making this up.
The calibration tests showed the 500 to have phenomenal colors and each were set to perfection without significant issues. The panel (600 also) has the capacity to handle up to 5 independent formats for the Pure settings (i.e. 480p,720p,1080i,1080p,1080p/24), though at first using the PS3 tricked us to believe it would only handle 3. We figured it out though. The calibration results D-Nice will send me show this panel to be utterly perfect in almost every respect. The vividness and realism of the color presentation was noticeable from the start.
D-Nice stated the 500m had the darkest black level of any panel he has calibrated to date... in the comparison to the other two panels it would be safe to say the panel appeared almost flush in black with all light sources turned off, I am not overplaying this it was simply amazing to see.
Weaknesses: Honestly, is there really any? I can not tell you anything about this panel without sounding like I am drawing straws to be believable, this panel was amazing. I think the main drawback of the 500 and 600 is the lack of ISF calibration, though the 500 is set to be in our MBR predominantly at night and the lack of ISF really isn't an issue for our usage.
600m Benefits: The simple size of the panel is probably the most impressive benefit it has over the other panels, I know that sounds lame but it really is a difference with 20% more picture to see details which are just not as noticeable on the 50" panels. The fact that this panel is so large, yet the depth is only 2.5 inches makes one really appreciate the craftsmanship Pioneer has taken in building such a beautiful panel.
The dialing in of the calibration seemed more intensive for D-Nice and required more significant alterations to get the quality of picture to the level he has it at. It was educational in many respects to see the time he took to treat each panel independent of the other, rather then piggy back settings from each.
Weakness: Weakness is not the right word really, the 600 has some isolated needs then the 500 and 5020 and takes a little more critiquing.
The 600m black level is and was noticeably different from that of the 500m, though a shade darker in appearance to the 5020. D-Nice explained in detail even though I had run the break-in DVD for the predetermined time the pixels had not yet been completely broken in and the slight blob in the middle of the panel (where it was its deepest black) would continue to spread to the entire panel culminating in its final setting after 700-800 hrs of usage.
I believe him entirely as the comparison of the 500 showed this panel still had some work to do since we have only had it over a month and it may have 300-400 hrs usage max (Also no breakin DVD was used on 500/5020).
Another challenge we had with the 600m was the settings with the Time Warner Cable box the Denon AVR989 and the Denon 2500 BTCI. With the cable feed after calibration there was a slight grey haze present at which point D-Nice noticed immediately and changed the settings of color within the 600 from Auto to RGB (16-235) whereas the TV wanted to set them from RGB (0-255) when placed on Auto. Only a true experienced professional would have noticed the difference and known what to do to rectify the problem.
Closing: As of today, the most astonishing panel post calibration for PQ had to be the 500m, it handles the source material with the most impressive and realistic colors I have ever witnessed. The black level was as pitch black as could be possible and may still have room to go deeper, the bezel and the black box were truly one and the same while handling both bright and dark scenes with the source material.
I will say my hopes and aspirations for the 600m are riding on the fact the black level will in fact deepen with the discussed usage, much like the 500. If this comes to fruition the 600m will be the King of the hill simply for the fact of its enhanced picture size and the detail provided as a result. Post calibration the black level appears deeper than before with D-Nice's assistance and the future for the panel is greatly anticipated.
I have discussed with D-Nice the posting of the specific settings for each panel and as the true professional he is he stated it was entirely up to me. I own my own business and depend on my staff's honesty and integrity to insure we are doing right by others... I say this simply because I will post all that he provides me in an effort to insure each of you benefit from the information provided.
I would ask each of you though to understand the true benefit of the pro calibrators and what they accomplish isn't just the settings but the independent calibration of each panel. This is the reason there is differing opinions and outcomes from each of our panels, they may all be built alike but there does seem to be uncontrollable variations, this is where the pros like D-Nice show how valuable they really are.
This winter I will be constructing our home theater and have my eyes on the JVC 750-DLA as my projector of choice and before I do anything I will consult D-Nice and have him set me up for success as he has with the Pioneer's I am blessed enough to enjoy.
Sorry for the length and please feel free to critique my review as I appreciate all the feedback we can get!!!
The calibration of these sets has really given me perspective and enhanced the commitment to the Pioneer Kuro line. It is amazing what a professional calibration can accomplish. The subtle differences in the panels are fun to debate and talk about but at the end the enjoyment they provide is well worth the investment whether or not they are a 5020 or an 151 elite I am sure.
I will not sully this review by saying these panels are equal or lesser in nature they are true benefits to each Kuro line and all of us who are lucky to own one should be thankful we have the best of the best.
Rest assured I am not that person who tries to belittle or challenge another's opinion. We are all proud Pioneer owner's and we all believe in our hearts we have the best value that each of our money could buy... with that said, here goes:
D-Nice, I want to thank you sincerely for the professionalism and patience in working with me last night, you are not just a miracle man... you are a PQ surgeon with the ability to get the most out of what lies in front of you. It was everything I anticipated and more, my sincere thanks to you for your time. (The man did not give up until after 1am)!!!
Playing field: I would say it was rather jaw-dropping to be able to place each panel within the same room and evaluate them as they were calibrated. D-Nice started with the 5020 and moved then to the 500 with the 600 coming up last (was well worth the wait). He calibrated with the PS3 as it was more efficient than the Denon 2500 BTCI, though we used both in comparison.
Our reference Blu-Ray was The Dark Knight (we both agreed was best movie in last 5 years) as we had two copies for direct comparison. (side note, D-Nice is quite the miracle man as on both comparisons he was able to get both discs exactly running second for second, pretty cool)
5020FD Benefits: In comparison to the other panels it was amazing to see the 5020FD really come in strong when it came to brightness comparison. With the lights on at a low level (evening lamps) one could even say the 5020FD had a more eye-pleasing picture then the 500 or the 600 at moments. Of course the black level was less to some extent but the brightness made up for this in some respects.
A benefit to the end user with the 5020FD is once it is calibrated there is no additional functionality needed as the movie setting is quite enjoyable and will maintain consistency with any programming fed to it. Additional benefits in comparison were speakers, stand and tuner capabilities- I bring this up simply because if an end user was to need these in their components and was not a true videophile the argument could be made that the 5020 has the best value of any panel in the comparison, or the market for that matter- Hands Down!
Weaknesses: Simple color saturation with reds, greens, and blues was not spot on to a wide extent. Had definite variations that were made tolerable though not entirely rectifiable per calibration (No New info there). Again, end users that are non-videophiles would not know and may even enjoy the adulterated color pallet more as it does add a more vivid red to the presentation and definitely gives a punch.
Black levels with this panel were surprisingly not on par with 500/600, though differences were quite noticeable- in no way did it make the panel a loser. The best explanation would be the 5020's deepest black level (1%) would come in at around 2.0-2.5% on the 500m and probably 1.5-2.0% on the 600m at time of calibration, not enough to know unless they were side by side in comparison.
Comparison: The 5020 was lucky enough to be compared to both the 500 and 600 independently with the Dark Knight as follows:
5020 vs. 500: The 5020 with the lights on as noted earlier was actually drawing the attention from the 500 due to brightness. Once the lights went down/low the 500 started just eating the 5020 for lunch... and I mean for Lunch. It was quite noticeable in the scene in Dark Knight where you can truly see the depth of Batman's suit and even the outline of the bat on his chest plate which was the first time I have ever seen or noticed that. I was amazed to say the least.
5020 vs. 600: The sheer size difference of the two when compared would make one believe the 50" would be able to handle the 600 with black level- not the case. I will provide more details with the review of the 600.
500m Benefits: I am writing these in the order they were calibrated to stay consistent, though truth be told this was hands down the most amazing panel in the trio. The crispness of the picture and the pop post calibration was stunning to say the least. My eyes kept noticing details which were never there before, honestly I am not making this up.
The calibration tests showed the 500 to have phenomenal colors and each were set to perfection without significant issues. The panel (600 also) has the capacity to handle up to 5 independent formats for the Pure settings (i.e. 480p,720p,1080i,1080p,1080p/24), though at first using the PS3 tricked us to believe it would only handle 3. We figured it out though. The calibration results D-Nice will send me show this panel to be utterly perfect in almost every respect. The vividness and realism of the color presentation was noticeable from the start.
D-Nice stated the 500m had the darkest black level of any panel he has calibrated to date... in the comparison to the other two panels it would be safe to say the panel appeared almost flush in black with all light sources turned off, I am not overplaying this it was simply amazing to see.
Weaknesses: Honestly, is there really any? I can not tell you anything about this panel without sounding like I am drawing straws to be believable, this panel was amazing. I think the main drawback of the 500 and 600 is the lack of ISF calibration, though the 500 is set to be in our MBR predominantly at night and the lack of ISF really isn't an issue for our usage.
600m Benefits: The simple size of the panel is probably the most impressive benefit it has over the other panels, I know that sounds lame but it really is a difference with 20% more picture to see details which are just not as noticeable on the 50" panels. The fact that this panel is so large, yet the depth is only 2.5 inches makes one really appreciate the craftsmanship Pioneer has taken in building such a beautiful panel.
The dialing in of the calibration seemed more intensive for D-Nice and required more significant alterations to get the quality of picture to the level he has it at. It was educational in many respects to see the time he took to treat each panel independent of the other, rather then piggy back settings from each.
Weakness: Weakness is not the right word really, the 600 has some isolated needs then the 500 and 5020 and takes a little more critiquing.
The 600m black level is and was noticeably different from that of the 500m, though a shade darker in appearance to the 5020. D-Nice explained in detail even though I had run the break-in DVD for the predetermined time the pixels had not yet been completely broken in and the slight blob in the middle of the panel (where it was its deepest black) would continue to spread to the entire panel culminating in its final setting after 700-800 hrs of usage.
I believe him entirely as the comparison of the 500 showed this panel still had some work to do since we have only had it over a month and it may have 300-400 hrs usage max (Also no breakin DVD was used on 500/5020).
Another challenge we had with the 600m was the settings with the Time Warner Cable box the Denon AVR989 and the Denon 2500 BTCI. With the cable feed after calibration there was a slight grey haze present at which point D-Nice noticed immediately and changed the settings of color within the 600 from Auto to RGB (16-235) whereas the TV wanted to set them from RGB (0-255) when placed on Auto. Only a true experienced professional would have noticed the difference and known what to do to rectify the problem.
Closing: As of today, the most astonishing panel post calibration for PQ had to be the 500m, it handles the source material with the most impressive and realistic colors I have ever witnessed. The black level was as pitch black as could be possible and may still have room to go deeper, the bezel and the black box were truly one and the same while handling both bright and dark scenes with the source material.
I will say my hopes and aspirations for the 600m are riding on the fact the black level will in fact deepen with the discussed usage, much like the 500. If this comes to fruition the 600m will be the King of the hill simply for the fact of its enhanced picture size and the detail provided as a result. Post calibration the black level appears deeper than before with D-Nice's assistance and the future for the panel is greatly anticipated.
I have discussed with D-Nice the posting of the specific settings for each panel and as the true professional he is he stated it was entirely up to me. I own my own business and depend on my staff's honesty and integrity to insure we are doing right by others... I say this simply because I will post all that he provides me in an effort to insure each of you benefit from the information provided.
I would ask each of you though to understand the true benefit of the pro calibrators and what they accomplish isn't just the settings but the independent calibration of each panel. This is the reason there is differing opinions and outcomes from each of our panels, they may all be built alike but there does seem to be uncontrollable variations, this is where the pros like D-Nice show how valuable they really are.
This winter I will be constructing our home theater and have my eyes on the JVC 750-DLA as my projector of choice and before I do anything I will consult D-Nice and have him set me up for success as he has with the Pioneer's I am blessed enough to enjoy.
Sorry for the length and please feel free to critique my review as I appreciate all the feedback we can get!!!
The calibration of these sets has really given me perspective and enhanced the commitment to the Pioneer Kuro line. It is amazing what a professional calibration can accomplish. The subtle differences in the panels are fun to debate and talk about but at the end the enjoyment they provide is well worth the investment whether or not they are a 5020 or an 151 elite I am sure.
I will not sully this review by saying these panels are equal or lesser in nature they are true benefits to each Kuro line and all of us who are lucky to own one should be thankful we have the best of the best.
....Enjoy them all and take care!
