Experience in buying a Pioneer 5070 from an AVSForum sponsor.  

After finding the Pioneer 5070 was in stock on TVAuthority WEB page 7/25/2006 I use the live chat feature on the TVAuthority home page and got an almost immediate response from Brian Meserve 1-888-286-5353 ext. 522. I told Brian I was an AVSForum member.

Brian asked my name on AVSForum and brought up my information from AVSForum. He said since I was a member he could let me have the Pioneer for (the AVSForum price) which included shipping and the pixel perfect guarantee. We discussed that I had to pay shipping back if I took advantage of the pixel perfect option. When I ended the online chat I received an email containing everything that was type on both sides within five minutes of terminating the chat.

The next day 7/26/2006 at 1211 PM I called Brian and placed the order using a credit card with TVAuthority. I told TVAuthority that I also wanted the RepairMaster two year extended warranty after the one year Pioneer warranty expired. I know it can be very costly if anything goes wrong with the plasma and for my piece of mind I justified the extended warranty.

Within ten minutes I had an email containing my Order information, order number and bill of invoice. I notice later in the day my credit amount available on my credit card had been reduced by the amount on the invoice. My credit card was not charged. The next day I got a call from my credit card company verifying that I had made the purchase. On 7/29/2006 the amount appeared on my credit card.

Brian gave me a delivery date of August 3, 4 or 7 depending on the shipping company. TVAuthority placed the order and the product is shipped from a Pioneer warehouse or a Pioneer major distributor warehouse. On 8/1/2006 at 4:30 PM I received an email from TVAuthority with my tracking number and the shipper was Target Logistic Services. Target Logistic had picked up the 5070 from Krystal Tech-Las Vegas on 7/31/2006 at 3:28 PM and I received a telephone call from Target Logistic 8/3/2006 at 1020 AM ready to deliver the plasma. The delivery truck was at my door August 3 at 1120 AM. The delivery person brought the box into my home and helps me unpack the plasma.

The box was in perfect condition and on unpacking I found the Pioneer 5070 to be in perfect working condition. TVAuthority told me that when I sign for the plasma to write on the delivery invoice (Subject to Inspection) and that would help if something was wrong.

My wife found one stuck pixel green left side 5 inches from the left side center of the screen when the screen was white. You have to be within one foot of the screen to see it when that area of the screen is white. AVSForum members had stated previously that it was almost impossible not to find two to four bad pixels. When I bought my previous Pioneer 4330 plasma in 2003 the 4330 had three stuck pixels. I am going to keep the 5070.

I would like to thank all the AVSForum members who write information on the plasma forum for that information and the wonderful Pioneer 4330 I currently watch help make my decision to buy the Pioneer 5070. I am using D-Nice settings for the 200 hours break in period and with those settings I can say the picture is far better then my Pioneer 4330. Using Pioneer recommended settings for the 5070 the picture is wonderful.

I thought a very long time before deciding to buy from a Pioneer Internet dealer. I could think of all kind of things that could go wrong. I had bought my 4330 plasma from a local brick and mortar store because I new I had someone local if I had problems. I am very satisfied with the service provided to me by TVAuthority. I highly recommend you consider the AVSForum sponsor TVAuthority when you decide to purchase your HDTV. :)

You are very wise for if you cannot see them from where you watch then you never think about having stuck pixels. I wonder how often someone take advantage of the pixel perfect gurantee for it must be a hassle to repack the plasma and then pay shipping and arrange to have it picked up. Plus have to go back to your old setup while waiting for another one to be shipped.

I installed the Pioneer 5070-HD on Thursday 8/3/2006 and I have watched it for one week today. I am really amazed how good standard analog COX cable is on this plasma. The plasma does an outstanding job of up converting the NTSC standard signal. I think high definition is really spectacular. Far superior pictures then I receive on my 2003 Pioneer 4330. Until now I thought the Pioneer 4330 had an outstanding picture.

However I do have a few dislikes that I will describe:

• Pioneer 5070 HDMI input ports only allow linear PCM (STERO 2ch). To get Dolby digital I have to hook my DIRECTV HR10-250HD TIVO up using component cables. Try to send Dolby digital via HDMI to the plasma you do not get sound on the plasma. Turns out the picture sent by my DIRECTV HR10-250 is better using component verse HDMI input for the Pioneer 5070 does a better job of up converting the picture then the HR10-250.

• Pioneer will not passed Dolby digital from its optical output terminal to the Dolby digital receiver if the input source is anything other then antenna A or antenna B.

• Sending PCM sound from the HR10-250 to the Pioneer 5070 and playing PCM to get sound on the Pioneer 5070 and the Sony receiver the sound has an audio delay (echo). I am using optical Dolby digital from the HR10-250 to the Sony receiver.

• Only antenna input A allows digital broadcast reception. This would not normally be a problem but cable card only works with antenna input A. I would like to receive the digital channels broadcast by COX Cable using cable card and still receive over the air digital signals from an attic antenna.

• TVGuide portion for the Pioneer 5070 lists stations that are not in my viewing area and not available via Cox Cable. Probably a function of TVGuide when you select the available Zip Codes for your area.

I believe this to be an outstanding plasma and I made the correct decision for me for I was considering between Panasonic 60 or 600, NEC, Hitachi and Pioneer. Using the AVSForum sponsor TV Authority allowed for a very decent price for the Pioneer. From reading the plasma forum most people are happy with their decision by choosing the brand they believe has the best picture and features for them.

See above for the answers to your questions.

Per the first read in this forum if I had to pay nearly the MSRP for the Pioneer 5070 at a local Brick and Mortar store plus 8.5% sales tax I probably would not have bought the set. I have been a member of this forum since 2001 and have come to believe that most plasma have at least one stuck pixel that you can see when you get with in one foot of the screen. You need to feed the screen all white, all blue, all red and all green to be certain. Manufactures will not allow you to return a plasma with a stuck pixel unless you can see them from normal watching distance. My Pioneer 4330 has three stuck pixels and the new Pioneer 5070 has one. Both sets you have to look for a long time and be with in a foot of the screen to locate them. Since July 2003 I have made it my hoppy when going to any electronic store of searching for stuck pixels. They are there and on all brands. Of course I had the option with TVA of returning the set. TVA would drop ship a new set and pick up the old set at the same time. That set no matter what the brand would have had stuck pixels. I very happy to only have one. :)