PDP-42A3HD Temporary Burn-in and Conclusion
I enhanced both of these images for clarity. The left screen is simply an example of what happens when you watch an hour of Television in 4:3 mode and then switch over to watching a widescreen DVD. The left and right bars are present on the screen as they represent relaxed, unused phosphors. On the right, the Yamaha RX-V2600's on-screen display background is present on a completely black screen (such as those found during the intro of a movie or scene transition). This Yamaha menu is somewhat subdued and not high contrast in nature, yet after being up for only 30 minutes it burned itself into the screen for quite some time.
Engaging the "Full White" mode from the Screen Saver menu will eliminate any of these burn-in issues, as will simply allowing the TV to run in full screen for some time. This is still, however, somewhat annoying - and something that I feel is a bit of a nuisance, even for a budget television. You can certainly avoid these issues by following some of the guidelines mentioned previously. I purposefully initiated these burn in artifacts in an effort to push the set to see how it reacted, but realize the potential for this temporary burn-in.
Conclusion
The Pioneer PDP-42A3HD plasma television has excellent color and detail reproduction. Its ability to function as a high definition display, with progressive scan and upconversion capability is both effective and recommended should you not have the ability to feed it a better source signal. Where the Pioneer stumbles is in black level detail and overall dynamic range. We have seen better performances and feel that the Pioneer ends up being an average (that is to say still good) performer in a sea of competitive displays. Still - $2499 MSRP for a Pioneer plasma display is a tempting choice when evaluating the 42" flat panel market. We look forward to evaluating one of the company's higher end PureVision plasmas as we feel they possess technologies and features that are purposefully left out of the PDP-42A3HD in order to appeal to a more cost-conscious consumer.
Pioneer PDP-42A3HD 42" Plasma TV
MSRP: $2499
715 Sycamore Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035 USA
Tel
: 408-383-3700
Fax
: 408-383-3702
About Pioneer
Electronics
Pioneer Electronics' headquarters is located in Long Beach,
California
Its parent company, Pioneer Corporation, is a leader in optical disc
technology and a preeminent manufacturer of high-performance audio,
video and computer equipment for the home, car and business markets.
The company focuses on four core business domains including DVD,
display technologies, Digital Network Entertainment,
and components.
Founded in 1938 in Tokyo, Pioneer Corporation employs more than 39,000
people worldwide.
Its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Score Card
The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:
Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating
Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.
Audioholics Rating Scale
— Excellent
- — Very Good
- — Good
- — Fair
- — Poor
| Metric | Rating |
|---|---|
| Detail and Resolution | |
| Deinterlacing & Scaling | |
| Contrast and Black Levels | |
| Color Reproduction | |
| Noise Reduction | |
| Calibration Options | |
| Build Quality | |
| Ergonomics & Usability | |
| Ease of Setup | |
| Features | |
| Remote Control | |
| Performance | |
| Value | |
