Pioneer PRO 111FD – 50 Elite KURO plasma TV with built-in network media player – widescreen – 1080p (FullHD) – HDTV

By HDTVReviewsDigest | Published: November 10, 2009
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Pioneer PRO 111FD - 50" Elite KURO plasma TV with built-in network media player - widescreen - 1080p (FullHD) - HDTV
 
Manufacturer: Pioneer
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $4,499.99
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Product Description
Discover a flat panel so revolutionary, so pure, so powerful, television will never look the same. Experience seeing and hearing like never before with the new Pioneer Elite® KUROTM PRO-111FD. Experience high-definition in the most complete, detailed form available today, on this stunning 1080p Elite Flat Panel Television. The next generation in flat-panel televisions has arrived. Built with the highest resolution (1920 x 1080p), the new Elite KURO PRO-111FD offers an entertainment experience of unequaled measure. Delivering even more powerful, industry leading black levels than its predecessor, the new KURO surpasses anything previously thought possible with a five times improvement in black level performance. The new Elite KURO provides added depth and dimension, richer colors and more pristine detail to everything you see, hear and feel. Engineered for the ultimate experience in sight and sound, this revolutionary new flat panel harnesses technology designed to attain perfection. Our goal, to provide an unmatched HD experience that surpasses the standards of flawlessness - no matter what you watch. With the brains of an all-new Optimum Mode setting, this incredibly intelligent television can seamlessly monitor content and room light conditions, including color temperature, all the while analyzing and finely adjusting both audio and video settings for an incomparable experience. Suddenly, sports, movies and news appear different, more real, more authentic, just as they were intended and in the most faithful and pristine way, never before seen and right in the comfort your own home. The Elite KURO is a dream come true. For our most discerning entertainment connoisseurs, the Elite KURO is equipped to go beyond the standard set of audio and video settings. Further flexibility and distinct user settings can be finely tuned and set using the ISFcccTM calibration feature for both daytime and nighttime viewing.

Product Details
  • High-Definition 1080p Resolution (1920 x 1080p)
  • 5x Deeper Black for Unmatched Contrast
  • Ability to accept 480i / 480p / 720p / 1080i / and TRUE 1080p 24fps signals
  • New Thinner Cosmetic Design with Elegant Acrylic Bezel
  • IP Network Compatibility Designed to DLNATM Guidelines: DLNA Version 1.5

Video Reviews
No video reviews found for this product.

Customer Reviews
top of the line, unbelievable.
 
Review Date: October 29, 2008
Reviewer: John, San Antonio, TX
I purchased this TV 2 months ago (9/2008) from a local store. This TV is hands down the best TV on the market! 5 stars. I haven't found a single thing that I don't like about it.

It is hard to put into words how much better this TV was compared to every other TV in the store. The picture is bright and crisp. Hands down had the best picture in the store... Why? Bright Colors and a million shades of black.

There are so many more shades of grey and black that you'll see on this TV that you won't see on another TV until they are side by side and you see what you're missing. One of my all time favorite movies is Apocalypse Now. When you watch a movie like Apocalypse Now that has a lot of night scenes, you'll notice so much more detail because it doesn't come up as just black. You'll see the water move, you'll see the detail in the dirt... There are all these details that you never saw on a regular TV (or older plasma for that matter).

If you look at my other reviews, you'll see that I have a Samsung LCD TV that I reviewed a year ago. That is a great TV that hangs in front of the treadmill. The samsung is great where it is and is just fine for watch the evening news or for watching 30 Rock. But if you want to see the details in movies, you need to get a KURO. The KURO blows that TV out of the water for picture quality and for sound. There is a big price difference, but you'll see the difference in the picture!

*** Additional comments on the picture*** I watched the final table on ESPN the other night on my Samsung LCD. On that TV the Phillips fan in white t-shirts were all blued out because of the black lights and you can't make out the people at all. I just flipped the channels and see that on the KURO, they aren't blued out and you can see all them and make them out. Truly amazing. I don't know how much of this is because of Time Warner HD or the TV set, but there is a remarkable difference.

Another thing that I've really noticed is that text is so much cleaner and the lines of the text are perfect. There is so much difference it's hard to put it into words.

This is an expensive TV, but you wouldn't be reading this if you weren't interested in buying it. So, if you have the money, this is the TV that you'll want to buy. The picture will blow you away.

I keep editing and adding to this review because I keep finding more and more things that I really like. I've talked about the picture, but the sound is truly amazing for a TV. You can watch any action movie and use the TV speakers and you won't be disappointed. I have mine hooked up to a Denon 4308 amp and 6 Klipsch speakers and the sound system is great. BUT HONESTELY, YOU COULD ENJOY ANY ACTION MOVIE WITHOUT THIS SETUP. The dialog is crisp and has more bass than not expected. You could very easily get a silimar effect by getting a small subwoofer and connecting directly to the back of the TV. Overall, the sound on this set is very good for a TV.

Options- This TV is loaded with customization and options. If you're like me and want to have the adjustments to get things just right, you're going to appreciate the many ways you can adjust the picture and sound.

To wrap it up-
~The best picture possible
~Great sound right from the included speakers
~Lots of options and the ability to customize all aspects of the picture and sound
Hands down the best TV out there right now!
 
Review Date: December 13, 2008
Reviewer: GErianne, Watertown, CT United States
The Pro-111FD Kuro ('black') certainly lives up to its name. It produces jaw-dropping, deep blacks that make its true-to-life colors look all the more beautiful and stunning. The wide range of user-selectable as well as automatic features that protect it from 'burn-in', largely eliminated this as a concern for me about buying a plasma TV. The Energy Save feature of this TV also reduces the long-standing concern over the cost of operating a plasma TV.

The picture is as bright as it is beautiful, putting it on a par with some LCDs for brightness. The user-selectable automatic light sensor and automatic color sensor work well to automatically adjust the picture brightness/color for different room lighting conditions.

Sound output from the (optionally) side-mounted speakers is excellent, with automatic as well as user-cusomizable settings to adjust the sound for a wide variety of tastes and environments.

There are 4 HDMI input terminals and other outputs, as well as a USB port, Ehternet cable port, and PC input terminal that provided me with a wide range of interconnection possibilities for my home theater set up - with lots of expandability left over.

The seven AV settings (picture presets), except for Optimized, can be customized. There are two 'hidden' modes, ISF-Day and ISF-Night, that will appear if this TV is calibrated through the service menus, and can be locked so the settings can't be changed without accessing the service menu again. Although the Standard AV setting is the only one that can be customized for EACH input (cable, satellite, DVD, BluRay), the other customizable settings that are shared between inputs provide enough versatility to support most tastes - or needs.

Buttons on the remote are somewhat small and some are not backlit, making selection in a dark environment less friendly than it could be. On the plus side, the remote is comfortable in the hand and can be programmed to operate a variety of devices using codes (provided in the User's Guide) or via a learning mode.

This Pioneer Elite is truly a class act. Even the User's Manual, with it's glossy, deep black cover, smacks of class! The absolutely stunning picture on this TV vastly outweighs any minor shortcomings this plasma TV may have. In short, if you love home theater, movies, and watching high def TV, give this Kuro very, VERY serious consideration. It is, without a doubt, worth the price. I have absolutely no regrets about purchasing this fantastic TV and would recommend it to anyone - in a heartbeat!
All HDTVS will be measured to this mighty Pioneer KURO!
 
Review Date: March 20, 2009
Reviewer: Porfie Medina, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
I purchased the Pioneer Pro 111-FD a little over a week ago and I absolutely love it. I am pretty familiar with HDTVs since I purchased my first 1080p TV in October of 2006. I am upgrading from a SONY 46 inch XBR3 LCD which I also loved. The colors on that TV would just pop out and the sound was great as well. There were a few things about that TV (and many others on the market today) that I could just not get past and that was the black level. My old SONY LCD was top of the line and had better blacks than most TVs even on the market today, but once I saw the Pioneer TV at a magnolia Best Buy I was blown away at how black the blacks were. I mean the blacks on the TV are like no other, and no plasma, LCD, or even LCD with LED lighting can compare to this Pioneers amazing black level especially when viewing from any angle. The colors look more realistic and no so cartoonish and fake. I have been accused of being a huge SONY fan boy and some people even accused me of working for SONY because of the TV review I did for my old TV here on amazon in late 2006. I have always loved Sony products, but lately I have been disappointed with the direction (greed) Sony is going in. I never thought I would purchase a TV other than SONY, but seeing is believing and this PIONEER Kuro pro 111-fd is the best looking and most highly rated HDTV on the market today and I researched this for months. I also loved the fact that unlike my LCD the colors don't get washed out of foggy like when you're watching it from an angle or not directly front and center. Even though I am familer with HDTV I am new to the whole plasma scene and was concerned about plasmas not performing good in high elevation and the risk of burn in. I can assure you I have NO problem with this TV working here in Colorado or image burn in. I did do a 150 hour break in process to evenly wear out the TV pixels. They say the first 100-200 hours are the most vulnerable for plasmas that's why the recommend the break in process and watching only material that feels the entire screen to break in the plasma properly. After the break in process you are good to watch whatever you want. I love the 24fps that my previous TV never had. I also love the 4 position Split Screen picture in picture which lets you watch 2 things at the same time such as a blu-ray movie, and a TV show. You can also change the picture in picture to a little window instead and position it in any of the 4 corners of the screen. One other thing that stands out for me is the sound this TV gives out which is amazing and the best I have ever heard on a TV. I highly encourage anyone who has or plans to get this tv to Google "Pioneer Pro 111fd break in process" to get more info on how to properly break in this TV. I highly recommend this amazing HDTV. Sadly this will be the last generation of Kuro TVS that Pioneer will ever produce, but they are going out on top and with a bang. All future HDTVs will be measured against this TV.



Below is more detailed info directly from Pioneers site regarding the Pioneer pro 111-FD.

Plasma Technology
High-Definition Resolution 1920 x 1080p
50" Class (49.85" Diagonal)

16:9 Aspect Ratio

Deep Encased Cell Structure/Crystal Emissive Layer

Improved Color Filter For Enhanced Contrast

Improved ASIC Video Processing and Scaling

Detachable Side Speakers

Plasma Features
New & Improved Optimum Video Mode

Smooth Film Mode

4 Independent HDMI® 1.3 Inputs

Room Light Sensor for Automatic Picture Adjustment

HD Wide Mode Mode 1 / Mode 2
Standard 3:2 (60Hz) Pulldown

Advanced PureCinema with 3:3 (72Hz) Pulldown

Fully Integrated ATSC & NTSC Tuner with Clear QAM

Home Media Gallery

ISF(tm)ccc Calibration Ready

Independant Gamma Control (R/G/B) For Heightened Color Calibration

Sound Control (Synchronized Sound) Off / On
V-Chip Parental Control

Remote Control New Design - Aluminum Plated - Illuminated / Preset / Learning
On-Screen Display Eng / Fre / Spa
New & Improved Graphical User Interface (GUI)

New Energy Save Mode Standard / Save 1 / Save 2 / Picture Off
Energy Star Compliant

Picture Settings
A/V Selection Memory Optimum / Performance / Movie / Sports / PURE / Game / Standard / ISF-Day / ISF-Night / ISF Auto (PC input:only Standard, User & ISF)
Aspect Ratio Control 9 Positions: Auto* / Full / Dot by Dot / Zoom* / Cinema* / 4:3 / Wide* (Only for SD) Wide 1* (Only for HD) Wide* 2 (Only for HD) *Except PC Signal
Advanced Picture-In-Picture 4 Positions
Picture-Side-Picture 3 Positions
Still Picture Capability

Seamless Orbiter Off / Mode 1 / Mode 2
Auto Size Off / Natural / Wide-Zoom
Side Mask Detection 2 Modes (Black / Black and Illustrated)
Side Mask Brightness Fixed / Auto
Video Pattern White Bar
Game Control Preference Off / On
Intelligent Mode Off / Mode 1 / Mode 2
Room Light Sensor & New External Color Sensor Off / Mode 1 / Mode 2
Home Media Gallery
IP Network Compatibility Designed to DLNA(tm) Guidelines DLNA Version 1.5
Microsoft PlaysForSure® Protected Content Version 2.20
Supported Video Formats WMV9, MPEG1, MPEG2-PS, MPEG2-TS, MPEG4 (SP/ASP), MPEG4 (H.264/AVC)
Supported Audio Formats WMA9, MP3, Linear PCM (WAV), HE-AAC, MPEG-4 AAC
Supported Photo Formats JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP
Zoom

Slide Show Effect 8 Patterns
Video Processing Technology
DRE Picture Off / High / Mid / Low
Black Level Off / On
ACL Off / On
Enhance Mode 1 / 2 / 3
Gamma 1 / 2 / 3
Color Temperature Adjustment 5 Settings (Off / Mid-High / Mid / Mid-Low / Low)
CTI - Color Transient Improver Yes
Color Temperature Manual Adjustment

Color Management

Color Space 1 / 2
3D Digital Noise Reduction 4 Settings (Off / High / Mid / Low)
Field Noise Reduction 4 Settings (Off / High / Mid / Low)
Block Noise Reduction Off / On
Mosquito Noise Reduction Off / On
Tuner Noise Reduction Off / On (for each channel)
3 DYC 4 Settings (Off / High / Mid / Low)
I-P Mode 1 / 2 / 3
Manual Video Adjustment (Before & After Comparison)

Video & Audio Inputs
Independent HDMI 1.3 4 (with Deep Color Support)
HDMI Inputs - Ability To Accept 480i / 480p / 720p / 1080i / 1080p (24/60 Hz) Signals

Component 1
Composite 3
S-Video 1
USB (Mass Storage Class)

PC

LAN (10/100 Base-T Ethernet)

Video & Audio Outputs
Optical Digital Audio (Dolby® Digital/PCM)

Audio LR

Subwoofer

SR

IR Repeater

Headphone

Speaker Out

Audio Technology
New 18-Watt Stereo Digital Amplifier w/TruBass 2-Way Stereo Speakers

Sound Effect

SRS Off / Low / Mid / High
SRS Focus Off / Low / Mid / High
SRS TruBass Off / Low / Mid / High
SRS Definition Off / Low / Mid / High
Auto Volume Control Off / On
Synchronized with Optimum Mode

Surround Effect with Headphone Out

Sound Setting Memory (Per A/V Mode, Per Input)

New Audio LSI

Audio Output 18W+18W
Dimensions
Carton Dimensions 52-7/8" x 38-3/8" x 20" (W x H x D)
Carton Weight 115 lbs. 1 oz.
Panel without Speaker 48-17/32" x 28-15/32" x 3-21/32" (W x H x D)
Panel (w/detachable side speakers) 56-7/8" x 28-15/32" x 3-21/32" (W x H x D)
Panel Weight 74 lbs. 5 oz.
Panel Weight (w/detachable side speakers & stand) 88 lbs.
Awesome TV
 
Review Date: April 22, 2009
Reviewer: Funkster, Santa Clara, CA United States
Have had this TV for a few weeks now. I researched the entire Samsung LCD and Plasma line, looked at the XBRs from Sony and some of the higher end Panasonic plasmas.

I used 12 criteria to evaluate each of the 16 TVs I looked at.

Kuro Elite was best in class in every category except for vibrancy and SD picture blur reduction. LCDs are clearly more vibrant. If you are looking for a picture that immediately jumps out at you and demands your attention, you're unlikely to find it in this TV. I much prefer realistic looking scenes (I'm also a photographer), so it's very important to me to have an image that is a reproduction of the original with the least amount of alteration. That is indeed exactly what the Elite delivers. The Samsungs have some post-processing that allow you to reduce the blur/hard-edges on a SD (standard defn.) source. Since I watch mainly Bluray, do HD gaming and cable, this isn't important to me.

The Elite won out in all the other 10 criteria (I did not evaluate native sound, since I use external surround sound).

So if you want completely realistic video/images with incredible crispness and black levels that you don't even notice after a while, because they are so darn good, this is the perfect TV for you!
By far, the best television you can buy, with excellent lifelike color and clarity.
 
Review Date: December 26, 2008
Reviewer: G. Green, Evanston, Illinois USA
It is easy to find detailed reviews of the Pioneer Elite PRO-111FD on the internet. However, nothing beats a careful comparison in an high-quality electronics store of this set with ostensibly comparable models from other manufacturers. In particular, go to an electronics store where you can spend time watching some of the programs that you normally watch. If you like sports, watch some golf, baseball or something shot outdoors to see how realistic the color of the grass is on the 111FD compared to a highly rated Samsung or Sony, which make grass look like artificial turf. Then, or if it's all you can do, compare the skin tones as rendered on the 111FD to those on competing televisions. I had a highly rated Samsung (which by technical measures was on par with this Pioneer), and despite every conceivable adjustment, the skin tones were horrible, while a minimal amount of adjustment of the 111FD has given me a picture that is virtually perfect. This set is a pleasure to watch every time you turn it on.
Best TV I have ever seen!
 
Review Date: February 9, 2009
Reviewer: S. Shah,
The picture is amazing! I was blown away with the pictures quality. My Sony Bravia XBR was one of the best when I bought that 2 years ago. This Pioneer makes the Sony look very average. I have read alot of articles naming this tv one of the best on the market and from what I have seen there is alot backing it up.

The picture looks great straight out of the box. No picture or color adjustment required like some of my past TVs. The TV is also surprising slim for such a big set.

One thing I do wish was better is the look of the menus. The layout is fine but the look of it is a little dull and plain. I think for the price point of this they should have something a little fancier. The Network media player is not compatible with Mac iTunes. It only work with LDNA compliant equipment.
Elite or nothing
 
Review Date: April 11, 2009
Reviewer: Richard Shanahan, raleigh, ncI United States
Owned for a year now and haven't seen any plasma come close under 10k. If your debating with any other plasma stop looking cause this one is amazing!
My thoughts
 
Review Date: March 19, 2009
Reviewer: John H. Hill Jr., anaheim,ca
The pro-111fd makes such an awesome PC monitor. way better then the Samsung plasma 650. The Samsung did not overscan though. The Samsung was top rated by consumer reports. geesh- its not even in the same league!!
After I saw the elite, the Samsung went right back to Amazon. Amazon took the Samsung back, and refunded my money, in full, including shipping both ways. Amazon gets 5 very solid stars.

The Pioneer seems to run cooler than the Samsung-even with the power save function turned off on the pioneer.

There are annoyances with the pioneer but I still have no regrets.

The Samsung had better HDMI control functionality:
If you turned on the blu-ray player, the Samsung would automatically turn on and the change input to the player! I miss that.

The Samsung allows HDMI control for EACH HDMI input. With the Pioneer, you have to go to setup and choose a SINGLE input.
The pioneer HDMI control is really lame. The HDMI control worked fine with my Panasonic blu ray and the Samsung (except the pause button.) It is flaky and thus unusable with the Pioneer. Tech support said that HDMI is flaky and not a good standard. geesh. Pass the buck!

I miss the swivel stand too.

The Samsung remote was bigger and more usable in darkness.
The pioneer remote is difficult in darkness.

The Home Media Gallery is not much more than a curiosity to me, even after I setup a freeware DNA server for it.
Just too inflexible and I am spoiled by having an XP box plugged in to it with Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. I would have traded the HMG for the swivel stand.

The included speakers are awesome for tv speakers-too bad I am not using them.

I am just whining because the picture quality more than makes up for the relatively petty grievances.



Turning off the orbiter to avoid the over scan is scary, especially when connecting to the PC.

So here is what I did to the:

1. Auto hide task bar.
2. Set screen saver to 2 minutes.
3. Set desktop to Grey (18% or so)


I hope this is sufficient.
I like to view my photos on it.


BTW, the person complaining about the grey bars on the side during 4:3 viewing should know that you can turn them off or darken them a little. It is in the menu under setup or options.
Best TV available still
 
Review Date: May 3, 2009
Reviewer: Michael D. Perlo, New York, NY USA
I recently upgraded from a Samsung 61" LED DLP which wasn't too shabby. I spent a good 3 or 4 months crawling around various electronic stores in Manhattan comparing models and was finally able to hunt down a Pioneer Elite Kuro PRO-111FD at an insanely low price ($2499). I've spent a little over a week with the TV and have to say that it really lives up to all the lofty praise it has received over the past year. The blacks, in a single word, are stunning and the colors are equally impressive. Last weekend I fired up my PS3 and watched the Criterion Collection version of Chung King Express and was blown away by the clarity and color depth. HDTV, especially programs broadcast in 1080i, are also excellent. I have mixed opinions about SD content on the TV (sometimes it looks great, other times not at all) but I can't offer an objective opinion because my AVR (Pioneer Elite SC-05) handles the processing and upconversion for those signals.

I still have a lot to explore (namely the 24p 72hz film mode) but can safely say that this is the best TV on the market. But keep in mind that there are plenty of other options that are just as drool-worthy. Namely the LED backlit Samsungs (A950 series) and the Sony XBR8s. And in terms of aesthetics, the new LED edge-lit Samsungs are beyond chic...you deserve to see how slim they are in person. The new Panasonic G10s also look great and couldn't have a more seductive price. It truly is a great time to be a TV buyer.
The best TV
 
Review Date: February 11, 2009
Reviewer: M. White,
The best TV I have every owned. There is nothing bad about this TV. Working with Digital Plaza and Manna shipping was grate. The driver who dropped off the TV was a great help. Superb picture detail, incredible accuracy and the deep blacks and perfect whites all combine to produce as perfect a picture as current technology permits. Everything simply looks better on this set. I still have a lot to learn about this Pioneer TV it come with a lot of features. I was very scared to buy my first big TV on line. I always like to see the TV in the store to compare and see how pitcher looks. The stores only carry the low brand names with very few features. I am very happy I purchased this Pioneer TV. Now I have to upgrade my dish dvr and get a good Blu-ray player.

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