Pioneer PDP-428XD

Hello, I'm standing next to something of a TV revolution. It's called Kuro, and it means 'black' in Japanese. The meaning behind that name is simple, Pioneer thinks that it has created the perfect plasma television and that it produces blacks 80% better than the competition. We have certainly noticed that this television has colours about as deep and rich as we've seen on a plasma and the black levels are certainly very impressive indeed. We also like the picture processing, which has a subtlety we find quite easy on the eye. In terms of styling, we love this screen, it’s understated and very stylish, we certainly can't think of anyone who would find it offensive, or any house it wouldn't look great in. The remote control is also a work of art, fashioned out of what feels like a sold block of steel it has a weight and authority to it that makes you feel better about the premium price you are likely to have paid for this screen. Plus you can use it to beat off people who try and steal your TV. The set also has a full compliment of rear inputs, including three HDMI sockets, VGA and component in. There is also a good selection of standard definition inputs, including three SCART sockets and to the side of the machine composite and s-video in. There is also a USB socket, which you can use to view digital photos from a USB host device. All in all, we’ve been seriously impressed by this TV, the picture is excellent and it certainly does provide better blacks than we’ve seen before although we do feel that the lack of 1080p makes a difference, but Pioneer has full HD screens on the way, and we can hardly wait! I'm Ian Morris for cnet.co.uk and this is the Pioneer PDP-428XD.