Pioneer PDP-6020FD - 60" Plasma High Definition Television - HDTV

This is a product review of the Pioneer KURO PDP-6020FD 1080p plasma flat panel high definition television (HDTV). Pioneer also makes a 50” version (PDP-5020FD).

Overview

The PDP-6020FD is a 60” plasma flat panel HDTV capable of displaying images up to 1080p. Some key specifications include four HDMI 1.3 inputs, a new Optimum video mode and Energy Star 3.0 rating. The panel is wall-mountable and comes with a detachable 18w x 18w speaker.

For an in-depth overview on this product please read my product profile of the PDP-6020FD.

First Impression: The shipping box was so big that the delivery driver needed a helper and a four-wheel furniture dolly to get into my house.

I was immediately impressed the picture. The design was flawless. The stand and speakers mounted to the panel with impeccable precision.

Product Packaging: The shipping box was huge - about 5-feet wide and 4-feet tall. It weighs 167 lbs. If the size is an issue then you might need to consider store delivery or online ordering.

I would’ve liked more padding on the screen-side of the box in case of a puncture but the panel was secure in transit.

Stand and Speaker Assembly: The entire assembly process took about 30 minutes. I recommend two people to assemble the stand since the panel is about 5-feet wide and weighs over 100 lbs.

As far as installation, the panel was reinforced with a metal slot that you fit the stand into. This really stabilized the panel when connected to the stand. The metal stand was hidden by a plastic cover.

Though, I wish Pioneer engraved a reference towards the front side of the panel on the stand pieces so it was easier to identify which way pointed towards the front.

The speakers were packed in a separate box within the TV's shipping box. They're as wide as the panel and about 4 inches tall. They mount flush to the panel.

Something cool I noticed when disassembling the unit was a piece of windshield wiper-type rubber on top of the speaker that helped seal that dust-collecting gap between the panel and speaker.

Menu System + Remote Control: The menu system was surprisingly easy to use. It was easy to navigate through the menu and change options but the real story of the menu system was the split-screen view.

I like Pioneer’s use of a split screen design for the menu system – left side the menu and right side a miniature version of the complete screen. Now, you don’t miss any TV programming while accessing the menu. It’s a good fit because the screen is so big. I doubt it would be as impressive on a 32” HDTV.

The remote control was long and slim. I felt that the buttons were somewhat small for my fat fingers. The buttons glowed in the dark. It was your basic remote control. If you have cable or satellite then it’s likely you won’t use it anyway.

Inputs and Outputs: All necessary inputs and outputs were located on the back panel, including three HDMI 1.3 inputs. Kudos for including one HDMI 1.3 input on the side panel. I didn't understand why there was only one component input but three composite inputs. Two of each seems appropriate.

Cleanliness of the Panel: Cleaning the panel was a breeze. Thank goodness because after about after a week of use it looked like a Rolls Royce in need of a bath.

The shiny piano black frame and huge piece of glass were fingerprint and dust collectors. I recommend keeping a supply of electronics cleaning products on hand.

I think the frame's glossy finish helped with the cleaning because dirt and grime didn't have any creases to hide in.

Picture Features and Quality: The PDP-6020FD is a great television. Features and quality is excellent. My only complaint is that this line of KURO (PDP-5020FD and PDP6020F) doesn’t have the advanced color calibration settings that the Elite KUROs have, which is the biggest difference between the two lines of Pioneer plasma HDTVs.

On all other accounts, the PDP-6020FD is nearly an equal to the Pioneer Elites. It has seven picture settings, including Optimum - a new technology to KURO. It’s an automatic color adjustment of the image based on light in the room and the intensity of the colors on screen. Read more about it in my overview of the PDP-6020FD.

When in Optimum mode you could toggle a meter on and off to see how the panel is changing colors on the fly. That was cool but even cooler is that I couldn’t tell a difference between Optimum and Performance picture modes. Performance is the best available picture setting, which bodes well for Optimum.

I found it odd that a plasma manufacturer would include picture-in-picture (PIP) options since image retention is a concern with plasma. But, PIP was there with normal operability partnered with a logical 2-screen mode, which split the screen into two equal-size images.

Video-gamers will be happy to know that the PDP-6020FD has burn-in prevention technology. The image orbiter is something that constantly changes colors in the pixels. You can’t see this but it helps prevent burn-in. There is also a Video Pattern function, which the user must initiate. This technology turns the screen white and removes ghost images.

I consider the burn-in technology a success because I didn’t see any after-effects to the panel after playing hours of Madden football and Call of Duty 4 on the XBOX360.

Pioneer’s quest is to achieve absolute black. They're close. Dark scenes in DVDs and HD programming weren't black blobs. You could see detail and lines within the form. This is good news for Blu-ray owners.

I didn't see any traces of motion blur with video or text, but text did appear curved in some aspect ratio setting.

Final Opinion: The PDP-6020FD lives up to everything Pioneer boasted it would when talking to them about it. It's high performance. So, if you're in the mood to drop $5,000 on a HDTV then this one is for you.

The Optimum mode was my favorite viewing mode. I didn't notice the picture changing to the environment. The image looked the same to my eye in all viewing environments.

There was no ghosting or lag associated with moving images. There weren’t jagged edges on lines. High definition looked like a large window you could reach in and touch the otherside.

It was a sad day when I returned it back to Pioneer.