Pioneer Plasma Displays
Most plasma displays that you'll see in stores use
this basic technology. Pioneer's models do, too, but we've added
our own refinements based on our experience. These refinements
result in a visibly better picture: you can actually see the
higher color accuracy and brightness when you compare Pioneer
Plasma models to other models in a store. A new plasma display
will be a central source of entertainment in your home for many
years- lasting as long as a traditional CRT-type television- and
this difference in quality is something you'll appreciate each
time you turn it on.
A Pioneer Plasma Display is a television monitor, capable of
displaying high definition TV (HDTV) , regular TV,( using an
external boxes such as satellite or digital cable box) and home video.
AND it's a flat panel computer monitor, capable of doing
everything a regular computer monitor can do. Just bigger and
better.
Here are examples of how you can use a plasma display and a
description of each, where applicable.
Watch Digital Television (DTV) And Regular Television
Most of the television we see now is analog Television, based
on standards set decades ago (called NTSC, or National Television
System Committee). But you've probably noticed that more and more
shows, particularly sports and prime time shows, are also being
broadcast- actually, simulcast- in high definition. What's the
difference between regular and high definition television? And,
what is digital TV? Since Pioneer Plasma Displays reproduce
virtually every kind of broadcasting, here's a brief explanation
that will help sort things out.
What Is Digital Television?
Digital Television represents the future of broadcasting, and
will ultimately replace analog television, though not for while.
It encompasses standard definition television (SDTV) and high
definition television (HDTV), plus potential data broadcasting
capabilities. SDTV delivers approximately the same resolution as
regular analog television, but without the annoying snow and
ghosting, so the actual picture quality is higher. HDTV delivers
five times the resolution of regular analog TV, with
photograph-quality images that you have to see to believe. Digital
TV (both SDTV and HDTV) also provides broadcasters with the
capability of multiple channels of digital surround sound, so
you'll have great audio, to go with great video.
Another advantage of digital TV is that it allows for a
widescreen presentation of "16:9". This 16:9 (read: 16 by 9)
figure is the aspect ratio of the width of your TV to its height.
Most current television's are 4:3 (think of it as 12:9 reduced to
its lowest common denominator). Comparatively, a 16:9 ratio gives
you more width, more picture, more fun.
How To Receive Digital Television
So, how do you get digital TV? You can receive it off the air,
with a UHF antenna and a digital tuner (both are widely
available). Or, you can get it via satellite broadcasting
companies like DIRECTV, DISH Network, and others, and through
cable operators like Time Warner Cable and others. Contact your
local cable or satellite operator for more details.
Watch Movies On DVD, Videotape, Laser Disc, And Camcorder
Movies- in whatever format you choose- will look better on our
Pioneer Plasma Displays. You'll find connections for all major
home video formats on the unit's back panel. And you can set the
screen size and shape to match the type of movie you're watching
(more about that later).
Play Video Games
With the screen's large size and high resolution, video games
will reach a new level. Your plasma display can reproduce games on
a multitude of formats, including PC, Mac, and console-based games
like PlayStation and the new X-BOX.
Use It As A PC/Mac Flat Panel Monitor
As stated earlier, the Pioneer Plasma Display is also a
flat panel monitor for a PC or Mac. You can use it as the primary
monitor for your desktop computer or connect it to your laptop
computer. Either way, it's able to process signals up to and
including 1280 x 768 ("Wide XGA"), so charts, graphs, the
Internet, and full-motion DVD's (movies or data) will all look
clean and crisp. Like any computer monitor, Pioneer units allow
you to display several personal computer applications
simultaneously. For example, you can run a full-motion DVD from
your DVD drive in one window, the Internet in another, and your
personal calendar in a third.
Zoom In And Out
Here's a useful feature for when you're running a personal
computer or laptop as the main source: let's say you're playing a
computer-based video game and want to inspect a character's
darkened room more closely. With the Point Zoom feature, you can
zoom in on nine select areas of the screen for extra focus. Just
hit the Point Zoom button on the display's remote and follow the
easy on-screen instructions. When you're done, hit the same button
to zoom back out. This feature is also useful when playing movies
on your personal computer's DVD-ROM/Video drive.
Experience The Web
Whether you're using a personal computer or a TV-based web
browser system, Pioneer plasma displays are perfect for
reproducing the web in your home. And as web sites increase their
use of full-motion graphics, displaying them on a high-quality
flat panel monitor will become even more ideal.
A Note on Cable Card Tuners
TVs with cable card tuners are D.C.R. - Digital
Cable Ready. This means that the TV is capable of decrypting
digital cable signals, a job usually performed by the digital
cable box. You’re taking the cable and running it directly to the
plasma, or media receiver, as with the Pioneer Kuro and Purevision series.
The cable card is just that - a small card that
slides into the plasma (or media receiver). The card contains all
the codes needed to de-scramble the digital cable signal. Not all
cable providers support cable cards currently. Check with your
local provider.
The drawback is that the current generation of
cable card tuners are one way devices; they can’t communicate back
to your digital cable provider. As a result, none of the more
convenient and fun features that you normally associate with
digital cable are available, like the on screen guide, video on
demand, pay-per-view, and other services.
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