Review of the Pioneer PDP-427XD 42” Plasma TV
They’re now in their seventh generation, and Pioneer have only just got with the programme. They have finally seen sense and ditched their pacemaker-like external digital tuner and replaced it with an integrated one, making this plasma visually more seductive than ever before. In our opinion, the TV to watch pioneering into the technology of tomorrow is the PDP-427XD 42” Plasma in all its glory. Design |
| If the PDP-427XD was gendered it would no doubt be male. Its raw, masculine design is a cut to the chase, no messing black frame, full-stop. There’s a refreshing lack of Pioneer’s signature speakers hanging off the sides like earrings, or external handbag-type tuners. The only decoration is the modestly placed chrome Pioneer logo at the bottom of the screen, just above where the hidden speaker is situated. The dimensions have been kept surprisingly slim-line too, with just 1040 x 679 x 115 mm, but it does weigh a bit at 26.9kg, so don’t forget that manual handling course that you thought would never come into use. |
| Features |
| With its 22 picture performance enhancement features, what more do we need to say for the PDP-427XD? And they’re all equally as important we’re sure, but the guys at Pioneer claim the main ones are the Pure Black Panel 2 and Direct Colour Filter 2. So, apart from picture enhancing technology, this plasma does have some other cool stuff too, including the fact that it is futuristically HD-Ready. It has a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, setting the stage perfectly for the Digital Freeview Tuner. Other features we like were happy to see were the Picture-in-Picture modes, and the Electronic Programme Guide, to prevent you from missing your favourite shows. If you want more than Freeview, you can use the CI slot for top-up TV or pre-paid TV cards. Apart from being HD-Ready, the PDP-427XD is also ready for the future in that it supports 1080/24p video format – this is the perfect digital film format that will be available on Blu-ray discs and other high definition media. Once you get the PDP-42XD up and running, we can promise you’ll be watching digital television within 20 minutes. It really is a simple set-up, and once it’s on you can use the enhanced ISF calibration options to professionally tune your plasma to suit your surroundings. Futuristic connectivity is great, but we think Pioneer may have gone a bit too far by leaving out the analogue phono sockets, leaving you to rely on the scart. Other connections include 2 HDMI, PC input, 1 component, 1 S-video, 1 RCA A/V and 3 scarts. You’ll also find optical, audio, subwoofer and headphone output jacks. |
| Performance |
| We saved the best until last, and opted to check out the Standard Definition performance first. Until we had played around with enhancement options it was all looking pretty bad, but once we had tinkered we were more than happy. The colours were so bright and full and detail was superb, especially for SD. Next up was a DVD, we watched Pride and Prejudice, problematically the sunniest film ever made, but the PDP-427XD handled it well with good black levels and plenty of juicy detail. Next up was HD, which this time put to the test part of the HD Planet Earth series. Again, the performance was faultless, with no sign of picture-interfering noise, making it one of the most enchanting picture performances we’ve seen on plasma to date. We were concerned to find that not only had Pioneer hidden the speakers away to make them look less inconspicuous, but they had overlooked giving them the attention that they'd given to the picture performance. However, we were please to find that the powerful volume was reinforced by excellent bass and superb precision. Dialogue was surprisingly clear on all types of performance too. |
| Overall Opinion |
| The PDP-427XD handles itself very well, and can easily contend with some plasmas at the higher end of the market. If you chose to buy the PDP-427XD, we would advise that you spend time using all of the 22 picture enhancing features by adjusting and tweaking your pictures to ensure you are getting the best experience possible, and trust us - you’ll know when you get there. |
| By Lisa Malyon |
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Pros + Futuristic redesign + Integrated digital tuner + HD-Ready + All round excellent picture performance |
Cons - No analogue phono connections |
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Picture Quality 9/10
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Sound Quality 9/10
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Connectivity 8/10
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Future Compatibility 9/10
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Ease Of Use 9/10
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Overall Rating 
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By Lisa Malyon
12/10/2006 at 11:32:37pm
12/10/2006 at 11:32:37pm
Read Pioneer Reviews
| Web Reviews - beta | |||
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Pioneer PDP-427XD review Proof that plasmas have still got what it takes.. read | |||
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What they like Elegant design complete connectivity excellent remote advanced technology and features superb all-round performance
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What they didn't 1080p sources perform better on higher resolution screens
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By Richard Arrowsmith at
cnet.co.uk
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