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Pioneer Pdp 436FDE Plasma Tv 110CMPioneer PDP-436FDE HD ready plasma TV Review
Pioneer Plasma TV Review
| Design | | What is instantly obvious is the subtle minimal black edging around the set and the media receiver box that comes with it. The television is so unimposing it would fit perfectly into any living room. And the media receiver box means that if you want to attach your TV to the wall you can do without having to negotiate with cable at the back of the television. The downside we suppose is it’s yet another box to add to the growing number of DVD players, satellite boxes, games consoles. But if you really object, Pioneer has produced the 436FDE, an all-in-one option which comes without the box. This might be something you opt for if you if you like leaving your cables plugged in permanently as the box’s VGA socket is at the front. | | Setup/Installation | | Setting up is simple. Take the TV out of the box, plug in all the relevant cables, whether its your HD cable, your Scart to your TV or DVD and switch the TV on. From this point on the Pioneer works its magic and starts doing what it needs to in order to get all your channels tuned in. |
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| Features | Here’s a HD ready plasma that looks good and behaves well. The 436FDE has Pureblack crystal layer which enhances the black tones to a completely new level. There’s a Pure drive 2HD digital video processor to optimise picture quality. What you want in your TV is a huge contrast ration and this one has exactly that. The CR is 3,000:1, the aspect ratio is 16:9 and pixel resolution, 1024 x 768 all meaning you’ll get a really sharp image. To enhance the colours further as well as the Pureblack crystal Pioneer have also added a direct colour filter and a true matrix imaging. Of course there’s an HD input, which TV doesn’t have one these days. And while you’re waiting for your Sky HD box to be fitted there’s an analogue tuner noise reducer attached to ensure that even your normal TV viewing is at its best.
In terms of connectivity, the PDP-436FDE comes with pretty much everything you’re likely to need. It’s got one HDCP-enabled HDMI socket, all the usual Scart and S-video inputs and digital audio output. | | Performance | | Once switched on, Pioneer really comes into its own. Conversations down the pub will be focusing less on Zinedine’s head butt and more on how fantastic the image quality is. The 1024 x 768 resolution of the PDP-436FDE will blow your mind. The blacks are exactly that. The colours are brilliantly balanced yet totally vibrant and there’s no blocky or grainy image. If there’s any nit picking of the fantastic visual experience you get from the Pioneer is that occasionally you get a jagged edge that can sometimes appear on diagonal lines – but only if the screen hasn’t been set up properly. And there’s annoying grey bars when you set up the screen in 4:3 viewing mode. But they’re minor quibbles. The way that Pioneer has built their screen means that there’s no reflection off the glass either. The speaker sits at the bottom of the screen, and sound quality is pretty good on the whole. There’s very little ghosting or flickering on this TV, what you get is a clear, sharp image that glides alone with your viewing. | | What's In The Box? | | Pioneer PDP-436FDE TV, media receiver box, remote control, manual. | | Overall Opinion | | All in all there’s very little to complain about the Pioneer PDP-436FDE wide screen plasma TV. It looks great with its black frame and high quality imaging. The only thing that this is missing is the PC card of the 436XDE which we particularly liked as it means you can view your holiday snaps without having to switch on the TV. |
By Babita Wakelin |
Pros
+ Great image
+ Easy to set up
+ Looks great
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Cons
- Media receiver box has socket at front
- Grey bars in 4:3 mode
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Picture Quality 8/10
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Sound Quality 8/10
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Connectivity 7/10
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Future Compatibility 8/10
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Ease Of Use 8/10
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Overall Rating
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By Babita Wakelin
20/7/2006
at 12:05:29pm
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