| By KC Ifeanyi Imagine a TV that can produce intense, rich colors so vivid they're practically palpable. Imagine razor sharp details so crisp, images seem to come alive. Imagine a screen that reduces idle level luminance by 80 percent, producing a true black that provides the depth of contrast needed to produce such effects. Imagine no more. Pioneer Electronics' latest line of flat-panel plasma-display TVs may redefine the concept of home entertainment. Pioneer KURO allows any TV junkie or film fanatic to go beyond just watching their favorite programs or movies - it allows them to experience the shows. Blacker is the new Black
"Is this there a bigger size than this?" "What features does this model have?" "Does this come in a flatter screen?" True, these are all important questions to ask when shopping for a new television. However, those in the TV know can tell you size, features and flatness are all trumped by one question many don't think to ask: "Is this the blackest screen available?" In order to produce an image, it's necessary for plasma screens to go through a process of priming each cell. With KURO however, Pioneer has virtually eliminated that step, in turn reducing idle luminance by 80 percent and creating the deepest blacks possible - something any movie lover can appreciate. Pioneer's Paul Meyhoefer, vice president of display marketing and product planning, explains a black screen is to televisions as a white canvas is to artists. "Black is the foundation from which all other colors are produced. It is used as a base to determine the entire color gamut. The greater the density of the black, the better the television is equipped to produce a wider range of colors. " The result: richer, more lifelike colors, finer details and three times more gradation in dark scenes. How Directors Intended Their Movies to be Seen
Nothing compares to watching your favorite movie in theaters. The sights and sounds of the action, adventure and romance engulf your senses, absorbing you into the places, people and plot on the big screen. KURO promises to make those once unparalleled theatrical emotions just a remote click away. "True film aficionados are looking to experience movies and TV content that produce a visceral reaction. To help these film fanatics satisfy their hunger for true-to-life picture quality, cinematographers and video producers have been searching for a technology that can faithfully reproduce their works, in the manner they originally envisioned. Theatrical intensity of film translates on the big screen. However, limitations with existing home theater display technologies had previously prohibited cinematographers and video producers from being able to translate this emotion to consumer home audiences," Meyhoefer says. KURO's ability to mimic big screen performance begins with its main selling point: the true black screen. "Absolute black is one of the most difficult elements to reproduce in any TV technology. Our engineers have been tirelessly working on making it possible to render more intense, deeper blacks that create higher contrast, rich lifelike colors, and a power that impacts viewers in an emotional way so they can connect with what they are watching," Meyhoefer says. As important as picture (and sound) quality are to the ambience of home entertainment, KURO also offers something that may seem insignificant but is indeed vital in capturing the complete theatrical experience. Most feature films are recorded at a speed of 24 frames per second (FPS), which is what is projected on the big screen. When DVDs are viewed at home, however, the average television is ill-equipped to reproduce the necessary FPS. Instead, it utilizes a technique called Inverse Telecine or 3:2 Pulldown that adds an additional six frames, in turn compromising image integrity and creating motion judder. Although neither of these defects will entirely ruin the look of the film, it's definitely not how the director intended his or her work to be seen. KURO has been created with what Pioneer calls Advanced PureCinema or 3:3 Pulldown which leaves the 24 FPS intact, enhancing the end result: an onscreen picture Meyhoefer describes as "more natural and highly synchronized with the original film." KURO's technology allows movie lovers to view their favorite films the way filmmakers intended by recreating the theatrical experience - minus the sticky floors and overpriced concessions, of course. | 
