Home > Consumer Reviews > Pioneer PDP-5010FD 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

The 5010FD is an elegant television with spectacular HD output and outstanding SD upscaling. I had purchased a top of the line Sony about two years ago, but I was highly disappointed by the atrocious quality of SD signals, which dominated most viewing material at the time. I returned the set and have been waiting for the right combination of technology and programming to purchase another HD TV. I have had the 5010FD for about two months, and I am never disappointed by the picture quality.

I did a great deal of research before deciding on this set: all reviews unequivocally touted the KURO line (both standard and Elite) as the best televisions ever made. Though I am not qualified to corroborate or refute those professional reviews, I can say that I am regularly amazed at the beautiful picture quality and stunning contrast this set can produce. I cannot say if the Elite version is worth the extra money, but I can say that I well pleased with the standard model.

I only have two beefs:
1) The lack of independent RGB adjustment controls (this is available on the Elite version). Though I have adjusted the settings to the best of my ability, reds occasionally appear distractingly brilliant. With much less frequency greens sometimes appear over bright. This is a very minor issue though, and I notice the over saturation vary rarely. IMHO, the pros of this set overwhelmingly outweigh this small con. On this note, do not judge the picture quality of this set if set on Dynmaic mode (the default setting). You should use either Movie mode or the User preset adjusted properly. As with most sets,`torch' mode produces a sickeningly `unreal' picture.

2) The fact that the volume control only controls the set's detachable speakers. It will not control the gain of external RCA outputs, and if I am reading the manual correctly, of the digital out. On that note, I decided to use the TV's speakers for aesthetic reasons (temporarily at least), and I am pretty impressed by their audio quality. It isn't as good as my old surround system, but it does the trick. I will eventually replace them with a new soundbar or surround system, but the built-ins are working very well in the meanwhile.

Two final notes:
1) I was wary to order such an expensive purchase online, but my experience was smooth as silk, and I saved a fortune over purchasing the set locally. The set arrived amazingly fast (2 days after shipping), and it was delivered in excellent shape.

2) My wife was furiously opposed to purchasing a 50" given the smallish nature of our viewing room (we sit about 7-8 feet from the set), but by the end of the week she apologized for treating me ire because I insisted on the 50". She has remarked that the TV is the perfect size for viewing at that distance on several occasions.

After the contrast went out for the second time on our rear projection 53 inch, it was time to "bite the bullet." After looking at LCD's and plasmas, I decided on the plasma, since I primarily watch sports and the hesitation with the LCD wouldn't work. A friend of mine said that the Pioneer Kuro was the way to go and after all the reviews of the different plasmas, I decided to spend the extra bucks and order the Kuro. It was well worth it. The picture is great and will be even better after I unload Time Warner and get satellite. The price was a bit high but withour tax and shipping, it all worked out. I ordered the TV on November 8th and hoped to have it by Thaksgiving. Amazon said it would be delivered on the 20th. It arrived on the 13th. Darn! I was really impressed by the fact that the delivery driver was supposed to wait until the set produced sound and picture. I released him early and called him later when the set was up and running. I had to install the speakers and download the cable information. I would definitely buy a large electronic purchase from Amazon again and am really impressed with the picture quality and especially the contrast..

I've been waiting for the right set to come along before replacing my direct view 40" Sony. Picture quality was my highest priority. When I got a chance to view a demo of the new Pioneer Kuro plasmas, I was impressed.

After discussion, test report reviews and a viewing of the set with my wife, we decided to get the 50" non-Elite model. We liked that the speaker bar was located on the bottom of the panel and not the sides and the set came with a table top stand. We have no need for the Home Gallery option or the advanced tweaking that the Elite model offered.

Once it was set up, we were even more impressed with the set. There's plenty of inputs, adequate picture control and as expected, the picture quality is outstanding. The black level is incredible and really makes the colors 'pop' and the contrast is quite good. We have a light controlled room, so we were able to reduce the default light output level from the 'torch' mode to more reasonable levels.

We get our hi-def signals from a rooftop antenna and they look great. I love to fire up my receiver and listen in 5.1 sound when it's available. (Journeyman, The Unit, CSI and Moonlight all have great sound production.)

The digital tuner works well, the remote has 4 direct inputs for favorite channels and the set looks good even when it's off! It's reasonably quick to display a picture when started from the typical standby mode.

My only nits to pick: I don't care for the PIP function, it's awkward to use and not terribly useful, a far cry from the previous Sony set. The channel changes are a bit slow and the display info that accompanies each change lingers too long. The set does run warm in use, but, that's not unusual for a plasma.

Overall, both my wife and I love this set. It's the perfect size for our application. The picture quality is outstanding and is the main reason we bought this set. Though not 'cheap', it's highly recommended.

The Pioneer PDP-5010 1080P plasma HDTV is awesome. The picture is crystal clear. I read all of the reviews for plasma televisions and Pioneer was rated the best. The reviews are absolutely true. The deep black colors are amazing. Since the blacks are so deep, all of the other colors stand out. This costs more than other plasmas, but it is worth it. The set includes more HDMI and Component inputs than you will probably ever use. Also has a PC input which is great. All of the input slots are in the back or on the side of the television. I like this a lot. This makes the front of the plasma very sleek and pleasing to the eye. This is the best looking plasma that I've seen. My brother has the Panasonic TH-50PZ700U and the looks of the Pioneer are just hands down better. The picture is also a step above the highly rated Panasonic. Picture adjustment of the Pioneer is simple; the on-screen menu is easy to use. I was able to hook the Pioneer remote up to my DVD player and my Time Warner cable box so that I can use just one remote. The television comes attached to the stand, which makes it even easier to start using. The bottom speaker comes detached, but is easy to assemble. If you want the best plasma, I highly recommend the Pioneer PDP 5010.
I am fully satisfied with my purchase from Amazon.com. I ordered the Pioneer on Nov 24th (day after Thanksgiving) and it was delivered on Wednesday Dec. 4th. Its estimated delivery date was Dec 3rd, but the shippers called on the 2nd and told me that it would be delivered on the 4th and gave me a time window for delivery and they came as expected.

I have been searching for a replacement for my 5-yr old Sony 34" CRT HDTV for years. The search is finally over. My ISF calibrated Sony HDTV has been a great performer. Until recently, it had consistently beaten both LCDs and Plasmas with its excellent black level, outstanding details, accurate color (after ISF calibration fixed its "red push") and lacking of motion blur. But due to the weight of the tube, anything bigger than 34" would be a huge burden.

After months of research and comparison, I finally found it. This Pioneer not only matches all the performance areas that my 34" Sony CRT HDTV has excelled but also adds the "WOW" factor thanks to its considerable bigger screen size. Now I feel I finally step into the picture instead of watching from outside.

The only major downside of this plasma is that the sound quality of TV speakers is nowhere near the quality of picture it delivers. As matter of the fact, it sounds much worse than my 34" Sony CRT TV. So a separate quality sound system is more than a necessity to get full enjoyment from this TV.

Now I only wish that I have more time to watch all my favorite movies on this Big TV again...