Pioneer PDP-436SXE 43in Plasma TV review

Written by Maxit

Price: £1,950 exc vat Supplier: Comet
Manufacturer: Pioneer

The LCD vs Plasma Debate - The Pioneer Knock Out Punch

The LCD vs Plasma debate will undoubtedly wage on for some time, but it is my considered opinion that Plasma is a far superior technology in virtually every conceivable respect at this moment in time. Will things change? Of course they will, they always do. However, for now Pioneer remain the pioneers in the plasma world so it's quite surprising to learn that this is the first fully integrated single unit plasma television they've created. Their previous models have necessitated the use of a media box as well as the screen.

First Impressions Do Last

Unpacking the box is like a wet dream for technophiles. The sleek black design is clearly well put together and despite looking relatively similar to a number of other plasma screens it is obvious that painstaking care and attention has gone into every last detail. To an extent, the PDP-436SXE is as future proof as possible being HDTV ready and also featuring an HDMI video input for increased performance for AV input devices. However, it only has one HDMI input, which means if you have, as an example, SKY HDTV and an HD DVD then you will have to share that one single input - something of an oversight by Pioneer in my opinion. There are also three SCART inputs on the rear panel.

Future Proof

Compatibility of HDTV looked for a while like it could cause problems for some manufacturers but Pioneer has seemingly risen well to the challenge. Being HDTV ready, in this case, means that it will accept all known HDTV signals including your HD DVD and SKY HDTV.

Colour Quality

The most important thing about any television is how it looks and sounds. With an HDTV this becomes particularly important because it's pointless in being able to receive High Definition signals if your colours and image depth are complete garbage. The aptly named Pioneer do not disappoint in this respect. The Pure Black panel gives an incredible colour display that is virtually unrivalled by any other plasma television and is setting in the way for the competition in terms of quality and richness. Gone are the days of whole families gathering round a little black and white jockeying to try and get within 2 foot of the impossibly small screen to watch the jubilee, for the days of the Pioneer Plasma HDTV are upon us. Hallelujah!

Pure Drive 2

The Pure Drive 2 system that Pioneer systems use is also highly innovative and incredibly powerful having won nearly as many awards as Robbie Williams. It might sound like the latest XBox 360 game but the long and short of the Pure Drive 2 is crystal clear images and superb video footage.

In A Tweaker's Paradise

With all this power under the bonnet there is a lot of potential for tweaking the engine and getting even greater performance. Advanced settings are not thin on the ground with the Pioneer television and the home television enthusiast will probably spend more time getting to grips with this than actually watching the television.

The Benchmark Of All Future Plasma Televisions

It is virtually impossible to find flaws with the quality of the image and this is why the Pioneer is being used as a benchmark throughout the industry. When any company releases a plasma television, the first question reviewers and critics alike as is "Is it as good as the Pioneer?" and the answer so far has been a resounding "Well, no!"

Technical Details

Main Features

Diagonal Screen Size - 43-inch/109 cm
Contrast Ratio - 3.000:1
HD ready - Yes
DVB-T Digital Tuner - Yes
Integrated Speakers - Yes
HDMI Input - 1
Analogue Tuner Noise Reduction - Yes
Electronic Program Guide (NexTView) - Yes
PUREBLACK Panel - Yes
PURE Drive 2HD - Yes

Picture

XGA Panel - Yes
Aspect Ratio - 16:9
Number of Pixels - 1024 (Hor) x 768 (Ver)
Brightness - 1.100 cd/m2
Video Signals - PAL/SECAM/ NTSC3.58/NTSC4.43/PAL60/HD
Still Picture - Yes
AV Selection (Programmed Picture) - Yes
PUREBLACK Crystal Layer - Yes
Direct Colour Filter - Yes
True Matrix Imaging with Deep Waffle Rib Structure - Yes
Colour Temperature Adjustment - Yes
Colour Management - Yes
Digital CTI (Colour Transient Improvement) - Yes
DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) - Yes
MPEG NR (Noise Reduction) - Yes
PAL 3D Y/C Separation - Yes
Active Dynamic Range Expander (DRE) - Yes
Natural Enhancer - Yes
i-CLEAR Drive - Yes
Dynamic HD Converter - Yes
Digital Flicker Free - Yes
PureCinema - Yes

Audio

Audio Output Power - 13 Watt + 13 Watt (1 kHz, 10%, 8 Ohm)
Tone Control (Bass, Treble, Balance) - Yes
Sound Options - Surround (SRS), Audio Orientation (FOCUS), Bass Boost (TruBass)

Digital Tuner

DVB-T Compliant - Yes
Modulation - COFDM (2k/8k)
Video decoding - MPEG2 MP@ML
Preset Channels - 999
Digital Teletext (MHEG 5) - Yes

Tuner

Auto Channel Search - Yes
Reception System - PAL BG/I/DK, SECAM BG/DK/L/L'
Number of Preset Channels - 99
Teletext (CEEFAX/FLOF/TOP) - Yes
Teletext Picture and Text (Dual Screen) - Yes

Control

OSD (On-Screen Display) - GB/D/F/NL/I/E/P/S/FIN/GR/TR/RUS/NO/DK
Remote Control - Yes
i/o Link.A - Yes
Energy Save mode (for AV and PC) - Yes

Connection Terminals

HDMI Compatible - 1
Component Video In - 1
S-Video In (Front AV) - 1
RCA AV In (Front AV) - 1
Euro-SCART - 3
Digital Optical Audio Out - 1
RCA Audio Out - 1
Common Interface Slot (CA Card) - 1
i/o link.A Select - 1
Antenna Terminal Digital Tuner - 2
Antenna Terminal Analogue Tuner - 1

Other

Dimensions Display - (W x H x D) 1076 x 696 x 116 mm
Weight Display - 31.8 kg
Power Consumption Display - 291 Watt / 0.8 Watt
Power Requirements - AC 220 - 240 V, 50/60

The Bottom Line

The Pioneer PDP-436SXE is a leader in its field, which is little surprise to those who know anything about Pioneer and their plasma history. The television is future proofed almost beyond belief except for the inclusion of only one HDMI input. Two HDMI inputs are really essential if you want to take advantage of the upcoming wave of HD products set to hit the market and this is a real oversight on the part of Pioneer.

Picture, colour and video quality and clarity are absolutely impeccable and while the £2,000 price tag appeared hefty at first glance it now seems like an absolute bargain. If you love watching quality television and you want to be ready for the wave of HD productions, the Pioneer is a great way to go.

Pros

- Gorgeous looks
- Amazing picture quality
- HDTV ready
- PUREBLACK Crystal Layer
- DNR (Digital Noise Reduction)
- Colour Temperature Adjustment

Cons

- Only one HDMI input?
- still £2000!

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