Pioneer PDP 4270XD > Reviews > Heaven in a box. Well nearly...

Author's product rating:   

How is the Picture Quality?	Excellent
How is the Sound Quality?	Excellent
Range of Features	Excellent
Durability	Good
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Superb quality picture and sound .  VERY large screen and sexy appearance
Disadvantages:	The price of these TV's have come down, but not far enough

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Trust me, this is one item that you wont be able to resist stopping and staring at if you find it in an electrical store.
The Pioneer PDP 4270XD is an absolute dream, a miracle in TV history and the cream of the crop when it comes to slimline units.

Black in colour, this product is a HD ready TV which in short means that it is ready to beam High Definition images to you. High Definition will be the new standard in which TV programmes are broadcast in a number of years, and we are already seeing broadcasters such as BskyB start to promote movies in HD. There are also High Definition dvd players (HD-DVD) and while these may cost a packet at the moment, HD does admitedly offer a far superior image to that which we're all used to and have been for many years.

Games console owners will be aware that the X-Box 360 is also a High Definition unit and so a TV such as this one by Pioneer would allow you to get the very best picture and sound from your X-Box console. If you're lucky enough to have one that is!

The screen size is 42 inches which is big enough for most living rooms and a little too big for some. Because this TV is very slim, it will fit onto a tabletop stand that is smaller than those used for conventional 32 inch sets. This means that while you are getting a very big picture to stare at, you are also conserving space that could be used for other things.
You'll also be pleased to hear that the TV has 3 scart sockets. Handy if you feel like using the extra space to connect a few consoles or DVD players up to the TV. Scart really does give you a better quality picture than a standard aerial cable, and so I'd advise using them whenever possible. The fact that this product has 3 to use really is useful for a consumer. Just think - a DVD player, a video recorder and a Sky box all with a great picture and some of it in High Definition and excellent quality sound through it's integrated loudspeakers !!

Regarding the table top and stand I mentioned above, you should be lucky in finding some dealers selling this unit with the stand and table included so it is worth shopping around and seeing who can do you what deal.

The TV has an Automatic channel search as you would expect, and so you wont have to sit there searching manually and endlessly for every single channel on the box. This saves time and frustration when using the TV for the first time.

Pioneer, fast becoming an essential company for your electronics needs - have been very careful when producing this product and have clearly realised that not everybody will have a Sky subcription, but yet they may want that little bit extra than terrestrial TV offers. That's why the built-in freeview tuner is fantastic. This will pick up (depending on your area and signal strength) many extra channels including BBC news 24, Travel channels, QVC shopping channel and many others for documentaries and sports etc. This is an added bonus, especially when considering that Freeview boxes cost in excess of £40 more often than not, and can set you back £100 easily for a good quality one by a reputable name.

As this is a Plasma TV (Plasma tubes inside the unit helping to create the image), you will have to be very careful to adjust the brightness and settings for other devices connected to it. The reason for this, is that certain images can be 'burned into' the screen if you are not careful to get the settings correct for each device. If you are in doubt about this, there are countless forums you can look through online, ask the dealer in-store or consult the manufacturer directly. This is a very rare occurence but one to be aware of all the same, considering that you will have most likely paid £1300 + for your new Television or 'piece of Heaven' (whatever your point of view may be).

The other thing to be aware of with Plasma is that they generally have a certain 'life' to them. This means that they usually have a certain number of thousand hours life to them. It's almost always enough for years and years of use for an average and above average TV user, but people who intend on using the device for days and days at a time, with only brief intermissions between should consider this before buying. I am not aware of the expected life of this unit, as I don't own it myself but I'm fortunate enought to know someone who does (needless to say he's probably sick of the queues of neighbours by now calling around for football!). If I find this out, then I'll be sure to update this review with all the relevant info ut I'm not even sure if this is easily obtainable.

The colours that appear from this TV are very rich in colour. You will find that the pinks and greens for example are very vibrant and seem to have a life of their own. The darker colours are also very sexy and mysterious looking. All in all, it's a comfortable viewing experience and really will enhance a film, dvd or game that is played on it.

The instruction manual that coems enclosed is very helpful and considering the complexity of the item, I'd advise a really good read of the booklet and leaflets before you even begin to think of turning the ON switch. You really don't want to take any chances in doing something wrong or not getting the most out of this product.

And to save a really basic must-have for the end of this review. The remote control. It's really quite amazing to see how much the remote can actually do such as set colour tone, sound volume, channel number, screen size, teletext, switch between scarts, switch on and off standby, brightness control etc etc. You'd be surprised how many people don't expect a remote control to come with the item these days and so I thought it best to mention that there is one. It's a bit bigger than some would like but it's needed for all the excellent functions that you'll no doubt only use half of! If you're anything like my friend who has this piece of luxury, you'll find out most of the things that it does only when it's time to update it again for an even BIGGER model. Sounds just like a car then !

If you are lucky enough to be able to afford one ot these, then get yourself down to your local Electrical store and ask for a demonstration of one of these. If you have a DVD player, then take it down there and ask the dealer if he/she minds you plugging it in and seeing for yourself what this device does for a basic image. It turns it into sexy, pure, unadulterated Heaven. Electrical Heaven obviously. But Heaven nonetheless....