Pioneer PRO-520HD Rear Projection

Pioneer PRO-520HD Rear Projection 

DESCRIPTION

53 inch HD-TV

  • Reference Theater Mode
  • Pioneer Automatic Format Converter(AFC)
  • Dual Scan Capability
  • Automatically Detects Input Format (15.75, 31.5 and 33.75kHz) and displays at 31.5 or 33.75kHz
  • Converts Interlaced NTSC 15.75kHz(480i) to 31.5kHz(480P) progressive display
  • Pure Cinema II for quick 2/3 pull down film detection
  • Dual 181 Channel NTSC Tuners with Automatic Preset

  • USER REVIEWS

    Showing 11-20 of 21  
    [Aug 07, 2002]
    Gary Bitters
    AudioPhile

    Strength:

    Picture, Picture, Picture!

    Weakness:

    Price, lack of built in HDTV decoder! Convergence takes about a month and a half to settle in.

    This TV is simply the best I have ever seen! I thought my Toshiba 36" had a great picture, boy was I wrong. The 520 has true to life colors, rich blacks, and a Deep luring picture that pulls you into the Movie experience. It has a beautiful cabinet, and all th hook ups you will ever need. I used Avia Calibration DVD to set this set up. I am using an old Sony DVD Player with no progressive scan capability because the line doubler in this set is one of the best in the business! This set makes none widescreen material look like widescreen with it's awesome aspect ratio modes. I like Cinema Wide best for Digital Cable, or none widescreen DVDs. This set is very expensive, but I smile every time I make a payment as it is such a wonderful addition to my referance Home Theater. I can't wait to watch my 177 DVD collection all over again on this new set. This is my Set up: Pioneer Elite Pro-520HD (TV) Denon AVR-3300 (Receiver) Sony DVP-S530D (DVD) Digital Cable Box (Comcast) Definitive Technology Speakers BP2002TL(2pair front& Back) C/L/R2002 (ceter) Pro-Sub 200TL(center Ch-Sub) Power Field 15TL (LFE sub) Philips Pronto (remote) All speakers Bi-wired with 10 gauge Monster wire Monster Power HTS800 conditioner Happy Listening

    Similar Products Used:

    Toshiba 36", RCA 38310

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    5
    [Jun 30, 2002]
    Gary Bitters
    AudioPhile

    Strength:

    Picture, Picture, Picture, and 72 point convergence.

    Weakness:

    Price!

    I have had my 520 hooked up for about 3 weeks now. I am very impressed with it's performance! I have been tweaking the convergence every day until the set is fully broken in, and every day it looks better then the last. For digital cable I use the same settings I use for DVD watching, except for cable input I use enhanced black, scan modulation (high), and flesh tones on. This gives digital cale a great look. I used the Avia DVD to calibrate the set. This set has the best picture I have ever seen! It also has the best line doubler in the business, this is great as I have an old Sony DVD player without progresive scan. I found set up was very user friendly and easy to understand. I love the slit screen and search mode for using picture in picture. Also this set has by far the best stretch modes for 4:3 tv signals. Cinema Wide is the perfect ratio for viewing 4:3 TV signals. For DVD I use the Full screen mode. I know I still have black bars top and bottom although some DVDs do fill the whole screen in Full screen mode. For DVDs Cinema Wide, or Natural Wide effects the aspict ratio of the actors heads so I leave it in Full sreen mode. I love the build quality, and beautiful looks. This set is a dust magnet, but I don't mind as I use those static wipes (Grab its) every couple days. I do plan on having an ISF calibration done one of these days, but I want to get used to the set before ISF calibration so I can appreciate the improvements for my money. I cant wait until Comcast provides HDTV Cable boxes, I hear they are on the way. This is a very expensive TV, however you get what you pay for, and think this set is worth the price! I am using Tara Labs component video cables for DVD, and Monster Video 3 S-video cables for Digital Cable. The remote is nice, but I use a Pronto. If your as picky about your Home Theaters performance as I am you will love this TV! Her is my set up: Pioneer Elite Pro-520HD (TV) Denon AVR-3300 (Receiver) Sony DVP-S530D (DVD) Philips Pronto (Remote) Definitive Technology BP 2002TL (Front Speakes) Definitive Technology BP 2002TL (Back Speakers) Definitive Technology BP C/L/R 2002 (Center Speaker) Definitive Technology Pro-Sub 200TL (Center Channel Sub) Definitive Technology Power Field 15TL (LFE Sub) All Monster 10 gauge bi-wired speaker wire and interconnects Tara Labs Component Video Cables SFC Gary Bitters

    Similar Products Used:

    Toshiba CF36H40, RCA 38310

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    5
    [Mar 20, 2002]
    Dan
    Casual Listener

    Strength:

    Picture quality, ability to stretch(and not notice)

    Weakness:

    reflection glare

    I purchased the PRO520HD with the DV-37. This is a MOVIE MACHINE!!! VHS,SAT TV looks very nice. DVDs look Awesome. HDTV looks incredible....If your the type of person that doesn''t want to come home and find a better product from another vendor, buy this set. I was very concerned about having to watch all my normal TV with crops on the sides, but the stretch mode on this set does an excellent job. If your starting out in HT,buy this before all your sound stuff. You can use the onboard sound(and be happy) till you can get the rec and speakers.

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    5
    [Mar 14, 2002]
    Duane
    Audio Enthusiast

    Strength:

    Stunning picture quality.Simply the best.

    Weakness:

    Most likely the price.For tweakers,the srvice mode can be very daunting.

    The Pioneer Elite''s are simply in a class by themselves.I have seen just about every set out there and as an ISF tech,adjusted my share over the last few years and none come close to the picture quality of the Pioneer. I recently sold a one year old Sony 65" XBR due to size of the set,not because of any picture issues.It was calibrated properly but it did not present the overall picture quality compared to the Elite.The 520 is the perfect size for my living room.Friends remark about the look abd feel of fine furniture.They then see the picture it produces and jaws just drop.All of this image quality out of the box.I have not calibrated the set as yet,waiting for a few months until it stabilizes. Geometry is almost rock solid.Convergence holds extremely well and the wide modes are excellent.I never use 4:3 mode ever.On the Sony,the stretch modes were horrible for 4:3 material.I had resized one mode to present a better rendition (reset back to factory settings before I sold it).The 520 wide modes look almost natural for 4:3 images. What sold me on the Elite,however,was the natural color pallete.Watching HDNET in decent showrooms with comparable sets,the reds and greens are more natural.Thst and the best black level out there,it was a no brainer. These sets are expensive.There''s no denying it.But once you see one with a good source,it''s hard to look at any other set and not compare it to the Elite.

    Similar Products Used:

    Sony,Toshiba,Mitsubishi

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    5
    [Mar 02, 2002]
    cmpromo
    Audio Enthusiast

    Strength:

    Build quality,looks,picture.

    Weakness:

    No sleep function

    Simply the best picture out there for a rptv.Im just glad I can afford this quality of a tv in my home.The one thing that bugs me is that I watch tv late and fall asleep a lot, and there is no sleep function for this tv. I mean a $99 rca tv from wal-mart has a sleep function!What were those guys thinking. Mabye they want you to leave it on all the time so you will have to replace the guns sooner. Anyway 4 stars because nothings perfect.

    OVERALL
    RATING
    4
    VALUE
    RATING
    3
    [Feb 16, 2002]
    Robert Raisp
    AudioPhile

    Strength:

    Quality, Great Resolution, Non-Fatiguing

    Weakness:

    None

    Simply put, it''''s the best! I''''ve matched the PRO 520 with the Pioneer DV37 and it''''s a great combination! The question is not how expensive this set appears to be but how does Pioneer provide so much extra quality at such a SMALL premium! Buying anything else is more expensive dollar for dollar because the pleasure this television provides still astounds my wife and I. Yes, it is not cheap but in hindsight, we would have kicked ourselves if we settled for anything else and it didn’t match the performance of the Pioneer. We tried to rationalize it but in the end, NOTHING touches the Elite line of HDTV screens! After three plus months of 2 to 3 DVD viewing a night (weekends only), I can honestly say it was the best premium purchase we’ve ever made. Bravo Pioneer!

    Similar Products Used:

    Tried them all

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    5
    [Feb 14, 2002]
    ronwright38
    Audio Enthusiast

    Strength:

    The 72 point Convergance, picture

    Weakness:

    Price only

    Great Picture on when using the DVD,and you can read the crawlers on screen. The price is high but the Quality is there and a great cabinet too.

    Similar Products Used:

    Mits and Toshiba

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    2
    [Feb 06, 2002]
    Rgiorgio
    Audio Enthusiast

    Strength:

    Picture clarity and resolution.

    Weakness:

    Protective screen way to reflective.

    Been trying to decide what to buy for a long time. Finally decided on the Pro 520. No matter where you go or who you ask it is recognized as the best RPTV on the market and they are right. What a picture right out of the box. It needs some break in time. As the set breaks in, convergence becomes more and more accurate and needed less often. The protective screen is awful. I just can''t get used to seeing the reflection of everything else in the room on the TV. It is so reflective it become an annoyance. I haven''t decided what to do about this yet. Besides that I find no faults. All the hookups you want, a beautiful cabinet and what a picture. Dealers were tying to move me up to the Pro 620, the 58" model, but the 520 had the best picture at the distance I will be sitting from the screen. These sets are much larger in your house then they are in the store. Don''t be fooled into getting a bigger set than you will need, you will lose piture resolution for being to close to the screen and you will not be happy with the picture after spendin so much money. I am sitting 12'' from the screen with the 520 and feel like I could be further away from the screen. My system: Pioneer Elite Pro 520 Marantz DV 6200 DVD Marantz AV 9000 Pre-Amp Marantz MM 9000 Amp Monster HTS 5100 Line Conditioner Paradigm Reference Studio 100v.2, Studio 20''s for surround, and CC for center. I am extremely happy with all of these products and recommend to any body.

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    4
    [Jan 11, 2002]
    Gary Bitters
    Audio Enthusiast

    Weakness:

    Price!

    I bought this TV while on leave. I am in the Army stationed at Camp Eagle Korea. After buying it I had to put it straight into airconditioned storage. Now if that is not hard to do you tell me what is. I did not even open it. I will be back in three months to set it up. I will give you all an indepth review then. I bought this TV based off of the 510s performance. When I bought mine they did not have any in the store. This is my system.

    Pioneer Elite Pro-520HD (TV)
    Denon AVR-3300 (Receiver)
    Sony DVP-S530D (DVD)
    Philips Pronto (Remote)
    Definitive Technology BP 2002TL (Front Speakes)
    Definitive Technology BP 2002TL (Back Speakers)
    Definitive Technology BP C/L/R 2002 (Center Speaker)
    Definitive Technology Pro-Sub 100TL (Center Channel Sub)
    Definitive Technology Power Field 15TL (LFE Sub)
    All Monster 10 gauge bi-wired speaker wire and interconnects

    SFC Gary L. Bitters Jr.

    Similar Products Used:

    Toshiba, Sony, Mits.

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    5
    [Jan 14, 2002]
    James Geib
    Audio Enthusiast

    Strength:

    Picture quality, build quality/finish, electronics and optics.

    Weakness:

    Sticker shock, but that is goes away after watching a couple of movies like Heat, The Matrix, Braveheart, Star Wars Episode One, etc.....

    I have been shopping around for a complete home theater system for about 6 months. Finding the right high-end speakers and preamp/amp was a difficult a lengthy process. (I ended up choosing Paradigm Ref 100's, servo-15, adp's and studio c/c with an Anthem AVM20, MCA50, and MCA20 to bi-amp the front r/l speakers).

    Choosing my reference rptv was a much easier task after auditioning the many hdtv sets out there. The Pioneer was a no brainer! Every true high-end salesman I questioned recommended the Pioneer. Even dealers who didn't sell Pioneer, so it was not about being biased. It is a matter of fact.

    The Pioneer is the #1 rptv set out there, followed by the Mits Diamond series. The number of inputs is plentiful, the Urushi finish screams high-end, and the Picture is simply the most movie-realistic you can purchase. It is the closest thing to a true movie theater experience you can get without spending $15K on a front projector or DLP set.

    If you are in the market for a new set and the Pioneer is one of your final choices, go for it. In the end you will be happy with your purchase. Then go out and pick up a good quality Progressive scan DVD player! Don't forget to charge your neighbors admission!

    Similar Products Used:

    Mitsubishi Diamond, Sony, Hitachi

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    5
    Showing 11-20 of 21  

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