Pioneer PRO-1540HD 60" High-Definition PureVision Plasma Television

A Stunningly Beautiful Picture

You won't be able to take your eyes off of it. The high definition WXGA resolution picture on the PRO1540HD is absolutely stunning in every way. A lot of technology went into creating this great picture. One thing that makes is possible is a Crystal Emissive Layer between the plasma glass and the individual light cells. This allows each cell to be charged and discharged three times faster than before, for greater light emission. So, blacks are blacker, yet the lighter areas on the screen still maintain their true brightness values and don't turn muddy or gray. Also improving detail is Pioneer's Advanced Continuous Emission (ACE) IV technology, which "smooths out" the visual steps between levels of color. With this enhancement, the panel can instantly identify the type of content shown on-screen (fast vs. slow motion scenes, dark vs. light scenes, etc.) and dynamically adjust the grayscale to create optimum detail. Pioneer's Active Dynamic Range Expander (DRE) improves contrast in the PRO1540HD. DRE constantly monitors the video signal and boosts white values only where needed -- not across the entire picture, as with some panels. So, you get accurate, consistent contrast values. And the new Intelligent DRE works in tandem with Active DRE settings to further optimize the picture for the best image quality possible.

Home Media Gallery

Why not enjoy the content stored on your home network on your beautiful plamsa television? With the PRO1540HD's Home Media Gallery, you can do just that. It's basically IP network compatibility designed to DLNA guidelines, and it enables a link with a networked PC to share content, including movies (even HD movies), music, and photos. It supports playback of Microsoft PlaysForSure audio and video content downloaded from the Web and stored on personal computer, via an existing home network system. The system supports lots of formats. Supported video formats include: WMV9, MPEG1, MPEG2-PS, MPEG2-TS, MPEG-ASP. Audio formats are: LPCM, MP3, WMA, WMA9 PRO, AC3, AAC, and WAV. You can view photos in the following formats: JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP and GIF.

Brilliant, Lifelike Colors

Reducing reflected light is critical to producing accurate color values. In the PRO1540HD, Pioneer has eliminated one layer of internal glass by instead using a new First Surface PRO Pure Color Filter. This optical-grade filter is actually bonded directly to the plasma glass, eliminating refracted light. This results in sharper, more accurate color images even in a brightly lit room. Another way the PRO1540HD creates brighter, truer colors is its Deep Encased Cell Structure, which isolates each plasma cell in its own four-walled housing. This allows the plamsa to use more phosphor in each cell without allowing light -- and color -- to escape into neighboring cells. It's more efficient, but more importantly, it creates brighter images and truer colors.

Getting The Most In Your Home Theater

When played at home, movies should look like what the director originally captured on film. But unfortunately, when they're transformed from film to DVD, films often lose something in the process. That "something" is their unique, natural imagery, and that's why Pioneer's Advanced PureCinema is important. It faithfully and accurately restores that original film-like look to movies on DVD (and yes, even videotape). The physical characteristics of your TV room can have a big effect on visual quality. To achieve the ultimate viewing experience, the Elite's ISF C3 capability allows your plasma panel to be optimized for the specific room environment it's in. As an optional service available through your Elite dealer (in this case, Vann's), a professional calibrator can adjust your Elite plasma panel using ISF's exclusive C3 adjustment procedure, for optimum viewing in all kinds of viewing conditions (see more on ISF below).

One Well-Connected Plasma

The PRO1540HD offers full connectivity to your audio/video source components and computer. The television has a fully integrated media receiver with dual NTSC (standard TV) tuners and one ATSC (high-definition TV) tuner, for receiving over-the-air broadcasts. (Why two NTSC tuners? So you can watch two standard-TV programs at once, using Picture-in-Picture). Cable TV subscribers can utilize a CableCARD to receive NTSC and ATSC broadcasts instead of using a traditional cable set-top box -- just insert the CableCARD provided by your cable company into the slot provided on television. The PRO1540HD also features the TV Guide On Screen Interactive Program Guide, to help you find your favorite shows.

HDMI Terminals: Simple, Powerful, Versatile

In addition to a full set of A/V and computer inputs and outputs, the PRO1540HD includes two HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) terminals that enable direct digital input of video and audio signals using just one HDMI cable, for example from your DVD player or cable box. These independent HDMI inputs have the ability to accept a 1080p/24Hz signal. HDMI provides a straight path from point A to point B and the signal remains in a pure, uncompressed, digital state. The result? Completely "lossless" transmission that delivers exceptional image and sound quality compared to conventional connection types.

Exceptional Sound

Pioneer is famous for great sound quality, and it's built into the PRO1540HD. If you want impressive sound but like to keep things simple, the PRO1540HD includes two side speakers that attach to the panel (they can be detached as well). The 2-way stereo speakers are driven by a 13-watt stereo amplifier. There are also speaker outputs (left/right) so you can attach separate speakers. The PRO1540HD also features SRS, WOW, and FOCUS surround sound audio features which drive great sound front the television's two speakers. There's also Bass Boost Loudness for a little extra puch when you think you need it.

ISF Calibration -- Worth The Effort or Not?

The PRO1540HD provides a superior viewing experience that is bright, sharp and accurate right out of the box. However, every living room is different and that variance in environment can have an effect on the visual quality of your television. The PRO1540HD display offers ISF's Custom Calibration Configuration mode, a color calibration process designed by and licensed from teh Imaging Science Foundation, Inc. This capability allows a certified calibrator to perform advanced color calibration with never before achieved simplicity, accuracy and reliability. It includes, among many things, a detailed gamma selection with eight steps for a high level of display accuracy. Don't be afraid of the techno-jargon. The key word here is "custom." This feature allows your plasma television to be tweaked and tuned for the room in which you decide to install it. It can even be set for nighttime and daytime viewing so the television adjusts depending on how much light is shining into the room. The process involves a calibrator taking test measurements with a color meter and making tweaks to optimze the set. It takes about 20 minutes per source to calibrate the set. Once it's completed, the ISF modes are enabled and the settings are locked to eliminate any accidental changes.