If You Can Spend the Extra, You will not be Disappointed
Written: Apr 01 '06
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Pros: Separate Media Receiver simplifies connectivity and reduce power consumption in display
Cons: User Manual
Cost is a premium over competitive units
The Bottom Line: The TV delivers on all its claims and does so in a package that you are proud to hang on your wall.
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| megsfolks's Full Review: Pioneer PDP-4360HD 43 in. Plasma TV |
See the Feb '06 review from DavidCJohnson. He covered this unit very well and my experience is exactly the same. I will add just a few more comments here as an appendage to his well-formed thoughts.
I bought my unit from BestBuy. They carry this same model, although they refer to it as the "4361" model. The only difference between the "4361" and the "4360" is that the "4361" includes the Pioneer factory wall mount. That is a nice savings of about $200. If you plan to wall mount and IF you can get a competitive price from BestBuy, it is a good option.
My only CON on this TV is the user's manual. It tells you how to manage the settings, but doesn't explain what the non-obvious settings are used for. Big big disappointment in this area. I have to experiment way more than I would like to, to see the effect of turning one feature on or off. Truly, this is my only complaint. I am amazed and disappointed that Pioneer's manual is not more educational on the features of the TV.
I should mention the sound system that is included as part of the standard package. Although I am not an audiophile, I am somewhat picky on sound. I have had this TV for a month and have yet to hook up my home theater system (procrastinating). When watching TV and movies, the sound with the included speakers is actually very decent for the untrained ear. So much so, that I'm able to continue procrastinating hooking up my 5.1 home theater. I felt this deserved mention since I've seen some reviews ding this TV on sound quality. For the audiophile, that could be true. But, for the regular Joe that has trashed his hearing with too many years of heavy metal through headphones, I'm more than thrilled with the sound quality.
A note of consideration when comparing Plasma TVs--look at power consumption. In general, Plasmas burn a lot of energy. In electronics, power consumption translates into generated heat and heat is always a problem. Although good design practices account for cooling and venting to minimize the effect, the combination of Pioneer's separate media receiver and their unique screen technology significantly lower power consumption relative to competitive units. Theoretically, from an electronics standpoint, this translates into improved reliability.
My final comment is on packing and setup. Pioneer did a spectacular job on packaging. Although it required a trip to the local landfill to dispose of the materials, it was clear that the packaging was well thought out with separate boxes for each part of the system (speakers, media box, plasma display, tabletop mount, wall mount). With that much thought put into just the packaging, you know that you are working with a company that values good design. This was also represented in the set up of the unit. I've used both the table-top and the wall-mount for this. Instructions were clear. Hardware for the jobs was first rate high quality and instructions we very clear.
To summarize, I had a real hard time justifying spending a $1500 premium for this unit over what some of the competition offers. This unit was always my favorite--I like its looks and I like its specs. After a month of use, I have no regrets on spending the extra $$$.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 3800
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Epinions.com ID:
megsfolks
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Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 1 member
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