Customer Reviews

Pioneer PDP-4280HD 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I can't recommend this TV highly enough, especially after the price drop. It's definitely the best TV out there at this size and price. As long as you are sitting more than 6-8ft from the TV, the fact that this is 720p instead of 1080p is irrelevant. It will look better than other 1080p TVs of the same size due to Pioneer's superiority in overall picture quality.

There are some downsides, but they are too minor to list here and can be found in other online forums.

A couple of things to note since Amazon's information for this TV is wrong:
1) The native resolutions for the 4280 is 1024x768. It can display a number of resolutions higher or lower than this, but that is the native resolution of the panel. Therefore, it does not display 720p "natively", like Amazon says. Like all flat panels, anything other than the native resolutions gets scaled to the native resolution. Amazon incorrectly lists the resolution as 1365x768 in the product description. That is the resolution of the 50 inch Pioneer.
2) The speaker is not detachable on the 4280. It is detachable on the 5080.
3) The "Product Dimensions" under "Product Details" shows 16 x 47 x 33 inches ; 87 pounds. This is the size and weight of the TV in the box. The actual dimensions are correctly listed later as 4-1/2 x 40-15/16 x 26-3/4 x 69.6 lbs.

I wanted to wait several months before I put my 2 cents in on this tv. I had been researching HDTV's for almost a year, and finally took the plunge. Bought a Sony KDL40v3000 LCD. (We have a smallish family room.) the Sony was a great tv, but personally, I could not get used to the ghosting/motion blur effect that is common to LCD's. -got headaches everytime I watched a fast action scene. Time for plan B. Returned the Sony and debated on a panasonic TH42PX75U, or the Pioneer. After agonizing for several days, settled on the Pioneer. Very glad I did. Not to say the Panasonic is a bad tv, It isnt. I just liked the features of the Pioneer better. I did 200 hours of break in with the tv. The key I think, is to turn down the contrast-and the other settings for the first 200 or so hours of watching. -The risk of burn in is due to people not following the break in period (turn contrast down) when the tv is new. (You'll have time to impress your friends later during football sunday) I found a web site that gave the recommended settings for this tv. After break in period set it to the recommended settings, and WOW.- Vivid colors, fantastic contrast and depth-almost 3D. I watched the car chase scene in Bad Boys 2, and no motion blur. I watched a college football game and could see the rain drops from the rain drizzle on the players helmets. (Yeah, Im starting to like this HDTV stuff...) So far, have watched a lot of football and other shows with logos, scores etc, and not the slightest hint of burn in. -Nothing. I was extremely paranoid abot burn in at first. (The main reason I bought the Sony to begin with.) Tv has 4 HDMI inputs, several component inputs, and PC input. More than enough for audiophiles or regular users. Sound is actually fairly good. Surround is of course better, but quite good sound from the attached speakers. Standard definition is not bad, better than Ive seen on other tv's. On some final observations, It has been reported in earlier Pioneer models about the fan buzzing noise. I can hear the cooling fan running on the tv after it has been on for some time but you literally have to have the volume off and be 2 inches from the tv to hear it. Maybe they did a better job with this years model, but I dont hear it unless Im right next to the tv. Also, I would not get too wrapped up in the 720P 1080P debate. This is a 42 inch set, and I challenge anyone to tell me the difference in picture quality of this set and a 1080P set at normal viewing distance. (9-10 feet) Since 1080P wont be available through the airwaves for many years,unless you watch alot of Blu Ray or HD DVD, its a mute point and marketing hype. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because of the cost, but it's a very well made tv. (And it can be had through Amazon a lot cheaper than the big box stores.) The back is metal, not plastic, and the panel is glass crystal not plastic like on the cheaper brands. Also assembled in USA! Hope this helps in your decision process. Definitely recommended.

I totally agree with the thoughts offered by J.Franklin. I researched like a maniac for at least two months, spent a lot of time on the AVS Forum (highly recommended) and just going to all the big box stores and seeing for myself under the less-than-scientific conditions.

Now that I think of it, if you're serious about making a fair comparison between Plasma and LCD, the highly lit flourescent environment you'll find at these places could not be worse. I happen to prefer Plasma for all kinds of reasons that I'll spare you from here. You can a/b Plasma to Plasma in a store, but absolutely try to find a friend who has one to see what the tv can really do.

I was lucky in that I happened to stumble upon a couple of the 5080HD in a few social and business situations. Besides being totally blown away by the picture quality, black levels and transparency of the image, I took note that these were industry professionals who had chosen to purchase the Pioneer because they felt it was the best.

I absolutely recommend purchasing through Amazon, preferably directly when they have units available. I got a fantastic price at $1599, no tax and free white glove delivery. If you're interested in a smaller flat panel experience (given that 50 inches is becoming the industry standard and Pionner is dropping non-Kuro units smaller than 50") think about buying NOW. After several months of losing my mind doing all that research and viewing, I'm happily recovering and enjoying the tv experience of my life...

I bought this TV after a lot of research on LCDs and plasmas. Was looking for a TV under 42" and it came down to the Sony 40W3000 and this plasma TV.
When I went to a store to check them out, the Pioneer won hands down. I bought it two weeks ago for $1999.98 and it is absolutely amazing! 720p is way sufficient for my 10 feet viewing distance, no need to throw in the extra cash to get a 1080p plasma.
Picture quality, black levels, etc. this is the best TV I've ever had!
And with amazon's great price adjustment policy, I just got $200 back.
At $1799.98 this is now one of the best deals around, and the price keeps falling!

I have had an eye on Pioneer plasma screens since I saw one for $40,000 8 years ago. They are phasing out the Kuro line in favor of a Panasonic screen that will be re-badged as a Pioneer TV after May '08. I decided to buy one right now and these are just a few of the many outstanding qualities of this TV:

1) TV Menu interface is incredibly feature rich with more options than most TVs yet easy to use. You can save color/contrast/brightness settings unique to each input device (i.e. Input 1, Input 2 etc.) and it remembers it.
2) The best color, contrast and picture of any TV anywhere ever made
3) Great overall build quality
4) No visible blurring
5) Good remote control with many features including TV Guide

The Amazon description is wrong and it is not 87 lbs and is in fact 1024 by 768. Resolution is still outstanding and better than some 1080i or even 1080 p models. There really isn't a single thing I would change on this TV which is amazing.

I have had this tv for a little over a year, its truely a great TV, with many conection options and easy to use. I do recomend this TV for a great picture, great sound quality, and its construction. The tv is intelligent and still up to date with most newer TV's. If you are looking for the highest definition possible this tv comes very close. I picked this tv from Best Buy, after looking at 30 different plasma tv's I picked this pioneer.

I decided on this TV after doing a bunch of research and then viewing my short list at a large electronics store. I bought from Amazon since they are a reputable seller I have dealt with in the past, and I saved considerable money over buying from a local store. I could have saved even more money by buying from several other internet retailers but after reading reviews on the others I decided it wasn't worth it. I was scared off by frequent reports of long delays in delivery, harassing phone calls about extended warranties, and horror stories about receiving TVs that didn't work. I received this TV from Amazon 3 days after ordering it and this was with free shipping. My biggest concern was receiving a defective TV - with most internet sales this is your problem to work out with the manufacturer. With the white glove service offered by amazon, the delivery driver brought the TV into my house, helped unpack it, helped me set it up where I wanted, and then we hooked it up and plugged it in to make sure it was working BEFORE I signed for it - had there been any problems up to that point I could have refused delivery and not been charged. I've had the TV for about 1 month and it is great. I am very happy with Amazon and Pioneer.

I relied on other reviews here to make my decision. I thought I was committed to 1080p for a TV, but the Pioneer 720p is so good I can't imagine a better quality picture, also glad I went for plasma. Needed help from more tech saavy neighbor, there is no such thing as out of the box and plug it in with these TVs. Delivery was excellent, called ahead, box has device that turns red if any rough handling! But basically curbside delivery, will not take it up any stairs, so be prepared to have your own musclemen.

A nearly perfect TV. I almost pulled the sting on a top of the line 1080p LCD and I'm glad I didn't. If you are in the market for a 42-46 inch screen you can't go wrong with this one. The colors really pop because of the deep blacks and the total picture quality is beyond that of any other set I research both instore and online. I couldn't be any more pleased with the purchase.

This HD TV has the clearest picture that I've ever seen. I also own a Panasonic 50" plasma and this TV far surpasses that one. I had Circuit City calibrate the Panasonic when they delivered it. Although I didn't think it needed it, I had them calibrate the Pioneer too. They were truly amazed at the clarity and richness of the colors and the crispness of the picture. They saw things that they had never seen before in their calibration program. All this after I had it for over a year. You will not be disappointed with this purchase.