How much better is KURO vs Elite?

[DrunkenSano]

Asking those who have experience with the Pioneer Plasmas, how much better is the PRO 111FD Elite vs PDP-5020FD KURO? Elite is the best 50" Plasma you can buy right now but is the PQ worth that jump over it's predecessor, the KURO? Trying to decide this week whether to settle with the KURO or go with the Elite. Extra $800 is the price difference + tax + extra for 5 year warranty.

 

[cliftonite]

Originally posted by: DrunkenSano
Asking those who have experience with the Pioneer Plasmas, how much better is the PRO 111FD Elite vs PDP-5020FD KURO? Elite is the best 50" Plasma you can buy right now but is the PQ worth that jump over it's predecessor, the KURO? Trying to decide this week whether to settle with the KURO or go with the Elite. Extra $800 is the price difference + tax + extra for 5 year warranty.

I would say that it isnt worth it, spend the money on audio if you dont have it or save it. $800 is about 40% of the cost of the TV now and it only get cheaper in the future. (you can probably upgrade the TV in 3 to 5 years and that $800 could be a significant chunk of that purchase)

 

[kalrith]

If things haven't changed in the last couple years, then this link should detail the differences between the elite and non-elite. IMO it's not worth it unless you have nothing better to spend your money on. Like cliftonite said, you could spend that money on audio. Or you could pay $~300 to have the 5020 calibrated and still have $500 to upgrade your sub, for example.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: kalrith
If things haven't changed in the last couple years, then this link should detail the differences between the elite and non-elite. IMO it's not worth it unless you have nothing better to spend your money on. Like cliftonite said, you could spend that money on audio. Or you could pay $~300 to have the 5020 calibrated and still have $500 to upgrade your sub, for example.

It has. With the 9G Kuros, Pioneer removed quite a few picture controls from the regular line (xx20). The Elite gives you more control and a more accurate picture. Also understand that the standard Kuro doesn't have a Pure mode which is the bread and butter of the Elite series. If you have an Elite, you're using Pure mode for your movies. But all that being said, it really is up to you if it is going to be worth it. BB has a fantastic deal on the 5020, so I'd say that is going to be hard to pass up. GREAT TV at a fantastic price! The only TV that would be better is the Elite version (111/101), and again, it would be up to you to determine if it is worth it. I went for the Elite (141) personally. Why? because I'm REALLY picky about picture quality.

 

[DrunkenSano]

That's where I'm comparing the two TVs actually. Amazon.com has the 5020 for $2200 (no tax and free white glove delivery), I'll be getting a 5 year CPS Warranty with it for $250 so that comes out to $2450. Best Buy actually has a super discount deal on the Elite however, priced at $2800. Though at BB, you get taxed (NJ is 7%) so that comes out to $3000 and the 5 year CPS Warranty for that range is $325 so it comes out to $3325. Difference of $875, no white glove delivery with the Elite.

The fewer picture controls on the 5020 is one of the reasons why I'm trying to decide whether or not to bump up to the Elite. I already ordered the 5020 from amazon but they're out of stock so I have time to cancel, BB deal is till Saturday.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: DrunkenSano
That's where I'm comparing the two TVs actually. Amazon.com has the 5020 for $2200 (no tax and free white glove delivery), I'll be getting a 5 year CPS Warranty with it for $250 so that comes out to $2450. Best Buy actually has a super discount deal on the Elite however, priced at $2800. Though at BB, you get taxed (NJ is 7%) so that comes out to $3000 and the 5 year CPS Warranty for that range is $325 so it comes out to $3325. Difference of $875, no white glove delivery with the Elite.

The fewer picture controls on the 5020 is one of the reasons why I'm trying to decide whether or not to bump up to the Elite. I already ordered the 5020 from amazon but they're out of stock so I have time to cancel, BB deal is till Saturday.

WOW! $2800 for the 111? I thought when they had it on sale for $~3100 it was a great deal. Me personally, for $2800, I'd jump all over the 111. Also know the Elite comes with a 2 years warranty. I also like the Elite because when you remove the speakers, it looks much better than when you remove the speaker from the 5020. The 5020 look pretty bad on the stand without the speaker, IMO. However, if you are wall mounting them, they both look great.

 

[DrunkenSano]

I actually found the 5020 at plasmaconcepts.com for just under $2000 so I jumped on that instead. The plus side is that is also has free shipping and no tax. The 111 comes to $3000 after tax at Best Buy, couldn't resist the extra $200 in savings. I guess I can now use the extra $1000 (not to mention the extra hundred) on perhaps a decent home entertainment system. Thanks for your input though, sadly with the high price on quality plasma, tax plays a pretty big role in price changes. If amazon.com or plasmaconcepts.com sold the 111 at $2800, I would've been all over it.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: DrunkenSano
I actually found the 5020 at plasmaconcepts.com for just under $2000 so I jumped on that instead. The plus side is that is also has free shipping and no tax. The 111 comes to $3000 after tax at Best Buy, couldn't resist the extra $200 in savings. I guess I can now use the extra $1000 (not to mention the extra hundred) on perhaps a decent home entertainment system. Thanks for your input though, sadly with the high price on quality plasma, tax plays a pretty big role in price changes. If amazon.com or plasmaconcepts.com sold the 111 at $2800, I would've been all over it.

Congrats! If you don't have a home theater system at all, then the $1000 would definitely be better spent there than on the 111. I can't believe how many times I've gone to someone's house with a $2k-5k TV, and they're just using the TV speaker :shocked:. Even a $200 HTIB will blow that out of the water. A $1000 system will be really nice, especially if you find some good deals. My 5.1 system including the receiver cost less than $700, and it's more than enough for me. I recommend checking out the General Home Theater Audio Thread to get a good basis for what to look for and how to go about your shopping.

 

[Koing]

Panasonic TH50PZ81B was about £600 cheaper then the Kuro. I couldn't justify the price difference and it made a fat chunk in to the sound setup I have. I couldn't tell the difference and then I'd have to have 2 side by side to tell a difference

View both if you haven't already and then decide. I'd highly recommend the extra £££ in to a decent 5.1 setup. That would make the tv/ home movie experience a lot better then just a 10-15% improvement in picture quality, if that.

Koing