Pioneer SD-643HD5 64" RPTV at Costco? (1 Viewer)

[Brian O]

I saw this set at Costco for $1999. Can anyone give me any feedback on this 64" RPTV? It is not an Elite. Is this a current model? How well is this model typically calibrated out of the box? What other manufacturers would have a set that is comparable or even better for the price? Any other info on this Pioneer RPTV would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Brian,

Pioneer has stopped making rptvs. The 643HD-5 was the last model other than the Elites that they were building before they ceased production in order to concentrate on Plasmas. It was introduced in '01 and originally carried an msrp upwards of $4400.

While not an Elite, it did have the same excellent de-interlacing and stretch-zoom modes and is considered one of the best crt-based rptvs available.

It lacks dvi inputs, about the only disadvantage but one that may be a sticking point if you were planning on using an upconverting dvd playere like the Samsung 931.

That being said, $1995 for a set of this quality is a steal.

 

[Brian O]

Thanks Steve for the info.

Being that this model came out in 2001, do you think the advantages it had back then over other makes has been decreased with newer technology and how well does it compare now to those other manufacturers at that price?

 

[greg_t]

The technology from that set is probably better still than most of the sets out there. It's only real disadvantages is the lack of DVI inputs, which may or may not be an issue for you. It also will not accept a 720p signal. Other than that, it's a great set.

 

[Brian O]

Thanks Greg for your info.

I have a Panasonic CP-72 5 disc DVD player and digital TW cable presently. I will upgrade to HD satellite when I upgrade to a HD TV.

What are the advantages of DVI over component inputs? Also, isn't 1080i preferable to 720P? In what applications would I use 720P?

Thanks again for the help.

 

[greg_t]

In my opinion DVI really doesn't have any advantage over component, at least as far as CRT sets are concerned. The big thing about DVI right now is the upscaling dvd players that take the native 480i image and upconvert to either 720p or 1080i. Most players only do this over DVI. I think DVI is just kind of more of a marketing thing right now. That may not be the case in the future however, with HD DVD coming within the next few years. It will likely be able to use component outputs, but who knows?

For True HD, some channels broadcast in 720p rather than 1080i. I think some video games also use 720p. The 643 will not accept a 720p signal and will not display it. For 720p HD sources, you should be able to use the HD set top box to convert to 1080i, which the 643 will accept.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Brian,

All HD boxes can be set to convert incoming 720p to 1080i, so you will have no problem with the non-acceptance of 720p unless you need to be able to use the 720p output from an X-Box.

There are currently no crt based rptvs that will display 720p natively.

720p and 1080i are the two scanrates recognized as true High Definition. Theoretically 720p is supposed to be capable of displaying fast moving picture material with less artifacting, but I've never had a problem at 1080i.

There used to be a large contingent that regarded 720p as superior to 1080i but in actual practice they are about equal.

I have a crt based HD-ready rptv that will accept 720p but downconverts it to 480p. My DirecTV receiver is set to output incoming 720p to 1080i to avoid this. I see no difference in pq between channels that broadcast 720p (ABC and ESPNHD) and those that broadcast at 1080i (all other HD broadcasters).

DVI inputs offer a pq advantage only on fixed pixel displays (Plasma, DLP, LCD, LCOS) but not on crt based sets. DVI is a digital picture signal, component is analog. Fixed pixel displays are natively digital rather than analog, so they need to do an analog to digital conversion when using component inputs which is not necessary with DVI inputs. This analog to digital conversion creates a "clayface" look on many of the fixed pixel displays when using component inputs, this is not a factor with crt based displays. Fixed pixel displays also have a native scanrate of 720p or very close to it, hence the option for 720p output on most set top boxes.

I also own a CP-72 and have been able to compare native 480p dvd with 1080i HD from HBO-HD for several movies. 480p is not quite HD, but it comes amazingly close.

 

[Brian O]

Hey guys, great info. Thanks again for clearing some things up for me.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

What it boils down to is that the Pioneer we're discussing is still state of the art for a crt-based HD-ready rptv with the exception of it's lack of a DVI input.

At the time I purchased my Sony (fall of '01) the 53" version of that Pioneer could not be had for less than $3500, which exceeded my budget or I'd have bought one.

 

[Jason Edgecombe]

Anybody have any opinions on how this pioneer stacks up against the comparable Mitsubishis like the WS-65513 as far as picture quality (HD and SD)? The one on display looks expectedly terrible.

My costco has one of these left in stock and I've been fighting the urge to make the jump. I also find that the build of the Pioneer looks much better than the Mits from an aesthetic standpoint which is a factor.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Costco is one of the worst places to try to judge tv picture quality--brightly lit, you can't get a viewing angle as the sets aren't high enough, and the source is more often than not an SD feed off Dishnetwork.

I remember when I was shopping for my set a couple of years ago seeing the 53" version in a Best Buy displaying true HD. The remote was tethered to the set so I could play with the settings a bit, and the set was angled up so I had a good centered view of it. The picture was about the best HD picture in the store at that time. The only thing that stopped me was the $3500 pricetag. I haven't seen anything look significantly better for HD since then.