Pioneer unveils concepts for future plasma display technologies under the code name "Project KURO" at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Pioneer engineers preview future Project KURO
concepts for extreme contrast and advanced design. The
extreme contrast concept realizes the reproduction of
absolute black, and the advanced design concept becomes
the world's thinnest 50-inch display at only nine
millimeters (mm) thick.
- Project KURO extreme contrast concept
The extreme contrast concept is the industry's first
plasma that can achieve absolute black with no
measurable light emitting from the display, when
reproducing black. Contrast ratio is defined as the
ratio of the luminosity of the brightest color (white)
to that of the darkest color (black). A high contrast
ratio is desirable to recreate ideal picture quality. In
televisions, the truer the black, the more accurate the
color.
Exploiting the advantages of self-emitting displays,
Pioneer has succeeded in reproducing absolute black by
achieving zero-idling luminance in more than six million
cells. Ultimately, the KURO extreme contrast concept has
a contrast ratio that is literally beyond measurement,
rendering the debate of contrast ratio irrelevant.
- Project KURO advanced design concept
At nine millimeters (mm) thick - the world's thinnest in
50-inch class, this Project KURO
technology results in a picture that appears to be
floating on a wall, where the television becomes simply a canvas for great
entertainment. In addition, its extremely light weight
(18.6 kg/41 lbs) allows the television to easily be
wall-mounted.
Pioneer said that the new 50-inch full hi-definitions plasma displays will be commercialized in 2009. The Pioneer future Project KURO concepts are showcased
at the 2008 International CES in Las Vegas.