Pioneer Electronics announced the addition of two new high-definition plasma televisions to its Pioneer PureVision product line; PDP-5040HD (50-inch) and PDP-4340HD (43-inch). Both of these Pioneer plasma screens can display more than one billion colors. The new Pioneer high-definition plasmas offer complete television solutions including a high definition media receiver, side-mounted speakers and a tabletop stand that swivels.

Russ Johnston
Senior vice president of marketing for home entertainment
"As one of the early developers of plasma technology, Pioneer has leaped ahead of our competitors in terms of image quality."

Plasma televisions are becoming more common in homes across the nation because consumers favor the aesthetic appeal of flat televisions with wide viewing angles. Pioneer's new plasmas can sit on a table or be mounted to the wall. More furniture manufacturers are developing furniture and room treatments to properly showcase the flat screen televisions.

Pioneer plasma televisions are packaged with a stand-alone media receiver with a built-in ATSC tuner for true high definition television. The media receiver is compatible with high-definition terrestrial broadcast transmissions as well as NTSC (standard definition) broadcasts. The media receiver also allows the consumer to input an array of sources including satellite, cable, DVD, VCR, and computer signals up to wide XGA. The media receiver is digitally linked to the panel for optimal performance. It also offers HDMI connectivity.

The PDP-5040HD and PDP-4340HD plasma televisions will be available in the fall.