News Release：Pioneer Introduces Two New PureVision High-Definition Plasma TVs in Japan

PDP-507HX

PDP-427HX

April 19, 2006, Tokyo, Japan - Pioneer Corporation announced today that it will introduce its seventh-generation "PureVision" high-definition plasma TVs equipped with a new proprietary technology "New P.U.R.E.*3 Black Panel". The new panel reproduces "blacker blacks" and the details of dark images, and achieves a 4000:1 contrast ratio in a dark area (the industry's highest level*1 in 50-inch class), thanks to its "Crystal Emissive Layer." The Pioneer 50-inch PDP-507HX and 42-inch PDP-427HX will be shipping in early June, 2006 in Japan at a suggested retail price of 600,000 yen and 480,000 yen (including tax) respectively.

As the age of digital high-definition broadcasting moves into high gear, the Japanese domestic plasma TV market in 2006 is expected to balloon to 680,000 units*4, an increase of 45% from the previous year. By December 2006, the number of households in Japan capable of receiving terrestrial digital broadcasts will have risen to 38.5 million, or about 82% of the total households*5. An environment for enjoying high-definition programs at home is gradually taking shape.

To respond to the needs of this era of digital broadcasting, Pioneer has developed the "New P.U.R.E. Black Panel," a plasma panel that realizes rich color reproducibility. The new panel not only offers the reproduction of "blacker black" but also vastly improved brightness and color reproducibility, allowing viewers to enjoy true-to-life video on a large screen. Plus, the new plasma models feature a variety of newly-developed easy-to-use features including "Recorder Hot Link*6" and "Quick Program Search". Thus, the Pioneer new plasma TVs, PDP-507HX and PDP-427HX, enable users to fully enjoy video contents with greater picture quality through improved ease of operation.

Main Features:

1) "New P.U.R.E. Black Panel" offering vastly improved brightness and color reproducibility thanks to the use of new phosphors and a review of panel materials

• The industry-leading level of luminance efficiency - an improvement of 20 % over that of previous models - allows brightness to increase especially in the mid range. Images can be reproduced naturally with greater contrast.
• The industry-leading level of color reproducibility - a wider color range of 106 % compared with the NTSC standard on the 50-inch model - enables more vivid images to be reproduced with a sense of reality and depth, irrespectively of viewing angels.
• Owing to the Crystal Emissive Layer which realizes high luminance efficiency and highly-stabilized discharge operation, "blacker blacks" and details of dark areas often found in movie scenes are well reproduced.

2) "New Direct Color Filter" to reduce external light reflections and improve contrast ratio in bright environments by 10%

• Adopting the Direct Color Filter, which is directly affixed to the plasma panel, has eliminated a glass for the front filter. This Pioneer proprietary technology significantly has reduced the deterioration of focus quality caused by multiple reflections previously generated between the front filter glass and the plasma panel. Moreover, as reducing the ambient light reflection rate and heightening color reproducibility, the Direct Color Filter technology allows viewers to enjoy images that are sharper, crispier and more vivid even in bright environments.
• The New Direct Color Filter with further improved characteristics ensures higher contrast in bright environments - an improvement of 10% over the previous models - which helps reproduce images more brightly and clearly.
• The elimination of a glass for the front filter enables Pioneer to offer the industry's lightest models in both 50-inch and 42-inch classes*2.

3) "New P.U.R.E. Drive II", fully-digitalized video signal processing for high picture quality, to maximize the performances of the new plasma panel.

The New P.U.R.E. Drive II includes:

• Intelligent Color automatically optimizes the color details in accordance with images to be reproduced, allowing viewers to enjoy ideal images, such as skin with natural textures and fresh green lawns with vivid coloration.
• Intelligent Dynamic Range Expander (Intelligent DRE) optimizes low brightness and sharpness to correct picture quality in real-time in accordance with images to be reproduced. This function makes it possible to reproduce details such as individual blades of green lawns with a crisp, contrastive picture quality on the screen.
• Newly-developed Block Noise Reduction (BNR), Digital Noise Reduction (DNR), and MPEG Noise Reduction (MPEG-NR) ensure reproduction of clear, noiseless images.
• Flex Clear Drive technology achieves high density, smooth color gradation expression by automatically analyzing the characteristics of images and adjusting the distribution of color gradations.

4) 10-bit compatible HDMI*7 terminals (x2) for high-definition digital inputs

The Pioneer new plasma TVs are equipped with two HDMI terminals supporting 10-bit digital signals including a 1080p/24-Hz signal. Via these terminals, the new plasma TVs can perform full-time 10-bit process from signal input to video display allowing finer gray-scale expression compared with the conventional HDMI connection (8-bit compatible).

5) A variety of newly-developed easy-to-use features including "Recorder Hot Link" and "Quick Program Search"

• Recorder Hot Link*6 for one-touch call-up of a Pioneer HDD/DVD recorder's Disc Navigation screen. This allows users to turn on the power of the Pioneer HDD/DVD recorder connected to a new PureVision plasma TV and display the Disc Navigation screen only by pressing the "Recorder Hot Link" button on the remote control. There is no need to perform complicated procedures such as switching inputs to start playback. In addition, users can select and playback programs listed on the Disc Navigation screen via the TV's included remote control.
• Quick Program Search for single-button genre searches. This function allows the viewer to easily and quickly search for desired programs by using the genre buttons on the remote control: Movies/Music and Sports/Animation.
• The new remote control, where frequently-used buttons are located at the front and large channel buttons are employed, helps users' easier operation. Plus, the user can control the basic operations of the DVD recorder or DVD player connected to the new plasma via the TV's remote control TV when presetting the DVD recorder/player manufacturer code.

6) Newly-developed Double Digital Tuner for Terrestrial digital, BS digital, and CS digital broadcasts

While viewing a digital broadcast on the plasma TV, the user can record another digital broadcast on a DVD recorder or video cassette recorder connected to the plasma. In addition, the split-screen function allows the user to simultaneously enjoy two different digital broadcasts on the same screen of the plasma TV.

7) "New P.U.R.E. Sound" system for achieving high quality sound reproduction befitting the era of digital broadcasting.

The Pioneer PDP-427HX employs slim speakers equipped with a newly-developed unit based on the high quality sound technology that Pioneer has cultivated over the years. This ensures both high fidelity sound reproduction for movies and music, and easy-to-listen sound reproduction appropriate for television viewing. The users can fully enjoy high quality digital broadcast sound with a sense of presence without any stress.

8) "Clean & Fewer Elements" design featuring the industry's narrowest width*2

The Clean & Fewer Elements design concept has reduced the number of elements from the frame area around the screen as much as possible. Its simple design is a perfect match for a comfortable, high-quality living space. The 42-inch model, 1,040 mm in width, employs the industry's narrowest design, providing greater installation flexibility than previous models.

9) Additional functions that pursue "ease of use" and the "spirit of non-compromise" for the era of digital broadcasting.

• Sports Mode vividly reproduces grass and enhances handling of rapid movement.
• Expanded Electronic Program Guide is suitable for large screen plasma TVs. TV Programs for the user's favorite eight digital broadcast channels are displayed on the entire PDP screen in high resolution. The EPG function for analog broadcasts supports the G-Guide*8 technology.
• Advanced PureCinema achieves the realism of the original film-based programs by sequentially converting images composed of 24 frames per second shown in cinemas.
• Multi-Screen makes full use of the large screen to display images in 50/50 split screen or P-in-P.
• SRS WOW*9 features three surround modes to deliver true-to-life reproduction of sound.
• Home Gallery displays high-quality JPEG images stored in a digital camera or memory card through USB interface.

10) The lowest power consumption and lightest weight in the industry*2

• The New P.U.R.E. Black Panel, highly efficient luminance technology, and other various power-saving technologies allow the new PureVision plasma TVs to consume the lowest power in the industry. Also, the new models realize the lightest weight in the industry:

< Annual power consumption (rated power consumption) >
PDP-427HX: 266 kWh/yr (288 W)
PDP-507HX: 365 kWh/yr (343 W)
< Total weight >
PDP-427HX: 29.0 kg
PDP-507HX: 37.4 kg*
(*Including those for the display unit, speaker unit, and mounting kit)

Notes:

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