Digital Trends

Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro-111FD November 19th, 2008 | by David Elrich

Features and Design

Like all flat panel TVs, Pioneer Kuros come in a large upright carton. Unlike most other models, the speakers are not built into the frame; you literally have to attach them with brackets and connect the speaker wires via clip connections—something more befitting a boombox than a $5,000 HDTV. We won’t rag on Pioneer too much for this, however, since most purchasers of this set will use it as a centerpiece of a kick-butt home theater system with the requisite A/V receiver and five speakers plus a subwoofer.

Connecting the speakers is just a matter of tightening 16 Philips-head screws and takes about 10 minutes. This model is also supplied with a color sensor that gets attached by a magnet to the lower right corner of the frame. This sensor measures ambient room light and automatically adjusts the picture when you’re in the Optimum mode (more on this in the Performance section).

Once assembled, the Pro-111FD looks elegant on its integrated non-rotating stand with its subtle gloss black finish. The only visible logo is a golden “Elite” on the lower bezel. On the lower left corner of the frame are tiny power indicator lights, while in the lower right corner are sensors for the remote, room light and color. (We’ll get into these in the Performance section as well.) The power on/off button is located under the frame and there’s no front compartment for game console or camcorder connections either. There are just smooth, unbroken lines on the frame. As we said – it’s elegant and subtle.

Moving along, the Kuro is a lot thinner than previous editions, breaking the 4-inch barrier. It weighs 88 pounds including the speakers, panel and stand. The panel itself measures approximately 57 inches wide with the speakers, 28.5 inches tall and 3.65 inches deep. There are two recessed handles on the back so you can carry and position it fairly easily.

The rear of the set is logically designed with enough inputs to handle most A/V setups as well. There are 3 HDMI ports on the back with a fourth on the side, component video, an analog RGB PC input, Ethernet, S-video, speaker terminals, audio, subwoofer and optical digital audio out, and so on… you get the idea. On the left side—along with HDMI connectors—are USB and headphone inputs as well as channel/volume up/down controls. You’ll rarely use these commands though, as they’ll mostly be handled via remote. Unfortunately, there’s no SD card slot to playback JPEGs or AVCHD videos like those found on Panasonic’s competing offerings. Pity.

The Rear Panel of the Pro-111FD

The supplied remote is pretty straightforward with keys grouped in logical sections. Keep in mind that it’s a learning remote as well, so you can eliminate the gaggle of other remotes piling up on your couch (for satellite or cable box, BD player and so on). Of course, it’s also a fairly basic remote and we were surprised that Pioneer didn’t include a much sexier one with an LCD touchscreen similar to a Harmony One. But hey, we guess that sort of advanced controller is an “add-on” profit opportunity for Pioneer Elite retailers. Still, you’d think five Gs would buy a little more…

What’s In the Carton

The Pro-111FD comes with everything you need to set it up other than a screwdriver and HDMI cables. You get the remote, cleaning cloth, color sensor, speakers and speaker wire, various brackets, cable clamps and screws. It’s also supplied with a very nicely crafted, 166-page owner’s manual that does double duty for the -111FD and its larger 60-inch sibling, the $6,500 Pro-151FD.

Once the set was assembled, it was time to connect some high-def components to see just how well it performed.

Image Courtesy of Pioneer