Which fossil is behind the Elite brand?
Advertisement
Sometimes we come across old treasures in our attics and basements. This is what happened to home cinema fan happyjapanman, who made a surprising discovery.
That happened: The Redditor had to have his LG C3 OLED TV replaced; luckily it was still under warranty. In order not to have to live without a TV in his home cinema, he quickly got his father's old Elite box out of the basement and set it up.
What he didn’t see coming: The picture quality is damn good! Happyjapanman says it is on par with his OLED TV.
Since he couldn’t make sense of the brand, he asked the community in r/hometheater Reddit – and she knew about it.
Advertisement
Elite? who of you still knows the brand? (Image: happyjapanman/Reddit)
In the comments, people celebrate
The extinct brand is quickly identifiedFor many home theater Redditors, the answer comes like a shot: Elite is Pioneer's now discontinued TV brand.
Pioneer is a Japanese electronics company and is mainly known in this country for its audio products. However, they have not been producing TVs for many years.
Here is a product image of an Elite television from Pioneer. (Image: Pioneer)
Although it is not possible to tell exactly which model it is from the picture from happyjapanman, the commentators are euphoric.
This is a Pioneer. The Elite Line was the best 1080p TV you could buy. This is a plasma.
This is one of the best screens ever made. It's a Pioneer Elite plasma screen. To date, nothing can match the black levels, contrast and responsiveness. The absolute best OLEDs today aren't as good at motion judder.
Are these euphoric comments or is an old plasma TV really on par with OLED?
How good is plasma
The first plasma TVs rolled off the production line in 1997 (by Philips and Pioneer, by the way), the last ones in 2014.
The advantages and disadvantages of a plasma TV:
Per
- Very good black levels
- Wide viewing angle
- Fast reaction time
Contra
- Limited brightness
- Possibility of burn-in or burn-out
- Limited lifespan of the panel
- High energy consumption
This is why plasma TVs have not been produced for ten years: OLED is superior in almost every way – except for one thing (at least apparently).
Jerking motion.
Strictly speaking, plasma displays are not better at displaying motion. Their lower peak brightness and response time just make motion appear smoother.
This is what it looks like: On high-resolution, bright OLED TVs, moving objects jerk or fine patterns flicker, such as a striped shirt in motion. This can best be explained by the Moiré effect compare.
In short: It looks kind of unpleasant.
This is what the moiré effect looks like. It is even more unpleasant to look at when moving. (Image: University of Passau)
Why is that? This is due to the pixel response time, which is practically zero with OLED. The fact that OLED screens can and do display each individual pixel with high brightness results in irritating flickering.
A plasma TV has a longer response time and on average less brightness, which makes movements appear smoother.
You can find out more about OLED vs. Plasma in this article:
Can you still buy a Pioneer Elite TV today? Apart from eBay auctions, it is almost impossible to get hold of such a device.
However, Pioneer sells on its website in the USA there is also a 60-inch model PRO-150FD. Cost: 7,500 US dollars (approx. 6,890 euros).
You have to decide for yourself whether Full HD, four HDMI 1.3 slots and no HDR are worth that much money. OLED TVs are already available for a low four-figure price, as our buying guide shows.
Which Reddit proves once again: The plasma fans out there are not numerous, but they are loud. If you have the time and inclination, read through the comments, which almost without exception celebrate Pioneer's elite TV.