More Than a Billion Colors on Display in New Pioneer Plasma TV

[Gregg Lengling]

New PureVision(TM) Plasmas Offer Complete Digital Signal Path

    LONG BEACH, July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today
announces the addition of two new high-definition plasma televisions to its
Pioneer PureVision(TM) product line; PDP-5040HD (50-inch) and PDP-4340HD
(43-inch).  Both of these Pioneer plasma screens make future TV a reality
today by offering best-of-breed technology that, for the first time, can
display more than one billion colors for the ultimate on-screen display. The
new Pioneer high-definition plasmas offer complete television solutions
including a high definition (ATSC) media receiver, side-mounted speakers and a
tabletop stand that swivels.
    (Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020628/PIONLOGO )
    "As one of the early developers of plasma technology, Pioneer has leaped
ahead of our competitors in terms of image quality.  Any consumer who is truly
interested in preparing for the high-definition TV wave that is about to hit
this country should look at a Pioneer plasma before they consider anything
less," said Russ Johnston, senior vice president of marketing for home
entertainment at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.
    A tremendous amount of proprietary technology is used to create Pioneer's
unbelievably crisp image quality.  New advancements include:

     *  Pure Drive, a pure digital signal path from source to image.  With
        Pioneer Pure Drive an analog broadcast is converted once to digital
        and remains in the digital domain.  Any digital signal has no analog
        to digital conversion.  By minimizing or eliminating the A/D or D/A
        conversions Pioneer has reduced digital 'noise' and MPEG 'noise.'
        Pure Drive also offers more correction for accurate images and
        improved gray scale.

     *  Advanced PureCinema(TM) for faithful and accurate reproduction of film
        content.  Pioneer is the first to introduce advanced film detection
        using 3:3 film to video conversion at 72Hz in a plasma display.  This
        new technology enables film content to be reproduced with smooth and
        natural imagery like in a movie theater.  Previously televisions only
        offered 3:2 film to video conversion at 60Hz resulting in on screen
        artifacts, such as uneven motion.

     *  The advanced continuous emission display technology II is another
        industry first, eliminating false contours that can appear in
        close-ups of faces.  This improved technology allows the television to
        display smooth transitions from dark to light areas without losing
        detail or compromising the image contrast.  The improved technology
        works in conjunction with Pure Drive enabling the plasma panel to
        display more than a billion colors.

    Pioneer, a world leader in plasma technology, offers a range of PureVision
plasma screens that are the ultimate in super-slim vision technology.  Other
models in the PureVision family of products include the recently announced
Pioneer Elite PRO-1110HD (50-inch) and Pioneer Elite PRO-910HD (43-inch), and
for commercial/industrial use, the PDP-503CMX (50-inch) and PDP-433CMX
(43-inch).
    Plasma televisions are becoming more common in homes across the nation
because consumers favor the aesthetic appeal of these beautiful flat
televisions with wide viewing angles.  Pioneer's new plasmas can sit on a
table or be mounted to the wall, and work well with almost any home decor.
More furniture manufacturers are developing furniture and room treatments to
properly showcase the flat screen televisions.  The black frame and silver
side-mounted speakers of Pioneer's plasma televisions are sure to get
admiration from friends and family, but the true high-definition picture
quality with the capability to display more than one billion colors is what
makes a lasting impact.
    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.
    Pioneer's Home Entertainment Division is the leading manufacturer of
plasma and projection televisions, DVD players and DVD recorders, A/V
receivers, CD players and CD recorders, speakers and other audio and video
accessories.  Its focus is on the development of new digital technologies
including Digital Network Entertainment.  The company markets its products
under the Pioneer and Pioneer Elite brand names.  When purchased from an
authorized dealer, consumers receive a limited warranty for one year with
Pioneer products and two years with Pioneer Elite products.

    Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., and
its U.S. Web address is http://www.pioneerelectronics.com .  Its parent company,
Pioneer Corporation, is a leader in optical disc technology and a preeminent
manufacturer of high-performance audio, video, computer and cable equipment
for the home, car and business markets.  The company focuses on four core
business domains including DVD, display technologies, Digital Network
Entertainment and components.  Founded in 1938 in Tokyo, Pioneer Corporation
employs more than 34,000 people worldwide.  Its shares are traded on the New
York Stock Exchange (NYSE: PIO).

    For further information, please contact:  Aaron Levine of Pioneer
Electronics (USA) Inc., +1-310-952-2401, aaron.levine@pioneer-usa.com; or
Julie Jaqua, +1-323-761-7405, jjaqua@gcigroup.com, for Pioneer Electronics
(USA) Inc.