Pioneer Kuro basic setup

This is just a basic run through of settings for the Pioneer Kuro KRP-500M. It will apply to any other Pioneer Kuro(I used to own a pdp-6010fd so I know firsthand), the only thing that will change is if you do not have access to the Pure or ISF modes then you will want to use the User or Movie modes. User and ISF day/night have unlocked luminance on small windows, while Pure locks down the small windows to 120 ish nits and leaves alone fullscreen luminance, so it is best for dark room SDR at 200 ABL in the service menu. Movie has similar behavior.

[michaelscott]

Just scored a 141FD which you probably know is the absolute best model ever produced by Pioneer. It only has 6700 hours of usage and surprisingly no hint of red tinted black yet. I've owned and reset a handful of 8th and 9th gen Kuros and this is the first one I've ever seen that did not had red tinted blacks. Perhaps Pioneer fixed the aging algorithms on their last run, as this has a January 2009 build date. I imagine it's among the last that ever went out. Black level also looks good. I definitely will not be touching voltages or resetting the panel. Not going to experiment on my unicorn and I'm sure as you know it's never a good idea on a 60-in! What a treasure.

[Cheesybread]

Excellent video. It’s clear you know your stuff. I’ve spent years perfecting the image quality and pulse meter reset process on my Kuro’s. I own the KRP-500m as well as the several pro-111fds. Make sure to note that resetting the 60” models is not a good idea, especially for the guy on Plasma TVs for Gaming. Also, I believe the game mode on the krp-500m behaves differently being a monitor than it does on the 111FD/151FD. There is a noticeable reduction in input lag when enabling game mode on my 111FDs. But I believe you that it has no change on the krp-500

[plasmatvforgaming]

Thanks for the video. I just got the adapter and cable to access the service menu with the kuro program, but it doesn't work. Dirtgary was telling me that I needed to solder the port, but I don't know how to do that. Can you make a video about it?

[plasmatvforgaming]

Also, in my 151fd the PC mode is the only way I can get a clean picture without sharpening issues. The problem is that only the Video mode allows me to tweak all the settings, especially the white balance

[RestleSSOtaKU]

Hi, few things to say, i have lx508d and with all enchanting and brightness controls off it's continue dimming bright scenes 😢
Did ya have that problem?
With some settings tweaking and going to PC mode it's not that drastically changing, but still doing it 😔

[andreasenstrom]

do you know anything about kuro side speakers compability? i have a krp-500aw limited and would like the side speakers, do all kuro speakers fit? /Andreas

[plasmatvforgaming]

I don't see any black level differences between Limited on PC and TV and Full

[mikescott]

Step one, make sure you have a very light controlled room because as good as Kuros and last gen Panasonic plasmas are- they are absolutely useless in a room with even a moderate amount of light. I'm one of the OG Kuro tweakers and after taking a step back I can now admit that virtually any 2013 Panasonic is better than any Kuro ever made. Color production is vastly improved over Kuro, motion handling is better (with the exception being the S60) and black level is visually on par. Here's the one that really matters though, longevity and reliability. Pioneer really screwed 8th and 9th gen Kuro owners with their faulty aging algorithms. Unless you plan on tweaking your Kuro and learning how to do it correctly, stay far away from Pioneer plasmas at this point. A stock Kuro will be mediocre at best.