Display Review — Pioneer Electronics PDP-503CMX

The touchscreen option for Pioneer’s PDP-503CMX plasma monitortransforms the screen into an interactive tool.

Amidst an increasingly crowded field of plasma monitors and makers,Pioneer Electronics is angling to stay above the fray by making panelsdesigned for flexibility. That can mean anything from custom I/Omodules or built-in applications to the touchscreen frame option that Ireviewed with the Pioneer's third generation 50in. plasma monitor, thePDP-503CMX.

From private conference room to public display, this 50in. plasma isa pretty picture in a number of ways. A native wide XGA resolution of1280×768 delivers good sharpness, I/O possibilities aretheoretically unlimited, integrated expansion hardware can make themonitor an all-in-one kiosk or computer, and the touchscreen (partnumber PDK-50HW2) make it all very user-friendly. However, Pioneer isplenty proud of all this potential and charges a pretty penny for theplasma alone, before you even talk options.

The I/O panel on the back bottom of the 503CMX base unit may look abit sparsely populated at first glance. It has a single 15-pin analogRGB input and a pass-through out; five BNCs, which can be programmedthrough the onscreen menu to accept RGBHV or component video;stereo-mini audio in and out; speaker terminals; and control ports. Butthere's not much else back there.

However, an open card slot amid the jacks can be filled with anynumber of present and future optional I/O modules. My test unit, forexample, included Pioneer's PDA-5002 video card, which adds basiccomposite, S-Video, and a second set of audio jacks. Other modulescould include SDI, CAT-5, DVI, DV via FireWire, or even some futureformat.

The trick is that these intriguing other modules are, at this time,only future and theoretical, and that makes Pioneer's approach to I/Oflexibility work both ways. Certainly, there are bright possibilitiesand a degree of future-proofing, but basic S-Video and composite I/Othat come standard on just about any other monitor cost an extra $500in this case. That might be fine if Pioneer's base price reflected abare-bones spec, but it doesn't. Competitive models often have two orthree computer inputs and a variety of included video options withoutanteing up extra.

On the other hand, the open card slot does allow customers orthird-party developers a way to build custom modules for very specificapplications, and that clearly raises the value for those with uniquegoals. For example, several plasmas might be linked together into amulti-panel video wall. Adding a processor to an expansion card couldgive the monitor the smarts to automate and vary public displaymessages. Add Pioneer's touchscreen and the 50in. monitor makes aneffective kiosk or arcade game. The monitor's bezel is also removableto allow for very custom designs or installation needs.

The touchscreen option is a lightweight plastic frame that fitsright over the bezel of the plasma, barely increasing the overall wallspace of the monitor. Attaching the frame to a Windows computer via aserial cable adds mouse functionality to an included pen/cursor trackedby infrared sensors and receivers on all four sides (actually sensorson two sides and receivers on two sides). Pen movements on the displayare very smooth and responsive, with just a hint of processing latency,even for drawing. A special handwriting mode sharpens lines to assistthe creation of onscreen text.

The soft tip of the pen doubles as a left mouse button (right andmiddle mouse buttons are on the pen's shaft), allowing you to veryeasily highlight, drag, and open and close documents while standing atthe panel and presenting. For kiosks, the sensors do an equally finejob tracking a finger. The touchscreen option adds another $3,995 tothe price of the panel.

I actually had a minor problem with Pioneer's touch panel thataffected an inch-wide area of the screen where one of the sensors waspresumably damaged, likely due to a shipping mishap, according totechnical support. However, I think the touchscreen worked fine when Igot it and, thus, was probably damaged in our lab while switching theframe from one monitor to another (more about this later). The plasticconstruction of the frame adds very little weight to a wall-mountedplasma, but it also makes it susceptible to damage if the frame is bentor, as may have been in this case, if too much of the plasma's 86lbs.rest on it in the wrong way during installation. This highlights thedelicate nature of the device. Fortunately, this particular problemdidn't render the entire panel unusable, and it isfield-serviceable.

The reason I tested two PDP-503CMXs and needed to switch the touchpanel is an industry-wide issue more than a Pioneer-specific one. Thefirst unit I received, an obvious trade show demo unit that must havebeen released for outside, non-company use through fulfillment error,suffered from a serious burn-in problem. The phrase“Experience=Profit” was visible across the screen wheneverthe monitor was turned on. And that's a problem for anyone consideringplasma, Pioneer or not.

Plasmas have some nice advantages — such as brightness that isfor the most part unaffected by ambient light, a wide viewing angle,and thinness that makes them far easier to wall-mount than just aboutany other large screen display device — but burn-in does happen,and if the same content is shown for long periods of time, any plasmais susceptible. Indeed, the best solution is to ensure that the entirescreen burns as evenly as possible. Thankfully, video's constant motionhelps.

Happenstance aside, the picture in the PDP-503CMX is very good andthat helps bring the high sticker price onto somewhat more realisticground, although a couple of other manufacturers make at least equallyfine looking panels without the price premium. Pioneer's highresolution makes images sharp and saturated, colors are accurate andwell-balanced. Skin tones are also quite good, although that too is notexclusive to this display.

Contrast is less than ideal and weaker blacks don't help the overalldepth of the picture. Images can appear washed out at times, as cansubtler colors. A high-contrast video mode setting does little morethan heighten brightness, and that doesn't help the deeper grayscaletones.

Overall, it's easy to like Pioneer's 50in. PDP-503CMX. Image qualityis among the best in the industry, save for contrast and grayscaleweakness. What's more, if you've got a unique installation orapplication for a large format display device, Pioneer has a lot tooffer. But if Pioneer's expansion possibilities don't inherently bringvalue to your situation, you'll do well to look for a dealerdiscount.

Company: Pioneer Long Beach, Calif.
www.pioneerelectronics.com

Product: PDP-503CMX

Assets: An open card slot in the back can be used for customI/O modules; XGA 1280×768 widescreen delivers good sharpness;optional touchscreen slides over screen to create interactive tool.

Demographic: Display pros creating interactive orlarge-format presentations who have the means to take advantage of theunit's I/O.

Price: $12,995

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