Complementing the supreme picture qualities are a range of newly engineered features to meet the exacting demands of the professional sector and which advance the screens flexibility, efficiency and reliability. Pioneer Europe today announces the availability of its latest professional plasma screens. The three new PDP-MXE20 screens include the new PUREBLACK PANEL and PURE DRIVE image performance technologies that have secured a wide range of industry accolades for the company's plasma TVs.

"Buying Pioneer is about confidence - the screen will be reliable and deliver the best image quality available," observes Darren Gaffey, Product Manager, Plasma Display Business, Pioneer Europe. "The new displays ensure that buying Pioneer makes more sense than ever. The panel performance is exceptional; we've advanced the reproduction of colour and there's no image distortion, while the processing engine delivers precise scaling and very sharp images. As well as the looks, we've addressed the 'pragmatics' too: the screens are highly reliable, flexible, extremely efficient and very tough."

The three screens include 42-inch, 50-inch and 60-inch options (PDP-42MXE20, PDP-50MXE20 and PDP-60MXE20). The sleek black or silver panels will be used across professional applications including corporate, retail and information display environments. Their key technologies are outlined below.

The PUREBLACK PANEL elevates image performance to a stunning new level of reality. A redesigned Deep Waffle Rib Structure includes a switch to square pixels in the 50 and 60 inch models. This ensures that images are true to life and distortion free while the phosphorous discharge is improved and unwanted light output reduced. Other advances include: a new dielectric layer (greatly improves panel efficiency); a superior colour filter (delivers a higher level of colour accuracy and contrast); up-rated phosphor, and a new Crystal Emissive Layer that generates better luminance performance, higher brightness and faster discharge response.

Pioneer retains a dedicated panel of engineers to focus on the unique demands of professional applications; a key product of the team's work is a high-performance chip set. This manages the colour output, scaling, GUI mix and other image processing technologies to deliver high efficiency levels and optimum picture quality. Scaling performance (vital for professional monitors) is up-rated to ensure that even high-resolution signals are reproduced with accuracy. Image processing is further advanced by i-Clear Drive: depending on the video signal, this feature intelligently adjusts grey steps in darker areas to sharpen details. Since it doesn't ignore any data when scaling, image processing is smoother and more precise.

Thanks to the efficiency of the PUREBLACK PANEL, the screens power consumption is among the lowest in the industry: PDP-42MXE20 (285 W), PDP-50MXE20 (340 W) and the PDP-60MXE20 (450 W). In addition to the standard mode, the efficiency is further advanced by four energy saver modes that manage peak intensity of high brightness images while an automatic mode2 applies an ambient light sensor to adjust to local light conditions.

The powerful PURE DRIVE PRO image processing engine supports an extensive array of flexible image display options. Highlights include a 'standard dual-screen' mode to display two pictures with four sizes of sub-image to select from. Thanks to the PURE DRIVE PRO's image processing engine, the images in dual-screen mode are presented with identical pinpoint accuracy. The order of images can be swapped using a command on the remote control unit (RCU) and similarly the audio can be switched between images. Also available is an upgraded 'side by side' mode with three display options; as well as a 50:50, a 4x3 image can be selected that's tailor-made for digital signage applications. It's also possible to present the images in a portrait format to enhance installation options.3 In addition, the display also supports picture-out-picture, intelligent dual-screen PiP freeze (to freeze the image in PiP) and a banner PiP mode so that text or information can be overlaid onto the main page using applications like Microsoft PowerPoint.

Configuring multi-screen video walls with the PDP-MXE20 range is easy. Possible configurations are 2x2, 3x3, 4x4 and 5x5. Two display modes have been designed to enhance video walls - 'Normal' and 'Adjusted'. In Normal mode, static information can be displayed without losing text within the bezel areas. Normal mode splits the image into multiple parts (up to 25) without losing any data that would normally be obscured by the PDP frame. Adjusted mode divides the picture into sections keeping the overall image complete as though looking through a window. Video Wall functions include Power on Delay, ABL Link, Auto ID Setting and Repeat Timer.

The new displays include Pioneer's Expansion Solutions concept that makes the creation and management of plasma installations an easier and more cost-effective process. As well as the standard 15 Pin D-sub and DVI-D connector for PC and video signals, the displays include two open architecture expansion slots. One slot is dedicated to signal input with two optional Pioneer expansion cards available to handle the major video signals. The second is a unique communications slot and includes an RS-232C expansion card as standard. With their open architecture, the slots enable interchangeable cards to be designed by third party developers to handle current and future analogue, digital and communications signals. They also provide the flexibility for systems integrators to design plasma installations to customers exact specifications.

The PDP-50MXE20 is available in November this year and the PDP-60MXE20 in December while the PDP-42MXE20 will be available in January 2006.