In Japanese, the word “Kuro” means “black.” It’s no surprise, then, that critics and dealers everywhere are praising Pioneer’s Kuro line of plasma TVs for their exceptional black levels, which are five times deeper than those of Pioneer’s previous generation.

“The black levels, the color accuracy … it is just film-like,” says Dwayne Martin of Sound Decision, Roanoke, Va. “Plus, it is reasonably priced.”

The PDP-6020FD 60-inch Kuro display has a street price of less than $4,500. Jeff Madden of Safe ‘n Sound, Santa Maria, Calif., calls the TV a “sticky mouse trap for people” because the picture hypnotizes passersby. “It just plain sells itself,” he says.

Besides its beautiful picture quality, the Kuro boasts networking capabilities with its USB, Ethernet and PC inputs.

Gold Winner

26 High-Impact Products: The 2008 CHIPs