If you’re looking for the best HD picture out there, you might be interested in Pioneer’s latest challenge for king of the HD hill, the Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro-111FD ($3,500). Gary Merson, aka the HD Guru, has given the set a thorough technical review.

Gary compared the 2008 Pioneer Kuro Elite with another “best HDTV evar”, the Panasonic TH-PZ850U. According to Gary, the Pioneer Kuro Elite has the darkest blacks he’s seen yet, too dark to even measure with his instrumentation. Does that sound ridiculous to you? Overall, Gary says the 2008 Kuro pretty much wipes up the floor with the Panasonic. Check out his review over at HDGuru.com.

Link:

The HD Guru reviews the 2008 Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro-11FD 1080p plasma.

Pioneer’s line of Kuro Plasma TVs are some of the best HDTVs out there, especially when it comes to deep black levels. This may not be a bargain for most people, but if you’re a Pioneer fanboy, it’s a good deal for all five of you. Amazon.com also has it for the same price, but keep in mind that with Costco, you get a two-year extended warranty and 90-day return policy. The Kuro is the HDTV owned by Engadget HD’s guru Ben Drawbaugh.

Deal Link:

Costco.com link (also in-store).

Helpful Links:

Sound & Vision’s review of the Pioneer Kuro PDP-5010FD.

Buying an HDTV at Costco.

Available from CircuitCity.com for $65.99 with free shipping. The Pioneer DV-400 is a 1080p upscaling DVD player. It plays DivX and WMV files and has a USB port for mp3 playback.

Link.

Additional links:

Pioneer DV-400 discussion on AVForums.com.