Hot New TVs for the Fall

Pioneer just began shipping plasma sets bearing the Kuro name (which means "black" in Japanese), to call attention to the sets' performance when displaying dark images. Pioneer says the sets' black levels are 80 percent better than their predecessors' (so you'll want to put that old Pioneer set out on the curb right away). Some of these are 720p sets; some are 1080p. The most interesting, the 1080p, 50-inch PDP5010FD, has a room-light sensor that not only monitors ambient lighting, but also appraises the content being displayed on the set, and adjusts things like MPEG noise reduction accordingly. When it senses that you're watching "Dukes of Hazzard," it turns the screen totally black (just kidding). This set costs $5000. --Alan Stafford