Pioneer Kuro KRL-32V HDTV unboxed

Anybody who's afraid of the dark would do well to keep out of the way of Pioneer's Kuro range of HDTVs.  Esteemed for their inky black levels, the huge display sizes have so far kept them out of most buyers' reach.  Now, with the advent of the KRL-32V – which, as its name suggests, is a more manageable 32-inches – there's the possibility of far more Kuro in our everyday lives.  CNET UK woke up to find a Pioneer Kuro KRL-32V on their doorstep, so they've done the only honorable thing and unboxed it for all to see.

Either they're ridiculously easy to please or Pioneer have done a great job with this HDTV.  The packaging is pleasing and the supplied accessories comprehensive, down to the proper screwdriver Pioneer (or, more accurately, corporate parents Sharp) provide to fix TV to bracket to stand.  Setup took all of five minutes to tune in the full breadth of Freeview digital TV channels.

Of course, the proof of the Kuro-pudding is in the eating, and while I don't expect CNET to actually consume the KRL-32V I'm looking forward to hearing great things about its picture quality and general performance.  Unlike its massive brethren the 32V (and the 37-inch KRL-37V) use LCD rather than plasma panels, so it'll be interesting to hear whether they can live up to the track record.  The KRL-32V is priced at around £1,300 ($2,124).