KRP500A repair vs '21/22 Panasonic OLED

[onefreeinternet]

Hey all,

KRP500A receiver unit has the dreaded 7 blue lights, was intermittent at first and usable once cooled down/turned off over the past 6 months, but I've had no luck with this for a few days now. Issue started shortly after using Chromecast with Google TV but as I understand it, these units are prone to this issue.

I'm currently looking at the cost of this repair vs a '21/22 Panasonic OLED. This TV was bought second hand after around a year of use - not sure if it was ever professionally calibrated, but am interested in whether ISF calibration/undervolting is a service anyone here offers for the London area, once I decide if a repair is financially viable given how close the flagship Panasonic OLEDs come to replicating Kuro's black levels. Considering too that most of my content is movie/TV show based, available in 1080p-4k, the Kuro's superior handling of SD content is negligible - it's whether I will feel like I've given up something I'm so fond of, for something not as visually pleasing. There is one Kuro repair service in particular across the London area that I'm sure most of you know about, but any thoughts on the matter would be much appreciated.

 

[Jules Tohpipi]

It's a question I was pondering recently. Have used various Pioneer plasmas since 2002 and been very happy. Three months ago I bought a Panasonic JZ1500B and it's been a revelation. I expected greatness on the 4K stuff but the real surprise has been SKY Q 1080i exceeds all my preconceived ideas and that of the plasma.

I'm not 100% sure whether I could have coped with the 24Hz bug that existed prior to the JZ series and some earlier series not supporting Dolby Vision, etc. I especially couldn't cope with early LG series OLED colours. So the JZ series is the sweet spot for jumping.

I sense some mild motion blur on the JZ. Everything else is significantly better than my gen 8 Kuro. Would not consider going back now.

For all non-HDR stuff I stick the JZ1500B in Filmmaker mode and double-check IFC is turned off (it is by default). That's all the tweaking that was required. Even the cat noticed the PQ upgrade and stares intently at the wildlife stuff now (in 1080i)...

 

[onefreeinternet]

Great stuff! Coincidently that is the exact model I am looking at so your props to that unit is helpful. [EDIT] So helpful in fact that I've just pulled the trigger. The 55" JZ1500 is coming in two days - a bargain at £1200 right now.

Average price for fixing the Kuro sits between £250-£300, not sure on what calibration would cost, but one thing I failed to mention was that I've had a stuck pixel on the Kuro for many years now. Surprisingly not that noticeable, only flickers on in certain color spaces - but I guess it's another point towards laying this king to rest rather than trying to give it a second lease of life somewhere like the bedroom - which I'm currently getting lots of pushback on.

 

[Jules Tohpipi]

Great stuff! Coincidently that is the exact model I am looking at so your props to that unit is helpful. [EDIT] So helpful in fact that I've just pulled the trigger. The 55" JZ1500 is coming in two days - a bargain at £1200 right now.

Average price for fixing the Kuro sits between £250-£300, not sure on what calibration would cost, but one thing I failed to mention was that I've had a stuck pixel on the Kuro for many years now. Surprisingly not that noticeable, only flickers on in certain color spaces - but I guess it's another point towards laying this king to rest rather than trying to give it a second lease of life somewhere like the bedroom - which I'm currently getting lots of pushback on.

Well, I'm really pleased that's helped you reach a decision - convinced you are going to be completely delighted! Not least because £1200 is a fab price for the JZ1500B.

I've been very devoted to my Pioneer Kuros but the family were also keen for me to move on. Mainly because of the squealing power supplies and the heat they generate in the room.

Aside from the very pleasant surprise of standard HD Sky PQ, I've also been blown away unexpectedly with the HDR content off BBC iPlayer using the built-in app. The BBC's implementation of the HLG version of HDR looks spectacularly good. To my eyes, all the apparent dynamics of Dolby Vision but with totally natural mesmerising colours. Just a pity there's not more of it.

Watching stuff like The Expanse in 4K HDR on Amazon Prime is jaw dropping, too.

Congratulations on your purchase. You've got a whole load of new stuff to get very excited about

 

[Timmy C]

I have multiple Kuro's including a 500m and I love them all but wouldn't replace or repair them now. Not that I don't think they are perfect for my needs but the running cost is getting a bit out of hand. If an OLED were to last anywhere near as long as my Kuros have then it would pay for itself over time.

 

[Black Adder]

I have never liked the last gen Pioneers - picture blurry in HD and SD compared with the £6,000 Panasonic Z1 plasmas of 2009, but for value for money I'd get your Pioneer fixed rather than the dubious improvements of OLED compared with plasma.