When the lauded Pioneer Kuro plasmas went off-air in May, many mourned the loss of what was arguably one of the world's best HDTVs. With the launch of the Panasonic TC-P54V10 plasma, however, a worthy successor has apparently emerged.

What have we here? Why, a fresh shipment of what is, after Pioneer's exit from the TV business, now among the most valuable retail inventory around—the sole remaining Pioneer Kuro plasma TVs.

Pioneer will end the Kuro plasma's storied life in May with a final run of 2,500 50-inch models (RP-500A and KRP-500M) and 500 60-inchers. These are sure to be super-pricey nerd collector's items. [CrunchGear]

Our favorite plasma maker and TV tech innovator is exiting the TV business for good, says HD Guru.

It's not every day that you get to check out the world's thinnest LCD HDTV, let alone all three "ultrathins" currently in production, but that's what's going down. Sharp's super insane new flagship, the Limited Edition Aquos LC-65XS1U-S, arrived at my door in a bulletproof shipping container, 138 pounds of metal and…

The dudes over at The Tech Lounge sat down for a real-world—not canned—comparison of Mitsubishi's cutting-edge, 65-inch LaserVue HDTV with the current reigning champ, Pioneer's 60-inch Kuro plasma set. Does Mitsubishi's fancy new tech really make for a better high-def experience? The tests show, at the very least, that …

Tonight in Denver, Panasonic revealed its newest plasma technology, the 65" custom-install-only VX100 monitor, whose specs meet or beat Pioneer's hallowed Kuro. That means 60,000:1 contrast ratio with 7,160 shades of gradation for visible detail in the darker shadows. At 65 inches, you will pay $10,000 a panel, but not…

Last week we saw Panasonic's latest 50-inch TH-50PZ850U posing a serious challenge to the long-enshrined King of All TVs, the Pioneer Kuro plasma. But now our buddy Gary at HD Guru put the all-new second-gen Kuro 50-incher, the Kuro Elite PRO-111FD, up against the potential throne-usurping Panasonic 850. The verdict?…