Nearly four years after bowing out of the television business — seemingly for good — Pioneer has announced its return to manufacturing high-end TVs. However, it won't be distributing those TVs widely, as it's making them in an exclusive deal with European electronics outfit Dixons Retail.

According to British electronics retail site ERTonline, the Pioneer-Dixons partnership will produce FullHD 1080p LED panels in 40-inch, 46-inch, and 55-inch flavors. The televisions will be distributed in the Nordic region starting this December, with, according to the release, "an aspiration to extend into the UK market in the future."

Since closing shop on its TV business in March 2010, Pioneer has focused mainly on audio equipment, car audio, and high-end car displays. The return to TVs could be a cause for celebration for fans of Pioneer's past efforts, but devotees of the company's iconic Kuro will be disappointed. Pioneer said nothing about reproducing the deep blacks of that legendary plasma display, which likely isn't possible since Panasonic owns its patents.