Panasonic has announced its return to the U.S. with its TVs after a decade-long absence. The new lineup includes OLED (Z95A and Z85A) and Mini-LED (W95A) TVs ranging from 55 to 85 inches, all designed and developed in Japan.
Through a global collaboration with Amazon, these models come with Fire TV built in, offering a seamless, content-forward smart TV experience. U.S. consumers can pre-order these TVs from retailers such as Amazon and Costco.com.
The Processor
At the heart of Panasonic’s picture quality is the HCX Pro AI Processor MK II processor, which serves as the brain of the operation. The processor is crucial in delivering accuracy in color, contrast, and clarity, ensuring that Panasonic TVs provide optimal picture quality right out of the box.
- Color: Panasonic’s dynamic 3D LUTs (Look-Up Tables) enable precisely detailed color reproduction, with thousands of registry points ensuring true-to-life colors.
- Contrast: Supporting major HDR formats, Panasonic’s unique tone-mapping technology optimizes for natural contrast reproduction, delivering stunning images regardless of brightness levels.
- Clarity: The processor enhances gradation, motion images, and detail through advanced analysis functions, including 4K Fine Remaster and Smooth Motion Drive Pro, ensuring a sharp and clear viewing experience.
Lineup for the United States
Panasonic announced that it will initially sell three series of TVs in the United States. The flagship Z95A OLED TV, available in 65 inches; the Z85A OLED TV, available in 65- and 55-inch sizes. In addition, Panasonic will also sell the W95 mini-LED series, available in 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-inch sizes. All of these TVs are substantially the same as those sold by the brand in other regions, with some minor regional differences.
The new Z95A OLED TV represents the combination of a brand-new chipset and bright panel, the HCX Pro AI Processor MK II, with the Master OLED Ultimate panel, with Panasonic’s technical accuracy made possible by Japanese knowhow and engineering, merged with the color-tuning skills of Stefan Sonnenfeld. Sonnenfeld, founder and CEO of Company 3 is a trusted collaborator of some of the world’s best filmmakers. He is among a handful of leading artists who have championed the power of color grading to tell stories and communicate emotion.
Described by NPR as the “da Vinci of the movies,” Sonnenfeld has applied his skills as a colorist to many of the most acclaimed and popular features of the past decade: Top Gun: Maverick, A Star is Born, Wonder Woman, HBO’s White Lotus, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World, 300, and many more. He uses Panasonic OLED screens as large-format client reference monitors in his daily workflow.
Panasonic’s Z95A utilizes a Master OLED Ultimate panel module tht is equipped with state-of-the-art Micro Lens Array and a multi-layer heat management configuration developed by Panasonic engineers. The panel delivers unprecedented brightness thanks to improvements in the driving technology and this heat management.
The 2024 global brand new HCX Pro AI Processor MK II in all models powers the new 4K Remaster Engine that elevates streaming picture clarity, by combining AI and mathematical models for crisp, natural images, and superior streaming noise reduction. Gradation has also been improved to reduce banding.
Both sets also support Dolby Vision IQ Precision detail, a picture enhancement system that aims to reveal extra details. It is an advancement on Dolby Vision IQ and operates by adjusting the light levels in each area of the screen to draw out more detail, without boosting the brightness to a point where the image looks washed out.
This technology works in tandem with a TV’s embedded ambient light sensors to perceive how bright it is in the living room and then adjust the on-screen picture to ensure that every detail can be seen, even the darkest of scenes. The new HCX Pro AI Processor MK II also enables Dolby Vision support up to 144 Hz.
Technics engineers have also meticulously tuned the Z95A displays to ensure content is viewed and heard as intended by its creators. With 360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics, featuring multidirectional speakers and Dolby Atmos support, delivering immersive 3D surround sound.
The latest Mini LED panel technology featured in the W95A brings enhanced backlight control with Local Dimming Ultra for the tightest reproduction of image brightness and darkness. This Panasonic engineering minimizes the “halo effect” found on many LCD TVs, and a Quantum Dot Sheet brings further superior color reproduction and contrast enhancements.
Fire TV Built In
Thanks to a global collaboration with Amazon, Panasonic’s newly launched TVs seamlessly integrate with streaming and live TV channels, apps, and tailored recommendations on one main home screen so users can quickly find what they love without the endless scrolling. Users can create up to six user profiles and have access to unique watchlists, personalized recommendations, and settings. They include the Voice Remote with Alexa to launch apps, play music, search for titles, and more. The Z95A also has far-field voice control with Alexa, so users can control their entertainment experience with their voice from across the living room without reaching for the remote.
Fully compatible with Alexa-enabled devices such as Ring Doorbells, they feature a smart home dashboard, enabling users to monitor and control their connected home ecosystem. They all also transform into dynamic displays when content is not streaming with the Fire TV Ambient Experience. The Ambient Experience turns the biggest screen in your home into a beautiful, always-on smart display rotating through beautiful art, personal photos, and glanceable information like calendars and reminders that keep you updated throughout the day through customizable Alexa widgets.
Game Mode Extreme
According to Panasonic, the Z95A are some of the world’s first OLED TVs to deliver a 144 Hz refresh rate. This feature ensures high responsiveness, a boon for gamers seeking a competitive edge. The heart of this innovation is the New HCX Pro AI Processor MK II, acclaimed for rendering vivid, seamless, and crystal-clear imagery.
Thanks to this new processor, Panasonic is unveiling improved “Game Mode Extreme,” which equips the TVs with cutting-edge gaming functionalities, making them ready for the latest consoles and PCs. Notably, the inclusion of HDMI 2.1 High Frame Rate and VRR up to 144 Hz means more frames per second, resulting in faster, smoother gameplay. Another significant enhancement is the improved Dolby Vision Gaming, now also compatible with frame rates up to 144 Hz. This upgrade ensures the ultimate contrast and superior picture quality in High Dynamic Range, elevating the gaming experience.
Furthermore, these TVs boast an ultra-low input lag, a feature crucial for fast-paced games, as it ensures that every controller action is instantly reflected on the screen, giving players a competitive edge against their opponents.
Panasonic TVs also support True Game Mode, a picture preset specifically tailored to enhance color accuracy, including optimal white balance and grayscale settings. The result is a gaming experience that closely aligns with the vision of game developers, offering players a cinematic and authentic visual journey.
In addition to visual enhancements, these TVs also feature specialized Game Sound Modes for RPG (Role-Playing Games) and FPS (First-Person Shooter) genres. The RPG mode creates a 3D soundscape with clear dialog, essential for immersive storytelling and strategic gameplay. Conversely, the FPS mode is finely tuned to accentuate crucial sound cues, like footsteps, providing a tactical advantage in shooter games.
Furthermore, HDR Picture Adjustment with Tone Mapping OFF is another notable feature. It allows for perfect adjustment of HDR games right at the source, rather than the TV. This ensures high brightness levels and detailed visibility, without overblowing the highlights.
All game settings are easily accessible from an updated “Game Control Board” onscreen overlay, which provides a game settings dashboard and allows fast access to all settings. You can also place it on the customizable My App button on the remote control for quick access.
These TVs are also NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible and AMD FreeSync Premium certified televisions. Owners of the latest consoles and AMD Radeon graphics cards can plug in and play without a care in the world thanks to AMD FreeSync technology, which puts an end to choppy gameplay and broken frames for a smooth gaming experience. G-SYNC also means that when a TV is connected to a PC using a NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card, it automatically optimizes input lag and VRR settings, ensuring fluid, tear-free gaming experience that is validated by NVIDIA.
The TVs are available to purchase now at www.panasonic.com and on Amazon.
For more information, visit na.panasonic.com/us.
