After Nearly a Decade Away, Panasonic TVs Are Back in the US
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You might have a hard time stretching your memory to the Obama era, but back in 2013, Panasonic’s plasma TVs were the critical darlings of the US market. They far outperformed their LED/LCD counterparts at a time when OLED was little more than a pipe dream for most. Then suddenly, under enormous pressure from ever-cheaper LED panels, Panasonic halted all plasma TV production. By 2016, the company had left the US TV space entirely. Now, over 10 years after its plasma models reigned supreme in the US, Panasonic TVs are back, baby.
Outside the US, Panasonic has remained a global leader in the OLED era. Rumors about a stateside return have been swirling for nearly as long as the brand has been away, but a global partnership with Amazon announced at CES 2024 kicked things into high gear. Today, Panasonic officially revealed the US launch of three premium TVs powered by Amazon’s Fire TV smart interface: the flagship Z95A and “core” Z85A OLED TVs, and the W95A flagship mini LED TV.
All three models are available now in limited sizes, as Panasonic begins its slow walk back to competing against LG, Samsung, and Sony. Here’s what you need to know.
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Photograph: Panasonic
The Z95A is the brand’s top OLED model, launched earlier this year globally to general critical acclaim for its excellent performance. The TV offers advanced features like a dedicated gaming bar and a max 144-Hz refresh rate (though only across two of the four inputs, one of which is the eARC port), support for both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision/Dolby Vision IQ HDR, and AI-powered picture modes. It utilizes an OLED panel from LG Display (Panasonic won’t officially comment on this), enhanced by Panasonic’s in-house processing and proprietary technology.
The hardware includes Panasonic’s version of microlens array (MLA) technology, which LG uses in its latest G-series TVs to produce stunning brightness. Panasonic claims its proprietary MLA modules provide special heat management to optimize performance. The brains behind the Z95A is the HCX Pro AI Mark II processor, designed to improve clarity and color processing. The company says the TV has been “fine-tuned by Hollywood’s most expert colorists” in Panasonic’s Hollywood labs for a picture that gets closer to creators’ intents.
Just as intriguing from a performance standpoint is the Z95A’s sound system, a weak point for most competitors. The TV leverages Panasonic’s hi-fi audio brand, Technics, for multiple embedded TV speakers, including a front-facing array that employs special algorithms designed to focus sound for intelligibility and to mitigate sound bleed.
The TV is the most premium model yet to use Amazon’s Fire TV smart system for advanced smart-home integration and hands-free Alexa voice control via a mutable onboard microphone. I’m not a huge fan of Fire TV’s over-reliance on Alexa or its self-serving ads, but I’ve found it responsive and easy to use in Amazon’s own TVs and Fire TV sticks.
Z85A OLED TV
Photograph: Panasonic
The step-down Z85A isn’t nearly as loaded as Panasonic’s OLED mothership, but it’s pretty well stocked for a TV at such a drastically lower price. You won’t get the Z95A’s specialized MLA technology for blazing brightness or high-end sound from Technics, but you do get support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision and Panasonic’s Mark II processor designed to provide high-end clarity and color reproduction.
On the gaming side, the Z85A offers similar specs as the top model, including a game mode with a dedicated gaming bar and dual HDMI inputs with features like variable refresh rate and auto low-latency mode, though it’s limited to 120Hz. The Fire TV interface provides the same smart-home integration and Alexa voice control as the Z95A but doesn’t include an always-listening microphone.
That could actually be a pro for those wary of always-listening smart devices, and unlike the flagship model, the Z85A gives you two size options for better versatility at launch.
W95A miniLED TV
Photograph: Panasonic
As a miniLED TV, the W95A naturally comes last in the order, but like the Z85A OLED above, its relatively accessible price point should make it a contender on paper. As Panasonic’s “Flagship” miniLED, the W95A is ready for gaming with a dedicated gaming mode and a top-tier 144-Hz refresh rate across two of its four HDMI inputs. Again, I’d like to see all four with support, but it’s easier to swallow at this price. As with the other models, its processing is led by the Mark II, and once again you’re getting support for both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.
For this miniLED display with Panasonic’s Local Dimming Ultra, I expect deep contrast and high peak brightness. (Panasonic doesn’t disclose nit counts for its TVs.) The sound system is more pedestrian than the pricier flagship, sharing the same 50-watt dual-speaker stereo system and single onboard woofer as the Z85A. Also like the Z85A, its Fire TV operating system includes integrated smart-home features, but Alexa voice control is available only via a remote key.
We’ll have to wait until we get hands-on time with these new models to share much more, but with all three TVs already making waves overseas, I’m expecting them to translate well to the US market—and shake things up accordingly.
