Panasonic has already shown off one OLED TV this year in the form of the Panasonic EZ1002 which we were lucky enough to spend some time with at CES, but the company’s not done with OLED TVs just yet.
As part of its 2017 lineup, the company has announced three new OLED TVs. It's not quite an LG-level of OLED support, but it feels like a significant amount of support for the premium technology.
One set is a 77-inch model in the EZ1002 lineup, and the other two form an entirely new range dubbed the EZ952.
The main difference between the EZ952, available in 55 and 65-inch versions, and the more premium EZ1002 range is in the audio department.
Gradients of premium
While the EZ1002 sets feature the removable soundbar stand Panasonic is calling the ‘Dynamic Blade Speaker’, the EZ952 features a more traditional pedestal stand.
However aside from that, the panels appear to both feature the same technologies Panasonic was proudly talking up back at CES.
Both are powered by the Studio Colour HCX2 processor, which Panasonic is boasting provides more accurate colors in addition to better performance in darker parts of the image.
Detail in darker parts of the image can be difficult to achieve with OLED televisions, because the jump between a pixel displaying a dark color and being off entirely is too large. Panasonic is claiming that the HCX2 processor solves this problem.
Both ranges also feature peak brightness levels double that of previous generations of OLEDs.
One unfortunately omission is the lack of Dolby Vision support. Both ranges are HDR compatible and include support for HDR10 and HLG, but it would have been nice to see the more premium Dolby vision supported.
On the software side, the sets include the ‘My Home Screen 2.0’ OS, and also include a customisable button on the remote to open up a streaming app of your choice. Although Panasonic has provided a Netflix button on past remotes, it’s nice to see a manufacturer provide a customizable solution to please, for example, Amazon Prime video fans.
If you want to get your hands on the new sets you might have a little time to wait unfortunately. Panasonic expects the EZ952 sets to be available in June 2017, with the new 77-inch EZ1002 following later in ‘Autumn’.
- Check out our guide to the best 4K TVs around.
