Netflix Calibrated Mode is on its way to Panasonic's new OLED TVs, promising to tweak your TV picture settings to make sure what you're seeing is as close to the creator's vision as possible.
Panasonic has number of OLED TVs coming this year, from the mid-range GZ950 to the premium flagship GZ2000, and all of them will come with Netflix's Calibrated Mode built in as standard.
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Of course, you're hopefully already getting a pretty accurate picture on a brand new OLED TV, though the mode offers an additional way to play around with your picture settings to get an image you're happy with – and will likely please those who hanker after high-end sets for the most faithful and pitch-perfect recreation of their favorite Netflix shows and Netflix movies.
The Netflix mode was created in tandem with Sony for its Master Series range last year, though now it seems like the calibration method is rolling out further.
It makes sense for the mode to come to Panasonic, given the manufacturer's collaborations with Hollywood colorists for its 2019 range – and its focus on bringing cinematic experiences to home televisions (Panasonic makes coloring monitors for a host of Hollywood studios too).
Is Netflix Calibrated Mode any good?
Honestly, the standard picture you get on an OLED without any additional picture processing is going to meet a certain minimum quality. OLED is the premium panel technology of the moment, and is unrivalled when it comes to color contrast and deep, moody blacks.
You may find Netflix Mode detracts rather than adds to the experience. In our review of the Sony Bravia AF9 OLED, we said that "One of more contentious options introduced in the Master Series range is a Netflix Calibrated mode that supposedly emulates the image seen on Netflix mastering monitors. It’s a Cinema preset by any other name, and not a particularly engaging one either. It will overwrite a Dolby Vision presentation, and tends to look a tad ... lifeless."
But regardless of whether you end up using it, having more picture presets – for those who want them – is really no bad thing.
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