Panasonic’s FZ950 OLED TV

Panasonic has unveiled their new OLED TV range for 2018 claiming to take the brand’s obsession with precisely recreating the filmmakers’ vision to a whole new level. And from what I’ve seen of them so far, they look set to make good on those claims in emphatic fashion.

One of the products in the range, the FZ950 uses the latest LG OLED TV panels. While this is good to know, though (especially as it means both sets get the Absolute Black filters that stop their screens from exhibiting a slight magenta tone in dark scenes), what really sets Panasonic’s new OLED range apart is their processing.

The latest HCX processing engine they carry has been developed via a combination of the experience of

Panasonic’s pro monitor division, Panasonic’s Hollywood Laboratory, major Hollywood mastering studios, and Panasonic’s old plasma TV prowess.

They also feature more sophisticated colour look up table (LUT) systems than Panasonic’s previous sets and mark the first time an OLED TV has supported the new HDR10+ type of high dynamic range.

Particularly striking during the time I’ve managed to spend watching the FZ950 in action is its new ‘dynamic LUT’ system. This enables the screens to constantly analyse the content of the image (every 100ms) and draw the best values from its new ultra-powerful LUT system, rather than just applying a single set LUT to the film’s entire running time. As well as delivering consistently more natural, detailed colours, this dynamic LUT approach boosts both the brightness and sharpness of HDR pictures. And not by a little bit, either: the difference

compared with 2016 models during head to head comparisons was substantial, and made the screens’ HDR pictures look considerably more, well, HDR.

Also taking HDR to another level is the new support for the HDR10+ dynamic range system. HDR10+ adds extra scene by scene information to the HDR signal to help screens optimize the way they handle it, and it seemed to deliver a clear difference with a specially prepared HDR10+ clip of Alien Covenant.

The dynamism of this sequence in Alien Covenant seemed to benefit considerably from HDR10+.

During the scene in the loading bay where Daniels tries to jettison the alien into space, the combination of stark white on black lighting and hundreds of gleaming particles of glass floating through the darkness of space looks both spectacular and exquisite in HDR10+. The dynamic range seems extended, especially in the brightest areas, and there seems to be more crispness in those brightest areas too.

The dynamics of the Alien Covenant footage are also enhanced, though, by a marked improvement in the FZ950’s handling of the film’s rich, deep black levels. Both screens benefit from more processing thrown at the darkest end of the light spectrum, resulting in more greyscale refinement, more shadow detail, and more accurate colours in the darkest parts of the picture.

The latest HCX processing engine they carry has been developed via a combination of the experience of Panasonic’s pro monitor division, Panasonic’s Hollywood Laboratory, major Hollywood mastering studios, and Panasonic’s old plasma TV prowess.

This is impressive indeed considering that ‘near black’ performance was one of the biggest strengths of Panasonic’s previous OLED generation.

Handily, both Panasonic and LG used Kingsman: The Golden Circle during demo sessions of their OLED TVs at the current CES in Las Vegas, and it was interesting to see the differences in approach. During the sequence in Champ’s office towards the film’s end, for instance, the LG’s pictures looked slightly punchier with its highlights and slight more aggressive with its colours. However, the Panasonic’s pictures looked more balanced, detailed and refined - and in doing so felt to me as if they were likely tracking closer to the way the film was mastered.

To sum all this up, the FZ950 model has improved significantly in a number of areas on the already very well received pictures of the predecessor.

Actually, the FZ950, at least, also sounds better than its EZ1000 equivalent. The new Technics-designed ‘Blade’ soundbar that forms part of the TV’s desktop stand (or detaches for wall hanging installations) is reckoned to be around 40% more powerful than the EZ1000’s, and you can clearly hear the benefits of this in the EZ950’s much more widely dispersed soundstage and more dynamic mid-range.

There’s thankfully a much meatier feel to the lower mid-range and bass parts of the sound, meaning it should sound much more well-rounded and satisfying with action movie sound tracks.

I said SHOULD sound better back there because the only demonstrations we were given at the CES were with music, not movies. But more bass and a fuller midrange should hold good with any source.

I did feel that some of the finest treble details in the sound have perhaps been sacrificed in the quest for more bass, but overall the change in tone and power seems to be an overwhelmingly powerful one.

To sum all this up, the FZ950 model has improved significantly in a number of areas on the already very well received pictures of the predecessor.