Be part of the action with this super smart set
Panasonic’s new set is so smart it even passes the Gravity test!
Every Christmas I think about upgrading my television, mostly because it’s blockbuster season on the TV. Whether it’s catching up with Blue Planet, a stylish new Agatha Christie or a network premiere of a space-bound blockbuster, Christmas is TV time and I’m always keen to see what retailers will offer us in the New Year sales.
There are enough 4K and ultra high definition (UHD) programmes and films available to make upgrading to a 4K screen worthwhile. I settled on testing a nicely sized 55” OLED screen from Panasonic.
The EZ952B has three larger siblings but, in terms of euro for screen size, this looks the most attractive.
The panel itself is ridiculously slim at 4mm. About halfway down the body, it broadens out to fit in all the crucial electronics, which include two Saorview receivers and twin satellite tuners.
Moving to the side and back to inspect this TV reveals an array of connections that will hitch to just about anything you have in your living-room.
There are four HDMI ports, which accept 4K picture inputs from UHD Blu-ray players or set-top boxes. I would have been happy with a pair – four is great future-proofing.
To top it off, there are three USB ports, including a high-speed one to which you could connect a USB drive.
There’s a mini-jack adapter for other AV functions, an optical audio input and, oddly, an SD card slot. Also in the box is a nice touch-pad remote.
This TV works best connected to the internet and there is dual-band WiFi and an Ethernet port.
I suggest you use this port rather than WiFi to prevent buffering on streaming services such as Netflix.
Panasonic has done a nice job on the interface for this TV. The days of on and off and a simple menu are long gone.
We want TVs to look like our smartphones or tablets and Panasonic’s interface for this is easy to use, while offering access to a host of familiar apps and a web browser. I usually use the film Gravity to benchmark televisions as you get fast-moving action as well as lots of deep black space, which some TVs, even expensive ones, have trouble with. Gravity looked great on the EZ952. The first noticeable feature is the perfect black and that immediately draws you into the big lush screen. There are a host of adjustments possible including luminance, tint and sharpness. While you can make everything look good, it’s probably best left to the automatic setting. There are also a host of picture presets including dynamic, THX Cinema and even THX Bright Room.
Panasonic says this is a TV that was designed with professional film-makers giving directions but it’s a collaboration that has worked well.
Film and TV look great and I tried a few different HD sports programmes. Action remains fluid, even for ball games, and images from pitch-side or of the crowd really do look like you can touch them.
Perhaps the EZ952 is let down only by its audio, with everything sounding just a little flat.
However, if you are in the market for a TV like this, simply connect a home-cinema or soundbar to get the audio the picture deserves.
This is a competitive part of the market with LG and Philips making great sets at this size.
I particularly like the futureproof connectivity and HDR performance of the EZ952 and, if you’re keeping an eye on deals in the New Year sales, this is a TV to watch.