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First Impressions

Panasonic is partnering with Amazon to offer the Fire TV OS across its 2024 line-up, and the new Z95A OLED makes a great first impression. The set is still recognisably Panasonic, retaining its Game Menu and picture processing options, but comes with a neatly integrated iteration of the Amazon UI. Picture quality is exceptional, with the new MLA panel and processor combo delivering an uplift in brightness and clarity. PC gamers also now get the option of a 144Hz HDMI input. Consider us impressed!

Key Features

  • Universal HDR supportDolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail and HDR10+ Adaptive
  • Fire TV interfaceSwaps My Home Screen for Amazon’s Fire TV
  • GamingRefresh rates up to 144Hz supported

Introduction

Panasonic smart TVs will never look quite the same again. At CES 2024, the Japanese giant unveiled its latest OLED flagship, the Z95A, and announced that it had benched its own connected TV platform, My Home Screen, in favour of Amazon’s Fire TV OS.

We’ve seen plenty of Fire TV tellies over the past 12 months, but this is the first iteration of a truly high-end model running the platform.

Actually, Panasonic took the wraps off two flatscreens at CES, the Z95A and the 77-inch variant, the Z93A. The stablemate Z93A has a different OLED screen, designated Master OLED Pro Cinema. It’s not an MLA panel and lacks light control hardware, but it is 2024 glass and sports the same HCX Pro AI Processor MK II processor.

I went behind the scenes at the Las Vegas tech show, and Amazon Studios in Culver city, to take a closer look at these Panasonic debutants.

Design

  • 55- and 65-inch models
  • Same design as before

Smart platform aside, the Z95A is a welcome update on last year’s award-winning MZ2000.

Available in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes, the screen sits on a central, swivelling pedestal stand and features impeccable build quality.

Panasonic Z95A stand
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The MLA (Micro Lens Array) panel has been tweaked for 2024 to edge up overall brightness, and is allied to a proprietary, physical heat management system. This combo is partnered with an HCX Pro AI Processor MK II processor.

Features

  • Universal HDR support

HDR support once again is universal, with HDR10+ Adaptive and Dolby Vision IQ Precision Detail leading the way. The latter is an enhancement of the more familiar Dolby Vision IQ mode and works with the screen’s various sensors to draw out detail in specific elements of the frame, without detrimentally boosting overall brightness.

Simply put, whatever your HDR source, the Z95A will make the most of it.

Panasonic Z95A right vs MZ980 left
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Of course, several Prime Video shows offer both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ Adaptive. In these cases, the Z95A always defaults to the Dolby Vision option.

The screen also has a Netflix Adaptive Calibrated mode but does not sport IMAX Enhanced certification.

Sound Quality

The Z95A retains one of the most effective integrated Dolby Atmos sound systems on the market, in the shape of Panasonic’s 360 Soundscape Pro configuration, tuned by Technics. It comprises a forward facing L/C/R soundbar array, side mounted speakers and a pair of Dolby enabled up-firers, powered by 160W of cumulative amplification.

Panasonic Z95A Sound Focus mode
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

There’s no change to this hardware over 2023’s MZ2000, so I have every reason to expect them to sound as good as last season’s model.

Picture Quality

  • Sharp, colourful, and bright images

What’s genuinely impressive about the Z95A is the quality of its images, which are phenomenally sharp with superb near-black shadow detail and excellent colour. Frankly, the Z95A looks gorgeous.

At CES, Panasonic demoed the screen against a non-MLA model from lower down the range, the MZ980, and it clearly outshone that offering, both in terms of dynamic range and overall brightness. I didn’t have a chance to compare the Z93A directly with an MZ2000, but Panasonic suggests a noticeable luminance lift.

Panasonic Z95A image quality
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The set’s HCX Pro AI Processor MK II processor has also opened the door to better picture quality from streaming sources, courtesy of a 4K Remaster Engine. This applies AI and mathematical algorithms to improve image quality and eliminate banding.

I rate the set’s Hollywood tuned colour as exceptional. Able to mimic a master monitor or offer greater visual pop when seen in a brightly lit living room, it’s well suited for all viewing conditions.

Panasonic Fire TV interface

  • Alexa support
  • Freeview Play tuner for the UK

So what of the integration of Fire TV OS? Well, this doesn’t appear to be just another cookie-cutter port of the Amazon platform. For one thing, Panasonic has kept its fully featured zapper, without having to compromise with a generic Amazon Fire TV want; the set has a far field mic built in.

Panasonic Z95A with remote
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

It’s also the first third-party Fire TV OS implementation to include an Ambient Experience mode, so you can use the screen to display images and mood enhancing graphics, when not watching the box.

In the UK, the Z95A will feature a Freeview Play tuner. I rather like the way the Fire TV OS integrates linear TV within its interface, presenting live channels as a curated rail.

Panasonic Z95A with Fire TV OS
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

You can also use the interface as a dashboard for connected Fire compatible devices. Images from a Ring doorbell can be plonked top right (or wherever) and then viewed full screen if the postie is trying to make an Amazon delivery.

The passing of My Home Screen hasn’t impacted Panasonic’s Game Control Board UI. You can still access this via a pinned ‘My App’ shortcut on the remote. Interestingly, both the Z95A and Z93A OLED offer 144Hz refresh rate support, along with full Dolby Vision High Frame Rate support for any games that offer it.

Panasonic Z95A game mode
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

First Impressions

The adoption of Amazon’s Fire TV OS marks a significant change of direction for Panasonic, but it’s one I can get behind. If you’re already a Fire TV stick user, you can dump the dongle and get a far slicker user experience.

Image quality is simply stunning, comparable with the best that we’ve seen from all the 2024 screens unveiled at CES.

There is a caveat though. Once again 4K 120Hz high frame rate support is limited to just two of the four HDMI inputs available, and one of them also handles eARC. Of course, given just how accomplished the 360 Soundscape Pro system is you may not feel the need to route audio out to a soundbar or AVR, but it’s still a restriction.

Overall, the Z95A is a hugely impressive new high-end OLED screen, and the integration of Fire TV OS seems like a sensible move. Talking with Panasonic and Amazon representatives during a deeper dive into the OS at Amazon Studios, it’s clear that this is a significant partnership, and one that may eventually reach beyond the screen into other connected devices. Definitely watch this space.

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A 'hands on review' is our first impression of a product only - it is not a full test and verdict. Our writer must have spent some time with the product to describe an early sense of what it's like to use. We call these 'hands on reviews' to make them visible in search. However these are always unscored and don't give recommendations. Read more about our reviews policy.

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