Panasonic TVs Are Back In The USA!

In 2008, I bought a Pioneer Kuro plasma after seeing these remarkable TVs in action at CES. It was the best TV I’d ever seen, and Pioneer enjoyed a short time as the undisputed king of picture quality. But in February of 2009, shortly after showing the 2nd-generation Kuro models, Pioneer announced its departure from the TV business. A year later, the company stopped producing televisions altogether. It was then that Panasonic swooped in and took over as the king of plasma, even hiring some of Pioneer’s engineers. Panasonic went on to produce superb plasma TVs, which remained the darlings of videophiles and fans of the large CRT TVs of yesteryear. My house-mates in Berkeley bought a Panasonic plasma for our living room, and my brother bought one when he started medical school. But eventually, Panasonic caved under pressure from cheaper, lighter, and more efficient LCD panels. In late 2013, Panasonic announced that the company would stop producing plasma TVs in March of 2014. This came as a blow to plasma fans like me, who never warmed to LCD. Back then, OLED was promising but still years away from becoming mainstream. But plasma panels were just too expensive to produce, and the technology was not ready for the 4K revolution. By 2016, Panasonic had pulled out of the US TV market completely. Now, a decade after the Japanese manufacturer stopped making its plasma TVs, Panasonic is bringing new TVs back to the United States.

During the OLED era, familiar brands like Sony and LG (and more recently, Samsung) have been vying for the top spot in the picture quality race here in the USA. But in Europe, Panasonic has been right there in the mix, offering high-end OLED TVs that compete with the best. Now, these TVs — namely the flagship Z95A and slightly more affordable Z85A — are available here for the first time. Those who prefer LED TVs can choose the W95A Mini-LED. This 3-model lineup ranges in size from 55 to 85 inches, and all of the above were designed and developed by Panasonic in Japan. Key to Panasonic’s return to the USA is a new global collaboration with Amazon, which means that all of these models come with Fire TV built in.

The United States is crucially important to us, and ever since we left ten years ago, it has been my mission to find a way to return. Today is the end of that long journey and the beginning of a new one to bring new choice to US consumers. From this year, we have started a global collaboration with Amazon so that new Panasonic smart TVs will have Fire TV built in. These TVs have already been launched in Japan, Asia, Oceania, and Europe and the response from consumers has absolutely exceeded our expectations. We are confident US consumers are also going to be thrilled with them.

— Yasunari Anan, Executive Vice President of Panasonic Entertainment & Communication Co., Ltd.

We're excited to expand our collaboration with Panasonic — combining their outstanding picture quality together with Fire TV's content-forward streaming experience — to U.S. customers. This new lineup offers OLED and Mini LED displays — firsts for Fire TV built in — as well as the immersive Fire TV Ambient Experience. Customers in other countries have been loving the brilliant display, seamless Alexa integration, and impressive audio these smart TVs offer. We look forward to bringing this premium viewing experience to even more customers.

— Daniel Rausch, VP of Alexa and Fire TV at Amazon

According to Panasonic, the company was driven to re-enter the US market by “a strong belief in the unmet demand for their televisions, particularly among consumers seeking the highest possible picture quality.” While there isn’t exactly a shortage of great TVs here, Panasonic says that the company’s collaboration with Hollywood professionals has resulted in TVs that deliver “an exceptional viewing experience right out of the box” — something that isn’t always the case from some major competitors (looking at you, Samsung), which may not perform very well without professional calibration. Panasonic says that this has been achieved through combining proprietary Japanese technology with the expertise of Hollywood’s leading creators. For example, the Master OLED Ultimate panel used in the flagship Z95A was developed with color-tuning expert Stefan Sonnenfeld, who is a trusted collaborator of some of the world’s best filmmakers. Panasonic says that Sonnenfeld is “among a handful of leading artists who have championed the power of color grading to tell stories and communicate emotion.” NPR has described him as “the da Vinci of the movies,” and his work as a professional colorist can be seen in films like Top Gun: Maverick, A Star is Born, Wonder Woman, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Jurassic World. Sonnenfeld reportedly uses Panasonic OLED screens as large-format client reference monitors in his daily workflow.

For everyone who isn’t a video expert, Panasonic’s new TVs also come with optional Auto AI features, which can automatically adjust picture settings based on the type of content being viewed and the ambient light in the room. By catering both to nerdy enthusiasts who want to tweak settings manually and to casual viewers who want effortless performance, Panasonic hopes its new TVs will have wide appeal. At work behind the scenes is Panasonic’s new HCX Pro AI Processor MK II, which is crucial in delivering “accuracy in color, contrast, and clarity, ensuring that Panasonic TVs provide optimal picture quality right out of the box,” according to Panasonic. Panasonic’s dynamic 3D Look-Up Tables (LUTs) use thousands of registry points to ensure true-to-life colors and precisely detailed color reproduction. The company’s proprietary tone-mapping technology supports major HDR formats, optimizing natural contrast reproduction and delivering “stunning images regardless of brightness levels,” according to Panasonic. The HCX Pro AI Processor MK II also enhances gradation, motion images, and detail through “advanced analysis functions, including 4K Fine Remaster and Smooth Motion Drive Pro, ensuring a sharp and clear viewing experience.”

Which Panasonic TVs Are Available?

For now, three series of TVs are available in the United States, and their sizing may be a deal-breaker for some. The flagship Z95A OLED TV is available only in 65 inches ($3,200), and the step-down Z85A OLED is available in 65 inches ($1,800) and 55 inches ($1,600). The W95 mini-LED covers more ground, size-wise, and is available in 55 inches ($1,300), 65 inches ($1,800), 75 inches ($2,300), and 85 inches ($3,000).

Panasonic OLED TVs

The flagship Z95A OLED TV combines the HCX Pro AI Processor MK II with Panasonic’s Master OLED Ultimate panel. This panel starts life as a WOLED panel from LG Display. Equipped with Micro Lens Array technology, these are LG’s best panels, used in the brand’s own G-Series OLED TVs. (Panasonic does not advertise the fact that it buys OLED panels from LG, but this is a well-known fact. Sony and Samsung also buy WOLED panels from LG Display.) Panasonic does modify the panel by adding a multi-layer heat management configuration developed by Panasonic engineers. These custom heatsinks allow the panels to get brighter without damage. Thanks to both the driving technology in the HCX Pro AI Processor MK II and the proprietary heat management, Panasonic’s OLED TVs can reportedly deliver unprecedented brightness, even compared to the best OLED TVs from Sony and LG. The Z85A uses a more standard OLED panel but should still be competitive with LG’s C4 and Sony’s Bravia 8 OLED TVs. Both the Z95A and the Z85A support Dolby Vision IQ Precision detail, a picture enhancement system that aims to reveal extra detail by “adjusting the light levels in each area of the screen to draw out more detail without boosting the brightness to a point where the image looks washed out,” according to Panasonic. The new HCX Pro AI Processor MK II also enables Dolby Vision support up to 144Hz, making Panasonic’s OLEDs among the world’s first OLED TVs to deliver a 144Hz refresh rate. This feature reportedly ensures unparalleled responsiveness for gaming. The processor also enabled an improved “Game Mode Extreme,” offering cutting-edge gaming functionalities for the latest consoles and PCs. Panasonic’s OLED TVs are also NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible and AMD FreeSync Premium certified, and they boast an ultra-low input lag.

Panasonic W95A Mini LED TV

The W95A reportedly features the latest Mini LED panel technology, promising “enhanced backlight control with Local Dimming Ultra, for the tightest reproduction of image brightness and darkness,” according to Panasonic. This technology is said to minimize the “halo effect” that plagues many LCD TVs, in which light bleeds into surrounding dark areas of the image. The W95A also employs a Quantum Dot Sheet, promising superior color reproduction and contrast enhancements.

Smart Home Compatibility

Thanks to their built-in Amazon software, all of the new Panasonic TVs are ready to become hubs for smart home management. Alexa-enabled devices such as Ring Doorbells integrate seamlessly into the TVs’ smart home dashboard, allowing users to monitor and control their connected home ecosystem right from the TV. When not being used for watching content, the TVs “transform into dynamic displays,” delivering art, personal photos, and glanceable information, like calendars and reminders.

Panasonic’s new TVs are supposed to be available to order now at www.panasonic.com, but most are currently out of stock as of the time of writing. However, many are already available on Amazon, and some models will be offered at Costco in the coming months. 

More information: Panasonic TVs