Panasonic have come in swinging with the recent reveal of their new OLED TV range, smart Hif-Fi speakers (that have Google Assistant built-in) and blu-ray players. We have the lowdown on what you can expect from the new TV range, how much they’ll cost and when they’ll be hitting the shelves.
OLED Range
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There are four new OLEDs across two series, all featuring Panasonic’s 4K Pro HDR technology, Absolute Black Filters, HCX 4K processor and upgraded panels.
Panasonic have been making a huge deal about the fact that the new range is being utilised for film production in Hollywood, highlighting that the HCX processors deliver professional-grade colour control, 2.5 per cent luminance and a brand new Dynamic Look Up Table (LUT) system. Basically, it ensures colour accuracy by monitoring the average brightness level of individual scenes. It will then dynamically load the most appropriate LUT, making the scene look more natural.
Panasonic have also said that not only are the black level improved, this function also ensures colour precision for shadows, because why not?
Other standouts include Dynamic Scene Optimiser, Auto HDR Brightness Enhancer and a Color Management System, for those of you who really like to micromanage what you put in your eyeballs.
And for streaming fans, the inclusion of an upgraded intuitive Smart TV platform (My Home Screen 3.0) will let you customise the home screen, so you can pin all of your favourite apps.
On the audio side, the flagship FZ1000 features an integrated Dynamic Blade Speaker that had a 40 per cent volume increase, four woofers, four squawkers and two tweeters, as well as a quad passive radiator to boost bass.
For those who are all about the size, the FZ1000 and FZ950 OLED range will be available in 65-inch and 55-inch panels.
Model | Available | RRP |
---|---|---|
TH-65FZ1000U | July 2018 | $7149 |
TH-55FZ1000U | July 2018 | $4999 |
TH-65FZ950U | July 2018 | $5999 |
TH-55FZ950U | July 2018 | $3849 |
4K Pro HDR UHD LED LCD Range
That’s a mouthful.
There’s quite a variety of models across this range, so we’re going to focus on the upper end – the FX800s and FX780.
Similar to the OLEDs, these TVs will be powered by a HCX 4K processor, 200 Hertz Super Bright panel and local dimming that is designed for more precise contrast and gradation. They’ll all have the aforementioned My Home Screen 3.0, and the The FX800 will also offer a 20 per cent increase in local brightness levels.
The FX780 will contain dedicated viewing modes such as sport and 4K HDR Game, designed for optimised response time and rapid image processing.
Personally, I’m all about a sleek aesthetic, so what I really like about the FX800 series is that it has an ultra-thin glass bezel. It’s sexy.
The FX780 will include multiple HDR formats including compatibility with HDR10+ dynamic metadata technology, HDR10 and HLG.
In regards to size, the FX800 Series will come in 65-inch and 55-inch screen sizes. Or if you want to take it up a notch, the FX780 will be available in 75-inch.
Model | Available | RRP |
---|---|---|
FX800 Series | ||
TH-65FX800A | June 2018 | $3849 |
TH-55FX800A | June 2018 | $2749 |
TH-75FX780A | April 2018 | $5999 |
FX700 Series | ||
TH-65FX700A | May 2018 | $3499 |
TH-55FX700A | May 2018 | $2499 |
FX600 Series | ||
TH-65FX600A | May 2018 | $2999 |
TH-55FX600A | May 2018 | $1999 |
TH-49FX600A | May 2018 | $1749 |
TH-43FX600A | May 2018 | $1549 |
Full HD Core
And if you’re looking for something a little more affordable, this is where it’s at.
Model | Available | RRP |
---|---|---|
FS500 Series | ||
TH-40FS500A | May 2018 | $1099 |
TH-32FS500A | May 2018 | $649 |
TH-32F400A | March 2018 | $449 |