Panasonic HZ2000 OLED TVs arrive: 5 things to know
Pana’s new TVs look smart and have a Hollywood seal of approval.
Panasonic has taken the wrappers off of its 2020 TV range, revealing a slew of OLED TVs and some great 4K LCD TVs as well. The top of the crop is the HZ2000 which has been equipped with all manner of audiovisual goodies.
In total, there are six new tellies - three of which are OLED and the other three are 4K LCD. They are as follows: the Panasonic HZ200, HZ1500 and HZ1000 (OLEDs) and the Panasonic HX940, HX900 and HX800 series (LCDs).
Last year, Panasonic and its GZ series was all about bringing Hollywood into the home with its new TV range - is it the same for the Panasonic 2020 TV range? Here’s 5 things to know…
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1. You can watch movies as the filmmakers intended
Panasonic reckons the new HZ2000 range is all about making sure that when you are watching a movie, it’s just like the filmmaker intended you to watch it. To make sure this happens, there is something called Filmmaker mode available.
Switch this on and advanced external sensors in the TV adjust the picture according to the light levels in your room - much like the auto contrast setting on your phone. This should mean that no matter how bright the room is, the effect will be like watching a movie in a darkened room (or cinema, as they are more commonly called).
This mode came about because a number of filmmakers were royally pissed off with the ‘dynamic’ mode on new TVs which made pictures look fake and ‘too smooth’. Chris Nolan, Patty Jenkins, Martin Scorsese and others pleaded with the world to stop using this feature and Filmmaker mode was born.
Couple this with Dolby Vision IQ, which helps with balancing the light on the screen to make sure you get the best viewing experience, and what you have is a very high-spec TV.
2. The speakers on Panasonic HZ range are immense
Just like last year’s model, the Panasonic HZ2000 range pack some really impressive speaker grunt. This comes in the form of two upfiring speakers on the back of the TVs. Usually we would recommend getting a separate sound system for your telly but the audio range that’s built in is decent and it’s all thanks to Technics, which is part of the Panasonic family.
Panasonic is calling this audio tech ‘360-degree Soundscape Pro’. And because they are upward-firing speakers, they are capable of delivering Dolby Atmos - all tuned to Technics own standards.
In total, the audio output is 80W and these speakers are available on the HZ2000 and HZ1500 range.
3. The most popular HDR modes are all catered for
Now this is impressive. Panasonic is making sure that its entire range of OLED and LCD TVs are HDR 10 compatible. HDR on TVs is a real game changer, it makes sure that the depth levels in the colour are rich so the picture offers fantastic clarity, contrast and any other C word you can think of.
The issue is, manufacturers can’t make up their mind when it comes to what HDR tech to use so the whole thing is a hot mess at the moment. Panasonic knows this and that’s why it’s adopting as much HDR as it can. On these TVs, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG and HLG Photo are all supported.
4. These TVs are so good, Hollywood is currently using them
Hollywood colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld, known for movies including Man of Steel, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Jurassic World, has rubber stamped these TVs, giving them the Hollywood seal of approval.
In short, this means he’s being using these models as a reference monitor for his work. And he’s not the only one, Panasonic can boast to having a whole number of post-production houses using their tech for reference - the people using these things will scrutinise the tiniest of detail, so we can understand why Panasonic is boasting about it.
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But it’s not all about movies. On the horizon is the Olympics and we all want the best TV for the footie and Panasonic is claiming that that’s what you will get with the new HZ range. This is because it uses fancy tech to smooth out the picture that can sometimes be found in OLED TVs when fast-moving action is on the screen.
The release date and pricing for all the new Panasonic TVs is to be announced. All three OLED series come in both 65-inch and 55-inch screen sizes, while the LCD TVs are available in 40-inch, 50-inch, 58-inch, and 65-inch sizes (HX800) and 43-inch, 49-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch (HX900 and HX940) and 75-inch (HX940).
Fancy something to watch on your brand-new TV? These are best Netflix TV shows around right now.