Panasonic has revealed its full line-up of 2023 televisions, following on from the announcement of theflagship MZ2000 OLED in January. The collection sees a total of five OLED sets and a pair of LED models complete the company’s offering (for the UK at least - there’s more in other regions).
The Panasonic MZ1500 is the top screen of choice, sitting under the MZ2000 and coming in popular 55 and 65-inch sizes. This model also gets a boost from the LZ1500 from 2022, because it features the integrated soundbar, so it’s equipped with front-firing speakers.
It is similar to the flagship MZ2000, offering a premium OLED option for those wanting the best from their movies and gaming - so there are now two top TV models offering that elevated sound system. The key difference is that the MZ1500 doesn’t feature the Micro Lens Array, so it won’t quite push the same quality of image as it’s not quite as bright.
Panasonic talks about Hollywood tuning and has a long-running relationship with production studios in Hollywood. Stefan Sonnenfeld, CEO and founder of Company3 - who worked on titles such asTop Gun: MaverickandJurassic World- uses Panasonic OLEDs as a grading reference screen in his work, for example, as do other Hollywood production studios. And colour accuracy is something that Panasonic pushes with its models.
With boosted brightness over older sets, Panasonic also supports the latest standards, teaming up with Activision to make it the official TV ofDiablo IV. Again this comes down to Panasonic’s colour presentation: “I can’t think of many things in which colour balance is more important than Diablo IV,” said said John Mueller, Art Director of Diablo IV. “We have a very subtle colour palette. Creating something that feels like an old masterpiece requires the ability to portray this world in a very nuanced way.”
Key to this is Panasonic’s True Game Mode, designed to ensure that what you see on the TV is what was intended by the content producers, while also supporting 120Hz refresh rates, low latency and input lag,VRRand AMD FreeSync Premium, as well as Nvidia G-Sync and Dolby Vision. These gaming features are on models from the MZ980 upwards, so if gaming is what you want to do, it’s the MZ980, MZ1500 or MZ200 that you’re after.
Aside from the MZ1500, Panasonic is also offering the MZ980 (which doesn’t have the front-firing speakers), and there are the frameless MZ800 and MZ700 models, offering that OLED display at more affordable price points. The latter of these - the MZ700 - is an Amazon exclusive, so is likely to offer some great prices comeBlack Friday, but the key difference here is that these models are 60Hz and don’t have all the same gaming features.
Importantly, the MZ980, MZ800 a MZ700 models all also offer a42-inch size. This gives customers the opportunity to experience the benefits of an OLED TV - greater contrast and stunning black levels - but in a smaller room. These sizes are becoming hugely popular for the likes of kitchens or bedrooms.
All these TVs offer a 4K resolution with HDR tech to boost the visuals, supporting Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos decoding and a full selection of smart functions.
Alongside the new OLED models, Panasonic is also launching a couple of new LED sets. The MX950 is interesting, because it’s a premium LED, usingMini LED technology, so will have better dimming controls, while retaining the brightness advantage that LED typically offers. This will be offered alongside the MX800, which is a mass-market LED set for 2023, available at lower prices and in a really wide range of sizes - from 43 to 85 inches.
We have afull comparison of the different Panasonic models and what they offer right here. Prices and available are still to be confirmed.
