Panasonic Announces Return to the US with New Line-Up of OLED and Mini-LED TVs with Fire TV Built In

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Panasonic Corporation of North America

Sep 04, 2024, 08:15 ET

Panasonic TVs are once again available in the United States
Comprehensive range includes OLED and Mini-LED TVs, with sizes from 55 to 85 inches.
All models feature Panasonic's renowned picture and audio quality and are designed and developed mainly in Japan.
Aligned with Panasonic's announced development deal with Amazon, all models will feature the Fire TV Built In.
Available for purchase from retail partners including Amazon and Costco.com starting today.

NEWARK, N.J., Sept. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Panasonic announced its return to the US with its industry-leading TVs after a decade-long absence. The new line-up includes OLED (Z95A and Z85A) and Mini-LED (W95A) TVs ranging from 55 to 85 inches, all designed and developed in Japan, showcasing Panasonic's outstanding picture quality.

Through a global collaboration with Amazon, these models come with Fire TV built in, offering a seamless, content-forward smart TV experience. Starting today, US consumers can pre-order these TVs from retailers such as Amazon and Costco.com.

Panasonic today announced its return to the US with its industry-leading TVs after a decade-long absence. The new line-up includes OLED (Z95A and Z85A) and Mini-LED (W95A) TVs ranging from 55 to 85 inches, all designed and developed in Japan, showcasing Panasonic's outstanding picture quality

Yasunari Anan, Executive Vice President of Panasonic Entertainment & Communication Co., Ltd., said: "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."

"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," said Daniel Rausch, VP of Alexa and Fire TV at Amazon. "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."

Reasons for US Return

Panasonic, one of Japan's most popular consumer electronics brands, was driven to re-enter the US by a strong belief in the unmet demand for their televisions, particularly among consumers seeking the highest possible picture quality. As consumers live through what many call the Golden Age of Television, the number of discerning viewers has increased, with more people wanting to experience their favorite content exactly as it was intended. Panasonic's collaboration with Hollywood professionals has resulted in TVs that deliver an exceptional viewing experience right out of the box, reflecting their renowned Japanese precision and expertise.

In addition to the demand for high-quality picture performance, the rise of smart homes has transformed consumer expectations. Panasonic recognized that today's viewers desire more than just great picture quality; they seek smart experiences that seamlessly integrate with their evolving smart home environments. By partnering with Amazon, Panasonic has ensured that their TVs provide outstanding smart capabilities, allowing users to connect effortlessly with other devices and platforms.

Panasonic's flexible business structure and global manufacturing platform have enabled them to expand efficiently, making it possible to meet the diverse needs of the US consumers. With their unique combination of cutting-edge Japanese technology, accurate picture and sound quality, innovative design, advanced integration of Fire TV, and competitive pricing, Panasonic is confident in its ability to offer something truly valuable to US consumers.

Unique Panasonic Offering

Panasonic TVs have long been known for the accuracy of their picture quality out of the box. Panasonic achieved this through combining proprietary Japanese technology and knowhow with years of collaboration with Hollywood's leading creators, who have helped Panasonic continuously fine-tune their hallmark picture accuracy. For professionals and enthusiasts, Panasonic offers a wide range of picture settings, enabling them to achieve the precise visual experience they desire.

However, Panasonic's mission extends beyond catering solely to experts. The brand is driven by the belief that everyone should have access to the best possible picture quality. To this end, Panasonic employs optional Auto AI features that automatically adjust picture settings based on the type of content being viewed and the ambient light in a room. This ensures that casual viewers, who may prefer not to tweak settings manually, can still enjoy an optimal viewing experience. By catering to both kinds of users—those who appreciate detailed customization and those who prefer effortless adjustments—Panasonic delivers access to accurate picture quality for everyone.

See It All. Feel It All.

With over 70 years of experience in television development, Panasonic remains at the forefront of delivering outstandingly accurate picture quality for its customers. This achievement is a result of a unique combination of cutting-edge Japanese engineering, advanced technology, and close collaboration with Hollywood's leading experts, known for their "golden eyes."

The central challenge in Panasonic's TV development lies in ensuring that three critical components—the cell, the module, and the processor—work together in perfect harmony. This synergy is essential to unlocking the maximum performance potential of each panel. By meticulously tuning these elements with input from Hollywood's finest visual experts, Panasonic strives to achieve uncompromised picture accuracy. Any misalignment among these components would undermine the precise picture quality that Panasonic aims to deliver.

At the heart of Panasonic's picture quality is the HCX Pro AI Processor MK II processor, which serves as the brain of the operation. The processor is crucial in delivering accuracy in color, contrast, and clarity, ensuring that Panasonic TVs provide optimal picture quality right out of the box.

Color: Panasonic's dynamic 3D LUTs (Look-Up Tables) enable precisely detailed color reproduction, with thousands of registry points ensuring true-to-life colors.
Contrast: Supporting major HDR formats, Panasonic's unique tone-mapping technology optimizes for natural contrast reproduction, delivering stunning images regardless of brightness levels.
Clarity: The processor 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.

Panasonic's dedication to integrating these elements into a cohesive whole underscores its commitment to providing the most accurate picture quality, bringing customers closer to the filmmaker's original vision.

Line Up for the United States

Panasonic announced that it will initially sell three series of TVs in the United States. The flagship Z95A OLED TV, available in 65"; the Z85A OLED TV, available in 65" and 55" sizes. In addition, Panasonic will also sell the W95 mini-LED series, available in 55", 65", 75", and a whopping 85" sizes. All of these TVs are substantially the same as those sold by the brand in other regions, with some minor regional differences.

The new Z95A OLED TV represents the combination of a brand-new chipset and bright panel, the HCX Pro AI Processor MK II, with the Master OLED Ultimate panel, with Panasonic's technical accuracy made possible by Japanese knowhow and engineering, merged with the color-tuning skills of Stefan Sonnenfeld. Sonnenfeld, Founder and CEO of Company 3 is a trusted collaborator of some of the world's best filmmakers. He is among a handful of leading artists who have championed the power of color grading to tell stories and communicate emotion.

Described by NPR as the "da Vinci of the movies," Sonnenfeld has applied his skills as a colorist to many of the most acclaimed and popular features of the past decade: Top Gun: Maverick, A Star is Born, Wonder Woman, HBO's White Lotus, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World, 300 and many more. Like many other leading colorists, studios, and postproduction houses, he uses Panasonic OLED screens as large-format client reference monitors in his daily workflow.

Panasonic's Z95A utilizes a Master OLED Ultimate panel module which is equipped with state-of-the-art Micro Lens Array and a multi-layer heat management configuration developed by Panasonic engineers. The panel delivers unprecedented brightness thanks to improvements in the driving technology and this heat management.

The 2024 global brand new HCX Pro AI Processor MK II in all models powers the new 4K Remaster Engine which elevates streaming picture clarity, by combining AI and mathematical models for crisp, natural images, and superior streaming noise reduction. Gradation has also been improved to reduce banding.

Both sets also support Dolby Vision IQ^TM Precision detail, a picture enhancement system that aims to reveal extra details. It is an advancement on Dolby Vision IQ^TM and operates 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.

This technology works in tandem with a TV's embedded ambient light sensors to perceive how bright it is in the living room and then adjust the on-screen picture to ensure that every detail can be seen, even the darkest of scenes. The new HCX Pro AI Processor MK II also enables Dolby Vision® support up to 144Hz.

Technics engineers have also meticulously tuned the Z95A displays to ensure content is viewed and heard as intended by its creators. With 360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics, featuring multidirectional speakers and Dolby Atmos® support, delivering immersive 3D surround sound.

The latest Mini LED panel technology featured in the W95A brings enhanced backlight control with Local Dimming Ultra for the tightest reproduction of image brightness and darkness. This Panasonic engineering minimises the "halo effect" found on many LCD TVs, and a Quantum Dot Sheet brings further superior color reproduction and contrast enhancements.

Panasonic with Fire TV built in: Explore more. Feel more.

Thanks to a global collaboration with Amazon, Panasonic's newly launched TVs seamlessly integrate your favorite streaming and live TV channels, apps, and tailored recommendations on one main home screen so you can quickly find what you love without the endless scrolling. Users can create up to six user profiles and have access to unique watchlists, personalized recommendations, and settings. They include the Voice Remote with Alexa to easily launch apps, play music, search for titles, and more, using your voice. The Z95A also has far-field voice control with Alexa, so you can easily control your entertainment experience with your voice from across the living room without reaching for the remote.

These TVs are also not just entertainment devices, but also hubs for smart home management. Fully compatible with Alexa-enabled devices such as Ring Doorbells, they feature a smart home dashboard, enabling users to monitor and control their connected home ecosystem seamlessly. They all also transform into dynamic displays when content is not streaming with the Fire TV Ambient Experience. The Ambient Experience turns the biggest screen in your home into a beautiful, always-on smart display rotating through beautiful art, personal photos, and glanceable information like calendars and reminders that keep you updated throughout the day through customizable Alexa widgets.

Finally, when not in use for viewing content, those TVs transform into dynamic displays. The Fire TV Ambient Experience turns the biggest screen in your home into a beautiful, always-smart display. This can turn the TV into an in-home gallery, display personal photos, and show glanceable information like calendars and reminders through customizable Alexa widgets.

In addition, Panasonic TV remotes have the unique "MyApp" button, which can be programmed to directly open a favorite app, channel, or even a favorite voice control command.

Level Up Your Game

In recent years, gaming has undergone a rapid transformation. Storylines are crafted with the depth and excitement of Hollywood blockbusters, 3D worlds have expanded in size and realism, and countless gaming universes await exploration. To fully immerse themselves in this evolving entertainment landscape, gamers have traditionally relied on monitors designed to maximize the performance of the latest consoles and PCs, which boast advanced rendering technologies and lightning-fast load times.

However, Panasonic TVs now offer a compelling alternative, providing the same high-quality experience that gamers have come to expect from specialized monitors. With Panasonic, gamers can enjoy all the benefits of advanced gaming technology on a larger screen, enhancing their immersion in the gaming worlds they love.

In a ground-breaking development for gaming enthusiasts, the Z95A are some of the world's first OLED TVs to deliver a 144Hz refresh rate. This feature ensures unparalleled responsiveness, a boon for gamers seeking a competitive edge. The heart of this innovation is the New HCX Pro AI Processor MK II, acclaimed for rendering vivid, seamless, and crystal-clear imagery.

Thanks to this new processor, Panasonic is unveiling improved "Game Mode Extreme," which equips the TVs with cutting-edge gaming functionalities, making them ready for the latest consoles and PCs. Notably, the inclusion of HDMI 2.1 High Frame Rate and VRR up to 144Hz means more frames per second, resulting in faster, smoother gameplay. Another significant enhancement is the improved Dolby Vision Gaming, now also compatible with frame rates up to 144Hz. This upgrade ensures the ultimate contrast and superior picture quality in High Dynamic Range, elevating the gaming experience. ¹

Furthermore, these TVs boast an ultra-low input lag, a feature crucial for fast-paced games, as it ensures that every controller action is instantly reflected on the screen, giving players a competitive edge against their opponents.

Panasonic TVs also support True Game Mode, a picture pre-set specifically tailored to enhance color accuracy, including optimal white balance and grayscale settings. The result is a gaming experience that closely aligns with the vision of game developers, offering players a cinematic and authentic visual journey.

In addition to visual enhancements, these TVs also feature specialized Game Sound Modes for RPG (Role-Playing Games) and FPS (First-Person Shooter) genres. The RPG mode creates a 3D soundscape with clear dialogues, essential for immersive storytelling and strategic gameplay. Conversely, the FPS mode is finely tuned to accentuate crucial sound cues, like footsteps, providing a tactical advantage in shooter games.

Furthermore, HDR Picture Adjustment with Tone Mapping OFF is another notable feature. It allows for perfect adjustment of HDR games right at the source, rather than the TV. This ensures high brightness levels and detailed visibility, without overblowing the highlights.

All game settings are easily accessible from an updated 'Game Control Board' onscreen overlay, which provides a game settings dashboard allowing fast access to all settings. You can also place it on the customisable My App button on the remote control for quick access.

These TVs are also NVIDIA® G-SYNC® Compatible² and AMD FreeSync™ Premium certified televisions. Owners of the latest consoles and AMD Radeon™ graphics cards can plug in and play without a care in the world thanks to AMD FreeSync™ technology, which puts an end to choppy gameplay and broken frames for a smooth gaming experience. G-SYNC also means that when a TV is connected to a PC using a NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card, it automatically optimizes input lag and VRR settings, ensuring fluid, tear-free gaming experience that is validated by NVIDIA.

¹Z85A: Up to 120Hz

²Only OLED series.

Features and specifications may differ by region.

Dolby, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. Dolby Vision IQ is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation.

Available to purchase starting today at www.panasonic.com and on Amazon.

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About Panasonic Corporation of North America

Newark, NJ-based Panasonic Corporation of North America is a leading provider of Consumer Lifestyle technologies, as well as innovative Smart Mobility, Sustainable Energy, Immersive Experiences, and Integrated Supply Chain solutions. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Holdings Corporation. One of Interbrand's Top 100 Best Global Brands of 2023, Panasonic is a leading technology partner and integrator to businesses, government agencies and consumers across the region. Learn more about Panasonic's ideas and innovations at na.panasonic.com/us.

SOURCE Panasonic Corporation of North America