Panasonic has kept us waiting on details for the rest of its 2022 TV range, but the wait would seem to be worth it as the Japanese electronics dished the details on its TV line-up for the coming year.
And the surprise is that we are getting five (5!) OLED models this year, from the previously announced LZ2000 to the LZ800 series (exclusive to the UK).
Sizes of OLED screens start as small as 42-inches and end at 77-inches, and they’ve once again be tuned by the hand of Hollywood colourist Stefan Sonnenfeld, who has recently worked on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Top Gun: Maverick.
Panasonic also revealed details about its core LED TV line-up that includes the LX940 (not available in the UK) and the LX800.
Better for movies
For 2022, Panasonic is hyping its OLED models as being perfect for movie lovers, with the latest generation of TVs delivering higher peak brightness in True Cinema, Cinema, Filmmaker and Professional picture modes. Colour volume for blues has been improved, so you should be able a wider range of hues thanks to Panasonic’s HCX Pro AI processor.
The top two OLEDs (LZ2000, LZ1500) get the custom engineered Master OLED Pro panels, while the LZ1000 gets the Master OLED panel (still a custom panel but not as bright) and the 48- and 42-inch models of the LZ1500, LZ980, as well as all LZ800 models get the standard OLED panel configuration from LG. And Panasonic has said the OLEDs use the latest technology from LG Display.
LED TVs with adaptive brightness
Despite the focus on OLED, Panasonic is still placing an emphasis on its core LED TV models, which it is positioning as being perfect for day-time gaming and watching films.
The LX940 feature the high brightness HDR Cinema Display Pro, while the step down LX800 splits its model sizes between the HDR Cinema Display and Bright Panel Plus screens, all of the panels are able to adapt their brightness to suit viewing room conditions.
Improved gaming
Gaming on the OLEDs and LX940 is claimed to have been enhanced with Game Mode Extreme. This feature supports HDMI 2.1 features such as High Frame Rate and Variable Refresh Rate at 120Hz in full 4K resolution, which is better than the 2021 models could achieve.
The Game Control Board takes inspiration from Samsung and LG by collecting relevant game settings and overlaying on them on the screen, accessible through one click on the remote and allowing gamers to view information such as HDR tone-mapping, input lag and VRR, plus the Dark Visibility Enhancer that allows for extra visibility of near black areas in dark scenes.
Other improvements include the reduction of latency and input lag for 60Hz games on OLED TVs, a 120Hz panel for the LX940 and AMD FreeSync Premium support for those who hook their TVs up to a PC.
Those are just some of the improvements coming to Panasonic TVs in 2022. We’ll be looking to see how well they fare in the coming months.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
