Panasonic takes true Hollywood colour home with new OLED television range

Panasonic has unveiled its next generation of OLED televisions as the centrepiece of its impressive 2018 TV line-up. The FZ1000 and FZ950 OLED Series feature the latest enhancements to Panasonic’s proprietary Hollywood Cinema Experience (HCX) 4K processor, delivering the most accurate and compelling picture quality, as Hollywood filmmakers intended.

Doug Campbell, Category Manager, AV and Imaging, Panasonic, said: “Panasonic’s superior image processing techniques have been finessed over decades of TV development, with exceptional blacks and outstanding colour accuracy. As a result, we are confident our 2018 OLED range will deliver the most premium in-home entertainment experience for Australians to date.”

Continuing a 20-year Hollywood collaboration, Panasonic engineers partner with industry experts – including Deluxe post-production studios[i] – to perfect the tuning of the company’s OLED screens. In addition, many in the film industry choose Panasonic OLED TVs as reference monitors to support the creative process.

Doug Campbell added: “It’s exciting that Australian consumers can watch a Hollywood blockbuster at home knowing that not only does the technical accuracy of their OLED screen match the director’s creative intent, but it’s also the same screen used when perfecting the movie. Our customers can be certain that the movie they see in the loungeroom is precisely as it is meant to be experienced.”

Key capabilities – Panasonic Television 2018

Panasonic has expanded its OLED range this year with the introduction of four new models across two Series – the FZ1000 and FZ950.  All feature the most powerful generation of Panasonic’s 4K Pro HDR technology with the newest OLED panel and the advanced HCX 4K processor.

All models in the 2018 OLED range now feature an Absolute Black Filter to provide the purest, most accurate black levels by absorbing ambient light in order to eliminate reflections – especially beneficial in brightly lit rooms.  The new TVs are also THX® and Ultra HD Premium certified – further proof of their exceptional quality.

To complement its superior picture, the FZ1000 OLED Series boasts an upgraded Dynamic Blade Speaker, with Technics engineers responsible for every stage of development, from mechanical and electrical circuit design through to sound tuning, to produce best in class sound for an integrated TV speaker.

Both the impressive FZ1000 and FZ950 OLED Series are available in 65-inch and 55-inch panels. Panasonic is also launching an expanded range of 4K UHD LED LCD TVs, including the flagship FX800 Series in 65-inch and 55-inch screen sizes, and the FX780 75-inch TV. The full line-up also includes the FX700 and FX600 Series.

The premium FX800 Series incorporates the same advanced HCX processor as the OLED range, and this flagship TV represents the pinnacle of 4K HDR in an LED screen with a newly-developed Super Bright panel. Also inspired by OLED, the FX800 Series features Panasonic’s stunning ‘Art & Interior’ glass design concept – an ultra-thin panel with a glass bezel that creates a clean, elegant frame around the top and sides of the TV.

From the FX700 Series upwards, Panasonic will offer compatibility with open platform HDR10+ dynamic metadata technology – set to provide superior colour, contrast and highlights on a scene-by-scene basis, ushering Australian movie enthusiasts into a new era of home entertainment.

Amazon Prime Video is making its HDR library available to be streamed in HDR10+, including The Grand Tour, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Jean-Claude Van Johnson, The Tick and The Man in the High Castle, plus hundreds more licensed titles. With 20th Century Fox as a founding partner and studios such as Warner Bros. adding their support, Panasonic expects a wide variety of high-quality HDR10+ entertainment will be available to enjoy.

All 2018 smart TVs have been upgraded to the new My Home Screen 3.0 operating system. This highly customisable OS allows even faster access to users’ favourite apps such as Netflix and YouTube.

Panasonic 2018 Television line-up

OLED RANGE: TH-65FZ1000U, TH-55FZ1000U, TH-65FZ950U and TH-55FZ950U

Tuned in conjunction with leading Hollywood experts, the 2018 OLED line-up delivers a truly flawless picture.  Supporting this, Panasonic has made significant advancements to its 4K Pro HDR technology – with its HCX processor now providing incredibly precise professional-level colour control through the introduction of a Dynamic LUT (Look Up Table) system and a new industry standard in calibration at just 2.5 per cent luminance. As a result, colour reproduction in areas that are particularly difficult to reproduce, such as dark shadows and bright highlights, is now exceptionally accurate.

Technologies for outstanding colour precision

To achieve its goal of amazing colour precision, Panasonic has taken technology used by Hollywood professionals in post-production and broadcast, and it’s now built into the HCX processor. The HCX chip delivers the processing power to drive a completely new Dynamic LUT (Look Up Table) system.

LUT is used extensively in professional circles to ensure colour accuracy. Generally, LUTs are static, not dynamic, so are fixed according to the source colour space. However, with this innovation, the HCX automatically monitors the average brightness level of a scene, and uses picture analysis to dynamically load the most appropriate LUT. As a result, mid-brightness scenes look much more natural.

Colour precision in shadows has also been significantly enhanced. Panasonic has included additional layers of LUT data at much darker levels than previously – so not only is the transition from pure black improved, but colours in the shadows are much more accurate.

Also, in response to feedback from Panasonic’s Hollywood post-production users, the company has extended the range and reduced the interval between calibration steps at the darkest end of the RGB and gamma scales. Panasonic OLED TVs now offer incredible control at just above complete blackness in low-lit scenes.  They support Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) calibration settings and new calibration points at 5 per cent and – in an industry first – just 2.5 per cent luminance.

These calibration steps can be adjusted by the user via Panasonic’s Colour Management System, and these industry-first calibration points will also be supported by Portrait Display’s® CalMAN® software with AutoCal functionality. Panasonic OLED TVs are the first to be CalMAN Ready.

Further enhancements that Panasonic has included are Dynamic Scene Optimiser and Auto HDR Brightness Enhancer. Dynamic Scene Optimiser uses picture analysis to mimic dynamic metadata when playing an HDR10 source.  The TV detects brightness and optimises the way each scene appears, to yield more accurate results, rather than relying on the ‘one size fits all’ metadata provided by material mastered in the industry standard HDR10 format.

Furthermore, Auto HDR Brightness Enhancer ensures the best viewing experience by adjusting HDR content manually or automatically. A light sensor built into the TV continually monitors the ambient light levels in a room and adjusts the way HDR pictures are reproduced accordingly. Consumers can adjust the HDR brightness manually, using 15 different setting levels.

Outstanding audio: Dynamic Blade Speaker – Tuned by Technics

The FZ1000’s upgraded Dynamic Blade Speaker uses audiophile grade Hi-Fi components to deliver a rich and powerful field of sound.  Created in conjunction with engineers from acclaimed audio brand Technics, the integrated TV speaker boasts a 40 per cent volume increase, with no less than eight multiple speaker units – four larger woofers, four squawkers and two tweeters, plus a quad passive radiator to boost bass. Design aesthetics have also been enhanced, with the sound blade able to be wall mounted completely flush with the TV.

4K Pro HDR UHD LED LCD RANGE

Panasonic is launching an expanded range of 4K UHD LED LCD TVs, including the flagship FX800 Series in 65-inch and 55-inch screen sizes, and the FX780 75-inch TV. The full line-up also includes the FX700 and FX600 Series.

Picture quality has been taken to new levels across the LED TV range, with 4K HDR panels offering more powerful video processing and improved backlight dimming.

Key features include:

FX800 Series 4K Pro HDR UHD LED LCD: TH-65FX800A, TH-55FX800A

• Powered by the same class-leading Hollywood Cinema Experience (HCX) 4K processor as Panasonic’s pro-grade OLED TVs.
• The FX800 takes image quality to new levels with Panasonic’s 200 Hertz Super Bright panel, further enhanced with Local Dimming Pro.  With a 20 per cent increase in local brightness levels, Local Dimming Pro combines backlight control and signal processing control, so brightness can be fine-tuned in thousands of areas across the screen.
• Premium styling with Panasonic’s ‘Art and Interior’ glass design.

FX780 Series 4K Pro HDR UHD LED LCD: TH-75FX780A

• 75-inch big-screen viewing at its best with excellent picture quality – including the HCX processor; plus a 200 Hertz Super Bright panel and local dimming for clear bright images and precise contrast and gradation.
• Dedicated modes for an optimum viewing experience, including sports mode to provide the smooth motion needed for fast-moving action; and 4K HDR Game mode with fast response times and rapid image processing to deliver crisp, finely detailed images.
• Multiple HDR formats including compatibility with HDR10+ dynamic metadata technology, HDR10 and HLG.

FX700 Series 4K HDR UHD LED LCD: TH-65FX700A, TH-55FX700A

• Delivers impressive 4K viewing with a 100 Hertz Super Bright panel and local dimming for rich colour and detail.
• Versatility with a Twin Tuner and Bluetooth audio.
• Hexa Chroma Drive Pro for six-colour reproduction delivers stunningly accurate, natural pictures.
• Features a premium slim metal bezel and Panasonic’s Switch Pedestal with adjustable feet to conveniently adapt to the width of a TV cabinet.

FX600 Series 4K HDR UHD LED LCD: TH-65FX600A, TH-55FX600A, TH-49FX600A, TH-43FX600A

• 100 Hertz HDR panel allows the TV to process and display a truly natural HDR picture from HDR10 and HLG sources with excellent performance in both high brightness areas and dark shadows.
• With Adaptive Backlight Dimming, the TV’s backlighting is continually optimised to deliver rich contrast and immersive dark scenes.
• Most models include Panasonic’s Switch Pedestal with adjustable feet.[ii]

2018 TV line-up: Intuitive home screen for hassle-free viewing and content access

• An upgraded intuitive smart TV platform – My Home Screen 3.0 – allows further customisation of the home screen for easier access to on-demand or streaming services, and frequently used web browsers, apps and devices.
• Features all the most popular apps including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, ABC iView, SBS On Demand, BigPond Movies, YouTube and Freeview Plus.
• TV Anytime, Swipe and Share, and Twin HD Tuner[iii] capabilities offer flexible viewing.
• Available later in 2018, new voice control technology via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant smart speakers.

AVAILABILITY AND PRICING

[i] Company 3, EFILM and Encore
[ii] Excluding TH-43FX600A
[iii] Excluding FX600 Series and FS500 Series.