Knowledgeable’s Score
Professionals
- Lovely OLED panel
- High-notch processor
- Glorious gaming options
- Extremely configurable image
Cons
- Complicated menus
- Too many steps for voice management
- Restricted audio
Our Verdict
The Panasonic MZ980 is an astonishingly good tv, with Panasonic’s high-end HCX Professional AI processor and a beautiful OLED panel working collectively to nice impact. The MZ980 packs some fashionable OLED upgrades, whereas some options are slightly advanced to navigate, however total it’s an excellent show that can fulfill players and movie buffs alike.
Worth When Reviewed
From £1,599 | Mannequin reviewed £2,099
Greatest Costs At this time: Panasonic MZ980
£1399
The Panasonic MZ980 OLED isn’t one of the best or brightest Panasonic OLED on the market, however it is likely to be the neatest alternative of the agency’s 2023 vary.
That’s as a result of this good TV, constructing on final yr’s LZ980 mannequin, makes positive to supply an important issues in a house cinema display – even in case you miss out on a few next-gen, flagship options.
It begins at £1,599 for a 42in mannequin however I’ve examined the 55in measurement which is the biggest MZ980 at £2,099. These costs put it in competitors with the likes of LG and Sony so it’s not straightforward.
Design & Construct
- Pedestal TV stand included
- 4 HDMI 2.1 ports
- Tremendous-sized distant
The MZ980 is available in three display sizes: 42-, 48-, and 55in. That’s an excellent vary, although it means this set is healthier suited to these after a small-to-medium TV, moderately than the bigger sizes discovered with the MZ1500 (55-65in) or MZ2000 (55-77in).
The MZ980 contains a skinny OLED panel, with a compact sound system and collection of ports bolted onto the rear. The display comes with a central pedestal stand that screws into the again of the show, and retains its 14.5kg weight balanced; nonetheless, the MZ980 lacks the handy swivel stand discovered on Panasonic’s fancier OLEDs.
Panasonic is all about choices for the viewer – and that’s clear within the massive distant, which packs in buttons for every thing from quantity and playback controls to 6 streaming service shortcuts
Henry St Leger / Foundry
By way of connections, you’ll discover 4 HDMI ports; two of them are specified at HDMI 2.1, supporting 4K video passthrough at 120Hz, whereas enter 2 helps eARC (enhanced audio return channel) for two-way soundbar communication. There are additionally two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, and inputs for Ethernet, optical, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Panasonic is all about choices for the viewer – and that’s clear within the massive distant, which packs in buttons for every thing from quantity and playback controls to 6 streaming service shortcuts and a full numerical keypad. It’s fairly a special expertise to LG’s ergonomic Magic Distant, or the smooth Siri distant for Apple TV, however Panasonic makes positive that every thing you want is within the palm of your hand.
Specs & Options
- My Dwelling Display screen 8.0 interface
- 120Hz refresh price
- Mild sensor and adaptive image
Most of Panasonic’s 2023 OLED vary makes use of its proprietary My Dwelling Display screen 8.0 interface, which helps all the standard suspects on the planet of streaming: Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, YouTube, Twitch, and extra.
The eponymous residence display pops up as a clear overlay over no matter content material you’re watching, with key streaming apps and companies listed alongside the underside of the display. In case you hover over the apps, you’ll see a row of advised titles and ‘proceed watching’ choices, so you possibly can dive straight right into a present moderately than having to search for it in-app. It’s a neat timesaver.
My Dwelling Display screen may be very clearly designed for many who like twiddling with their image settings
Henry St Leger / Foundry
Nevertheless, My Dwelling Display screen may be very clearly designed for many who like twiddling with their image settings, and there’s quite a bit if you recognize the place to search for it. You possibly can rapidly see an outline of major image modes with the distant’s ‘Image’ button, and even amend the shortlist within the full settings – although to get into the nitty gritty, you’ll should hit the ‘Menu’ button, mentioning a horizontal overlay, then choose ‘Principal Menu’ to ditch it for a vertical overlay with extra in-depth choices.
The MZ980 additionally contains a mild sensor for adaptive HDR codecs like HDR10+ Adaptive or Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ. This detects the extent of ambient mild in your viewing surroundings and tweaks the HDR output to finest go well with its environment.
In case you like speaking to your TV, the MZ980 technically helps Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa good assistants – permitting you to regulate playback, quantity, and common search capabilities with simply your voice.
Nevertheless, organising voice management is hellishly sophisticated: you’ll want to go to the ‘Voice management’ setting menu to set the assistant up, then set up the ‘Panasonic TV’ ability on the Alexa cell app, earlier than heading to your ‘Good speaker settings’ within the ‘Community’ menu, and registering your TV as a delegated good speaker (you’ll additionally must create / signal right into a Panasonic account to do that).
For a ‘comfort’ function like voice management, we’d hope there have been fewer hoops to leap by, and that the setup wasn’t unfold throughout so many menus, gadgets and purposes.
Henry St Leger / Foundry
There’s a cornucopia of gaming specs, which fortunately are extra widespread in TVs as of late. In addition to the 120Hz help, that means you will get the utmost decision and body price out of any linked recreation consoles, alongside VRR (Variable Refresh Price) for a easy image, and each AMD Freesync and G-Sync for anybody utilizing their TV as a gaming monitor.
All 4 HDMI ports help ALLM (auto low latency mode) to make sure gaming feels responsive, too – you may not get sub-10ms enter lag, however it’s shut sufficient to be negligible.
Photographs are vivid and detailed
Image High quality
- Superior HCX Professional AI processor
- No warmth sink or Micro Lens Array (MLA)
- Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos audio
The headline right here is the HCX Professional AI processor, which is similar chipset you’ll discover within the flagship MZ2000, so you possibly can anticipate the identical degree of high-end image processing and Panasonic’s characteristically correct pictures.
Panasonic has shut ties to Hollywood, which makes use of its screens as mastering screens for big-budget movies; it’s an enormous advocate of Filmmaker Mode, which strips again TV processing to assist depict a movie or TV present the best way the creator supposed, and Panasonic’s HCX Professional AI chip has related inclinations. Photographs are vivid and detailed – and whereas they might lack a few of the ‘pop’ of different televisions, they gun for realism and tonal accuracy in a really efficient means.
Help for any and all HDR codecs actually helps, with larger color depth and distinction when utilizing the likes of HDR10+ or Dolby Imaginative and prescient – particularly heightened by the ambient mild sensor the MZ980 makes use of to higher calibrate its brightness output.
Dynamic HDR codecs can scale back total brightness slightly, in pursuit of more practical distinction, and OLEDs can use all the assistance they will get.
Henry St Leger / Foundry
You don’t have to make use of Filmmaker Mode, both, and may swap simply between another presets (Regular, Dynamic, Sport, Cinema) relying in your choice and the sort of content material you’re watching – although I like to recommend switching off the Clever Body Creation function completely within the TV’s ‘Image’ settings, to scale back pixelated noise round fast-moving objects.
With the setting turned on, even a barely frantic shopkeeper within the opening scenes of HBO’s The Final Of Us makes for a really messy view.
As an OLED TV, the MZ980 has glorious viewing angles, and that well-known ‘infinite distinction’ between the display’s turned-off black pixels and its shiny highlights. Even the town skyline screensaver that performs on the Apple TV 4K appears astonishing, filled with innumerable tiny glints of sunshine that individually stand out in the dead of night.
You’re not getting a few of the newest OLED panel enhancements, just like the MLA (Micro Lens Array) layer discovered within the MZ2000 or LG G3 OLED, which makes use of 1000’s of microscopic lenses to spice up brightness output, so the standard warning about OLED brightness stays. Darkish scenes could be arduous to make out in shiny environments, although the TV is an utter delight for a post-dinner film, and may take slightly oblique mild with out it being too disruptive.
Sound High quality
- 2x15W audio system
- Dolby Atmos appropriate
The key distinction between the MZ980 and Panasonic’s step–up fashions is the sound output; the MZ980 makes do with a pair of 15W audio system, for a easy stereo system in comparison with the MZ1500’s 2.1 channel setup and the MZ2000’s roaring 150W output.
That 30W can solely accomplish that a lot, so it makes the MZ980 your best option for somebody with an present sound system or soundbar they will hook up with the show, to benefit from the display’s Dolby Atmos functionality.
Nonetheless, the built-in audio is detailed, and has sufficient heft to it to offer motion pictures some presence; watching Prey (2022), the opening thwunk of a handaxe into wooden is straight away arresting, and the movie’s chase sequences handle to deftly separate the lead’s panting breaths from each sprinting animals and the tense rating, even when the audio system can’t do justice to the deep roll of thunder and not using a devoted subwoofer.
Henry St Leger / Foundry
Worth & Availability
The MZ980 is slightly expensive, in comparison with another mid-tier OLEDs – although its vary of sizes (42-55in) means it can save you slightly by not opting for a bigger display.
The MZ980 begins at £1,599 for the smallest 42in model, going as much as £1,699 for 48in, that means there’s little purpose to not go for the latter (so long as you possibly can match it in your house, that’s). You’ll be paying £2,099 for the biggest 55in measurement, which is across the identical worth of the LG C3 OLED at launch.
In order for you a less expensive Panasonic mannequin, you possibly can take a look at the MZ800, which costs just £1,299 for a 55in measurement – although you’ll should make do with 20W audio, a 60Hz panel, the Android TV working system (moderately than Panasonic’s MyHomeScreen good platform), and a much less superior processor.
Yow will discover the MZ980 at a variety of expertise retailers, reminiscent of John Lewis, Richer Sounds, Sevenoaks, and Hughes.
Try our chart of one of the best TVs for extra choices.
Verdict
The Panasonic MZ980 is an excellent OLED TV, with a succesful processor and fully-packed function set for cinephiles and players alike. It could lack the newest OLED enhancements and isn’t at all times as user-friendly as I’d like, however this is a wonderful residence cinema display regardless.
For anybody with an present sound system, notably, this can be a great alternative for a brand new TV.
Specs
- Sizes: 42/48/55in
- Mannequin examined: 55in
- Show expertise: OLED
- Decision: 3840 x 2160 4K
- Refresh price: 120Hz
- HDR help: Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
- HDMI: x2 (2.1), x2 (2.0)
- Tuner: Freeview Play
- OS: My Dwelling Display screen 8.0
- Dimensions: 1227(w) x 765(h) x 303(d)mm (with pedestal stand)
- Weight: 18.5kg (with stand)