Panasonic has released its first 2019 OLED TVs in Europe with the headlining new features being Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The flagship GZ2000 will be available later this summer.
Panasonic 2019 OLED
Panasonic has doubled its line-up of OLED TVs this year, with a total of four new ranges. Three of these come with a standard OLED panel while GZ2000 features a customized and brighter OLED panel. Other differences are found in design and speaker capabilities.
Panasonic has not announced a new 77-inch screen for 2019 so all four ranges will be available in 55 and 65-inch sizes.
A collaboration with Dolby brings Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to the new Panasonic TVs. Dolby Vision is a HDR video format that uses dynamic metadata to improve picture quality on a scene-by-scene basis whereas Atmos is an object-based audio format that can deliver a more immersive listening experience.
The partnership with Dolby is noteworthy because Panasonic is, together with Samsung and 20th Century Fox, a founding member of the HDR10+ alliance that was formed in 2017 as a front against Dolby's HDR format.
Also read: Panasonic 2019 TV line-up
The TVs are powered by a new 'HCX Pro' video processor. Panasonic's My Home Screen platform has also received a facelift with a bottom menu to bring the user experience more in line with competing platforms from LG and Samsung. Unlike LG, Panasonic has yet to implement HDMI 2.1 ports in its OLED TVs.
The Japanese brand's GZ generation of OLED TVs will compete head-to-head with OLED TVs from LG, Sony, Philips, and other manufacturers. Panasonic has a wider line-up this year and lower starting prices but will it be enough to challenge LG's dominance in the segment?
The most affordable GZ950 (also sold as GZ960) and GZ1000 are available now in many European countries. A GZ1500 with a built-in soundbar will be available in some regions. See the table below for prices and dealers.
Panasonic 2019 OLED TVs – prices & dealers
