Panasonic has released a firmware update for its 2018 4K TVs enabling HDR10+ video playback. Most of the company’s 2018 TVs have also received HDR10+ certification.

HDR10+ firmware update
Panasonic today announced that it has started rolling out a firmware update for the FX600 (2018) series and above to enable playback of video in the HDR10+ format. This includes the 2018 OLED models (FZ800/FZ802 and FZ950/FZ952).

- “Panasonic is happy to announce that through the deployment of a firmware update, the majority of our 2018 4K models are now HDR10+ certified meaning that our viewers will be able to enjoy content even closer to the intentions of the filmmakers,” said Toshiharu Tsutsui, Director of Panasonic’s TV Business Division.



The HDR10+ video format was created by Samsung who has founded an alliance together with Panasonic and 20th Century Fox to promote HDR10+ as a royalty-free alternative to the proprietary Dolby Vision.

The company did not specify the firmware's version number but it appears that new firmware v. 3.061 was released yesterday on August 28. At the time of writing, there is no mention of HDR10+ in the release notes but the company says that the firmware has already been ”issued”.

The company has promised to also enable HDR10+ playback on last year’s TV models but did not provide a timeline. FlatpanelsHD will ask for a status update when we meet Panasonic at IFA 2018 later this week.


HDR10+ certification 
The company also announced that the FX700 (2018) series and above have received the HDR10+ certification.

- ”The company additionally announced that the FX700 series and above have been HDR10+ certified. This means that it has been tested by an external Authorized Testing Centre that it meets the high Hollywood standards defined in cooperation with 20th Century Fox,” the company said.

FlatpanelsHD recently reviewed FX700 and found HDR picture to be severely lacking in quality. Whether a TV has been certified HDR10+ or not, is probably not a good indicator of its HDR capabilities.