Panasonic Z95A OLED TV Review: Searing Brightness and Color

Photo: Ryan Waniata Thanks to the excellent image processing, details pop, from 4K Blu-ray crystal to 1080p and even upscaling 720p. Only the fuzziest SD image fails to impress, sometimes it comes across a little blocky, but that’s true of pretty much all 4K TVs. The only minor chinks in the armor I noticed over the course of a few days were some small stuttering or jerkiness with challenging movement scenes and some. color banding with compressed video. Otherwise, I can just sit back and enjoy the glow. The highlight for me was the phenomenal color of the Z95A, which was so rich and stirring that I couldn’t keep it down, even compared to all the great flavors in Panasonic’s special sauce. . I was gobsmacked from day one, starting with a casual look from the holiday classic Scrooged. From Bill Murray’s deep navy suit to Robert Mitchum’s crimson-gold pajamas, I found myself mesmerized—and it wasn’t just me. Fantasia is one of my husband’s most-viewed movies, but we were both dazzled by the art. Sapphire blues, shimmering silvers, pastel purples, and deep yellow golds all burn beautifully. Even something as simple as the target fish in Assasin’s Creed Valhalla is fascinating, like magma. I’m gushing, but this good TV will do it for you. There are only a few TVs on the market that keep pace.Photograph: Ryan WaniataLG’s G4 is one, it offers the same love (and four HDMI 2.1 inputs), but I’ve had bad luck with review examples so far. The Sony A95L QD-OLED (9/10, WIRED recommends) is my favorite competitor. It is not bright enough, but they are impressive and have slightly better picture details. The Samsung S95D (8/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t as striking—and it skips Dolby Vision—but its matte screen offers impressive anti-glare capabilities. Finally, Sony’s Bravia 9 ultrabright mini LED TV (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is a wild card for those looking for next-generation brightness, even if the backlit display isn’t OLED-like. All of these competitors offer more model sizes. instead of the 65-inch Z95A size, which can be the difference. Still, there is only about the Z95A that has floored me. Aside from the Fire TV system, it’s a top performer in every category and easily one of the best TVs you can buy. Welcome, Panasonic. It’s been a long time.

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