Panasonic GZ950 Ultra HD 4K OLED TV Technical Review

Panasonic have continued to expand their OLED televisions range and I was kindly sent a GZ950 55” TV for review. Firstly, the design has little fuss. The OLED uni-bezel is slim that sits on a rectangular stand that doesn’t take up a lot of space. The pedestal column is also hollowed out allowing you to discreetly tidy your cables.

There are also attachable plastic covers on the back of the screen that can house any messy excess cables and wires.

The input interface consists of 3 USB inputs, composite audio and video, satellite antenna connectors, optical audio, analogue headphone and subwoofer optionality.

There is 4 full bandwidth HDMI inserts but only HDMI 2.0, not 2.1 meaning the unit will be capped at 4k capability at 60 frames per second.

Why is the Panasonic GZ2000 nearly double the price?

You might be asking what the key differences in technical specifications between the Panasonic GZ2000 and the GZ950. The main difference you want to consider is the extra 200-300 or so nits you’ll get with the GZ2000.

Let me tell you about Nits

You may hear this word get banded about a lot. For a start if you want to get in the weeds with Nits then check out this article by How to Geek here. In the meantime let me give you the broad strokes. A nit is the unit of measurement that describes how bright a television, smartphone, computer monitor, laptop screen, or another type of display is. The higher the number of nits, the brighter the display. The GZ950 has up to 700 cd/m2 nits which is pretty outstanding compared to most of its contemporaries.

Is the Panasonic GZ950 good for gaming?

I’m a part-time gamer, I mean not the type to have a separate room, my own leather chair with built-in speakers and a headset to talk to my online friends BUT I like to turn on the Xbox from time to time. I know for some, it’s a huge factor knowing what screen is best for gaming purposes before making that purchase. 

I did a little research and the feedback forums tell me this OLED model is fantastic as the input lag is fairly low measured at 21.5ms. Hopefully this will mean more to some than it does to me. For me this tells me that I’ll get that extra millisecond of reaction time on Call of Duty than my competitors!

Can I watch Netflix and Amazon Prime?

This might be a simple question for most, but it’s one I told friends and family about the tele. You can watch your available subscription packages like you would your previous TV, iPad, laptop etc.

The GZ950’s video streaming is supported by YouTube, NETFLIX and Prime Video, meaning you can watch a wide variety of crisp, beautiful content. Perfect for watching movies or sporting events.

The Netflix calibration mode also means that selected Panasonic OLED televisions have the capability to feature Netflix TV shows and films in truest form, how the directors envisaged it. The entire catalogue of Netflix programming will be covered, not just specific titles, so TV series, documentaries and films will all benefit in having details enhanced.

You can binge watch entire series like Designated Survivor (like I do) and study the Oval Office in great depth. Although if anyone can see what Kiefer Sutherland is scribbling down at his desk each time Mike enters the room and says ‘we have a problem,’ please let me know. My theory is it’s just his shopping list.

If you’re UK based you’ll also get access to the iPlayer and the freeview stations which is fairly standard these days.    

Some more science-y bits

The HCX pro intelligent processor deliver highly accurate images to industry standards so you can view content as the creator intended.

Panasonic have tuned the panel and processor to deliver superb black levels with just above black details and a neutral white balance. The picture quality line up offers full support dynamic meta data Dolby Vision and HDR 10+ systems.

Dolby Atmos audio is supported by speakers built into the TV, unlike the GZ2000 there is no soundbar or upwards firing drivers.

However, you can add a subwoofer as previously indicated. The GZ950 new My Home Screen 4.0 allows users to tailor the TV interface to their own preference. (I have yet to toy around this yet but all that to come).

Does it truly bring Hollywood to the Home?

This is the Panasonic tagline and how is this contextualised? Well, to deliver this mandate the out of the box profession modes need to be accurate to industry standard.

I can confirm that this Panasonic GZ950 comes through the calibration tests and HDR analysis’ with flying colours according to AVforums. The colours are very life-like and the skin tones are terrific. 

Summary

It’s fairly well stocked. It looks incredible, the sound is beautiful and crisp and for Netflix addicts like me, the calibration support is a very persuasive feature. Current retail price £1,499 (seen on Panasonic UK)