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Tom's Guide
5 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
I just tested one of the best OLED TVs ever made — and it's not from LG, Samsung or Sony
Price: $3,399.99Screen size: 65 inchesModel: 65Z95BPResolution: 3,840x2,160HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLGRefresh rate: 144Hz nativePorts: 2 HDMI 2.1, 2 HDMI 2.0, 3 USBAudio: TBDSmart TV software: Amazon Fire OSSize (without stand): 57x35.9 x2.2 inchesWeight (without stand): 53 pounds Panasonic isn't always the first name that pops to mind when you think about high-end OLED TVs, but that might be changing. Last year's Panasonic Z95A showed that the company still had it when it came to making dynamic TVs, and this year's Z95B proves that last year was no fluke. The Z95B stands up right alongside the current top performers from the likes of LG, Samsung, and Sony in terms of power, features, and price, and makes an excellent case for itself in every area. It's packed with features designed to improve picture and sound performance, and it succeeds at doing so time and time again. To the extent there are problems at all, Panasonic's dim tuning of its most accurate picture modes might be a turn-off for some and require a bit of extra time and care to get the picture looking its best and brightest all the time. Also, the Amazon Fire OS interface is old-fashioned and clunky. These are inconveniences you may not appreciate if you're shelling out nearly $3,400 for a TV. But if you can put up with them, the Panasonic Z95B is both one of the best OLEDs and one of the best TVs you can buy period. As Panasonic's flagship OLED set in 2025, the Z95B stands at the top of the company's TV offerings and replaces last year's Z95A. Whereas that earlier model was available only in a 65-inch size, the Z95B can be purchased in any of three: These are premium prices, yes, but right in step with the top-of-the-line sets from other manufacturers. The LG G5, for example, also has a list price of $3,399.99, and can be found on sale for $2,899.99. Although we evaluated the 65-inch model of the Z95B, all sizes have similar components and use the same technologies, so we believe you can expect similar performance across the product line. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Most high-end OLED TVs today pride themselves on their thinness. Panasonic, however, has taken its OLEDs in a different direction. This 57-by-35.9-inch TV is, like the LG G5, much thicker (about 2.2 inches, from the front of the svelte glass screen to the back of the rear panel), and the whole thing weighs 53 pounds. It looks nice and stylish, though, with dark-gray fabric covering the top and side edges and the 2.3-inch bottom bezel, on which the power light is visible in the lower-left corner. A hardware button in that same area lets you instantly access Power, Inputs, Volume, and Channel functionality with a single touch. The rotating stand is a terrific feature, making it easy to reach the various ports. You do, of course, have the choice of using the 300x300mm VESA holes on the rear panel to mount the TV on the wall. But if you prefer to go the entertainment center route, the stand included with the Z95B bears some additional mention. In addition to the large metal support foot (measuring just past 15 inches in diameter) and the cable channel built into its back, it allows the TV to rotate. Just gently push the left or the right side of the screen to either reach the ports (see below) or adjust the screen to be viewable straight on from anywhere in the room. This is a terrific feature and something we haven't seen on major TVs since… well, since the Z95A. The power cable plugs into the Z95B's rear panel on the right, and the rest of the ports are in a depression on the left that is easily hidden behind a snap-on plastic panel. Panasonic has positioned nearly all of the input ports (four HDMI, one with eARC, and two USB) to face out the left edge and all the more 'permanent' ones (S/PDIF optical audio out, Ethernet, IR blaster, coaxial cable, headphone, and one USB port) to face downward on the back. Of the HDMI ports, only two support the newer HDMI 2.1 standard that allows for refresh rates at up to 144Hz on connected devices as well as support for features like Auto Low-Latency Mode (ALLM); the others default to HDMI 2.0, which is limited to 60Hz. Although some companies (Sony being a major one) do restrict the number of HDMI 2.1 ports, many are maxing them out to help better future-proof their sets. (Though with the even speedier HDMI 2.2 on the horizon, how much this matters at this point in time remains to be seen.) We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom's Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subjective tests designed to rate the set's performance. For our technical tests, we set the TV to Filmmaker Mode (usually the most accurate out of the box) and take measurements using a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRese spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays's Calman TV-calibration software. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for determining the Tv's gaming prowess. Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer but usually include anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our 'How we test TVs' page. Panasonic touts a number of innovations that set its flagship OLED apart from the pack, including what it calls a Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel that uses a four-layered cell (red, green, and two 'deep blue') to improve brightness and color gamut performance, and an improved ThermalFlow cooling system that draws in air from the bottom of the set and expels it straight out the top. Those specifics are hard to measure, but there's no denying that the resulting picture looks wonderful almost all of the time. Panasonic Z95B LG G5 Panasonic Z95A Samsung S90F Sony Bravia 8 II SDR Brightness (10%, in nits) 103 465 114 255 103 Delta-E (lower is better) 1.36 1.99 2.33 1.12 3.59 Rec. 709 Gamut Coverage 96.80% 99.69% 99.23% 99.99% 99.99% HDR Brightness (10%, in nits) 983/2,263* 2,296 1,625 1,231 1,584 UHDA-P3 Gamut Coverage 99.77% 99.79% 98.34% 100.00% 100.00% Rec. 2020 Gamut Coverage 81.42% 82.42% 74.44% 89.03% 90.55% Input Lag (ms) 12.7 12.9/9.2 (Boost) 12.6 9.1 16.3 * As tested with changed brightness limitation setting. See review for more information. The picture looked gloriously crisp in Filmmaker Mode (usually the most accurate, as it's designed to replicate Hollywood creators' intent) no matter what I watched, and colors popped quite a bit in movies where that's particularly important, whether in animation-heavy titles such as 'A Minecraft Movie' and 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' or live-action fare like 'Barbie' and 'Wicked.' 'Deadpool & Wolverine' and 'Dune: Part Two' played well, too, with the action scenes exciting, and the latter also benefitting from the OLED screen by delivering an appealing grittiness that precisely characterized the barren wastes of Arakis. Ryan Coogler's hit vampire film 'Sinners' looked appropriately harsh and moody, too, if occasionally a bit dark. Other things I watched, such as YouTube videos, also seemed to be dimmer than I expected. Changing to other picture modes (primarily Normal, this set's version of Standard, and Dynamic) did help correct this, but not as much as I expected. The Z95B covered considerably more of the Rec. 2020 color gamut than the Z95A (81.42% versus 74.44%), which is also more than the LG C5 OLED. What caused this issue? Two things. First, like many higher-end TVs (such as the Sony Bravia 8 II), the Z95B has its best picture modes (Filmmaker, Cinema, and True Cinema) tuned quite dim. But unlike those sets and, for that matter, the Z95A and almost everything else, the Z95B has been designed so its modes limit brightness to 1,000 nits unless the source is specifically mastered higher. When I asked my Panasonic contact about this, he explained that this change was implemented 'to improve the overall gradation and accuracy for [video content]…below 1,000 nits.' This tracks with the brightness results I saw: 103 nits with SDR content and 983 nits with HDR, all at Filmmaker Mode's default settings. But when I used Calman to remove the 1,000-nit restriction, its brightness zoomed to a first-class 2,263 nits — only a tick behind the G5. This is extraordinarily unusual — if not unique — to see in a major TV, and not something that will benefit everyone. If you don't watch things mastered above 1,000 nits (and you very well might not even know), it's all going to look quite a bit darker on the Z95B. You can increase the Luminance level in the picture settings to regain that brightness, or you can switch to Dynamic mode (which I do not endorse doing, but its brightness is opened all the way up), but just be aware that, if you don't, you may not be seeing everything this TV can do. It can do a lot, too, especially with color. The Z95B's measured Delta-E (the value that represents the difference in color between the image source and what appears on the screen, with lower numbers being better) is a deliriously good 1.36. That's exceeded (and only very little) by a few of the higher-end sets out there, such as the LG C5 and the Samsung S90F and S95F. (The Z95A's still-excellent 2.33 can't compete.) And the Z95B covered considerably more of the Rec. 2020 color gamut than the Z95A (81.42% versus 74.44%), which is also more than the LG C5 OLED, but not the G5 or the Samsung or Sony sets. The Z95B covered just a tick more of the UHDA-P3 gamut than the Z95A (all of this generation's sets are hitting upwards of 99% anyway), and we measured slightly less coverage of the Rec. 709 (SDR) gamut (96.8% versus 99.99%), but color performance offered next to nothing to complain about. Further bolstering HDR performance on the Z95B is the fact that the set supports all four major formats (Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG). And like all OLED TVs, the Z95B delivers strong uniformity of color and picture quality from any viewing angle, though the rotating stand largely ameliorates that problem anyway. Even the best TVs are rarely known for their superlative sound quality; the best I've heard have been the higher-end Sony TVs that turn the screen itself into the speaker, and even those could never be mistaken for a real home audio system. But the complex setup in the Z95B gives that solution a run for its money. It combines a large number of speakers in multiple locations (the bottom of the TV, the dies, and upward-firing as opposed to the typical downward-firing) with a subwoofer, ultimately delivering audio that sounds impressively above average. It doesn't matter what you're listening to, either: Traditional dialogue scenes, Gatling-gun-intense action-movie sound effects, pure music (neither the bass nor treble reminded me of attending a live concert, but the sound for both was fairly accurate, appropriately rich, and crystal clear), or a combination of the above all are a delight. True audiophiles will probably still want to pick up one of the best soundbars on the market, but if that's not you, you won't feel like you're missing much. To its credit, Panasonic has also implemented some of the best sound positioning I have ever heard from a TV with the use of its 360° Soundscape Pro technology. By activating Sound Focus option in the TV's menus, you can implement any of four configurations for your specific space, audience, and content, and aim the sound anywhere in the room you want it. There's four main modes here: Pinpoint (all of the sound at one place), Area (all of the sound everywhere), Spot (some sound everywhere, all of the sound somewhere), and Ambient. You make these adjustments with the volume on, so you can hear the sound move as you alter the positioning, making it even easier to get it exactly right. It's a fun, fascinating feature that works exactly as advertised, though I must admit, I tended to keep it off — the Z95B's audio doesn't need a whole lot of help. Every other TV maker: Take notes. Using my Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester, I measured the Z95B's input lag at 12.7ms. That's below the 16ms threshold of a single frame, and thus more than sufficient for most gamers' needs, though LG's and Samsung's sets do get in the low-9ms range, giving them an ever-so-slight edge. In playing through Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, I noticed no lack of responsiveness and the animation was smooth whether in stealth or full-out fistfight moments. If you want to hook up a PC with a discrete graphics card, you will also be thrilled with support for Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. Though the Game Control Board (Panasonic's name for the pop-up in-game menu) offers access to all the same settings and information as the menus from other manufacturers (including the picture and sound modes, ALLM and VRR status, and more), it is a bit more distracting. It dims at least a third of the screen and fills it with round, colorful icons that took me out of the game just enough. A somewhat more subdued, cohesive design would be an improvement. It's rare these days to find many TVs not manufactured by Amazon that use that company's smart interface, but the Z95B does. This strikes me as one of its biggest missteps. Though it resembles other interfaces, it has some notable limitations. The home screen surfaces Amazon Prime content heavily (perhaps exclusively) in its top carousel. Aside from the 'Continue watching' bar, there are not many clear, useful elements situated in the upper part of the screen. And although it's easy to change your Amazon profile or add a new one, browse your Prime Video purchases, or search the service's catalog, doing anything else always takes a few more clicks than it feels like it should. Adding the HBO Max and Paramount+ apps to the app bar proved a shockingly byzantine procedure, making installing the app and placing it on the bar two entirely separate actions — something rare these days. It's an unfriendly approach I could do without. And even though the TV is clearly tied in to my Amazon account and should know my viewing preferences, its suggestions were curiously off-point. I'm a bit old for 'Peppa Pig' and 'Paw Patrol,' for example, and I'm not sure what I've watched to give the system the impression I would want to watch either 'One Night in Idaho: The College Murders' or 'Heads of State.' (That both are Prime Video exclusives is, I'm sure, entirely coincidental.) This made me miss the broader-ranging power of Google TV or the lean-and-mean ease of LG's webOS. At least the remote's voice search function worked well and quickly, presenting my results with a minimum of fuss. Apple AirPlay is supported for streaming from mobile devices and, increasingly unusually for TVs these days, there is an ATSC 3.0 tuner for watching the widest variety of over-the-air broadcasts (including in 4K). And the Z95B can use Alexa to tie in to your pre-existing smart home ecosystem. The Z95B's remote reflects the current industry trend toward smaller, simpler designs, in line with what we've seen from LG, Samsung, and Sony. It's less of a flat-candy-bar shape, though, with a rounded underside that makes it somewhat more ergonomic. There is a microphone button at the top, followed by a control wheel, and then a restrained selection of other keys designed for pain-free navigation on on-screen menus. There are only four dedicated shortcut keys: Amazon Prime Video (of course), Amazon Music, Netflix, and Disney+. My only real issue with the remote is that it's a bit slow interacting with the TV. I experienced lag constantly when changing the volume or pausing a YouTube video, and though it wasn't bad enough to disturb my viewing, it was more noticeable than I'm used to. The Z95B proves that Panasonic can play in the top tier of luxury OLED TVs and not miss a beat. With performance and features that, in most cases, match what you get from the best sets on the market, and a few flourishes you won't find anywhere else (its design, its ear-pleasing audio system), it gets just about everything right. The only real things it gets wrong are that brightness issue and its strange choice in smart platforms. Intentionally limiting a set's capabilities, particularly when it's one of the brightest you can buy, is a gutsy move, to be sure. But it's one that won't appeal to everyone and that may have an immediate, negative impact on certain types of video unless you crank up the brightness or change modes. And you could correctly niggle about there only being two HDMI 2.1 ports or the clunky Amazon Fire OS. On any pricy, high-end TV, those details do matter, and they matter just enough to keep the Panasonic Z95B from being the new king of OLEDs. But they can't stop it from being an outstanding set and one that — minor frustrations aside — earns its hefty asking price.
Business Insider
27-06-2025
- Business Insider
LG's new G5 TV delivers nearly perfect picture quality. Here's what makes this premium OLED so special.
I review lots of TVs every year, and as performance improves across the board, it's becoming harder for flagship models to stand out. But LG's G5 doesn't have this problem. Simply put, the G5 OLED offers the best picture quality I've ever seen from a consumer TV. Panasonic's upcoming Z95B has a chance to surpass it, but for now, the G5 is the premium 4K TV to beat. Using LG's latest OLED panel technology, the G5 balances perfect contrast with high brightness, sharp detail, rich colors, and wide viewing angles. This is the kind of high-end image quality that makes home theater nerds like me geek out. The G5 also has solid smarts via LG's webOS interface and some cool new perks like AI voice recognition. However, the G5 isn't quite perfect. Though the set's image performance is nearly flawless, it does have some minor issues with color gradients and over-brightening. These imperfections are subtle, though, and the displays' many strengths outweigh them. I also wish LG's webOS placed less emphasis on shopping recommendations, but I'm more than willing to ignore an ad here and there if it means getting such a fantastic viewing experience. It's also important to note that this is an expensive display. Most people will be satisfied with a cheaper midrange OLED, like LG's C5 and C4, or Samsung's S90D. But premium sets like the G5 aren't geared toward most people. This is a pricey TV built for enthusiasts willing to spend top dollar on top picture quality and design. And in that sense, it's the best TV of its kind. The TV has an elegant design, but a stand costs extra LG's G5 is available in 55, 65, 77, 83, and 97 inches, with list prices ranging from $2,500 to a whopping $25,000. For this review, I tested a 65-inch unit, which retails for $3,400. With the exception of the 97-inch model, all sizes offer the same specifications. The 97-inch model uses a different kind of OLED panel, so it can't get as bright as its smaller counterparts. The G5 uses LG's One Wall design, which allows it to be mounted with virtually no gap. A bracket is included in the box to accomplish this, so you don't need to buy one separately. On the downside, LG doesn't include a traditional pedestal stand, so if you don't want to mount the G5, you need to purchase a stand on your own. LG sells a stand for $106 (which was used for this review), and the G5 is compatible with many of the best TV stands made by third-party manufacturers. Though the G5 looks best when mounted, it still has an elegant style when placed on its pedestal. The display is made of premium materials and has a thin profile that measures just under an inch thick. The build and aesthetics are what you'd expect from such a pricey display and are a clear step up from the cheaper construction of more budget-friendly models. LG also gets points for including four HDMI 2.1 ports to enable support for up to a 4K/165Hz signal. Many rival brands, including Sony, only include two HDMI 2.1 ports and use HDMI 2.0 for the remaining inputs. This is a great perk for gamers who want to connect multiple systems to the TV, as HDMI 2.1 is needed to unlock the smoothest performance on current-gen consoles and high-end PCs. LG redesigned its Magic Remote for 2025, and this new version is mostly an improvement. It has a thinner, more traditional shape instead of the bulky body used on past LG remotes, which makes it feel better in hand. Its main selection button, which doubles as a scroll wheel, also feels sturdier, making clicks more responsive. Sadly, the remote is not backlit, which has become standard on some competing TVs from TCL, Hisense, and Roku. Like past models, the Magic Remote lets you choose between navigating via standard button presses or by using motion controls (the "magic" part) to point the remote at the screen to move a virtual cursor. Unfortunately, there's no way to fully deactivate motion control if you don't like it. Clicking on the directional pad temporarily turns it off, but it gets turned back on if you slide the scroll wheel, and this is too easy to accidentally trigger. The remote's button layout has also been simplified, and I generally like this more minimalist approach. But there are two odd choices. First, there's no longer an input select button. To switch inputs on the TV, you have to hold down the Home button to pull up a smart hub menu or scroll through the homepage and find the input you like on screen. Second, there's no mute button. You can still activate mute by holding the remote's volume down button, but this means there's no way to rapidly lower the volume instead of fully muting it. These are small complaints, but they just strike me as strange choices. The G5 delivers a new benchmark for premium image quality The G5 is the first consumer TV to use LG's new four-stack OLED panel design. This type of screen has key benefits over the standard WOLED panel used on LG's cheaper C and B series TVs. A four-stack design optimizes how an OLED produces color and light, allowing for higher brightness and a wider color gamut — all while maintaining the pixel-level contrast, deep black levels, and wide viewing angles that the best OLED TVs are known for. You can learn more in our QLED vs. OLED comparison. The results are spectacular, and the TV offers a big leap in brightness over last year's G4 model. In fact, the G5 is now the brightest OLED TV available, dethroning the Samsung S95F. Using the TV's Filmmaker mode with a 10% HDR test pattern (a white box that takes up 10% of the screen against a black background), I measured a peak brightness of 2,410 nits. That's nearly 1,000 nits more than last year's G4, which is a substantial bump. It's also about 240 nits more than the S95F, which is a more subtle but still noteworthy jump. While such high brightness is impressive, it's important to remember that it's only beneficial in certain circumstances. For example, high brightness gives you more headroom to pump up luminance to help overcome glare in rooms with a lot of ambient light. It also allows the G5 to produce more impactful and accurate high dynamic range (HDR) images with highlights (like explosions) that pop from the screen. But the G5's full brightness capabilities only get unleashed when watching movies and TV shows mastered for above 1,000 nits. You can learn more about HDR mastering and how it relates to content and TVs in our HDR guide. Raw brightness is only a part of what makes the G5's image quality so noteworthy. What makes this TV shine is how it's able to precisely harness its brightness and combine it with pixel-level contrast control, inky black levels, and rich colors. I watched a wide range of movies and TV shows across several weeks with the G5, and I've never seen a consumer TV that matches its picture capabilities. Some of its benefits over other high-end sets are subtle, and it has some flaws that a few rivals handle better, but overall, the G5 rises above the competition. Fiery explosions in high-brightness HDR movies like "Mad Max: Fury Road" radiate from the screen with rich saturation, while deep shadows in the opening sequence of "The Matrix" remain perfectly dark without any halos around lighter elements of the picture. Tricky sequences in movies like "1917" and shows like "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" that trip up the local dimming backlights on many QLED TVs I've tested are displayed with perfect, uniform contrast. And image quality barely shifts if you're off to the side of the screen, so everyone gets a good viewing experience no matter where they sit. LG's picture processing continues to improve year after year, and the G5 is able to hold its own against high-end Sony TVs. Lower-quality content like compressed HD YouTube streams and cable TV upscale nicely on the G5. To be clear, they still don't look as good as native 4K sources, but the TV does a good job of minimizing imperfections without introducing an unnatural look. But as phenomenal as the G5 is, the TV's image quality isn't flawless. When it first hit stores, the G5 had issues with color banding, also called posterization or false contouring. This caused some gradations of colors and dark shades to look blocky rather than smooth. This problem initially appeared in some Dolby Vision and HDR10 content, but during my testing, LG released a firmware update that corrected Dolby Vision playback. However, some banding still popped up in isolated scenes when watching a small selection of HDR10 videos. But throughout my weeks with the TV, this flaw was very subtle and only appeared in a couple of movies I sampled out of more than a dozen. After my evaluation period ended, LG released another firmware update in June. This latest version reportedly corrects those lingering problems with HDR10 so long as you use the TV's Filmmaker preset. With all that in mind, I don't consider this to be a major drawback. Another small imperfection I encountered involved some slight over-brightening in near-black content, which caused dark shades to faintly glow. I noticed this a bit when watching some dim sequences in the Amazon Prime series "The Wheel of Time," but it was never too distracting. This issue is common on OLED displays like this, and the G5 performs about on par with what's expected. Finally, it's also worth noting that while the G5 rises above competing flagship OLEDs in nearly every way, there is one area where top models from Samsung and Sony still have a slight edge: color volume. High-end OLEDs from those brands use quantum dots, which is a feature the G5 is missing. This allows those TVs to maintain high saturation a bit better when displaying especially bright colors. The G5 improves upon the G4 in this area, but it still can't quite match OLEDs that have quantum dots. Gamers get cool features like a 165Hz refresh rate and support for Xbox streaming The G5 is one of the most advanced gaming TVs there is. It supports ALLM (auto low latency mode), VRR (variable refresh rate), and a dedicated Game Optimizer menu that lets you easily adjust settings. The G5 sets itself apart from most competing TVs with its support for up to a 165Hz refresh rate. Most high-end TVs max out at 144Hz. This is only useful for PC gamers with high-end hardware, but it's still a cool perk. LG is also one of two brands (Samsung is the other) that supports the Xbox app directly through the TV's interface. If you have a Game Pass membership, this app lets you stream Xbox games so you can play them without needing a console. The quality isn't as good as playing a game directly through a system, and playability is heavily reliant on the stability of your internet connection, but it works well enough for casual gaming. I also tested the G5 with a PS5 using a 4K/120Hz connection, and it delivered excellent image quality and smooth motion. I didn't see any flicker or ghosting with VRR active, which is something I've seen on some QLED TVs. Some flicker did show up when I pulled up the TV's settings menu while playing games, but this went away as soon as I closed the window. However, I've seen some user reports of banding in certain games when using the TV's HDR Game mode, even after the latest firmware update released in June. But outside some subtle bands in the sky when playing "Cyberpunk 2077" and some slight contouring in menus, I didn't encounter any egregious banding when playing various HDR titles, including "The Last of Us Part 1," "Spider-Man," "No Man's Sky," "Dragon's Dogma 2," and "Baldur's Gate 3." LG's webOS adds some new AI features, but they're mostly unnecessary Like all LG TVs, the G5 uses the webOS smart TV system. The platform is easy to set up, as LG guides you through some basic housekeeping items. The interface has access to all of the best streaming services, though it's missing a few niche apps that some other platforms support, like the Criterion Channel. General navigation is smooth, and I didn't encounter any major lag when moving through services. That said, the interface's design could annoy some users. By default, webOS displays a banner ad at the top of the homepage, and the screen prominently features a row for shopping recommendations. You can deactivate the banner ad if you navigate through some buried menu options, but this leaves that space unutilized. You can also turn off the shopping recommendations, but this deactivates all of the platform's content suggestions, leading to a barebones interface. It's great that LG offers the option to fully deactivate the ads, but I wish there was a better balance to begin with, so it could display content recommendations while demphasizing some of the sponsored material. For 2025, LG is touting a lot of new AI features, but most of these functions are just improved iterations of features that have already been available on past-generation TVs. For instance, there are AI picture modes that are meant to enhance the image, especially with lower-quality content, but the adjustments these modes make are unnecessary. The company has also brought back its AI Picture Wizard and added a new AI Audio Wizard. These features present you with various sample images and audio clips. Based on which ones you select, the wizard learns what kind of picture and sound settings you like the most, and then creates custom modes for you. Again, I highly recommend just using the TV's Filmmaker mode and Standard audio mode to get the most accurate playback, but if you're unhappy with how the G5 looks or sounds, this is worth playing around with. LG's remote also emphasizes AI more this year, as the microphone button has been rebranded as the AI button. Pressing it pulls up LG's AI concierge. This is supposed to present smart content recommendations based on your viewing habits, but I didn't find them to be all that useful. Holding down the AI button allows you to search with your voice or speak commands to control the TV. The G5 also supports hands-free voice search. I'm not sure what the issue was, but during my first week or so with the TV, I ran into a lot of server errors and "voice not recognized" messages when using the G5's voice search. Over time, these glitches stopped popping up, and voice search worked consistently. That said, I found the TV's voice recognition to be less accurate and slower than some competing systems, like Roku and Google TV. On the plus side, the G5 does have a new voice feature that's actually pretty cool. It's called AI voice recognition, and it automatically switches user profiles based on who speaks to the TV. So, if your spouse was using the set and you both have different profiles, once you speak to the TV, it will switch to your personalized home screen with your preferences and recommendations. Should you buy the LG G5 TV? Few TVs have left me as utterly impressed as the LG G5. Some competing high-end sets from Sony and Samsung offer better performance in certain aspects, but when looking at picture quality as a whole, the G5 is the best premium display I've seen. Panasonic is set to release a similar TV later this year, called the Z95B, so I'm curious to see how it stacks up. But for now, the G5 is the reigning king of premium TVs. Though picture performance isn't flawless, the TV's combination of pixel-level contrast and high brightness is unmatched and outweighs any shortcomings. LG's webOS interface isn't my favorite, and I did run into some software issues that ironed out over time, but it gets the job done. The new AI voice recognition feature is also a cool addition. The G5 is expensive, so it's only suited for big picture quality enthusiasts and those willing to spend extra for high-end design flourishes that you can't get on cheaper TVs. But if you fit that bill, the LG G5 TV earns my highest recommendation.
Tom's Guide
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Panasonic's 2025 flagship OLED TV is a true stunner — and it might beat LG and Samsung
In a twist no one saw coming, Panasonic returned to the US TV market last year, bringing with it not one but two OLED TVs — and even a budget Mini-LED model. The Panasonic Z95A OLED was a surefire hit and one of my personal favorite TVs of 2024. That's why I got excited when Panasonic debut the Z95A's successor at CES 2025. Last week at a closed door briefing, Panasonic let me see its new OLED TV for myself at its Newark, New Jersey office. Even from this cursory look, the Z95B OLED TV is already shaping up to be one of the best TVs of the year, largely stemming from a set of enhancements in design that give it a proper edge against the LG C5 OLED and Samsung S95F. These include a special four-stack OLED panel, tweaked airflow for better cooling, and enhanced audio. I'm not ready to give it a full review yet, but I'm impressed with these early results and can't wait to see more of it in action. Here's why I think it's set to be a top contender this year and may well beat even some of the best LG TVs, like the LG G5 OLED. As we've said before, LG's four stack OLED is a game changer for TVs, and it comes to life like never before on Panasonic's new flagship OLED. Essentially, the new design takes over for last year's MLA (a three-stack layer) panel adding a fourth layer to the OLED stack, which not only aims to minimize production costs but boost brightness. What stood out most on the Z95B when I saw it in person was a deeper level of color vibrancy, with reds, greens, and blues truly popping off the screen. Of course, an important tidbit is that some of the content was played in Dynamic mode, but we did get to see a slew of assorted clips in Filmmaker mode with HDR enabled. For the demonstration, Panasonic had last year's Z95A OLED TV set up right next to the new display, so you could see all the major changes in real time. They are slight, but most noticeable in color accuracy and minimized artefacting in certain scenes. We won't know just how much brighter it is until we get the new Z95B in for testing, but a substantial increase in peak brightness wouldn't surprise me. Even if you disregard the performance upgrades offered by the newest panel, there are plenty more features that give the Panasonic Z95B a leg up on the competition. The other major upgrade from last year's model is an enhanced and redesigned cooling system, which Panasonic called ThermalFlow. Panasonic explained that it put hundreds of hours into reworking the internals and speakers to make the new cooling system work as intended. Panasonic claims that this makes it easier for hot air to dissipate, equating to improved picture quality and a longer lifespan. The design is best equated to a chimney. Instead of there being a more complicated airflow system with multiple thermal exits, the new Z95B has just two pathways situated at the top and bottom at the rear of the display. Panasonic claims that this makes it easier for hot air to dissipate, equating to improved picture quality and a longer lifespan. Based on what I heard from Panasonic, the upgraded cooling technology could have major effects if there is improved luminance, but I think the biggest advantage for the everyday viewer is that this TV will last longer than a rival OLED from Samsung or LG. It's hard to really know how much Panasonic's ThermalFlow design might prevent burn-in, but it's definitely something we'll test over the course of a few months. That alone could be a major selling point for the Z95B if it turns out to have some merit. One of the coolest features on last year's Z95A was its sophisticated speaker system underpinned by a robust software suite, which Panasonic called Sound Focus. It's back on the Z95B and it sounds even better. While the software hasn't changed too much over last year's model, the internal hardware got some big improvements — not that it really needed them to begin with. The Z95A boasted a 5.1.2-channel system built on a 160W output, and the Z95B amplifies this with new line array, side, and up-firing speakers, plus a 30W subwoofer and passive radiator. Panasonic has also kitted the display with improved stereo and 5.1-channel upmixing, which essentially gives you a broader digital surround sound without the need for additional speakers. I got a taste of this at the briefing and while I didn't quite hear anything behind me, I did notice a big improvement in audio quality over last year's model. Panasonic is riding high on the success from its breakout return to the US last year, but the Z95B could be Panasonic's last for the US market. I reported earlier this year that Panasonic might already be eyeing the exit sign, and the upcoming tariffs on electronics could be the final nail in the coffin. Last year's Z95A, which was only available in 65-inch, rolled out at $3,200 (it's now down to just $1,997 at Amazon). At the time, it beat out major competitors like the LG G5 OLED ($3,399) and Samsung S95D OLED ($3,399), but not by a lot. Tariffs now could make the Panasonic the priciest of the three models. Though, at this point, pricing is anyone's guess. To that end, we'll just have to wait until we get it in for testing to see just how well it stands against the best OLED TVs, but I've got a feeling that Panasonic's Z95B is about to give Samsung and LG a serious run for their money.
Forbes
12-05-2025
- Forbes
Panasonic Unveils Full 2025 OLED And LED TV Line Up—Including World's First ThermalFlow OLED
Panasonic's annual unveiling of its latest TVs is always a key date on every serious home cinema fan's calendar — especially now that the brand is back selling its 'Hollywood tuned' TVs in the U.S. once more. Even by Panasonic's usual high standards, though, the range of OLED and LED TVs the brand has just unveiled looks like it has the potential to be pretty special. Let's look at all the key new models in turn, starting with the latest Z95B flagship OLEDs. The Z95Bs Screen sizes available: 55, 65 and 77-inch Panel technology: 4K Primary RGB Tandem OLED with heat sink and ThermalFlow technology The flagship Z95B OLED TVs combine all sorts of cutting edge technology to achieve what looks from demonstrations I saw at a recent launch event like potentially ground-breaking picture quality. Panasonic's new flagship Z95B OLEDs feature radically improved picture quality and a much slimmer, ... More less cumbersome design. As ever with Panasonic's flagship OLED sets, the new Z95B range benefits from an integrated heat sink system to help keep the panel cool so that it can deliver more brightness without generating the sort of heat that can cause permanent image retention (screen burn). Panasonic has taken its heat management efforts to a whole new level for the Z95B, though, by incorporating a world-first 'ThermalFlow' system. Inspired by race car aerodynamics, ThermalFlow combines careful component and vent positioning to enable heat to dissipate more effectively than ever before, enabling the panel to support even higher brightness levels. Panasonic would not be drawn on an actual brightness number for the Z95B, but it was clear during demonstrations at Panasonic's European launch event that the brand's latest OLED flagships are substantially brighter than their already impressive predecessors. The Z95Bs' brightness also use the latest Primary RGB Tandem Panels, which introduce two blue emissive layers to the OLED arrangement to improve light efficiency by a claimed 40% versus standard OLED panels without compromising colour vibrancy. In fact, demonstrations of the Z95B showed a gorgeous increase in color volume compared with the Z95A - despite, again, the Z95A itself being widely praised for its color prowess. The spectacular capabilities delivered by the Z95B's new panel are controlled by a new improved version of Panasonic's redoubtable HCX Pro AI Processor, with its customary focus on delivering images that look 'as the director intended'. Panasonic's obsession with delivering accurate pictures also sees the Z95B bring onboard a new Prime Video Calibrated Mode, designed to play content from Amazon's Prime Video streaming service in a way that matches as closely as possible the image conditions produced in Prime Video's mastering studios. The new processor includes a 4K Remaster Engine too, designed to improve gradation, especially with streamed video, and there's also a return after a few year's absence of Calman Calibration and ISFCCC support, providing a professional-grade toolset that can fine tune your Z95B into getting as close as possible to AV industry picture standards. The Z95B's sound has also received a pretty radical new revamp. It still delivers the true multi-channel Dolby Atmos sound capabilities of Panasonic's past few OLED flagship series, including integrating up-firing height effect speakers in the TV's top edge, and bags of power that includes increasing bass output to 30W from the previous Z95A's 20W. The sound can still be steered specifically towards different seating positions, too. These ear-catching features, though, have all been built into a much more elegant design that finds the speakers installed behind a subtle belt of felt that runs right around all four of the TV's edges, greatly reducing the depth of the TVs' rear. The Z95Bs' smart system is powered by Amazon Fire TV, following the debut of the system on last year's Z95A series, while gamers can look forward to the Z95Bs being able to support (albeit only over two of its four HDMI ports) 4K resolution gaming, frame rates up to 144Hz, variable refresh rates including the NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium formats, a True Game mode designed to extend Panasonic's obsession with creative intent to the gaming world, and a dedicated gaming onscreen menu system. The Z90Bs retain a powerful sound system and gaming features, as well as still using a premium OLED ... More panel (just not a Primary RGB Tandem one). Z90Bs Screen sizes available: 42, 48, 55, 65 and 77-inches Panel technology: WRGB OLED with heat sink The step-down Z90B OLED TVs lose the Primary RGB Tandem panel designs and ThermalFlow features of the Z95Bs, meaning that they won't be able to achieve the same levels of peak brightness. Their Master OLED Pro panels still benefit from a heat sink, though, as well as using a premium version of WRGB OLED technology, and are still driven by the same HCX Pro AI Processor Mk II processing system found on the flagship Z95Bs. They also continue with the Fire TV smart system support, can still support both of the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ premium HDR formats, and still feature a potent virtual surround sound audio system that includes a 30W subwoofer and front-firing speakers attached to the screen's bottom edge. Gamers will still be able to enjoy 4K, 144Hz refresh rates and variable refresh rates in the AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-Sync formats too. The Z80s are Panasonic's entry level OLEDs for 2025. Z80Bs Screen sizes available: 48, 55, and 65-inches Panel technology: WRGB OLED Panasonic's entry level OLED TV series for 2025 lose the heat sink and use lower grade OLED panels than the step-up models. They're also driven by a step-down HCX processor, and feature a less powerful integrated audio system that doesn't include any direct forward-facing speakers and supports fewer distinct built-in drivers. The Z80B sound system does still benefit from a dedicated built-in subwoofer, though, along with Dolby Atmos decoding, and there's still support for both the HDR10+ and Dolby Vision premium HDR formats, as well as the Fire TV operating system. Supported refresh rates no longer extend to 144Hz, but the Z80Bs do retain support for 4K/120Hz game feeds, variable refresh rates (including in the AMD Freesync Premium format) and a fast-response Game Mode Extreme mode. While its OLED TVs were inevitably the star of the show at Panasonic's recent TV launch event, the brand is also significantly improving and expanding its LCD offering for 2025. In fact, it is set to launch its biggest LCD range in years, including a 32-inch set and some HD models for people looking for a second-room or very affordable TV. I'm going to focus here, though, on the three most high-performance LCD TVs from Panasonic's 2025 TV range. The flagship W95B LCD range from Panasonic for 2025 uses Mini LED lighting with advanced local ... More dimming. The W95Bs Screen sizes available: 55, 65, 75 and 85 inches Panel technology: Mini LED with local dimming and 144Hz support The W95Bs are Panasonic's flagship LCD TVs for 2025. They're built on Mini LED panels powered by a local dimming system that operates across 2.5x as many dimming zones (on some screen sizes) as 2024's W95As. The W95B series sees Panasonic expanding its screen size offering to accommodate an 85-inch model, too. The W95Bs are powered by Panasonic's most premium second-gen HCX Pro AI Processor, and are claimed to deliver much better color performance than their predecessors thanks to double area control and a high color gamut backlight system powered by real-time proprietary color tuning. New Hybrid Tone Mapping technology has also been installed on the W95Bs, enabling them to retain rich color saturations even in the brightest HDR picture areas. Side by side demonstrations of the W95Bs against last year's W95As backed up Panasonic's claims for its new flagship LCD models by clearly revealing a major reduction in the amount of backlight blooming the new models exhibit around stand-out bright objects, as well as significantly richer colors, especially in the brightest and darkest picture areas. It's a testament to Panasonic's ambitions with the W95Bs, too, that they join Panasonic's new premium OLED TVs in shipping with built-in Calman Ready compatibility to support professional-grade picture calibration. Gamers will be pleased to hear that Panasonic's flagship LCD TVs for 2025 support frame rates up to 144Hz, variable refresh rates (including in the AMD FreeSync Premium format), Panasonic's True Game setting for more accurate HDR gaming visuals, and a dedicated gaming onscreen menu system. Smart features on the W95Bs are provided by Amazon Fire TV again, while HDR support again extends to both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. The Dolby connection also sees the W95Bs offering Dolby Atmos audio playback from a speaker system that includes a 20W subwoofer. The Panasonic 65W93B. The W93Bs Screen sizes available: 43, 50, 55 and 65 inches Panel technology: LED with local dimming and 144Hz support The big difference between the W93Bs and Panasonic's 2025 flagship LCD TVs is that the step-down models don't benefit from mini LED lighting, reverting instead to regular sized LEDs. While this will reduce the precision of the TV's lighting, the sets still feature contrast-friendly direct LED lighting and local dimming to maintain a superior contrast performance. The W93Bs also deploy a less powerful audio system than the W95Bs. The W93Bs retain a True Game mode as well as support for 144Hz gaming feeds and variable refresh rates (including in the AMD FreeSync Premium format), while pictures will also benefit from the same premium HCX Pro AI Processor that the W95Bs get, complete with a 4K Remaster Engine for improving streaming playback. Even Calman calibration is still provided for the W93Bs, and they will still support the Fire TV smart system used higher up Panasonic's TV range. The W85Bs Screen sizes available: 43, 50, 55 and 65 inches Panel technology: LED with 120Hz support The W85Bs' HDR Bright Panel Plus panels are illuminated by regular rather than Mini LEDs, and don't benefit from the same degree of light control its siblings enjoy. Their supported gaming refresh rates drops to 120Hz from 144Hz, too, and they use the less powerful HCX processor rather than the AI-powered HCX Pro AI system. There's still support for variable refresh rates, though, as well as playback of the premium HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR formats. The W85Bs' integrated audio system still supports Dolby Atmos playback tii, and the W85Bs' smart features continue to be provided by the Fire TV system. ----- Sony Unveils New Bravia TVs—Including A Premium QD OLED Range
