# Panasonic Announces an OLED Television, Due in Europe This October (4K Pro CZ950)



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Buckle your seatbelts and keep your arms and legs inside the car; the OLED game is officially “on.” LG Electronics is no longer the sole manufacturer of OLED displays. Several days ago, Panasonic used the IFA 2015 stage to announce a brand-new 4K UHD television that’s OLED all the way. 










Panasonic’s previous UHD offerings have been developed using LCD technologies, and its newly invigorated move toward OLED is a positive sign for the company and consumers as a whole. The company’s current LCD-based flagship TC-65X850U display is a moderate performer, as evidenced by its middling showing at this year’s Value Electronics Flat Panel Shootout. The model posted the lowest score in every category as graded by audience participants (and five out of seven categories by expert judges). My impressions during the shootout echoed those results – it was lackluster as compared to visually stellar competition. In contrast, an LG OLED television (65EG9600) won the event despite exhibiting questionable dark scene issues; OLED’s picture quality capabilities are that good (good enough to help LG overcome a rather glaring performance issue and trump several strong LCD performers).

The first release of Panasonics new CZ950 will be of the curved variety, which might disappoint those of you solely interested in flat designs. But, much like LG’s choice to release a flat version (soon), Panasonic is saying that a flat version of the CZ950 is in the pipeline. What isn’t up for immediate change is the unit’s initial cost (which is in the neighborhood of $11,000). That number is nearly two-times larger than current LG offerings. According to a report by Digital Trends, Panasonic says its OLED sets will fall to competitive levels in the next two to three years… that may as well be five to six years in an ultra competitive display landscape. Hopefully we’ll see faster price reductions than predicted.

Panasonic says their new “4K Pro” OLED television has blacks that bury the performance capabilities of its legendary plasma displays, and color capabilities that surpass those of its OLED competition. Much of this is due to a proprietary 4K Studio Master Processor that has been tuned by professional Hollywood colorist Mike Sowa. Panasonic says this processor keeps the display’s color reproducing capability on par with Hollywood standards for reproducing exact director intent. In addition, the company says the CZ950 is HDR compatible and will carry THX’s badge of approval. 

The exterior of the unit is flashy, sporting thin and sharp lines. The company says their intention is “not just to produce standalone products, but to build living spaces. Accordingly, we have built the CZ950 from a 360-degree perspective…this is not a tv to hide in the corner of your rooms, it is a piece of high-end furniture in its own right.”

We’ve yet to learn of a release date in the United States (it’s due to hit European store shelves in October), but Panasonic’s new OLED darling is a welcome addition to the television market landscape. Consumers will only benefit from competition in the OLED market, which will push future technologies forward and continue to drop prices. 


_Image Credit: Panasonic / IFA 2015_


----------



## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

It is always good for more than one manufacturer to get into the OLED game. More competition brings prices down and more competition brings more options for consumers. I just hope prices are good and in case people do not purchase enough due to whatever reason, they don't leave the OLED game.. Time will tell.

Hopefully their new OLED will perform better than what they offered in the LCD series.


----------



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

More is always better for consumers! ;-)


----------



## typ44q (Apr 7, 2008)

tripplej said:


> It is always good for more than one manufacturer to get into the OLED game. More competition brings prices down and more competition brings more options for consumers.* I just hope prices are good and in case people do not purchase enough due to whatever reason, they don't leave the OLED game.. Time will tell.*
> 
> Hopefully their new OLED will perform better than what they offered in the LCD series.


My fear is that OLED prices will not fall fast enough for them to be adopted by the average buyer and the technology will just die. Hopefully with Panasonic joining the race it will push prices down faster and help push the technology.


----------



## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

Yeah, while competition is good and it will bring prices down, the downfall is that if consumers don't buy those tv's for whatever reason but mostly due to prices not falling fast enough or not enough period, other manufacturers and even LG and Panasonic will leave the OLED market due to lack of demand.


----------



## typ44q (Apr 7, 2008)

And sadly picture quality no longer seems to be a driving force when the average consumer is looking for a new TV. I would of bet money that plasma would of been around at least until LCD surpassed it in terms of quality but sadly that did not happen.


----------



## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

yeah, and that is my fear. Consumers only look at one thing and that is price. They don't factor in picture quality or anything else, only price. Even if OLED drops significantly but still not enough for the average consumer, OLED manufacturers may not stick around.


----------



## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Yeah, I'm with you guys on that. I was sad to see plasma go, and hoping that my current Panny plasma will last long enough for OLED to be less cost prohibitive... $11k is a good bit of change.


----------



## Lumen (May 17, 2014)

Hat's off to Panasonic for pushing-the-envelope in technological performance. But only in Europe? :sneeky:
...and I think it's spelled "Oktober" :bigsmile:


----------



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

It's coming to America. 

Just slightly delayed ;-)


----------



## typ44q (Apr 7, 2008)

Owen Bartley said:


> Yeah, I'm with you guys on that. I was sad to see plasma go, and hoping that my current Panny plasma will last long enough for OLED to be less cost prohibitive... $11k is a good bit of change.


I am in the same boat, as long as my Panasonic plasma can last me until a 65" (ish) OLED is below about 3K I will be happy. 4K and HDR are just not enough to motivate me to "upgrade"


----------



## Yiannis1970 (Sep 2, 2012)

Can't comprehend why they keep insisting on curved shapes. Ok, it was a nice marketing thing when OLEDs were introduced, but now it's still pointless. Thankfuly they will come/end up eventually with flat panels.


----------



## typ44q (Apr 7, 2008)

Yiannis1970 said:


> *Can't comprehend why they keep insisting on curved shapes*. Ok, it was a nice marketing thing when OLEDs were introduced, but now it's still pointless. Thankfuly they will come/end up eventually with flat panels.


As a Best Buy sales person explained to me "It makes it easier for a person in another room to see the TV". My reply to that was "but they will only be seeing the small part that is curved toward them and nothing of the part that is curved away from them" He just looked at me and said but people love curved screens. 
Fearing an aneurysm I just walked away.


----------



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Yiannis1970 said:


> Can't comprehend why they keep insisting on curved shapes. Ok, it was a nice marketing thing when OLEDs were introduced, but now it's still pointless. Thankfuly they will come/end up eventually with flat panels.


Large screen, sitting dead center, you might see a difference you like...but, in general, I agree. Dump the curve and go flat. The good news is that both LG and Panasonic will have flat versions of OLED sets (soon).


----------



## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

typ44q said:


> As a Best Buy sales person explained to me "It makes it easier for a person in another room to see the TV".


That might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard.


----------



## mvision7m (Feb 9, 2013)

Either way, awesome news. Even if it comes in at the $4K -$5K range, and if it's as good as enthusiasts (we) all hope, I'm in.


----------



## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

typ44q said:


> As a Best Buy sales person explained to me "It makes it easier for a person in another room to see the TV". My reply to that was "but they will only be seeing the small part that is curved toward them and nothing of the part that is curved away from them" He just looked at me and said but people love curved screens.
> Fearing an aneurysm I just walked away.


That's the worst justification I've ever heard for a curved screen. LOL. It only makes an improvement for someone sitting in a fairly narrow sweet spot. If you view solo, or in pairs, it could be great. If you have many people sitting off angle, then not so much. Other rooms... just LOL.


----------



## Southwest One (Sep 29, 2014)

Can't wait to see Panny release OLED products.


----------



## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

Southwest One said:


> Can't wait to see Panny release OLED products.


 yes!


----------



## typ44q (Apr 7, 2008)

I was just reading this article from Display Mate about curved screens and maybe they are not as bad as I was thinking. They even talk about off angle viewing:
"...The slight curvature improves viewing from the sides away from the central sweet spot: A second and more subtle point: people sitting off to the sides away from the central sweet spot actually get a somewhat better viewing experience than with a flat screen because the curved screen accommodates their viewing direction better by compensating for some of the uneven image foreshortening that is seen with a flat screen: the image on the side of the screen closest to you appears larger, and the image on the side of the screen furthest away appears smaller. The inward curvature of the screen compresses the foreshortening of the image on the near side that appears larger, and the curvature on the far side enlarges the distant part of image that appears smaller, which improves the overall screen image geometry that is seen away from the central sweet spot...."
I am sure that is what the Best Buy rep was talking about...

Not sure if that is enough reason to get one but I don't think I am as opposed to curved screens as I was before (as long as it is a very slight curve)

Here is the section of the article for anyone that is interested.
http://www.displaymate.com/LG_OLED_TV_ShootOut_1.htm#Curved_Screen


----------



## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

I would think that sitting off to the side, you'd get a better view of the far side of the screen. But a much worse view of the closed side of the screen than you would from a flat screen. :scratch:


----------

