Verdict
Panasonic has given its flagship OLED flatscreen an image high quality improve, with a excessive brightness MLA (Micro Lens Array) OLED panel. Coupled with a Hollywood tuned AI image processor, and a best-in-class Dolby Atmos sound system, the MZ2000 must be an odds on favorite to be telly of the yr.
Execs
- Wonderful HDR efficiency
- Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ HDR assist
- 360° Soundscape Professional Dolby Atmos system
- Sport Board UI
Cons
- Solely two HDMIs assist 4K 120Hz
- Value
Availability
- UKRRP: £2699
- USAunavailable
- EuropeTBC
- Canadaunavailable
- Australiaunavailable
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HDR assistCovers the main HDR codecs in HDR10+ Adaptive, HDR10, HLG Photograph, HLG, and Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ -
SoundOptions an upfiring Dolby Atmos audio system -
My Dwelling Display screen 8.0Newest model of Panasonic’s good interface
Introduction
The MZ200 is the jewel within the crown of Panasonic’s 2023 OLED TV vary. It utilises the newest MLA (Micro Lens Array) OLED panel know-how, is pushed by the model’s revered HCX Professional AI processor and comes with extra trimmings than a Christmas turkey.
Tasty extras embody the newest model of Panasonic’s personal My Dwelling good TV platform, an elaborate 360°Soundscape Professional Dolby Atmos audio system, an up to date Sport Management Board, and a number of processing refinements that promise to additional elevate this display screen’s AV efficiency. Is it unbeatable? Fairly presumably…
The MZ2000 is obtainable in three display screen sizes, 55-, 65-, and 77-inch sizes (TX-55MZ2000, TX-65MZ2000 and TX-77MZ2000), priced at £2699, £3599 and £4499 respectively. I’m testing the 55-incher.
Design
- Swivel pedestal stand
- 4 x HDMI inputs
- Dolby Atmos audio system
Design sensible the MZ200 holds no surprises. The display screen makes use of precisely the identical chassis as its predecessor, the LZ2000, and is distinguished primarily by a deftly built-in Dolby Atmos sound system, which mixes a ahead firing array, with left and proper ‘encompass’ drivers and an up-firing Dolby Atmos channel, all tuned by stablemate Hello-Fi model Technics.
The color scheme is black, with a wafer-thin display screen wrap and a central pedestal stand that provides a beneficiant quantity of swivel. I like its type, however admit the set appears to be like a bit of extra substantial than a few of its rivals at 69mm deep.
Connectivity includes 4 HDMI inputs, of which two are 4K/120Hz enabled. HDMI 2 can be your eARC connection, which quite limits excessive body charge choices (a typical ARC connection on HDMI 3 or 4 would have been appreciated).
There’s additionally an optical digital audio output and AV mini Jack enter. A Widespread Interface slot is supplied for many who want it, together with three USB ports. Ethernet is readily available to assist on-board Wi-Fi.
The set sports activities each terrestrial (with Freeview Play) and twin satellite tv for pc enter tuners.
The equipped Bluetooth distant is a premium design. It options devoted buttons for Netflix, Rakuten TV, Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube and Freeview Play.
Options
- Grasp OLED Final OLED panel
- My Dwelling Display screen v.8 Good TV platform
- Up to date Sport modes
Whereas the MZ2000 appears to be like no completely different to final yr’s mannequin, the LZ2000 (winner of the Trusted Critiques coveted Finest TV accolade in our 2022 Awards), there have been vital modifications beneath the hood.
Of principal curiosity is the MLA panel, which higher focuses gentle outwards (the place you possibly can see it), making pictures considerably brighter with out having to extend energy consumption.
The display screen additionally comes with a complicated warmth administration system, which takes benefit of Panasonic’s numerous image and audio processing enhancements.
This new customized module is dubbed Grasp OLED Final. It’s not simply HDR depth which advantages, but additionally common brightness, as evidenced by its punchy efficiency with daytime TV in brightly lit rooms.
Niceties embody a brand new Streaming 4K Remaster algorithm capable of establish the decision of any supply materials and enhance texture rendering. At no level throughout my audition did I spot intrusive banding or different noise pushed artefacts (even when spinning a really grainy 4k Blu-ray remaster of The Evil Useless).
Panasonic has additionally upgraded Filmmaker mode, including ambient color temperature sensing to raised match completely different room lighting.
Usability is superb. The My Dwelling Display screen good interface, now in its eighth iteration, stays simply customisable; you possibly can select to pin any explicit service supplier or terrestrial channel up entrance for fast entry.
The principle house display screen overlay presents a contextual thumbnail rail for all the important thing Freeview Play channels, together with BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, My 5, CBS catch up, and so forth.
The Sport Management Board is house to related information, akin to decision, body charge, enter lag, VRR and HDR, and has had enhancements to its style presets for FPS and RTS gaming. There are two Sport modes to select from: Sport and True Sport, in addition to a 4k 120Hz bypass mode, though this desaturates colors a tad.
I measured enter lag at a median 14.5ms (1080/60). Enter lag improves when taking part in at 120Hz, however gameplay doesn’t really feel fairly as fluid as LG OLEDs I’ve gamed on.
Image High quality
- Massively shiny HDR efficiency
- Wealthy and deep colors
That new MLA panel pays wealthy dividends. The MZ2000’s footage are stunningly stunning to have a look at, virtually no matter supply. Blue and pink primaries are deep and wealthy, and pores and skin tones believably textured. It appears to be like as fairly taking part in Overwatch in 4K because it does depicting the gritty HD drama of Lioness (Paramount+).
The MZ2000’s MLA-powered HDR efficiency is phenomenal. I measured peak HDR at 1698 nits, utilizing a ten per cent patch, in Dynamic mode, and whopping 1877 nits with a 5 per cent window. Utilizing the Normal picture preset, with a 5 per cent window, I recorded a cushty 1500 nits.
No matter means you chop it; that is considerably increased than what I noticed on final yr’s LZ2000. In sensible phrases, this implies the set can comfortably show the vast majority of commercially accessible HDR content material with out recourse to tone mapping.
Streetlights burn shiny, daylight displays with a real sparkle, explosions have terrific depth; all this contributes to picture depth and punch. A run by way of of Quick 5 (UHD Blu-ray), which has loads of sequences set in dimly lit garages, confirmed easy close to black shadow element, and the glinting automobiles emphasise its HDR precision.
In contrast to key rivals from LG and Samsung, there’s common HDR assist onboard. Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, HDR10, HLG, and HDR Photograph.
Each the Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive settings work with a lightweight sensor to handle picture parameters dynamically, making the set an excellent alternative for anytime viewing. There’s additionally an Adaptive Netflix Calibrated mode.
Sound High quality
- Dolby Atmos audio
- Not the largest bass efficiency
Total sonic efficiency is prime notch. The supply of aspect and up-firing audio system ensures the 150W soundstage is deliciously enormous, and readability is constantly impeccable. However the system remains to be gentle on bass.
When Dom Toretto is liberated from his jail bus firstly of Quick 5, the sound system does a superb job depicting the roar of Toretto’s muscle automobile rescuers, however when his jail bus rolls there’s a definite lack of weight.
That mentioned, the MZ2000 presents extra audio choices than most TVs in its class. Not simply in relation to channel configuration and deployment, but additionally further processing.
First launched on the LZ2000, beam steering permits you to tailor the course of sound from the entrance bar (on this mode its output is kind of monophonic), permitting you to focus audio particularly right into a room, steered utilizing an onscreen graphic.
Along with Dolby Atmos decoding, there’s additionally a Sound Subject Creation menu which applies numerous levels of DSP put up processing. Select from Direct, Sport, Reside theatre, Normal, or Discuss. These are primarily a matter of private style. For many TV and film content material, Direct is at all times the higher alternative.
Newest offers
Must you purchase it?
In order for you one of the best mixture of OLED panel efficiency and processing: This TV comfortably delivers greater than 1500 nits with common HDR compliance and arguably one of the best cinematic picture processor on the town, the MZ2000 doesn’t disappoint in relation to image high quality.
The MZ2000’s 360° Soundscape Professional audio system might do with extra bass: For all its multiplicity of audio system, the MZ2000 is gentle on bass, so if you would like actually cinematic slam, it is likely to be finest to plan for a separate sound system.
Ultimate Ideas
The MZ200 takes full benefit of its subsequent gen MLA OLED panel, and picture high quality is sensational. The set’s common HDR provision, and excellent distinction administration, compounds the proposition. This display screen is a best choice for film followers.
It will get a much less clear lower advice in relation to gaming. Whereas Panasonic has up to date gaming performance, the set remains to be hampered by an HDMI board which presents simply two 4K/120Hz succesful inputs. Given a type of can be your eARC connection, house owners of each an Xbox Sequence X/S and PlayStation 5 will in all probability look elsewhere.
For the remainder of us, supplied you possibly can dig deep sufficient, it’s a premium grade slam dunk.
How we check
We check each tv we evaluation completely over an prolonged time frame. We use business customary exams to check options correctly. We’ll at all times let you know what we discover. We by no means, ever, settle for cash to evaluation a product.
Discover out extra about how we check in our ethics coverage.
Examined with actual world use
Examined throughout a number of weeks
FAQs
The present info now we have is that the MZ2000 does assist Dolby Imaginative and prescient Gaming, however solely as much as 4K/60Hz refresh charges.
Trusted Critiques check information
UK RRP
USA RRP
CA RRP
AUD RRP
Producer
Display screen Measurement
Measurement (Dimensions)
Measurement (Dimensions with out stand)
Weight
Working System
Launch Date
Mannequin Quantity
Decision
HDR
Varieties of HDR
Refresh Price TVs
Ports
HDMI (2.1)
Audio (Energy output)
Connectivity
Show Know-how
Jargon buster
Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ
Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ is a complicated model of the usual Dolby Imaginative and prescient sign. It makes use of the metadata inside its personal HDR sign at the side of a TV’s gentle sensor to detect how shiny or how darkish a room is so as to optimise the image high quality so content material retains constant luminance (brightness) and element irrespective of how shiny or darkish the room is.
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos is an object-based audio format. It expands on 5.1 and seven.1 soundtracks by including overhead channels. Sounds are known as “audio objects”, of which there could be as much as 128 audio channels, and these ‘objects’ could be precisely positioned inside a 3D soundscape. This permits soundtracks that assist the know-how to position sounds above and across the listener with suitable package.
