Panasonic Z95B OLED TV Review: Glorious Performance, One Small Catch

Space is the perfect environment for TV with this level of staggering contrast, and it’s not just the dramatic moments, but also the more subtly lit scenes that come to the fore. guardians of the galaxy volume 2 Full of flashy highlights and colorful bursts of space glow, but moments like the sunrise over the Guardians’ dusky-brown shirts or the dark corridors of their small ship were just as impressive thanks to the Z95B’s excellent color gradients and shadow detail.

That subtle touch comes through in everything you watch, including regular old HD sitcoms like soap operas OfficeWhere I found myself strangely mesmerized by moments like the auburn highlights of Jim’s hair or the shine of Andy’s tie. Maybe that’s not why you buy premium TVs, but it’s nice to find happiness in the small things. Skin tones look almost natural and clean, enhanced by the TV’s knockout image processing, and even low-quality video looks good with its superior upscaling.

That doesn’t mean you won’t find ostentation in abundance here; When working properly the Z95B gets as bright as anyone could want. play Mad Max: Fury Road The perfect dichotomy between the dreary desert backdrop and the devastating lightning storm on 4K HDR Blu-ray was produced with the Panasonic DP-UB9000. The storm’s jagged bolts split the sky with precision, exploding with intense bursts of orange and white, right down to that fierce white-hot glow.

Part of the Z95B’s capability comes from its excellent glare reduction. Like the LG G5, it’s able to reduce everything except direct reflections while preserving its obsidian background for more dramatic contrast in brighter rooms than Sony’s rival Bravia 8 II QD-OLED. I think the Bravia beats both TVs in terms of image clarity, but it’s close. Only Samsung’s similar S95F offers a more powerful way to eliminate glare while preserving contrast.

The Z95B and G5 are surprisingly similar, considering they share the same panel. The Z95B seems a little more natural in its colors and lighting, and a little better for off-axis viewing, but that may be a recent bias. I would have to see them back to back to point out any real differences. Some extra color banding and a bit of image stuttering in Dolby Vision streaming content are the only noticeable flaws I noticed in two weeks with the Z95B. (Note: I reviewed the G5 after LG addressed initial complaints about HDR color banding.)

All four premium OLEDs offer knockout performance, each with its own characteristics. I favor the G5 and Z95B over the Samsung and Sony for the balance of sharp brightness with a jet-black backdrop—and the G5 has the edge with its four HDMI 2.1 ports and better smarts. However, the Z95B is hard to deny. If you’re looking for an all-in-one screen that elevates everything to showcase level, this is the TV to take home.