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In a nutshell: When Panasonic ended production of its vaunted plasma televisions in 2013 and pulled out of the US market a few years later, some assumed we'd never see Panasonic-branded TVs in the states again. But you know what they say about making assumptions…
Panasonic has announced its return to the US TV market after nearly a decade away, and they're bringing some heavy hitters.
Leading the charge is the Z95A, a 4K flagship OLED TV with a 65-inch, 144Hz panel and a $3,199 price tag. It's powered by an HCX Pro AI Processor MK II and packs several noteworthy features including a 360-degree Soundscape Pro integrated audio system tuned by Technics and a micro lens array with multi-layer heat management for "unprecedented brightness."
The Z85A OLED TV, meanwhile, is offered in 55-inch and 65-inch variants and is essentially a lesser version of the Z95A that excludes some bells and whistles to reduce costs. The Z85 doesn't come with the flagship's fancy integrated speaker system with Technics tuning, nor does it have the micro lens array to elevate brightness. Furthermore, the set's refresh rate only goes up to 120Hz instead of 144Hz. The omissions are reflected in the price as the 55-incher retails for $1,599 while the 65-inch model will set you back $1,799 – a full $1,400 less than the same-size flagship.
Panasonic has also brought its W95A mini-LED series to the US. Available in four sizes ranging from 55 inches up to 85 inches, the W95A series affords a refresh rate up to 144Hz, multiple HDR picture modes, and Local Dimming Ultra tech to boost the set's contrast ratio. Panasonic has also baked in a Quantum Dot Sheet to further enhance color reproduction, we're told.
Pricing starts at $1,299 for the 55-inch W95 and scales up to $2,999 if you want the 85-inch variant. All of Panasonic's sets in the US also come with Amazon's Fire TV platform baked in, complete with an Alexa-enabled voice remote. They're available now directly from Panasonic or through Amazon.