Panasonic Unveils First OLED TVs With Built-In Amazon Fire TV Smart Platform
Prior to Panasonic's reveal, few probably would have guessed that it would be the first company to release an OLED TV with Amazon's built Fire TV platform built into it. But a dark horse or not, Panasonic has done exactly that with the introduction of two OLED TV lineups, the Z95A that will be available in 55-inch and 65-inch sizes, and the Z93A that will be offered in a bigger 77-inch size.
It's a surprise only because Panasonic is a limited player at best in the OLED TV market. That's especially true in the US, where you won't find a single Panasonic TV of any kind—OLED or otherwise—in stock at Best Buy. Panasonic pulled out of the crowded US market for its TVs several years ago, as the landscape is flush with options from the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony, TCL (which recently unveiled a massive 115-inch mini LED TV), and others.
We'll be curious to see if the Z95A and Z93A end up being sold in the US market, but it's noteworthy that Panasonic North America made the announcement. Amazon also chimed in with an announcement of its own.
"We’re incredibly excited to announce with Panasonic that their new smart TVs will include Fire TV starting in 2024," said Daniel Rausch, vice president for Alexa and Fire TV. "This means customers around the world will get to experience all the benefits of Fire TV’s personalized streaming experience and access to Alexa, combined with Panasonic’s best-in-class smart TVs."
Adding the Fire TV smart platform to the mix is one way Panasonic can distinguish its OLED TVs from the competition. Beyond the integrated smarts, Panasonic isn't offering a lot of specs and details, though it did say both the Z95A and Z93A feature far-field voice control with Alexa. It's also teasing a brand new chipset, a brighter panel, and Dolby Vision support.
For gamers, Panasonic revealed that its upcoming OLED models will support a 144Hz refresh rate, along with HDMI 2.1 connectivity and associated goodies like variable refresh rate (VRR). It's also promising low input lag, a True Game Mode picture preset tailored for gaming, and Game Sound Modes for RPG and FPS titles.
Panasonic did confirm that the Z95A will use a micro lens array, which is key to the recent crop of brighter OLED panels. To that end, Panasonic is promising "unprecedented brightness" thanks to both improvements in the MLA technology and its multi-layer heat management configuration developed by its engineers.
"At Panasonic, our commitment has always been to produce the most accurate picture quality. This doesn’t only come from technical precision but also through collaborations with Hollywood's best colorists. And for the most tailored viewing experience, we've incorporated AI to recognize the type of content you're viewing and adjust both picture and sound settings to perfection," says Mr Akira Toyoshima, President, CEO of Panasonic Entertainment & Communication Co., Ltd.
