Panasonic Z85A OLED TV Review

The Panasonic Z85A OLED TV stands out as a compelling option in the mid-range OLED market, offering a blend of exceptional picture quality and advanced features. Its OLED panel delivers the deep blacks and infinite contrast ratio that the technology is known for, resulting in stunning image quality across various content types.

One of the Z85A’s strengths lies in its comprehensive HDR support, including Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive. This ensures that viewers can enjoy optimized picture quality regardless of the content source or ambient lighting conditions. The HCX Pro AI Processor MKII further enhances the viewing experience by fine-tuning color accuracy, contrast, and clarity.

Gaming enthusiasts will appreciate the Z85A’s Game Mode Extreme, which supports a 120Hz refresh rate, VRR, and compatibility with both AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-SYNC. These features, combined with the low input lag of OLED technology, make for a responsive and immersive gaming experience. However, it’s worth noting that the TV is limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports, which may be a constraint for users with multiple next-gen gaming consoles.

The integration of the Fire TV platform adds a layer of smart functionality, offering easy access to a wide range of streaming services and apps. The inclusion of Alexa voice control and the customizable Ambient Experience further enhance the TV’s versatility in the modern smart home ecosystem.

While the Z85A impresses in many areas, it does have some limitations. Its peak brightness, while adequate for most viewing scenarios, may not match that of higher-end OLED or Mini-LED models. This could impact HDR performance in very bright rooms. Nevertheless, for most users, the Panasonic Z85A OLED TV represents an excellent balance of performance, features, and value, making it a strong contender in its price range.

The Panasonic Z85A OLED holds its own against competitors in the mid-range OLED market. It delivers picture quality comparable to the LG C4 OLED, with both TVs offering deep blacks, vibrant colors, and excellent contrast. The Z85A stands out with its comprehensive HDR support, including Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive, providing optimized picture quality across various content types.

While the Z85A excels in many areas, it faces stiff competition from the Sony BRAVIA 8 OLED in motion handling and the Samsung S95C OLED in peak brightness. However, the Panasonic offers better out-of-box color accuracy than most rivals and includes the user-friendly Fire TV platform, which some may prefer over other smart TV interfaces. Gaming enthusiasts will appreciate the Z85A’s low input lag and VRR support, though the limitation of only two HDMI 2.1 ports may be a drawback for those with multiple gaming consoles.

The Panasonic Z85A OLED TV delivers exceptional picture quality that rivals high-end models. Its OLED panel produces perfect blacks and infinite contrast, resulting in stunning image depth and detail. Colors are vibrant yet accurate, thanks to the HCX Pro AI Processor MKII, which fine-tunes the picture for lifelike reproduction.

HDR performance is a standout feature, with support for multiple formats including Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive. This ensures optimal picture quality across various content types and viewing environments. The Z85A handles motion exceptionally well, making it an excellent choice for sports and action movies.

While the Z85A’s peak brightness is good for an OLED TV, it may not match some higher-end models or bright room performance of QLED TVs. However, its superior contrast more than compensates in most viewing scenarios. Upscaling of lower resolution content is impressive, with the TV’s processor effectively reducing noise and enhancing detail.

The Panasonic Z85A OLED TV delivers exceptional gaming performance, making it an excellent choice for enthusiasts. Its low input lag of around 14ms at 60Hz and 6ms at 120Hz ensures a highly responsive gaming experience, with minimal delay between controller inputs and on-screen actions.

Supporting 4K resolution at 120Hz refresh rate, the Z85A takes full advantage of next-generation gaming consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The TV’s HDMI 2.1 ports enable high-bandwidth features such as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), including AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility, which effectively eliminate screen tearing and stuttering for smoother gameplay.

Panasonic’s Game Mode Extreme further enhances the gaming experience by automatically optimizing picture settings for reduced input lag and improved motion clarity. The dedicated Game Control Board provides quick access to gaming-specific settings, allowing players to fine-tune their experience on the fly. However, it’s worth noting that the Z85A is limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports, which may be a constraint for users with multiple gaming devices.

While the OLED panel delivers stunning picture quality with perfect blacks and vibrant colors, gamers should be aware of the potential for image retention with static game HUDs. Panasonic has implemented measures to mitigate this risk, but it’s still advisable to vary content and avoid leaving static images on screen for extended periods.

The Panasonic Z85A OLED TV offers a robust suite of connectivity options to enhance your home entertainment experience. At the forefront are its HDMI ports, with two of the four supporting HDMI 2.1 specifications. This allows for high-bandwidth features such as 4K at 120Hz, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), catering to next-generation gaming consoles and high-end PCs.

Wireless connectivity is equally impressive, with the TV featuring built-in Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) for fast and stable streaming. This is complemented by Bluetooth support, allowing for easy connection of wireless headphones or speakers. For those preferring a wired connection, an Ethernet port is available for direct internet access.

Audio enthusiasts will appreciate the eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) feature on one of the HDMI ports, enabling high-quality audio passthrough to compatible soundbars or AV receivers. However, it’s worth noting that while the TV supports Dolby Atmos, it lacks DTS audio passthrough, which may disappoint some home theater enthusiasts.

Additional connectivity options include three USB ports for media playback and recording, a digital optical audio output, and a headphone jack. While the array of ports is comprehensive, some users might find the limitation of only two HDMI 2.1 ports restrictive, especially if they own multiple next-gen gaming consoles and a high-end PC.