Panasonic has revealed the first two models in its 2025 TV lineup at CES 2025, alongside a third exclusive model for the US market. It’s sticking with its two-pronged approach, offering an OLED and Mini LED flagship, giving consumers the option to choose the panel technology they prefer.
We’ll start with the new OLED flagship, as it’s essentially a full overhaul for the Z95 (formerly TX-MZ) flagship series. The Z95B features a new design, new OLED panel technology, and a new speaker system; it’s basically built from the ground up as a whole new TV.
Like the recently announced LG G5, Panasonic has dropped MLA-OLED in favour of the new multi-layer OLED stack panel architecture. It’s calling the new display a “Primary RBG Tandem Panel” and has paired it with the new ThermalFlow cooling system, inspired by the aerodynamics of F1 racing cars. This has resulted in a panel that can reportedly deliver ” unprecedented brightness, high contrast, and exceptional colour volume”. Panasonic hasn’t revealed an exact figure regarding nits or percentage improvement over the Z95A, but the consensus is that the Z95B certainly trumps its predecessor in the brightness department.
This panel is backed by Pansonic’s latest HCX Pro AI Processor MK II processor which supports the brand’s 4K Remaster Engine. This feature reportedly allows for improved picture quality over streaming by combining AI and mathematical models for “crisp, natural images, and superior streaming noise reduction”.
This processor also supports Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail (aided by an ambient light sensor) to adjust the picture to enhance texture, depth and dark details in relation to the brightness of your viewing environment. Dolby Vision Gaming is also supported up to 144Hz on PC, while console gamers can access 4K/120Hz gaming with VRR and ALLM on the two HDMI 2.1 sockets.
Furthermore, Panasonic has redesigned the built-in Technics-tuned Dolby Atmos sound system, which has allowed for both improved audio quality and a new, sleeker design. By embedding the new line array side firing and height speakers into the edges of the chassis of the TV, Panasonic has managed to ditch the bulky box that was featured on the rear of the Z95A and TX-MZ2000 for a flatter and more modern design.
That hasn’t impacted audio performance according to Panasonic; in fact, it’s promising “an expansive, dynamic soundstage”, while the upgraded subwoofer with the passive radiator is set to up bass power from 20W to 30W. And, with a new fabric mesh design covering the speakers, the Z95B features a suave and understated new look that should suit more living room environments.
Moving onto the W95B, this is Panasonic’s latest top-of-the-range Mini LED TV. It features an upgraded picture experience with “enhanced contrast, expanded dynamic range, and vibrant, lifelike colours”, and enhancements to Dynamic HDR.
Panasonic claims to have paid extra attention to backlight control. It features 2.5 times more backlighting zones compared to the W95A, and more granular control over each LED allows for enhanced precision, hopefully resulting in enhanced black depths, better contrast, and less blooming in dark scenes.
Colour stability is also set to improve on this model with the integration of a high colour gamut backlight system. This system reportedly utilises a “high-colour-gamut phosphor-based backlight” that will adjust in real-time to ensure vibrant, accurate colours. Furthermore, it has introduced Hybrid Tone Mapping to enhance HDR performance by analysing each scene and adjusting the tone mapping, which will reportedly deliver “vivid, lifelike visuals even in high-brightness areas”.
It’s powered by the same HCX Pro AI Processor MK II processor as the Z95B OLED model and features the same 144Hz support and Dolby Vision features. The built-in 20W subwoofer should also enhance the sound performance with deeper bass.
The Z95B, W95B and W70B – the last model being a US-exclusive budget-oriented LCD model – all run Amazon’s Fire TV operating system following on from the partnership established between Panasonic and Amazon last year. That partnership is expanding with the Prime Video Calibrated Mode picture feature coming to both models when they launch later this year.
Both flagship models will also launch in the US, marking this as the second generation of Panasonic TVs to launch Stateside since it returned to the market in 2024 after a 10-year hiatus. Pricing and availability are yet to be revealed, however, we do know that the Z95B will come in 55-, 65- and 77 inches, while the W95B will come in 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85 inches.
MORE:
Check out the latest CES 2025 announcements
As well as our Panasonic Z95A review
And our picks for the best OLED TVs