CES 2018: Panasonic OLED TVs & HDR10+ Blu-ray Players

Panasonic caused a buzz at CES 2018 when the company announced that it will be offering HDR10+-compatible OLED TVs soon. The new models include the FZ950 and FZ800, both of which are available in 55 and 65" sizes and feature Panasonic’s HCX video processor. The FZ950-series also has the “Tuned by Technics” Dynamic Blade Speaker, purported to produce powerful sound from a slim design. Additionally, Panasonic claims that before these TVs ship, the company will attempt to get Ultra HD Premium and THX certification for all its OLED TVs.

The HCX processor is designed to help the display achieve nearly 100% of the DCI color space for augmented color reproduction, particularly in dark shadows and bright highlights, where detail can be particularly difficult to produce. The processor also adds the new “Dynamic LUT” (Look Up Table) system, which monitors the average brightness level of a scene and dynamically loads the appropriate LUT to that scene to enhance brightness levels, particularly in mid-brightness scenes, for a more natural look. Additional layers of LUT data have also been included for improved color accuracy in shadows.

Panasonic also announced new UHD Blu-ray players which will also support HDR10+, providing a source (besides Amazon Prime Video) for HDR10+ content. Like the new TVs, these Blu-ray players also feature HCX processors. After a firmware update, the UB420 supports HDR10+ dynamic metadata; its step-up model, the UB820, will also support HDR10+ after a firmware update, plus Dolby Vision. Both models, plus the UB330 and UB320, have the 4K Direct Chroma Up-scaling feature to upconvert Full HD to UHD for enhanced video quality.

If you’re in the market for a new TV or Blu-ray player, Panasonic or otherwise, come into the B&H SuperStore to see them for yourself, or contact us by phone at 800-606-6969, chat, or email for friendly, knowledgeable advice.

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