NEWARK, N.J.—Panasonic announced its return to the U.S. retail TV market with the launch of OLED and mini-LED sets that will also include support for ATSC 3.0 (aka NextGen TV). The launch will include three series of TVs:The flagship Z95A OLED TV, available in 65”; the Z85A OLED TV, available in 65” and 55” sizes. In addition, Panasonic will also sell the W95 mini-LED series, available in 55”, 65”, 75”, and 85” sizes.
All of the TVs are substantially the same as those sold by Panasonic in other regions, with some minor regional differences, the company said.
Those “minor” differences include the integration of Amazon’s Fire TV OS as well as support for ATSC 3.0. Panasonic’s support of the next-gen over the air broadcast standard could help fill a gap in the availability of NextGen TVs in the U.S. retail market created by the exit of LG a year ago due to a patent dispute. LG has appealed the case, which was brought by Convergent Designs. U.S. consumers still can choose NextGen TV sets from Sony, Samsung, TCL and Hisense.
According to a Panasonic spokesperson, support for ATSC 3.0 on these models "will come later in 2024 via an update, but exact timing for that update has not been announced."
Even after its exit from the U.S. market, Panasonic ranks as the fourth largest TV set manufacturer in the world, behind Samsung, Sony and LG.
Yasunari Anan, Executive Vice President of Panasonic Entertainment & Communication Co., Ltd., commented on the importance of the U.S. market.
“The United States is crucially important to us, and ever since we left 10 years ago, it has been my mission to find a way to return,” he said. “Today is the end of that long journey and the beginning of a new one to bring new choice to US consumers. From this year, we have started a global collaboration with Amazon so that new Panasonic smart TVs will have Fire TV built in. These TVs have already been launched in Japan, Asia, Oceania, and Europe and the response from consumers has absolutely exceeded our expectations. We are confident US consumers are also going to be thrilled with them.”
"We're excited to expand our collaboration with Panasonic—combining their outstanding picture quality together with Fire TV's content-forward streaming experience—to U.S. customers," said Daniel Rausch, VP of Alexa and Fire TV at Amazon. "This new lineup offers OLED and Mini LED displays—firsts for Fire TV built in—as well as the immersive Fire TV Ambient Experience. Customers in other countries have been loving the brilliant display, seamless Alexa integration, and impressive audio these smart TVs offer. We look forward to bringing this premium viewing experience to even more customers."
When the company left the U.S. retail TV market a decade ago, it blamed its exit on competition from OLED, which was becoming cheaper to manufacture. Improvements in existing LED technology impacted the declining market for plasma—of which Panasonic was an early supporter—as well as increasing competition from Chinese and Korean consumer electronics manufacturers were also significant factors in its decision.
As for why it’s returning, Panasonic cited the current “Golden Age of TV,” as well as the company’s increased collaboration with Hollywood and the rise of smart homes.”
Panasonic’s new TVs feature its HCX Pro AI Processor MK II processor, which serves as the brain of the operation, helping to bring customers “closer to the filmmaker’s original vision,” the company said:
Color: Panasonic’s dynamic 3D LUTs (Look-Up Tables) enable precisely detailed color reproduction, with thousands of registry points ensuring true-to-life colors.
Contrast: Supporting major HDR formats, Panasonic’s unique tone-mapping technology optimizes for natural contrast reproduction, delivering stunning images regardless of brightness levels.
Clarity: The processor enhances gradation, motion images, and detail through advanced analysis functions, including 4K Fine Remaster and Smooth Motion Drive Pro, ensuring a sharp and clear viewing experience.
More details are available here.
