Panasonic W95A Review: Impressive in All the Ways That Matter

Panasonic, 1 of the oldest Japanese tech companies, stopped shipping TVs to the U.S. marketplace much than 8 years ago. Now, it’s back to selling TVs successful North America, a harder task than when it left. It’s starting tiny with its Z85A and Z95A OLEDs positive the W95A mini-LED. So, what has Panasonic been up to successful the past decade? Training successful Siberia similar Sylvester Stallone successful Rocky IV?

Obviously, thing arsenic utmost arsenic that. Judging solely by the W95A 4K mini-LED TV, Panasonic has managed to support up with the times arsenic it sold its TVs successful Europe and Asian markets, but you shouldn’t expect a shining illustration of axenic viewing bliss. It’s solid, and if it hits your terms point, past I wouldn’t consciousness you request to look excessively acold successful different absorption for a bright, colorful, easy-to-use TV.

Our reappraisal portion of the 55-inch W95A stands up to this year’s different mid-range mini-LED offerings, though it’s not arsenic flashy arsenic the Z95A with built-in 360 sound. It’s besides not arsenic pricey oregon high-falutin arsenic quantum dot LED TVs similar Samsung’s 4K NEO QLEDs, LG’s QNED, oregon Sony’s Bravia 7. Unlike its competitors, I did not person to bash astir arsenic overmuch fiddling successful settings to get a representation that felt existent to the intended cinema experience. There were occasions I started watching, and “Intelligent Frame Creation” would automatically connection that atrocious soap opera smoothing effect. My proposition is to crook it disconnected completely. The basal “Standard” representation mode was bully capable for watching films, though I recovered you had less options erstwhile playing games.

But if you’re not a large instrumentality of Fire TVs, you won’t admit Amazon’s wholesale takeover of Panasonic’s latest TV slate. That being said, if you tin carnivore the software, you whitethorn inactive not person find the close TV for your circumstantial surviving setup. The W95A has the widest assortment of surface sizes for the company’s U.S. slate, going from 55 inches up to 85 inches. The lower-end Z85A OLED tin bash 55 oregon 65 inches, portion the flagship Z95A tin lone bash 65 inches. 

It’s wide Panasonic is conscionable getting started with its newfound involvement successful the U.S. This is simply a precise bully archetypal offering. They’re not existent fund TVs, but at $1,300 for the 55-inch mini-LED oregon $1,800 for the 65-inch model, they execute everything they request for their price.

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Panasonic W95A Review: Build Quality and Usability

© Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo

Panasonic’s mini-LED TV wasn’t precisely casual to enactment together. The feet request to screw into the backmost panel, truthful marque definite you person a person adjacent capable to assistance you assistance it onto the TV cabinet. As mentioned, the W95A has Fire TV built-in, truthful erstwhile you’re done mounting it up with your Amazon account, there’s not overmuch other setup needed different than downloading your favourite streaming apps. If you hatred Amazon, sorry, it’s the lone mode to entree your favourite contented unless you plug successful a abstracted streaming box.

There was not overmuch I needed to bash to get the champion viewing experience. There are plentifulness of representation settings, from “Dynamic” to “Auto AI” done to your accustomed slate of “True Cinema” and nonrecreational viewing modes. Compared to an LG TV, I was astir satisfied with “Normal.” There’s an optional “Clear Motion” that adds achromatic frames and creates a much cinematic 24 FPS look for video shown astatine higher framework rates. It works good capable if you can’t basal the look of a emblematic sports broadcast oregon different 60 FPS media. 

There are plentifulness of automatic AI-based settings, specified arsenic the antecedently mentioned “Intelligent Frame Creation.” Turn that disconnected for a much accordant viewing experience, but I near each the different options connected arsenic it didn’t interaction thing noticeable. There is simply a afloat gamut of existent HDR options, including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. The TV automatically turns to that mode if the contented supports Dolby Vision. Fair enough; that’s what I would bash anyway.

© Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo

If you are a large gamer looking for each those other settings you get with modern astute TVs, Panasonic’s offerings are acold much subdued than a Samsung TV. There is nary speedy entree to the Game Control Board. Instead, you person to excavation done the settings and past find it nether Display Features. From there, you tin alteration the representation mode, crook connected VRR, oregon summation acheronian visibility if you consciousness similar getting 1 implicit connected campers successful online shooters. You tin besides rapidly take the HDR code mapping.

It’s thing we haven’t seen before. I was besides not thrilled with the “True Game Mode” representation that made everything look excessively acheronian for immoderate crippled connected my PlayStation 5. The bully quality is you person plentifulness of HDMI 2.1 ports for up to 2 consoles oregon PCs for 4K and 144 Hz refresh rates. It supports up to 144 HZ, though you don’t person entree to Nvidia G-Sync connected the mini-LED. That’s lone disposable to Panasonic’s OLED options, truthful you’re constricted to AMD Freesync.

The 1 confusing facet of the W95A is however the TV doesn’t automatically admit inputs. The main surface lets you power easy and rename your inputs, but dissimilar different astute TVs, it won’t automatically observe if it’s a PlayStation 5 oregon Xbox Series X. Does it truly matter? No, not really. It’s a tiny oversight that seems casual to close successful the future. 

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Panasonic W95A Review: Picture Quality and Sound

© Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo

Panasonic’s mini-LED isn’t going for quantum dot technology. Does it look immoderate worse than different mini-LED TVs sporting each that quantum goodness? For my money, not really. Panasonic said it avoids quantum dots successful its OLEDs successful favour of a microlens array for brightness. Being that it’s mini-LED, the show is somewhat cheaper than those much costly brands’ QLEDs, though possibly astir the aforesaid terms arsenic a QLED from a marque similar TCL.

The W95A has immoderate of the champion viewing angles I’ve precocious experienced connected 2024’s TV slate, adjacent from immoderate of the biggest companies sporting QLED displays. From what I could tell, I could get 45 degrees earlier the presumption faded. 

I watched a batch of Disney+, including respective episodes of The Acolyte and Agatha All Along, without complaint. For 4K, I turned to a Blu-ray of George Miller’s wholly underrated Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The beauteous greens stood retired astatine the opening of the movie conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic the bluish entity contrasted with the bare rocky crushed successful the mediate portions. I didn’t announcement immoderate haloing oregon different issues from agleam scenes. 

I wasn’t arsenic thrilled successful darker scenes. The achromatic levels are mostly fine, though not astir arsenic Inky arsenic an OLED: not gray, but not great. Night oregon darker scenes tended to look somewhat much washed retired than however they looked successful theater. That mightiness besides beryllium owed to the surface reflection. Even without nonstop sunlight, the W95A tended to drawback glares precise easily. 

It’s a overmuch amended viewing acquisition successful a shaded room. Still, adjacent a small spot of airy tin make a distracting glare. I had truthful fewer issues different than the glare that it stuck retired arsenic a bigger occupation than it whitethorn beryllium connected different akin screens.

Sound-wise, this TV does the occupation adequately. It’s loud, conscionable not soundbar prime similar its older brother, the Z95A. It does the occupation for a clip if you don’t privation to wage other for the dependable setup, but if you tin spend it, you’ll privation thing that offers deeper bass and directional audio.

Panasonic W95A Review: Verdict

© Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo

I recognize wherefore galore folks would hesitate to bargain thing with Amazon’s sanction attached to it. Fire TV isn’t hard to use, and Panasonic’s implementation is casual for anybody with minimal TV experience. You tin usage the TV offline oregon with a abstracted streaming container oregon stick, but mounting it up requires signing successful to an Amazon account. 

If you get implicit oregon disregard Amazon’s relation successful your viewing experience, the Panasonic W95A is straightforward and solid. It lacks those tiny bundle flourishes similar automatic console detection oregon a circumstantial gaming tab, but those hardly substance successful the expansive scheme. The show is what you’re present for. In that way, Panasonic is connected the close track.

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