- Matching (Score)
- Our verdict
- Competing TVs
- TV appearance
- Where to buy
- Contrast and black detail
- HDR effect quality
- Factory color reproduction
- Color reproduction after calibration
- Smoothness of tonal transitions
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
- Blur and motion smoothness
- Console compatibility and gaming features
- Input lag
- Compatibility with PC
- Viewing angles
- TV efficiency during daytime
- TV features
- Apps
- Playing files from USB
- Sound
- Details about the matrix
Panasonic Z95B Review
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Panel type: WRGB OLED Refresh rate: 144Hz Brand: PANASONIC Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Amazon FireTV Model year: 2025
“The Return of the King”, "The Legend Returns" – this is how the premiere of the Panasonic Z95B was described in foreign reviews. It’s hard to be surprised, as the Japanese manufacturer has long been regarded as a legend in the world of televisions. The new flagship model uses the latest tandem OLED panel from LG Display, the same one found in the LG G5, Philips OLED910, or the 83-inch Samsung S95F. The question is whether Panasonic can squeeze even more from it and prove that it still makes the best screens in the world. Equally interesting is how the smart features will perform, as the brand has had the most to catch up on in this area. We’ve checked this for you as usual in our review. Enjoy reading!
PANASONIC Z95B - Our verdict
8.5
Overall rating
Panasonic Z95B is equipment that makes it hard not to raise your eyebrows in delight. From the very first moments, it's clear that we're dealing with an absolutely exceptional screen, capable of bringing out the best in films and games. The black levels are perfect, brightness in HDR is stunning, and the colours – whether in movie mode or gaming – show that the factory calibration at Panasonic has reached a level that other manufacturers can only aspire to. Add to this the fantastic sound from the built-in soundbar and excellent viewing angles, and you have a television picture that, in terms of image quality and overall audiovisual immersion, seems to be complete. But the longer we used it, the more the impression grew that we were encountering a device that was somewhat split. On one hand, it acts like a reference monitor, perfect for assessing video material and enjoying films or series, and even for gaming; on the other hand, it's a television that can disappoint in its everyday functionality. FireTV in its current version can be frustrating, there are far fewer apps than competitors, some won't install at all, and the system can easily stumble. There are also strange system problems like the lack of support for basic subtitles in films from USB – these may seem like minor details, but they contribute to the overall impression of a device that is far from ideal in daily use. And this is where the biggest paradox of the Z95B appears. It's a television that probably offers one of the best images currently available in showrooms, while also being one that is hard to recommend as a typical "television" without reservations. The competition, although often visually slightly weaker, tends to be simply more user-friendly and costs significantly less. Therefore, the Z95B is a proposition for image purists, for those who seek a reference screen and are willing to accept all the compromises related to the non-functioning features. For them, it will be a dream device. For others – a demonstration of Panasonic's strength and more of a curiosity.
Advantages
Stunning black
Amazing brightness - over 2000 nits in HDR
Almost reference factory colours
Support for multiple HDR formats including Dolby Vision and HDR10+
Phenomenal motion smoothness - OLED panel, 144Hz
A brilliant choice for gamers, HDMI 2.1, VRR, ALLM, Dolby Vision Gaming and HGiG
Good compatibility with PC – 144 Hz, G-Sync and FreeSync
Very good sound from the built-in soundbar
Decent viewing angles
Disadvantages
Fire TV – no app, strange errors, untranslated menu
No support for DTS:X
No ability to enable external subtitles from USB memory
Only two HDMI 2.1 ports, which is definitely too few for this class
Price clearly higher than competitors, which often lack such system issues
Movies and series in UHD quality9.0
Classic TV, YouTube8.8
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)8.5
Gaming on console9.6
TV as a computer monitor8.6
Watching in bright light7.4
Utility functions6.8
Apps7.2
Sound quality8.9
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PANASONIC Z95B - Competing TVs in this price range
PANASONIC Z95B - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI), Mini-Jack (Headphones) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Super Premium
Stand type: Central
Bezel colour: Graphite
Stand: Swivel
Flat design: Yes
Accessories: Stand
The Panasonic Z95B, from the very first glance, gives the impression that we are dealing with a flagship product, although it does not attempt to pretend to be an ultra-thin device like many competitors. This television is bulkier, which is particularly evident from the side, but such construction is not by chance – Panasonic's engineers consciously opted for a thicker case to accommodate the cooling system of the panel. This solution is crucial for maintaining stable brightness because, according to the manufacturer, the panel can operate at full power for a longer time than in competing models. The second distinctive feature of its appearance is the built-in soundbar, which extends not only along the bottom of the case but also along its sides. Finished in a material reminiscent of denim, it gives the device an unusual yet elegant character and makes the television look solid and modern. The impression is enhanced by the fact that the speakers are spread along the entire length of the panel, which offers hope for a fuller sound than in standard constructions. The single, swivelling stand is also worth noting. Although OLEDs are known for very good viewing angles, Panasonic concluded that the ability to easily adjust the screen's position still makes sense. It's a small detail, but it proves practical in everyday use. The Z95B is a top-class device that does not compete on thinness but rather on bold and functional design. It's hard to pass by such a television indifferently.
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PANASONIC Z95B - Contrast and black detail
10/10
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Visibility of details in the lights:
The black level and contrast in the Panasonic Z95B can be summed up in one word – perfection. As with every OLED TV, the panel controlling individual pixels allows for complete dimming of parts of the image, resulting in absolute black. This means the Z95B offers perfect separation between bright and dark elements of the scene, with no visible halos, brightenings or halo effects on the screen. Even in the most demanding sequences, where other LCD TVs reveal their limitations, the picture here remains clear and readable. In practice, it’s hard to imagine that in this category OLEDs could improve any further, as the technology of self-dimming pixels simply has no weak points when it comes to contrast. The Panasonic Z95B follows this trend and demonstrates that when it comes to black levels, there is no room for significant improvements – it sets a reference level that is hard to surpass.
PANASONIC Z95B - HDR effect quality
8.7/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 99.8%, Bt.2020: 81.3%
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
2069 nit
Result
2118 nit
Result
2131 nit
Result
2114 nit
Result
1442 nit
The HDR effect quality in the Panasonic Z95B is among the absolute best. Thanks to the latest generation panel, named Primary RGB Tandem OLED by the manufacturer, the television can achieve over 2000 nits of brightness in movie scenes. The effect is impressive and can amaze with its intensity of light, giving a sense of contact with the screen that goes beyond previous experiences. Similar feelings were only experienced during tests of the LG G5, Samsung S95F, or Philips OLED910. Of course, there are moments when the device's algorithms decide to limit luminance – this especially applies to full-screen bright sequences, such as the ending credits in the movie The Meg. Even then, the Z95B maintains a level of around 1500 nits, which is still an extremely impressive result. Thus, it can be said that HDR in this model has been brought to a masterful form. A significant step forward is also visible in the reproduction of the colour palette. The new tandem OLED panel does not yet match the best QD-OLED screens in terms of gamut coverage, but the gap between these solutions has significantly decreased. When watching films, the differences are subtle enough that under normal conditions it's hard to notice them, and the colours remain vibrant and saturated.
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
Measurements are measurements, but how the Z95B looks in a real viewing scenario makes a much bigger impression than the numbers alone. Against the background of other screens we tested, this television delivers an image of absolutely the highest calibre. We can confidently say it's one of the best, if not the best image we've seen so far. The HDR effects are reproduced with incredible precision, with whites not being burnt out at all, and no details are lost in the blacks.
A huge credit goes not only to the tandem OLED panel but also to how Panasonic manages its capabilities. The dynamic tone mapping feature (HDR Tone Map) in "dynamic" mode does a fantastic job as it only enhances the highlights, which are the brightest points in the image. The effect is such that it feels like the screen is shooting rays of light at the viewer. Kudos to Panasonic, as in terms of image quality we are dealing with a screen that truly sets the standards in 2025.
HDR luminance chart:
HDR luminance
Luminance of RGB colors
HDR10 on the Panasonic Z95B looks really great. With the very high brightness of the panel and well-functioning dynamic tone mapping, there’s no need to worry about getting a worse experience when watching a movie in this static standard. The picture is detailed, the contrast is at an excellent level, and there’s no sense that something is lost in the whites or blacks. Of course, as with any television, in Dolby Vision or HDR10+ you can see a bit more detail, especially in those challenging super bright scenes. However, there isn’t the kind of gap you see in other models, and it’s safe to say that even standard HDR10 on the Z95B delivers a very appealing effect. Thankfully, Panasonic doesn’t play any format wars and supports everything – we have both Dolby Vision and HDR10+. This is important, because regardless of which streaming platform you use, you can be sure that the television will display the content in the best possible quality.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
9.5/10
The factory colour reproduction in Filmmaker mode, my dear friends, is a true phenomenon in the case of the Panasonic Z95B. I'm talking about our test sample, but the results were so good that it's hard to believe. The only detail that one could nitpick is a slight lack of blue in the white balance, but apart from that, the television straight out of the box presented an image like we have never seen in factory mode. Colour palette tests, Color Checker – everything indicated values below Delta 2. This is a much lower result than the threshold of human eye perception, which means, to put it simply, that the viewer has no chance of noticing serious deviations. It looks as if Panasonic actually calibrated this model at the factory stage. Of course, we cannot exclude the possibility that we got an exceptionally well-set specimen, but the result still makes a stunning impression. We are very strict when it comes to assessing factory calibration, and here our jaws simply dropped.
Color reproduction after calibration
9.8/10
The colour reproduction after calibration on the Z95B is a topic that’s hard to elaborate on, as there wasn’t much to do here. A slight adjustment of the white balance was enough to eliminate the lack of blue, and at that moment, the picture jumped to an almost reference level. It must be said that we haven’t had such a small range of adjustments in a long time. If any of you are particularly perceptive, you might notice minimal deviations in the EOTF curve, but this is more related to the functioning of the dynamic tone mapping feature we mentioned earlier. In reality, this isn’t a flaw, but a characteristic of this solution, which intentionally alters the brightness profile depending on the scene. In summary, we are extremely impressed. The Panasonic Z95B is a television that looks great right out of the box, and after calibration, it reaches a level where we really struggle to find anything to improve.
PANASONIC Z95B - Smoothness of tonal transitions
7.8/10
Posterisation, or colour banding, was the Achilles' heel of Panasonic's flagship last year, the Z95A. In the new Z95B, it's clear that the manufacturer has made an effort to improve this issue related to gradation, and the problem has largely been corrected. In most scenes, colour banding is no longer visible, and tonal transitions are smooth and look natural. However, this doesn't mean that the problem has completely disappeared. In extremely challenging sections, especially in very dark scenes like those from the film Green Knight, some imperfections can still be detected. Nevertheless, it's gratifying that Panasonic approached the issue seriously and made a significant step forward, as the difference compared to the previous model is truly noticeable.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
6/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
Let's start with what works well. The upscaling in the Z95B is at a very high level – the image in lower resolutions is clear and sharp, and the only minor shortcomings are slight banding in some areas of the picture. It's also important that the television doesn't crop the material in any way and maintains its proportions, which is not always an obvious fact even in 2025.
The situation looks worse when it comes to digital processing. Features like "gradation smoothing" or "block noise reduction" essentially do not work – the tested material looked identical regardless of the settings. We might as well say that this feature simply doesn't exist. It's a bit disappointing, especially since Panasonic heavily promotes its HCX Pro AI II processor, boasting the presence of artificial intelligence improving image quality. Meanwhile, in such a basic matter, the television does not deliver a real effect and it looks weaker than one would expect from top-tier equipment.
PANASONIC Z95B - Blur and motion smoothness
8.5/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 144Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)
BFI function 120Hz: No
Brightness drop with BFI: 37%
The OLED panel with very high refresh rates already provides an incredibly sharp image even in dynamic sports scenes, such as football or basketball matches, and the Z95B is no exception. It's also very important that the television is equipped with the proprietary motion smoothing system 'Intelligent Frame Creation'. Among the available sliders, the most crucial one turns out to be the one called 'film smoothness', as it allows for adjusting the motion to personal preferences with 24-frame content, meaning films – from a more 'choppy' appearance to a smooth, almost theatrical effect. It's a bit disappointing that Panasonic didn't opt to push the latest OLED panel to 165 Hz, as Samsung did with the S95F or LG with the G5, because we know that the panel is technically capable of it. On the other hand, it mainly benefits PC gamers, so in everyday viewing, it's not a significant drawback as we are limited to 120Hz.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Image flickers in this mode
Smużenie (4K@144Hz):
When it comes to smearing, there’s no need to elaborate for long – thanks to the OLED panel, the response time of the pixels is extremely low. There’s no talk of any blurring or streaks here, and the displayed image remains sharp even during the fastest camera movements. This is one of the reasons why the Z95B is such a pleasure to watch, regardless of the type of content.
PANASONIC Z95B - Console compatibility and gaming features
10/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
40 - 144Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
Yes
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
Yes
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
The Panasonic Z95B is fully equipped for gaming. Two HDMI 2.1 ports with a full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s guarantee support for everything you can expect from a modern screen. It features VRR frame syncing, an automatic game mode (ALLM), and full compatibility with HDR formats used in gaming. The TV supports both Dolby Vision for Xbox and the popular HGiG, which in this case has been implemented correctly, so it actually works as it should.
Although the brand is mainly associated with home cinema and equipment for filmmakers, there’s also space for gamer conveniences here. Onboard is the Game Bar (or rather Game Circles) – it looks a bit unusual visually, but it does its job and allows you to quickly check the most important image parameters. The only thing missing for complete satisfaction is actually having four HDMI 2.1 ports instead of two. It’s a minor detail, but with a TV of this class, one could expect a full set.
PANASONIC Z95B - Input lag
10/10
Regardless of the content being watched, the input lag on the Z95B is exceptionally low – even in Dolby Vision the TV operates at 120 Hz with a delay of less than 5 ms. This result places it at the very top of the screens for gaming. If we could, we would comfortably give it a score of 11/10. 😉
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 13 ms | 2160p60: 13 ms | 2160p60 DV: 13 ms |
| 1080p120: 5 ms | 2160p120: 5 ms | 2160p120 DV: 5 ms |
| 2160p60: 13 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 5 ms |
PANASONIC Z95B - Compatibility with PC
8.6/10
Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Very Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 5ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: BWRG
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
The Z95B can easily be connected to a computer and used as a large monitor. Sure, with the WOLED pixel arrangement, the fonts don't look as perfectly sharp as on typical monitors with IPS panels, and this can be noticed during office work, but it's hard to consider it a serious problem. Not many people buy such a TV for Excel. 😉 When it comes to gaming on PC, there’s nothing to complain about. The 144 Hz mode works brilliantly, and we have full support for G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, so frame synchronization works flawlessly with any graphics card. Despite minor issues with font display, it's hard for the Z95B to struggle in this role – it performs simply phenomenally as a gaming screen.
PANASONIC Z95B - Viewing angles
8/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 11%
In this respect, the Z95B performs really well. The drop in brightness at an angle is just 11 percent, which is exactly what the best QD-OLED panels and the previous generation MLA from LG Display are recording. This means that even when watching the TV from the side, there’s no impression that the image becomes washed out or difficult to read.
Colors do fade slightly at extreme angles and aren’t as stable as in QD-OLEDs, but it’s hard to consider that a serious issue. The picture still looks great, and you can be confident that when watching the Z95B from a large angle, everything remains clear. It's also worth noting the swivel stand in terms of viewing angles, as this practical solution allows you to easily adjust the screen so that everyone in the room has the best possible view.
PANASONIC Z95B - TV efficiency during daytime
7.4/10
Matrix coating: Glare
Reflection suppression: Decent
Black levels during daytime: Very Good
The year 2025 is the time when it can be confidently said that OLEDs are suitable for viewing even in brightly lit rooms. The new generation of WOLED panels, used in the Z95B, can achieve truly high brightness – the average value for the Z95B in SDR mode is as much as 623 nits. This is a result that just a few years ago was beyond the reach of this technology. Of course, it is not at the level of the best LCD televisions designed for bright lounges, and the panel itself, glossy with a gentle filter, handles glare suppression moderately well. Nevertheless, it’s hard to have major objections. The Z95B easily copes in most daylight conditions, and you can comfortably watch TV or movies even when a lot of light is coming into the room.
Matrix brightness
Average luminance SDR
Panasonic Z95B: 623 cd/m2
PANASONIC Z95B - TV features
6.8/10
System: Amazon FireTV
System performance: Average
- HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
- Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI), Mini-Jack (Headphones)
- Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
- TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Classic features:
- Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): Yes
Recording programming: No - Picture in Picture (PiP): No
- RF remote control (no need to aim at the screen): RF
- Backlit remote control: No
- Teletext: Yes
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: Yes
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
- Voice search: Yes
- Voice search in native language: No
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Smart TV: Amazon FireTV
Panasonic's Z95B uses the Fire TV system, which is a platform created by Amazon. This is a significant change because just two years ago the company relied on its own Linux-based system. At first glance, everything looks good – the interface is clear, and the operation is quite simple. Additionally, we have AirPlay, which allows you to stream photos or videos from your iPhone, as well as screen mirroring from both Windows and Android phones. The TV also works with Amazon Alexa voice assistant, but here a rather strong limitation quickly arises. In practice, only a few of the most popular languages work well, such as English, while Polish is still not available, and there’s no indication of when it will be.
Classic Features
Here things become at least strange. During testing in the editorial office, the TV refused to find any channels – neither satellite nor terrestrial. As a result, we couldn’t check the functionality of PiP or the operation of the tuner itself. The only certain thing is USB recording, as right after connecting a USB drive, the TV immediately asked if we wanted to format it for this purpose. The remote looks quite classic – it’s large, with a full numeric keypad, and a plus is that you don’t have to aim at the screen since it operates with RF technology.
Everyday Usage Issues
The biggest disappointment, however, arises with the apps and system stability. Some apps are simply unavailable in Poland, others can be found but cannot be downloaded as they are tied to specific markets. On top of that, there are strange bugs, untranslated menu elements, and occasional "freezes," which can effectively diminish the enjoyment of using such a good screen as the Z95B. So, it can be said that while the Z95B impresses with its picture quality as a "monitor," as a smart TV it can be frustrating and disappointing across the board.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
- Stereo (Mini-Jack): Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
Obsługiwane formaty audio:
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: No
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: No
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: No
- DTS-HD Master Audio: No
Ułatwienia dla seniorów
- Numeric keyboard on TV: Yes
- Font size adjustment: No
- Audio description: Yes
PANASONIC Z95B - Apps
7.2/10
PANASONIC Z95B - Playing files from USB
3.5/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
Here we also encountered another issue with the Fire TV system. The built-in player handles popular audio and video files without any problems, so at first glance, everything seems fine. However, the problem starts when we want to enable subtitles in movies. We were unable to launch any format – neither .srt, nor .sub, nor .txt. Regardless of the settings, the subtitles simply did not appear. So if you have a film with a separate subtitle file, you are forced to watch it in the original language unless the subtitles have been permanently embedded in the image. Considering the quality of this television, it's quite a disappointment and further proof that Fire TV still has plenty of shortcomings that can ruin the joy of use.
PANASONIC Z95B - Sound
8.9/10
91dB
Maximum volume
Supported codecs
(TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
The built-in audio system in the Panasonic Z95B is truly impressive. The manufacturer has added an extra soundbar that completely changes the audio experience of the television – this time, it can confidently be said that no external equipment is needed to enjoy full and dynamic sound. The bass is clear and surprisingly strong, dialogues remain intelligible even during louder action scenes, and the television can play quite loudly, reaching levels of up to 91 decibels. Another positive is the full support for Dolby Atmos, so if you’re using films or streaming services that support this format, you can expect spatial and impressive sound. A certain limitation is the lack of support for DTS:X – if someone plans to connect a home theatre or Blu-ray player with this standard, they must consider that the television will not play it, but this shouldn't be a major concern looking at how all manufacturers approach this standard. I suppose we have to come to terms with that.
Acoustic Measurements
91dBC (Max)
75dBC
PANASONIC Z95B - Details about the matrix
Software version during testing: Fire OS 8.1.4.1 (RS8141/3009)
Subpixel Structure:
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
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