- 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 W85 Review
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Panel type: LCD VA Refresh rate: 144Hz Brand: PANASONIC Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Amazon FireTV Model year: 2025
Panasonic has long been associated with premium televisions – those that mainly appeal to discerning film enthusiasts and are not typically found on every other showroom shelf. However, the W85B is meant to be a bit different. It is Panasonic's most affordable television with a refresh rate of 120 Hz (and even 144Hz) and perhaps the first model in a long time that aims to show that the brand can prepare something more "down to earth," aimed at the average user. After all, not everyone needs a flagship OLED for tens of thousands of zlotys – sometimes a solid screen for everyday films, sports, and games is enough. How has Panasonic tackled such a task? Is the W85B really proof that the Japanese can step down from their pedestal and create a television that meets ordinary needs while still maintaining their quality? We are checking!
PANASONIC W85B - Our verdict
6.1
Overall rating
The Panasonic W85B is a television that aims to prove that the Japanese brand can make not only high-end equipment but also something more "for the people." And indeed — on paper, it looks quite decent: a VA panel with solid contrast, high refresh rates of 120/144 Hz, two full HDMI 2.1 ports, and low input lag. It sounds like a great set for a gamer or someone who just wants an affordable TV with good fundamentals. However, the reality is a bit more complicated. The W85B performs well mainly with the SDR format, especially after calibration, and is suitable for typical daily use. But when we start demanding more from it — for example, expecting strong HDR effects or greater immersion in games with that mode turned on — the TV quickly reveals its limitations. Its brightness is low and the lack of local dimming really stands out during evening viewing. Therefore, we see the W85B more as a "daily" television — ideal for someone who watches terrestrial television, YouTube, or streaming in SDR, and wants to connect a console or PC at 120/144 Hz (but without HDR). In this role, it performs very well. Is it a television for everyone? Definitely not. But if we accept its limitations and approach it without high expectations, the W85B can provide a lot of enjoyment for relatively reasonable money.
Advantages
VA matrix with high native contrast
High refresh rate of 120/144 Hz
Two HDMI 2.1 ports with support for ALLM, VRR, and Dolby Vision in games
Very low input lag
Fairly good colour gamut coverage thanks to the QLED filter
Support for multiple HDR formats including Dolby Vision and HDR10+
Sturdy central stand
Great compatibility with PC – full chroma 4:4:4, clear fonts
Disadvantages
Low brightness (below 270 nits) – no real HDR
HDR mode in games is poorly developed, with incorrect HGiG implementation
Poor media file player
The FireTV system in Europe is poorly developed: there are micro stutters and awkward translations, and many applications are missing
Average sound quality, lacking depth
The motion smoother does not want to work
Movies and series in UHD quality5.5
Classic TV, YouTube5.8
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)5.8
Gaming on console7.7
TV as a computer monitor8.6
Watching in bright light4.2
Utility functions6.8
Apps7.6
Sound quality5.8
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PANASONIC W85B - Competing TVs in this price range
PANASONIC W85B - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 1 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: Average
Stand type: Central
Bezel colour: Graphite
Stand: Fixed
Flat design: No
Accessories: Stand
Looking at the Panasonic W85B from the front, it's really hard to have any major objections. This is a mid-range model, yet it presents itself quite elegantly – the bezels are slim, maintained in a dark graphite colour, and the characteristic thickening at the bottom does not spoil the overall appearance. In the living room, it simply looks neat and at first glance, no one would say it's a budget model. However, when we take a look at the back, it's immediately clear what kind of device we are dealing with. The shape is quite bulky, and the casing made of a mix of plastic and metal does not give off a "premium" feel. Additionally, the television is relatively thick, so it cannot be mounted flush against the wall like other slim models. On the positive side, the central stand is a single, solid piece that provides a sense of stability. As a result, the television stands firmly, and placing it on a narrower table is not a problem. And perhaps that was the intention – for the W85B not to be a piece of art to be viewed from the side, but rather a television for everyday use that is primarily functional.
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PANASONIC W85B - Contrast and black detail
5.3/10
Local dimming function: No
Result
4,300:1
Result
4,250:1
Result
4,200:1
Result
4,400:1
Result
3,150:1
Visibility of details in the lights:
The W85B is Panasonic's basic LCD, so one shouldn't expect miracles in this category, but… the VA panel does a really good job here. Its biggest advantage is simply better contrast than in popular IPS panels – there, blacks often look like grey, whereas here you can actually see deeper tones. In the scenes we tested, the contrast held around 4000:1, which translates to roughly four times better performance than in IPS. Of course, there's no local dimming, so in challenging conditions, when it gets really dark in the room, black can resemble navy more than absolute pitch black. This is exactly the difference you notice when comparing it to OLEDs or Mini-LEDs. But for everyday viewing – series, matches, films in the evening in the living room – this contrast is more than sufficient. The picture has the appropriate depth, and the W85B does not give the impression of a "faded" television.
PANASONIC W85B - HDR effect quality
4.2/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 95.6%, Bt.2020: 75.0%
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
228 nit
Result
249 nit
Result
283 nit
Result
282 nit
Result
297 nit
Unfortunately, we do not have good news here. The Panasonic W85B is rather dim – its peak brightness does not exceed 300 nits, so it’s hard to talk about any true HDR effect. In practice, this means that scenes which can “shine” and make an impression on other screens simply look like ordinary SDR with a slight boost in colours here. Our measurements and film tests confirmed this – regardless of the content, the W85B will not extract anything more from HDR. Therefore, if someone is looking for a television specifically for HDR, it is better to look towards other models. As consolation, the fact remains that in terms of colours, the W85B performs quite well. It is a QLED television, so its colour gamut coverage is wide, and most films and series look natural, without a distinct “washed-out” effect. The colours are saturated, so in everyday viewing, there is no sense that something is strongly amiss.
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
Now that we know that the Panasonic W85B is not one of the brightest televisions, one might hope that "Japanese engineering" could extract something more from such a panel. Unfortunately, we don't have any good news here. The W85B completely struggles with content prepared for the best image quality. The picture is excessively dim in practically every scenario – whether it's a demanding sequence from the film Pan or somewhat simpler scenes from Billy Lynn. This is simply not a television for watching movies in HDR. It lacks dynamism, the "wow" factor, and even the colours – though thanks to QLED technology they are quite decent, they cannot save this experience. It's rather a screen for everyday SDR content, and not for screenings where cinematic quality and strong impact matter.
HDR luminance chart:
HDR luminance
Fortunately, the situation is not as desperate as it may seem from the brightness measurements alone. When we play most movies in HDR, the W85B indeed lacks its ability to flexibly adapt the image to different content. Static HDR10 performs very poorly here – the image is simply overexposed overall, resulting in a lack of detail and dynamism. However... formats based on dynamic metadata come to the rescue. The television supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and it is these that save the W85B from distress. Our test footage illustrates this best – suddenly more details are visible, the scene gains depth, and the contrast becomes more convincing. Herein lies a paradox – if the W85B were limited to HDR10, it would be hard to recommend it at all for movie screenings. But since most streaming platforms offer films in Dolby Vision, it is in this format that content should be watched on this television. This way, disappointment can be avoided, and one can extract as much as possible from this model.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
4.2/10
When testing the Panasonic W85B, we obviously started with Filmmaker mode, as this is today’s gold standard when it comes to watching content “as the director intended.” The problem is that this television is quite far from those intentions. The biggest issue turned out to be an excess of red – both in SDR and HDR. The image often appeared too warm because of this, and in some scenes, it was almost “blazing.” Additionally, there is the issue of brightness management. When we looked at the gamma or EOTF charts, it was clear as day that in most scenes, the television brightens the image more than it should. The effect was simply predictable. Details can get lost, there is flattening, and highlights are blown out across the entire screen. We know, of course, how to correct this, but it must be said honestly that it requires a lot of work during calibration. Out of the box, the W85B does not provide a picture close to reference – it is rather a television that will always interpret colours and brightness a little “in its own way” without professional adjustments. Unfortunately, this is to the viewer’s detriment.
Color reproduction after calibration
6.9/10
Fortunately, calibration made a significant difference for the Panasonic W85B, particularly in SDR content. Here, the improvement was really noticeable – we managed to balance the whites and somewhat tame the tendency of the television to excessively brighten the entire image. The picture became more coherent, and the colours gained a naturalness that was lacking in the factory settings. Admittedly, the results from the Color Checker are not perfect, as the W85B has visible issues with green saturation, but overall, we evaluate the post-calibration effect in SDR very positively. The situation is a bit different with HDR. Here too, we managed to reduce the tendency to warm up the entire scene, so the image performed significantly better than in the factory settings. However, the same issue we mentioned earlier is still evident – the television interprets the image too much "on its own" and brightens the entire screen. The lack of local dimming only exacerbates this effect. In summary, briefly in SDR content, the W85B performs really well after calibration and is more than suitable for daily viewing. However, in HDR, even after adjustments, it remains difficult to unequivocally recommend it for serious viewing sessions.
PANASONIC W85B - Smoothness of tonal transitions
9.1/10
Here we can comfortably praise the Panasonic W85B. The television handles colour matching and tonal transitions remarkably well. Gradients appear smooth, without visible bands or artificial contours. As a result, the image gains a natural quality, and sequences with a large number of subtle shades – such as the sky or blurred backgrounds – look exceptionally good for this class of equipment.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
6/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
With native SDR content, the Panasonic W85B performs very well – tonal transitions are smooth and natural, without artificial bands or prominent contours. However, the situation is worse when it comes to lower resolution materials. It is precisely there that the television has the most difficulty with "enhancing" the image. The lack of any option in the menu that would allow for improving gradation means that with older films or materials from YouTube, one can sometimes notice slight issues with colour blending.
Fortunately, upscaling, or raising the quality of lower resolution content, performs much better. This is definitely a strong point of this model – the image is scaled cleanly and in detail, and the television handles this better than one might expect from such an inexpensive piece of equipment. This is thanks to the HCX processor, which Panasonic has been developing for years, and it is noticeable that even in the lower series it can do a good job.
PANASONIC W85B - Blur and motion smoothness
6.5/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 144Hz
Film motion smoothing option: No
Blur reduction option: No
BFI function 60Hz: No
BFI function 120Hz: No
Brightness drop with BFI: 77%
At first glance, everything looks good – the Panasonic W85B has a 120 Hz panel and even a 144 Hz mode, so it seems that it should cope well with smooth motion. The problem arises when we look into the settings. The options for improving fluidity are supposedly present in the menu, but in practice… they don't change anything. No matter what we choose, the image looks the same. On top of that, there is a lack of BFI, or the black frame insertion mode, which on many televisions helps sharpen motion. And suddenly it turns out that despite the strong panel, the W85B offers us no real tools to adjust motion according to our needs. It’s only good when the source itself operates at a higher frequency – for example, games at 120 Hz. But when it comes to films or sports, we simply have to accept what the television shows us, because nothing more can be done about it.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Smużenie (4K@144Hz):
PANASONIC W85B - Console compatibility and gaming features
8.5/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 144Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
Yes
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
No
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
On paper, the Panasonic W85B looks really solid. It has two full HDMI 2.1 ports, support for ALLM, variable refresh rates, Dolby Vision in games, and of course, a high refresh rate of the panel itself. Additionally, it features Panasonic's characteristic game tools bar – a "game bar" that allows you to preview key parameters and quickly change them if needed with a single click. This sounds great, but the problem arises when we turn on HDR. Here, the W85B suffers significantly, as there is practically no HGiG implementation – the television poorly manages brightness, and instead of an accurate picture, we get scenes that are too bright, sometimes even blown out. The solution? The simplest one – turn off HDR in the console settings and leave everything in SDR. And this is where it gets really interesting, as in this scenario, the W85B shows its better side. Low input lag, high fluidity thanks to 120 Hz – all of this makes gaming look phenomenal. Indeed, HDR can be forgone, but if the priority is responsiveness and smooth gameplay, the W85B offers a lot of fun.
PANASONIC W85B - Input lag
9.8/10
There is really nothing to worry about here. The Panasonic W85B responds instantly to our movements, and the values measured in tests can comfortably compete with monitors for gamers. At a 120 Hz signal, the input lag is around 8–10 ms, while at 60 Hz it hovers around 17–20 ms. In practice, this means one thing – no delays, no frustration! You press the button, and the action happens on the screen straight away.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 17 ms | 2160p60: 17 ms | 2160p60 DV: 17 ms |
| 1080p120: 8 ms | 2160p120: 8 ms | 2160p120 DV: 10 ms |
| 2160p60: 17 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 8 ms |
PANASONIC W85B - Compatibility with PC
8.6/10
Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Very Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 8ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: BGR
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
The Panasonic W85B performs surprisingly well as a computer monitor. It is perfectly suited for office work – the fonts are sharp and very readable thanks to full chroma 4:4:4 support, so you can easily write, browse pages, or work on spreadsheets. But the real fun begins when gaming. The television handles refresh rates of up to 144 Hz for PC without any issues, and it also supports popular image synchronisation technologies such as NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync. This means we don't have to worry about screen tearing or stuttering – gameplay is smooth and looks simply fantastic.
PANASONIC W85B - Viewing angles
3.2/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 77%
Here you can see the biggest price we pay for the high quality of the VA matrix contrast. The W85B, like most televisions with this type of panel, does not perform very well when viewed from a wider angle. Colours lose intensity and the image begins to fade as soon as we move away from the screen's axis. This is not a flaw of Panasonic itself, but rather a characteristic of VA technology – excellent contrast in exchange for poorer viewing angles. So if you plan to watch films with a larger group and often sit "off to the side," you need to keep this in mind.
PANASONIC W85B - TV efficiency during daytime
4.2/10
Matrix coating: Satin
Reflection suppression: Good
Black levels during daytime: Good
The Panasonic W85B features a satin-finish panel that performs quite well in reducing reflections and maintaining colours even under strong light from windows or lamps. There is no "mirror" effect here, so watching television in a typical living room during the day is comfortable. However, the problem arises in really bright rooms – the television does not have high brightness, so it cannot compete with very strong sunlight. It is simply a screen that performs best in controlled conditions.
Matrix brightness
Average luminance SDR
Panasonic W85: 263 cd/m2
PANASONIC W85B - TV features
6.8/10
System: Amazon FireTV
System performance: Average
- HDMI inputs: 1 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
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
SmartTV: FireTV
The W85B runs on the Fire TV system, and it must be said – it is a significant step forward compared to Panasonic's previous proprietary solutions. Here, we have support for AirPlay, screen mirroring, and even voice control through Alexa. It sounds modern, and in practice, it does provide a lot of capabilities. The problem is that in Europe, Fire TV still looks a bit like a “guest with luggage.” It works decently, but there are occasional micro-hiccups, the interface doesn't always respond as smoothly as we would like, and in the menu, one can encounter awkward translations. This is not yet at the level of the big players like Google TV or even Tizen, but it is still an improvement compared to what Panasonic had previously. The worst part, however, is that the Fire TV application library is quite modest, and this is its biggest drawback.
Classic Television Functions
In terms of typical television functionalities, it is quite good – we have a classic remote control with a full numeric keypad, a clear EPG guide, and the possibility to record programmes from the built-in tuner to an external USB drive (e.g. a flash drive). The downside is the lack of the option to schedule recordings in advance – you can only record “here and now,” but not set recordings for later.
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 W85B - Apps
7.6/10
PANASONIC W85B - Playing files from USB
3.1/10
| 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 |
The biggest downside of the built-in player with Fire TV is the lack of support for external text subtitles. If you have your own film library and use text files, you simply won't be able to display them on this television. The player itself handles basic video formats, but if someone wants to fully utilise files from USB, they will likely end up installing an additional application from the store (e.g. VLC).
PANASONIC W85B - Sound
5.8/10
87dB
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
Here, the Panasonic W85B unfortunately has nothing to boast about. The speakers sound flat and rather “plastic”, so there’s definitely no talk of cinema experiences here. There’s no depth, there’s no clear bass – just basic sound that’s merely meant to “exist”. It’s a shame because we thought that the external subwoofer used here would actually make a difference. Unfortunately, we were mistaken. The only advantage is that the television can play really loudly. This may appeal to older users who often need higher volumes to comfortably watch programmes or news. It’s sufficient for everyday TV watching, but if someone is thinking about films and games – an additional soundbar or audio system is practically a must.
Acoustic Measurements
87dBC (Max)
75dBC
PANASONIC W85B - Details about the matrix
Software version during testing: Fire OS 8.1.4.6 (RS8146/3057
Image processor: MT5896
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: QLED
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