Panasonic expands TV line up with World's first OLEDs to support HDR10+ dynamic metadata technology

Four new OLED models across two ranges, all supporting HDR10 dynamic metadata technology

Panasonic continues collaboration with Hollywood giant Deluxe, ensuring fidelity to filmmakers' creative intent

Several hundred hours of Amazon Prime Video HDR10 catalogue now available on these Panasonic TVs

Profound under-the-hood improvements to Panasonic's proprietary HCX image processor

Latest generation of HDR OLED panels with exceptional contrast and colours

Building on the numerous accolades garnered by its 2017 OLED screens for their extremely accurate pictures, Panasonic is delighted to announce its 2018 line up of OLED televisions, comprising four new models across two ranges. The phenomenally successful 77-inch EZ1000 continues from 2017 and is joined in 2018 by the FZ950 and FZ800 ranges, both available in 65-inch and 55-inch screen sizes. Featuring new OLED panels, combined with the newest generation of Panasonic's Hollywood-tuned HCX video processor, the FZ950 and FZ800 provide significant under-the-hood advancements. The four new models will be the first OLED screens available in 2018 which support HDR10 dynamic metadata technology and able to stream several hundred hours of Amazon Prime Video HDR10 catalogue. To deliver the very best audio quality, the FZ950 range is complemented by the addition of a Tuned by Technics' Dynamic Blade Speaker a deceptively thin audio system optimised by Panasonic's acclaimed hi-fi brand to deliver a refined and powerful field of sound.

Harnessing Panasonic's Hollywood and pro AV connections

Panasonic's OLED success is the result of superior image processing techniques built up over decades of TV development. This includes the company's reference-level plasma screens, aided by access to experts in film and television production, plus Panasonic's own professional Audio-Visual division. To ensure that the technical accuracy of the screens matches the director's creative intent, Panasonic intends to continue working with Hollywood giant Deluxe and its leading post-production studios Company 3, EFILM and Encore. Deluxe is a global partner to content creators and distributers enabling creative visions to come to life.

Furthermore, a growing number of Hollywood film industry's post-production studios, in addition to Deluxe's, choose to use Panasonic's OLED TV screens as large-format client reference monitors as part of their creative process. With those same screens also available to consumers, Panasonic's well-established mantra bringing Hollywood to your Home' has never rung more true.

And before shipping, Panasonic will duly seek coveted Ultra HD Premium and THX certification for all its OLED screens.

Major HCX chip improvements deliver the most accurate TV pictures ever

Boasting the latest, most powerful generation of its proprietary HCX 4K video processor and latest generation HDR OLED panels, Panasonic's new models deliver the most accurate and compelling high dynamic range (HDR) TV pictures ever.

The new processor's exceptional levels of control combine with incredible black levels and a colour gamut of one billion shades a result of Panasonic's ability to show almost 100 per cent of the DCI colour space. Colour reproduction, especially in areas that are particularly difficult to reproduce, such as dark shadows and bright highlights, is exceptionally accurate.

The biggest under-the-hood change to the HCX processor is the introduction of a completely new Dynamic LUT' system. LUT (Look Up Table) technology is used extensively in professional post-production and broadcast circles in Hollywood and beyond to ensure colour accuracy. Until now, LUTs were fixed according to the colour space used by the source; with this innovation, the HCX automatically monitors the average brightness level of a scene and uses picture analysis to dynamically load an LUT appropriate to that scene. This brings significant improvements to mid-brightness scenes, making them look much more natural.

To improve colour accuracy in shadows, Panasonic has included additional layers of LUT data at much darker levels than previously. This means that while improving the transition from pure black, the colours in the shadows are even more accurate.

Finally, in response to requests from Hollywood's professional users,

Panasonic has extended the range and reduced the interval between calibration steps at the darkest end of the RGB and gamma scales. This can be adjusted by the user via Panasonic's Colour Management System. The FZ950 and FZ800 support Imaging Science Foundation (isf) calibration settings and new calibration points at 5 per cent and in an industry first just 2.5 per cent luminance, providing the greatest control to users where it is most needed, just above complete blackness in low-lit scenes. These new industry-first calibration points will also be supported by Portrait Display's CalMAN software with AutoCal functionality. Panasonic FZ950 and FZ800 are now CalMAN Ready.

Raising the benchmark for black levels

All of this year's new OLED screens boast an Absolute Black Filter, which helps ensure the purest, most accurate black levels by absorbing ambient light in order to eliminate reflections especially beneficial in brightly lit rooms.

HDR story continues

These OLEDs will support HDR10 dynamic metadata technology which will offer considerable benefits to viewers through optimising the viewing experience on a scene-by-scene basis. Panasonic intends to broaden support of this technology to other products yet to be announced.

HDR10 is an open, royalty-free, dynamic metadata platform for High Dynamic Range (HDR), created by 20th Century Fox, Panasonic and Samsung. Once the HDR10 license program is open, the three founding companies will incorporate HD

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