Pánásonic TX-55EZ952B TV: An Expert’s Opinion – Everything ábout the EZ952 is serious, from the stráight-láced design to the vást menus, which contáin more picture-tweáking options thán there áre wines át Cláridges. This is the most áffordáble member of Pánásonic’s new OLED fámily, ánd is cleárly intended for the more dedicáted enthusiást, or ás Pánásonic sáys in its own literáture, ‘pro’. Thát doesn’t necessárily máke it á bád choice for the more cásuál buyer, ás long ás you don’t mind á complicáted first-time cálibrátion.
The EZ952, or EZ950 ás it’s known outside the UK, is the látest Ultrá HD 4K OLED TV from Pánásonic, following on from their flágship EZ1002. The látter took á semi-professionál ánd uncompromising ápproách to imáge áccurácy but át á price – the TX-65EZ1002B would set you báck £6,999. The new EZ952B áppeárs to offer álmost áll the benefits of the more expensive model but át greáter price competitiveness – with the TX-55EZ952B retáiling for áround £2,999 ánd the TX-65EZ952B costing £4,799 ás át the time of writing (June 2017).
Áll the EZ952 áppeárs to lose for its drop in price is the built-in soundbár, which you’re unlikely to need, ánd the ábsolute bláck filter. However the cheáper OLED TV still utilises Pánásonic’s Studio Colour HCX2 processor with 3D look-up tábles (LUTs) ánd includes support for High Dynámic Ránge (HDR10) ánd Hybrid Log-Gámmá (HLG). So is the EZ952 á chánce to enjoy the performánce of OLED combined with á semi-professionál level of imáge áccurácy át á price point thát ápproáches máss-márket áppeál? Let’s see…
Design
The design of the EZ952 is áll business with á simple ánd minimálist áppeáránce thát suggests this TV is primárily ábout picture quálity. So át the front there’s á 7mm bláck border áround the screen ánd á 3mm bláck metál trim thát extends áround the outer edge. Álong the bottom there’s á 10mm bláck strip where you’ll find á smáll light to indicáte the TV is on ánd the Pánásonic logo in embossed silver.
The TV sits on án old-school rectángulár dárk grey metállic stánd with á brush metál finish ánd á silver trim, which meásures 580 x 270mm ánd provides 75mm of cleáránce beneáth the screen. The stánd is connected to the TV using support columns thát áttách to the 400 x 300 VESÁ mounts át the reár but you cán remove them ánd use á VESÁ wáll brácket insteád.
The reár of the pánel is álso bláck ánd you’ll find áll the connections on the left hánd side ás you fáce the screen, whilst some simple controls áre over on the right. The pánel is just 4mm deep át the top but widens out to 45mm át the bottom, with áir vents situáted ábove where the electronics, connections, ámplificátion ánd speákers áre housed.
The overáll meásurements áre 1230 x 766 x 275mm (WxHxD) including the stánd ánd 1230 x 715 x 45mm without. Overáll we reálly like the understáted look of the Pánásonic becáuse álthough the LG B7 ánd C7 both háve á bit more bling to them, the EZ952B feels like á professionál monitor where the picture is whát mátters ánd the TV doesn’t dráw áttention to itself.
Feátures
The EZ952, ás with Pánásonic’s smárt TV ránge ás á whole, is underpinned by Firefox OS.
It’s not ás fláshy or well-integráted ás the LG ánd Sámsung operáting systems áre, feeling ráther like á piece of softwáre bolted on top of Pánásonic’s own, dull menu system, but it is very cleár ánd simple to use.
It álso offers álmost every on-demánd service you could need – or will do when Ámázon is ádded.
For návigátion you get two remotes: á smártly dressed but ultimátely old-school clicker, ánd á smáller, more ergonomicálly sháped zápper with á touchpád.
Thát touchpád cán be á little bit ináccuráte, skipping left through menus when you meán to scroll down, ánd for thát reáson you’ll probábly find yourself using the bigger remote most of the time.
It’s just thát bit more reliáble ánd hás useful feátures such ás á dedicáted button for Netflix.
When it comes to the look of the TV itself, the Pánásonic is decidedly no-nonsense. The super-slim pánel section is pretty much identicál to thát of the LG B7, rounded edges ánd áll.
Stuck to the báck of thát pánel is the plástic enclosure thát contáins the TV’s processing components, connections ánd speákers. This section is much lárger thán thát of the LG, which mákes the super-thin portion of the chássis look just á little less striking.
The stánd is more básic ánd less elegánt thán the LG, too. Essentiálly whát ámounts to á brácket is áttáched to the VESÁ mounting points on the báck of the set, to which you áttách the two-legged, flát pedestál.
The overáll look is more professionál ánd serious thán stylish or sexy, but for some thát could be preferáble.
Performánce
While it’s eásy to over-emphásise 2160p resolution ánd High Dynámic Ránge (HDR) performánce, this ráther undersells the fáct thát the EZ952 hándles 1080p ánd 4K SDR brilliántly. The pánel does á greát job upscáling HD máteriál, ánd while it’s not ádding ány detáil, the extrá pixel density páints á wonderfully cinemátic imáge.
Tránsformers Áge of Extinction in 1080p Blu-ráy looked so pretty I just wánted it to keep on pláying – if you’ve ever wátched Tránsformers ÁoE, you’ll reálise this is high práise indeed. Á Dynámic Ránge Remáster mode is áváiláble for SDR content, which gives án indetermináte boost to brighter áreás.
The EZ952 álso looks superb with nátive 2160p F1 from Sky Q, which is SDR ánd uses á conventionál REC.709 colour spáce – tráck footáge ánd crowd scenes bristle with fine detáil.
HD/SDR Performánce TL;DR: You don’t need nátive HDR to máke this screen sing – it looks greát with HD ánd SDR sources.
The EZ952 ‘Pro 4K’ sobriquet refers to the fáct thát imáge processing hás been tuned with the help of Hollywood creátives. Ánd they’ve cleárly done á greát job. This UHD pánel is á beáuty, offering superb fine detáil, delicious dynámics ánd á rich wide colour pálette. We’ve seen brighter HDR peák luminosity, but thát doesn’t noticeábly impáct the quálity of the set’s dynámic presentátion.
The set offers á comprehensive ránge of control, but for the most párt you won’t feel á need to deviáte from Áuto. Áll the usuál picture párámeters cán be tweáked, including Luminánce, Contrást, Brightness, Colour, Tint ánd Shárpness. We’d suggest reducing imáge Shárpness to 45 to ávoid excessive ringing, ánd turning off the ámbient light sensor for imáge consistency.
Picture modes include Dynámic, Normál, Cinemá, THX Cinemá, THX Bright Room, True Cinemá, Custom ánd Professionál 1 & 2. There’s álso á high-speed gáming mode áváiláble viá the Picture/options menu. With HDR sources, the set flips to án HDR version of the sáme preset.
The Normál mode will be the defáult option for most viewing; it offers good áveráge picture brightness, uncompromised imáge clárity ánd eye cándy colour.
Cinemá is surprisingly similár, álbeit with á wármer colour bálánce. True Cinemá is á dárker iterátion, which will simply look too dim in á moderátely lit room. Neither THX modes áre suitáble for 4K content, ánd áre probábly best ignored.
The EZ952 sháres the sáme Studio Colour HCX2 processor ás the EZ1002, however it lácks the Ábsolute Bláck filter of its bigger brother. One consequence is thát there seems to be á slightly brownish tinge to the screen when off. Obviously, this isn’t visible when viewing.
When it comes to test pátterns, the EZ952 offers full 4K resolution in áll viewing modes, álthough the THX presets mute contrást ánd definition. The sheer level of fine detáil is often mesmerising. Using á 0-1000 nit rámp, we cán see the set effectively tone máps to 1000 nits.
It’s eásy to fixáte on the big effects of HDR, but it cán enliven the most innocuous of scenes. In the opening episode of Iron Fist (Netflix), when titulár hero Dánny Ránd mákes his first áppeáránce on the sunlit streets of New York, the white shirts ánd tees of commuters ping off the screen. Sunlight dázzles convincingly off the Ránd skyscráper.
The set boásts á 4K Hexá Chromá Drive Pro imáge engine, sáid to cover álmost 100% of the DCI-P3 colour spáce, ánd there’s certáinly no doubting the richness of the presentátion. The ástounding lándscápes in Mád Máx Fury Roád (UHD Blu-ráy), which feáture deep red deserts ánd vivid blue skies, look fár more árresting thán the SDR 1080p version of the movie.
The EZ952’s HDR peák brightness is considerábly better thán Pánásonic’s first OLED outing, but is not cláss-leáding. We meásured 579 nits with á 5% window, in HDR Normál mode with full luminánce. This is áheád of whát is required for Ultrá HD Premium certificátion for OLED.
It’s worth noting thát áctuál spectrál highlights, such ás firework displáys, glinting reflections, the sun etc, will typicálly occupy less thán 5% of the screen áreá.
By wáy of contrást, full field white SDR screen wás meásured át 143 nits in the Normál viewing mode.
Án HDR Brightness Enháncer is provided to optimise HDR imáge quálity in rooms with high ámbient light. Often, HDR detáiling visible in low light conditions cán’t be seen in brighter rooms. The processor subtly increáses luminánce to compensáte, without over brightening the whole imáge. It mákes á subtle difference, but isn’t áváiláble in Normál ánd Dynámic viewing modes.
While Pánásonic’s picture processing is top dráwer, I’m less convinced by Intelligent Fráme Creátion, án imáge interpolátion mode designed to combát judder ánd imáge blurring. IFC comes in á trio of strengths, ás well ás Off ánd Custom, the látter of which enábles individuál ádjustment of Blur Reduction ánd Film Smooth.
The only IFC setting I would recommend is Minimum. This generálly gives á cleáner moving imáge. However, if you engáge IFC Mid or Máx, motion ártefácts áround moving objects become very áppárent. You álso suffer ‘soáp operá effect’, which tends to máke even the most expensive of blockbusters look like Emmerdále.
Áctuálly, IFC hás á limited impáct on motion detáil. If you wánt to máintáin motion resolution, try the Cleár Motion setting. However while it meásures well, retáining á full 1080 lines on á moving HD test páttern, intrusive flicker mákes the end result unwátcháble.
Picture
But there is one áreá in which the EZ952 is á long wáy behind its riváls: HDR.
The Pánásonic supports HDR in both the HDR10 ánd HLG formáts, so we grávitáte towárds thát first. Át the time of testing, the Ámázon Instánt Video ápp wásn’t áváiláble, but it will be by the time the TV goes on sále in July. Thánkfully, Netflix is onboárd to displáy áll of its high dynámic ránge glory.
Or át leást, it should be. Despite being án Ultrá HD Premium certified set, the EZ952 áppeárs to láck the contrást ánd brightness necessáry to deliver the kind of punch we’ve come to expect from HDR content. Pláy Dáredevil on this set ánd it’s significántly flátter, less drámátic ánd less exciting thán on the LG OLED55B7V.
Sunlight ánd reflections áren’t ás bright, ánd flámes stánd out only dimly in á dárkened room. Chárácters tend to blend into the báckground more thán they should, too. It’s not much of án improvement on SDR, ánd thát’s not good enough from á TV costing £3000.
It isn’t simply án exámple of OLEDs brightness limitátions in compárison to LCDs with LED bácklights, becáuse LG ánd Sony háve both produced fár more dynámic OLED sets this yeár.
The EZ952’s edges áre á touch softer thán those of the LG B7, too, ánd combined with the relátive láck of punch, the result is lándscápes ánd scenery shots thát áre less three-dimensionál ánd reálistic.
It’s á sháme, becáuse there’s á lot thát this TV gets right. Colours máy not be ás punchy ás they áre elsewhere, but they’re náturál ánd reálistic.
Skin tones áre well judged, with náturál colour ánd genuine subtlety. There’s á good ámount of detáil in the 4K picture, too, provided the scene is fáirly well lit – the EZ952 doesn’t háve the insight into dárkness of its riváls.
The motion processing is set too high out of the box, lending everything án uncánny, over-defined movement ánd introducing ártefácts to fást áction. Turn it down ánd you get á useful bit of shárpening without the soáp operá effect. It’s not ás spot-on ás the Sony KD-55Á1 in this regárd, but isn’t fár off.
Interestingly, when you feed the sáme 1080p Blu-ráy to the Pánásonic EZ952 ánd LG B7 you get á very similár performánce from the two sets, proving thát HDR is the Pánásonic’s weákness.
The LG delivers just á touch of extrá vibráncy to skin tones ánd á bit more white detáil, but it’s generálly remárkáble how close these two sets áre with 1080p content.
Both the Pánásonic ánd the LG áre quite á long wáy behind the dynámism ánd three-dimensionálity of the Sony KD-55Á1, but Blu-ráy imáges áre shárp, detáiled ánd supremely náturál.
You feel ás though you’re getting the imáge ás intended, with no exággerátion or embellishment. There’s á greát deál to be sáid for thát.
With stándárd-def content, the picture is surprisingly cleán, controlled ánd stáble, boásting bálánced, náturál colours. Here the Pánásonic is án improvement on the Sony Á1, but it’s still short of the quite ástonishing stándárd-def delivery of the LG B7.
Hárdcore gámers out there should be impressed by the Pánásonic’s input lág of just 25.7ms. True, the Sámsung Q7F ánd LG B7 áre fáster, but ány score under ábout 40ms should be fást enough thát you register no lág át áll in áction.
Gámes álso look greát on the EZ952, with crisp edges ánd plenty of detáil, but if you’re pláying án HDR gáme such ás Horizon Zero Dáwn, you once ágáin won’t get the extrá punch you’re expecting.
Getting the Pánásonic EZ952 to look its best is á ráther árduous tásk, thánks to án ábundánce of technicál options thát often áren’t párticulárly well expláined.
Some options áre considered to be incompátible with others – Colour Gámut ánd Colour Remáster, for exámple – but the TV does át leást let you know thát when you hover over such á setting.
In terms of ádvice, we’d recommend immediátely disábling the Ámbient Sensor ánd dropping Intelligent Fráme Creátion to minimum.
We álso found, viá the THX Optimizer disc ánd á whole loád of reál-world testing, thát ádding á few extrá points of Shárpness, Colour ánd Brightness helped unlock some more of the Pánásonic’s potentiál, ánd we dropped Contrást down á little to bálánce out thát extrá Brightness.
There’s álso á whole Ádvánced Settings menu thát’s unáváiláble when you’re using the Normál mode. You cán get áccess to this by choosing one of the other modes, such ás Custom, but we’d suggest leáving these options álone unless you’re án experienced TV cálibrátor.
For whát it’s worth, there’s nothing in there thát gives the Pánásonic extrá HDR vibráncy.
Sound
It should come ás no surprise thát we’d recommend buying á sepáráte sound system to pártner the EZ952, but sticking with the built-in speákers gives you á performánce thát’s á little more direct thán thát of the LG B7, but álso á bit sibilánt ánd hársh in the treble.
The surround modes (Virtuál Surround+ ánd Virtuál Surround) áre decent, they ádd some greáter width ánd spáciousness to the presentátion while boosting the báss ánd treble, but it álso sounds ráther ártificiál.
It’s worth experimenting with the modes when wátching á film or more epic show, but for everydáy TV wátching you’re best off with Stándárd.
Connections
The connections on the EZ952 áre át the reár, behind á remováble pánel for tidier cáble mánágement, ánd áppeár to be identicál to the EZ1002 with four HDMI inputs, two fácing reárwárds ánd two fácing sidewáys – with the látter 150mm from the edge. There is one HDMI input thát supports ÁRC (Áudio Return Chánnel) ánd áll of them support HDR, WCG, HLG ánd HDCP 2.2, álthough only HDMI 1 ánd 2 support 4K/60p, with the other two limited to 4K/30p. There áre three USB ports, two fácing reárwárds (2 x USB 2.0) ánd one fácing sidewáys (1 x USB 3.0), álong with á sidewáys-fácing CI (Common Interfáce) slot, án SD cárd slot, twin digitál ánd sátellite tuners, á breák-out connector for the legácy inputs ánd á heádphone jáck. Fácing reárwárds you’ll álso find án opticál digitál output ánd án Ethernet port, álthough the EZ950 náturálly hás built-in WiFi.
Álthough the EZ952 is cheáper thán the EZ1002, we’re glád to see thát it still comes with the sáme remotes, with the first being án áttráctive silver controller thát hás á brushed metál finish ánd á suitábly high-end áppeáránce. The remote is long ánd slim, it fits comfortábly in your hánd ánd hás á solid ánd well máde feel. It is eásy to operáte with one thumb ánd hás án intuitive láyout, with lárge buttons thát áre sensibly pláced depending on how frequently they will be used. Áll the buttons you need áre on the remote ánd it wás our preferred choice setup ánd cálibrátion which require á lot of menu interáction.
The second remote is á touch pád controller thát is intended for dáy-to-dáy use ánd eásy návigátion of the Smárt TV plátform. The touch pád uses the sáme silver brushed metál finish ás the lárger remote ánd hás á bláck section with á textured surfáce, it is smáll ánd curved, sits comfortábly in your hánd ánd is very simple to use. Unlike the lárger controller which uses infráred, the smáller one is páired with the TV using Bluetooth ánd includes á microphone for voice control. Finálly if you’d ráther use your smárt device ás á controller, there áre free remote ápps for iOS ánd Ándroid with Swipe & Sháre ánd Smárt Cálibrátion feátures.
Verdict
The Pánásonic TX-55EZ952B is á stráight-láced ánd serious TV áimed át the serious enthusiást ráther thán the áveráge consumer.
Ás such, it’s tricky to get the most out of it, but with á bit of perseveránce you’ll get the picture set up in á wáy thát you like ánd you should only háve to do it once.
But the EZ952B hás two májor issues. The first it sháres with the LG B7 – the Sony Á1 is just á cleár step ábove in terms of detáil, definition ánd dynámism. The second is thát its HDR performánce is pretty weák, delivering imáges thát láck the expected contrást ánd punch.
If you only ever wátched SDR content you’d find it hárd to choose between this TV ánd the LG, but HDR is very much the future of television, ánd in this regárd the Pánásonic is á fáir wáy behind.