Panasonic MZ980

Panasonic MZ980 – Review

The Panasonic MZ980 is part of the company’s 2023 range and this smart TV builds on the LZ980 model that was released in the previous year. It ensures that you get some of the most important things needed in a home cinema screen.

Design and Build

You can find the Panasonic MZ980 in three sizes, which is a good variety. These are 42 inch, 48 inch and 55 inch. The thin OLED panel has been paired with a good sound system and a number of ports that can be found on the rear. There is a central pedestal stand available with the screen, which can be screwed into the back and it helps in keeping it balanced. But, the MZ980 does not have the swivel stand that comes with the company’s fancier OLEDs.

As far as ports are concerned, there are four HDMI ports, two of which are HDMI 2.1, while the other support eARC. There is also one USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports and inputs for a 3.5mm audio jack, optical and Ethernet. There is a large remote that comes with the TV and has buttons for pretty much everything. This includes playback controls, volume and six shortcuts to streaming services, along with a numerical keypad.

Specs and Features

The proprietary My Home Screen 8.0 interface is used in the Panasonic MZ980and it supports all the usual streaming services. The home screen is essentially a transparent overlay over the content you are watching and the bottom of the screen where the streaming apps and other services are listed. You are also given a lot of room for fiddling with the picture settings.

There is also a light sensor on the MZ980 for adaptive HDR formats, such as Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive. It also supports Google Assistant as well as Amazon Alexa, so you can use your voice for controlling volume, playback and universal search functions.

You will also find a ton of gaming specifications, which have become quite common amongst smart TVs these days. There is a 120Hz refresh rate and all the four HDMI ports included support auto low latency mode (ALLM).

Picture Quality

The use of the HCX Pro AI processor helps the Panasonic MZ980 stand out because this chipset is also used in the company’s flagship MZ2000. This means that you can expect to see high-end picture processing and accurate images. You will notice that the images are detailed and vivid and they are a lot more realistic than other TVs, even if they do not ‘pop’ the same way.

The fact that all HDR formats are supported is certainly helpful because it means you can enjoy greater contrast and color depth. There are also different modes for you to choose from and you can pick one, depending on the content you are watching. These include Cinema, Normal, Sport, Dynamic and Filmmaker. The viewing angles are also superb.