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Panasonic Z95B: Two-minute review
The Panasonic Z95B is the newest flagship TV to enter what is popping out to be a really aggressive OLED TV market in 2025. Whereas a few of these fashions – particularly these from Samsung and LG – are having a bet on excessive brightness to differentiate themselves among the many best TVs, Panasonic is pushing accuracy with the Z95B, and the trouble could be seen in its refined, pure, and finely detailed image.
For the Panasonic Z95B, the corporate opted to make use of the identical Primary RGB Tandem panel OLED show discovered within the LG G5. This new panel tech has a ‘four-stack’ construction, with separate pink and inexperienced OLED layers sandwiched between two blue layers, and it accounts for the Z95B’s wealthy shade show and excessive brightness functionality – I recorded brightness measurements as excessive as 2,107 nits, although brightness is significantly extra restricted in a number of of the TV’s image presets reminiscent of Filmmaker Mode, which is a quirk I’ll dig into later within the overview.
The Z95B’s predecessor, the Panasonic Z95A, distinguished itself as one of the best TVs for sound with its highly effective 5.1.2-channel built-in speaker array. This identical ‘360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics’ system carries over to the Z95B, although Panasonic has made enhancements to the speaker drivers, speaker format, and woofer output. The end result is among the finest built-in TV speaker methods you should purchase, with sound that’s clear, highly effective, and immersive sufficient that you could possibly simply get away with not utilizing an exterior soundbar.
Those audio system on the Z95B are hid behind a grey mesh cloth that runs alongside the TV’s prime, backside, and sides, and offers it a stable, dignified look. A pedestal stand that swivels in both course to accommodate a spread of seating positions is a bonus, although the included, fundamental distant management appears at odds with the TV’s premium design.
Panasonic makes use of Amazon Fire TV as its good TV system, and it is a serviceable, however ad-driven platform that basically would really like you to be a Prime Video subscriber and devotee of different Amazon companies and merchandise. Fire TV’s Live TV portal is especially pleasant to customers of the best indoor antennas, although, and the Z95B helps ATSC 3.0 broadcasts for viewers within the US.
Gaming is properly supported on the Z95B, with 4K at 144Hz, Dolby Vision gaming, and variable refresh charge, together with AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, all accounted for. HDMI 2.1 ports supporting these options are restricted to 2, slightly than the 4 HDMI 2.1 ports we search for on the best gaming TVs, however the Z95B’s highly effective built-in speaker system makes that much less of a difficulty than it usually could be.
Panasonic OLED TVs are sometimes priced increased than their Samsung and LG counterparts, notably within the UK, however the Z95B was priced across the identical as its competitors at launch, and has already seen reductions. Given its spectacular image and sound high quality, it’s one in all 2025’s best OLED TVs, and an excellent general worth amongst premium TVs.
Panasonic Z95B review: Price and release date
- Release date: June 2025
- 55-inch: $2,599 / £2,499
- 65-inch: $3,399 / £2,999
- 77-inch: $4,699 / £3,999
The Panasonic Z95B is available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch screen sizes, with that last option an expansion on last year’s Z95A series, which was only available in 55- and 65-inch sizes. Prices for all Z95B series TVs have dropped since launch, with all screen sizes now selling for several hundred less in both the US and the UK.
At the reduced price, the Z95B series is now priced in line with its premium OLED competition from LG, Samsung, and Sony. For instance, the 65-inch Panasonic is now promoting for round $3,000 within the US. In that very same display measurement, you’ll discover each the LG G5 and the Sony Bravia 8 II priced round $3,000, and the Samsung S95F at $3,299.
Panasonic Z95B review: Specs
|
Screen type: |
Primary Tandem RGB OLED |
|
Refresh rate: |
144Hz |
|
HDR support: |
Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG |
|
Audio support: |
Dolby Atmos |
|
Smart TV: |
Fire TV |
|
HDMI ports: |
4 (2x HDMI 2.1) |
|
Built-in tuner: |
ATSC 3.0 (US) |
Panasonic Z95B review: Benchmark results
Panasonic Z95B review: Features
- Primary RGB Tandem panel OLED display
- Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support
- 360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics speaker array
The Panasonic Z95B uses a new Primary RGB Tandem panel OLED display with a notably higher brightness capability than the Master OLED Ultimate panel with micro lens array tech used in its Panasonic Z95A predecessor. Panasonic additionally uses a ThermalFlow aerodynamic cooling system that helps to maximize peak brightness by improving airflow through the TV.
Panasonic has carried over the same HCX Pro AI Processor MK II from the Z95A to the Z95B. This advanced picture processor uses dynamic 3D LUTs (Look-Up Tables) to ensure accurate colors across a range of picture brightness levels and provides 4K Fine Remaster and Smooth Motion Drive Pro features to improve detail and motion handling.
Panasonic models continue to be the only OLED TVs in the US to support both the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ high dynamic range codecs (Philips OLEDs within the UK have the identical functionality), and within the Z95B, that’s supplemented by Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive for computerized image brightness changes throughout a spread of lighting situations. Picture presets embrace Filmmaker Mode and Panasonic’s True Cinema and True Game modes, together with Netflix and Prime Video Calibrated modes for computerized image optimization when streaming from these companies.
The Panasonic Z95A shortly earned a spot as the most suitable choice for built-in sound high quality in a number of TechSwitch finest TVs lists, and the brand new Z95B additionally includes a ‘360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics’ built-in 5.1.2-channel 160W speaker system – this time with redesigned speaker drivers and speaker format, and better bass output. This differs from the built-in speaker arrays discovered on most different TVs in offering a devoted middle channel speaker, together with side-firing and upfiring speaker drivers for enhanced immersion.
As with image settings, the Z95B options a variety of sound settings. Key amongst these is Space Tune, for routinely tuning the TV’s sound output utilizing the distant management’s built-in mic, and Sound Focus, which helps you to regulate the directionality of the TV’s sound utilizing beam-forming to accommodate off-center seating positions.
Panasonic switched to the Amazon Fire TV good TV interface again in 2024, and Fire TV on the Z95B options optimized voice management options for content material discovery and navigation, a hands-free management choice, and an interface that may be personalised for a number of customers. Live TV channels, together with ones pulled in by the TV’s ATSC 3.0 tuner, could be built-in into the good interface for shopping and in addition custom-made for a ‘personalized Live-TV Experience.’
Gaming options on the Z95B embrace a True Game mode with latency discount, a Game sound mode, and a Game Board onscreen menu for making fast changes whereas gaming. Two of the TV’s 4 HDMI ports additionally help HDMI 2.1 options reminiscent of 4K 144Hz and VRR, together with AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync.
Panasonic Z95B review: Picture quality
- High brightness capability for an OLED TV
- Brightness is limited in Filmmaker and other picture modes
- Rich color and excellent detail
The first thing to say about the Panasonic Z95B’s picture is that, while the TV is capable of high brightness, it’s not as bright as its premium OLED TV competition when its most accurate picture presets – Filmmaker Mode, True Cinema, and Cinema – are used and left at their default settings.
That’s because Panasonic is prioritizing picture accuracy over brightness here, and those modes limit peak brightness based on the maximum mastered brightness level of the source – typically 1,000 nits for most content.
Correspondingly, I measured Z95B’s peak HDR brightness in Filmmaker Mode at 992 nits, while its fullscreen brightness in that mode was 347 nits. After bumping up the luminance level of my test pattern source, peak HDR brightness in Filmmaker Mode jumped to 2,107 nits, and the TV’s EOTF (the equivalent gamma for HDR) also remained accurate at that brightness level.
Viewers not wanting to deal with any brightness limitations could instead opt for the Standard picture preset, which had a measured peak HDR brightness of 1,835 nits, and 327 nits fullscreen brightness. Panasonic also provides settings in the TV’s HDR submenu that let you manually set HDR tonemapping and luminance clipping levels, and these can be used to help optimize brightness. Needless to say, this is great news for tweakers, but a potential source of annoyance for others who don’t like to sift through menu settings.
As for other numbers, the Z95B’s coverage of the UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces in Filmmaker Mode measured 99.9% and 79.1%, respectively – both impressive results. The average Delta-E value (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen, with a result lower than 3 being undetectable by the human eye) for color point accuracy was 2.6, and it was 3.2 for grayscale accuracy.
For most of my Z95B evaluation, I viewed it in dimmed lighting, and such conditions allowed the Panasonic’s picture to fully shine. The set does use an anti-reflection screen, and while this works to a degree, I could still see mirror-like reflections from lamps and overhead lights, and picture contrast was also lessened with my room lights on.
After watching the recent movie Weapons in the theater, I was motivated to stream the director’s earlier movie, Barbarian (on Netflix in 4K), and the Z95B did an excellent job of displaying the deep black of the house’s basement and fleshing out shadows in the corridors of the creepy, dungeon-like space. For this movie, I used Netflix Calibrated Mode, which by default made it too dark, but the TV’s multiple black level adjustments allowed me to tweak the picture for a more balanced look.
Wild Robot was up next, and I streamed it in 4K with Dolby Vision using the TV’s Dolby Vision Dark preset – one that I’m happy to report turned off motion smoothing by default. The jungle and creatures in this animated movie were displayed with rich, vivid color. The picture also looked fantastically detailed and clean, with the textures in the computer-generated images giving the picture a near-3D quality.
I like to use the Netflix series Ripley in TV evaluations because of its sumptuous cinematography (by frequent Paul Thomas Anderson collaborator Robert Elswit). The Z95B certainly did not disappoint here, displaying the wide range of fine gray tones in the black and white images of Italian villages and villas with an impressive level of subtlety.
Dolby Vision Dark mode proved to be a good match for Ripley, but in this case, when I switched to Netflix Calibrated mode, the picture retained both its subtle grayscale and contrast punch.
No Time to Die is one of my go-to reference 4K Blu-rays, and when I watched the scene where James Bond walks across a craggy hillside cemetery, the Z95B’s picture looked impressively solid, with only a minimal level of judder. I often find myself applying some level of motion adjustment to TVs after checking this scene, but the Z95B’s motion handling was good enough that I didn’t feel any need to.
- Picture quality score: 5 / 5
Panasonic Z95B review: Sound quality
- 5.1.2-channel, 160W speaker array
- 360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics
- Sound Focus feature adjusts for off-center seating
The Z95B features a built-in 5.1.2-channel, 160W speaker array, with the front-facing left, center, and right-channel speakers contained in a soundbar-like enclosure at the screen’s bottom. Along with these, there are newly designed line-array speakers positioned at the sides and top surface of the TV, along with a subwoofer and dual passive bass radiators located around the back.
This ‘360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics’ Dolby Atmos sound system is more elaborate than what you’ll find on most TVs, and its performance is good enough that you can easily use it in place of one of the best soundbars. Panasonic has also introduced enhanced two-channel and 5.1-channel upmixing on the Z95B which it says can “deliver immersive rear sound without rear speakers,” though the TV’s virtual processing comes short of delivering on that claim.
As with the picture, there are extensive sound presets on the Z95B, along with settings for customizing the sound. After using Space Tune, a feature that uses the remote control’s built-in mic to calibrate the TV’s sound output for your viewing environment, I found that many of the presets sounded too bright for my taste and opted for the User preset, which provides Sound Field and Bass Boost settings to customize the sound, along with an eight-band EQ adjustment.
Once adjusted, dialogue projected clearly and sounded natural, and even music sounded good, as I confirmed when watching Queens of the Stone Age Alive in the Catacombs, an acoustic performance by the band recorded in the catacombs beneath Paris. The sound effects in action movies like Mad Max: Fury Road had a high level of spatial precision, and the TV’s powerful speaker array delivered a strong impact on engine roars and crashes during the movie’s many vehicle chase scenes.
Another key Z95B feature is Sound Focus, which uses beam-forming processing to change the direction of the speaker output to accommodate off-center seating positions. You can choose Pinpoint, Area, Spot, or Ambient settings, each of which provides a different level of soundfield width. Testing this, I used the Pinpoint setting to aim the sound at the far end of my sofa, and the TV’s soundstage clearly shifted 30 degrees off from center.
- Sound quality score: 5 / 5
Panasonic Z95B review: Design
Image 1 of 2
- Swiveling stand
- Wide range of input and control ports
- Flimsy remote control
With its two-inch depth, the Z95B, while slimmer than its Z95A predecessor, is still on the bulky side for an OLED TV. That girth is a necessity given the TV’s substantial built-in speakers, however, and the Z95B still manages to maintain a sleek look when viewed straight on.
An attractive dark gray fabric mesh covers both the front-facing and side- and top-firing speakers, and the TV’s sturdy aluminum pedestal stand can be swiveled – a useful feature to accommodate a range of viewing positions.
The Z95B’s extensive connections include four HDMI ports (with two HDMI 2.1) and both optical digital audio and a 3.5mm headphone output that can also be configured for connecting an external subwoofer. An ATSC 3.0 tuner connection can be used for viewing ‘NextGen’ digital TV broadcasts in the US, and there are also powered USB and Ethernet ports, and an IR blaster output.
Panasonic hasn’t changed the flimsy remote control that previously shipped with the Z95A for the Z95B. And while that’s disappointing given this TV’s premium price, it mostly does the job and features a built-in mic for Alexa voice commands.
There’s no input select button on the US remote for changing inputs – one of my pet peeves with TV remotes – but you can configure one of the controls to switch to a specific input on the TV, along with a range of other options such as selecting a specific streaming app.
Panasonic Z95B review: Smart TV and menus
Image 1 of 2
- Amazon Fire TV smart TV platform
- Live program grid with broadcast channels customization
- Extensive array of picture and sound adjustments
Panasonic TVs use Amazon Fire TV for a smart TV system, and the version you’ll see on the Z95B is essentially the same as what’s found on Amazon’s own Fire TV lineup. The top half is occupied by ads, many for Amazon streaming and VOD offerings, while a horizontal bar cutting across the center contains input selection, My Stuff, search, and Live TV tabs, along with a customizable row of streaming apps and a gear icon for advanced menus.
The bottom section contains a grid of recommended program options culled from free TV and subscription apps, and if you scroll down, you’ll see a seemingly endless range of these, with everything from political news to the latest cooking videos.
Fire TV’s Live TV portal features a grid guide option that lets you browse channels grouped in a range of categories such as Antenna Channels, Sports, News by Fire TV, and more. Digital broadcast stations can be arranged into lists, with the option to favorite your regularly watched channels, and to hide ones like home shopping networks that you’d prefer to shut out.
Fire TV provides a greater range of customization for browsing both free broadcast and streamed TV channels than most other smart interfaces, so it’s a good option for antenna users.
The Fire TV Ambient Experience provides a wide assortment of still and motion images that can be displayed when the TV is in standby mode. (It can also be accessed at any time by pressing and holding the power on/off button on the remote.) Along with the supplied content library, you can access personal photos (you’ll first need to upload these using the Amazon Photos app on your phone).
You can also use Alexa voice commands to create AI-generated images for your Ambient Experience library, though, as I found when experimenting with this feature, political content is not permitted.
Panasonic provides a much wider range of picture and sound adjustment options in the setup menus than most other TVs. I hit the high points for sound in the Sound Quality section above, but the Z95B’s picture menus include an almost over-the-top array of advanced adjustments.
To list just a few, the Brightness menu has multiple advanced settings for configuring black levels, and there’s an HDR submenu that lets you set EOTF type, HDR tonemapping, and luminance clipping levels. For color, you can switch between Rec. 2020, DCI-P3, Adobe, and Rec. 709 color gamuts.
The reason for all these adjustments is that Panasonic’s OLED TVs are used in post-production facilities as reference monitors, but in the majority of instances, you’ll want to leave things set to Auto.
- Smart TV & menus score: 4 / 5
Panasonic Z95B review: Gaming
- Two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support
- FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync VRR
- 12.7ms input lag is average
The Z95B’s gaming features include two HDMI ports with 4K at 144Hz, FreeSync Premium, and Nvidia G-Sync VRR support, and Dolby Vision gaming. There’s a True Game picture and a Game sound mode, and Panasonic’s Game Board onscreen menu can be called up to make quick and easy adjustments to parameters like dark visibility, sound mode, and variable refresh rate.
Input lag measured with a Bodnar 4K meter was 12.7ms, which is an average level for a TV. The best gaming TVs can hit the 9ms range, but the Z95B’s input lag is minimal enough that the vast majority of gamers will find it more than acceptable.
Panasonic Z95B review: Value
- Priced the same as top OLED competition
- Built-in sound enhances value
- Less extensive gaming features than competition
The Panasonic Z95B is currently priced on par with, or even less than, its premium OLED competition from LG, Samsung, and Sony. Choosing between this year’s top OLED TVs is tougher than ever, but I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed with the Z95B’s picture, though the Samsung S95F and LG G5 may be better options for those wanting to view in bright rooms.
One thing that enhances the Z95B’s value is its powerful sound. For that reason, you could consider using this TV without a soundbar, though the built-in speakers aren’t necessarily a match for the best Dolby Atmos soundbar systems with separate rear-channel speakers and a subwoofer.
An argument could be made that the Z95B is a lesser gaming TV than the Samsung S95F and LG G5, both of which feature four HDMI 2.1 ports, lower input lag, and cloud-based gaming from apps including Xbox. But the Z95B’s lower HDMI 2.1 port count won’t be an issue if you’re using its built-in speakers, and as a Fire TV, there is Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming app, which features popular games like Fortnite.
Should I buy the Panasonic Z95B?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Features |
A fine selection of features led by sound processing modes for room tuning and off-center seating accommodation |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Picture quality |
Capable of high brightness for an OLED, but many of the TV’s preset picture modes favor a more subtle, balanced, and accurate images |
5 / 5 |
|
Sound quality |
Powerful built-in 5.1.2-channel speakers distinguish the Z95B from other TVs and is good enough that a soundbar isn’t exactly needed |
5 / 5 |
|
Design |
A slightly bulky form factor due to its built-in speakers, but otherwise a sleek design with a swiveling pedestal stand. Remote control could use work |
4 / 5 |
|
Smart TV and menus |
Amazon Fire TV isn’t the best smart TV platform, but it does the job for streaming and Amazon subscribers and Alexa users will find it useful |
4 / 5 |
|
Gaming |
A good set of gaming features and solid overall gaming performance |
4 / 5 |
|
Value |
A very good value compared to other premium OLED TVs, and its value is enhanced by its excellent built-in sound |
4.5 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Panasonic Z95B: Also consider…
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Panasonic Z95B |
LG G5 |
Samsung S95F |
Sony Bravia 8 II |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
List price (65-inch) |
$3,399 / £2,999 |
$3,399 / £3,299 / AU$5,299 |
$2,699 / £2,699 / AU$4,299 |
$3,499 / £2,999 / AU$4,999 |
|
Screen type |
Primary Tandem RGB OLED |
Primary Tandem RGB OLED |
QD-OLED |
QD-OLED |
|
Refresh rate |
144Hz |
165Hz |
165Hz |
120Hz |
|
HDR support |
Dolby Vision/HDR10+/HLG |
Dolby Vision/HDR10/HLG |
HDR10+/HDR10/HLG |
DolbyVision/HDR10/HLG |
|
Smart TV |
Fire TV |
webOS |
Tizen |
Google TV |
|
HDMI ports |
4 (2 x HDMI 2.1) |
4x HDMI 2.1 |
4 x HDMI 2.1 |
4 (2x HDMI 2.1) |
How I tested the Panasonic Z95B
- I spent about 15 viewing hours in total, measuring and evaluating
- Measurements were made using Calman color calibration software
- A full calibration was made before proceeding with subjective tests
When I test TVs, I first spend a few days or even weeks using it for casual viewing to assess the out-of-the-box picture presets and get familiar with its smart TV menu and picture adjustments. I next select the most accurate preset (usually Filmmaker Mode, Movie or Cinema) and measure grayscale and color accuracy using Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software. The ensuing measurements present Delta-E values (the margin of error between the take a look at sample supply and what’s proven on-screen) for every class, and permit for an evaluation of the TV’s general accuracy.
Along with these assessments, I make measurements of peak and fullscreen gentle output (recorded in nits) for each commonplace high-definition and 4K excessive dynamic vary utilizing 10% and 100% white window patterns. Coverage of UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 shade area can be measured, with the outcomes offering a way of how faithfully the TV can render the prolonged shade vary in extremely high-definition sources.
For the Panasonic Z95B, I used the Calman ISF workflow, together with the TV’s superior image menu settings, to calibrate the picture for finest accuracy. I additionally watched a spread of reference scenes on 4K Blu-ray discs to evaluate the TV’s efficiency, together with 4K HDR exhibits streamed from HBO Max, Netflix, Apple TV+, and different companies.