How does Panasonic stand out in a crowded TV market? By courting new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X owners, apparently. The electronics giant has unveiled its 2021 flagship OLED TV, the JZ2000, and its centerpiece is an HCX Pro AI Processor that not only improves picture quality (more on that in a moment), but delivers a big boost to gaming performance.
The 4K set promises some of the “very lowest” latency you’ll find in an OLED TV, Panasonic says, and that’s reportedly due to the company’s customization rather than the panel alone. A new Game Mode Extreme setting will cut lag, optimize the picture and support HDMI 2.1’s variable refresh rate and high refresh rate options. It might be ideal for a living room PC, too, thanks to HDMI Signal Power Link support that helps computers and old set-top boxes talk to CEC-equipped devices.
As you might guess from the processor’s name, Panasonic is joining Sony in relying on AI to improve picture quality. The HCX Pro AI chip can identify the content you’re viewing and auto-adjust the image and sound to match. That’s particularly important when the set includes upward- and side-firing speakers (on top of the usual front audio) with Dolby Atmos support.
Panasonic was shy on screen specs, but said it’s once again using an extra-bright custom OLED panel that should help with HDR modes including Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive. There are some software improvements, including quicker access to common settings, dual-device Bluetooth audio support and your choice of “restful” pictures and videos.
Pricing and ship dates weren’t available as we wrote this, but Panasonic will sell the JZ2000 in 55- and 65-inch versions. Suffice it to say this could be worth a look if you handle most of your gaming on the couch.
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Author: Jon Fingas, @jonfingas
11h ago
Source: Engadget
