Panasonic 55 inch LX650 Android TV with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and Voice Control, Compatible with Ok Google and Alexa

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The consistency with which the LZ980 handles and balances all of the many elements that go into a great picture is also a joy to behold. It’s this consistency, in fact, that ultimately joins its cheaper price in winning us to the TX-55LZ980B’s cause slightly ahead of Sony’s also fantastic (full review coming soon) XR-55A80K.

The lower contrast and brightness of the LZ980 panel versus Panasonic’s more premium OLED TVs will, presumably, limit how closely it can get to achieving the brand’s oft-stated ambitions of delivering pictures as closely matched as possible to those created on professional mastering monitors. Experience suggests, though, that Panasonic’s Hollywood-tuner processing should still help the LZ980 get closer to that director’s-intent goal than most if not all rivals at the same price. The LZ980’s lengthy onscreen menus underline its flexibility. Naturally, there are plenty of in-depth tools that calibrators can use to optimise the accuracy, but there is also a remarkable number of options available designed to increase colour intensity, motion smoothness, sharpness and so on no matter what source you’re watching. Percentage luminance drop at 20 degree vertical angle from the centre of the screen with 50% white outputSubtitle and audio description information spoken on the electronic programme guide more info panel I’d also recommend leaving Panasonic’s Intelligent Frame Creation processing turned off for most types of content. The ‘mid’ and ‘max’ settings cause noticeable artefacts. Energy consumption XYZ kWh per year, based on the power consumption of the television operating 4 hours per day for 365 days. The actual energy consumption will depend on how the television is used. We’re definitely not saying here you should merrily go around turning everything up to 11, of course. But we do appreciate a set that cares about trying to be all things to all men. Especially when it tries to simplify this process with an excellently wide-ranging set of picture presets. However, the LZ980 can get pleasingly loud without suffering distortion or harshness, and while the sound might not project forward, its soundstage spreads impressively far to the left and right. There’s even a vague sense of height to the sound ‘wall’ with Atmos sources too, and vocals are impressively clear and convincing even during dense action scene moments.

While it might not boast the sort of fancy, multi-channel speaker systems that are suddenly all the rage on premium TVs these days, the LZ980 still sounds pretty good. Better, actually, than some of those supposedly more sonically advanced models. Starting out by looking at the LZ980 in its most ‘accurate’ modes, the amount of subtlety, balance and detail it manages to eke out of even the toughest sources is as spectacular in its own lovable way as the most aggressively bright, explosively colourful and over-sharpened experiences available elsewhere. Percentage Luminance drop at 35 degree horizontal angle from the centre of the screen with 50% white output Shifting attention to the 55DX650's rear, the set sports a solid rather than spectacular set of connections. Three HDMIs will provide the main port of call for most external sources – although you should note that only two of these HDMIs are equipped with HDCP 2.2 anti-piracy protocols, and the capability to play 4K at up to 60 frames a second. Connectivity Subtitles and audio description information displayed on electronic programme guide programme banner

Max light output HDR (high dynamic range) while displaying small white square taking up 10% of the screen (measured in Nits) Percentage luminance drop at 35 degree horizontal angle from the centre of the screen with 100% white output Subtitles and audio description information displayed on electronic programme guide more info panel

Following plenty of trial and error across multiple source types, here are my settings for best all-round results. Max light output HDR (high dynamic range) while displaying small white square taking up 60% of the screen (measured in Nits) Gaming mode ensures top-level performance with compatibility for the newest console generation and PC The LZ980 turns out to be a seriously good gaming screen too. Its immaculate light and colour control joins with Panasonic’s new-found sharpness and improved motion performance to play beautifully with even the most challenging and cutting-edge game graphics. The TV is pleasingly responsive, too, in its Game mode, getting input lag down to a very respectable if not world-beating 14.2ms with 1080p 60Hz content.Firefox is also one of the most attractive, customisable and intuitive smart TV systems available. A full review of Firefox TV can be found here. For starters, while it may not benefit from one of Panasonic’s Master OLED or Master OLED Pro panels, it does still carry Panasonic’s latest HCX Pro AI processor – a processor tuned with the help of Hollywood creatives alongside Panasonic’s own decades of experience with screen technologies.

The Panasonic TX-55LZ980B feels a touch lightweight compared with the brand’s more premium sets, and doesn’t sport the obvious speakers that define the flagship LZ2000. Apart from when you’re actually lifting it around, though, you’ll struggle to spot much difference between the design and finish quality of the LZ980 and its more premium LZ1500 sibling. File formats that are not supported by your Network Contents server (DLNA compatible server, etc.) cannot be played. On the downside, its sound doesn’t have much forward impact, so it doesn’t fill your room as well as TVs with front facing speakers (including Sony’s OLED TVs, which use their actual screens to make their sound). Everything seems to happen to the side of the screen or on the screen, not around your seating position. Bass is only so-so in terms of its depth and impact too, making the idea of adding a subwoofer via the provided sub line out something you really might want to consider. This feature highlights, too, the LZ980’s exceptional spread of HDR support. While many TV brands still only support either Dolby Vision or HDR10+, all of Panasonic’s OLED TVs support both. So no matter what sources you play, you can rest assured that the LZ980 will always be able to receive the best version available.Features and specifications are subject to change without prior notification. Internet connection is required with smart functions.