CES 2025: Panasonic Z95B and Panasonic W95B hands-on

Panasonic unveiled two new high-end TVs at CES 2025 – the OLED Panasonic Z95B and Mini LED-powered Panasonic W95B – both of which are based around Amazon’s Fire TV smart platform. The televisions have the wherewithal to entice premium buyers, but which model is right for you

I had an in-depth preview of the screens at their global unveiling (in the jazzy surroundings of the Omnia nightclub in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, as well as on Panasonic’s CES showfloor booth), and think you’ll want to shortlist them for any TV or home cinema upgrade you have planned – but there are caveats that could disappoint

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Panasonic Z95B OLED TV: Initial impressions

Of the two new models, the Z95B OLED is the obvious range-topper in the company’s 2025 lineup. Featuring innovative picture and sound, advanced gaming functionality, and aesthetic flair, it will appeal to home cinema enthusiasts, gamers, and design-conscious buyers alike.

For me, it was hands down the best reasonably sized TV to debut at CES. I saw hugely impressive 100in-plus options from Hisense (the Hisense 136MX Micro LED and Hisense 116UX TriChroma LED) and the “world’s largest QD-Mini LED TV” TCL’s 115in X955 Max) but the Z95B stood out as the finest example of a television that will be available in 55in, 65in and 77in screen sizes.

A cursory glance confirms this telly is more than just an evolution of last year’s Panasonic Z95A, which received a five-star rating at the Expert Reviews Best Buy award. Panasonic has embraced an all-new minimalist design that, to my eyes, looks fresh and fashion-forward

The design boasts a tactile, fabric grille, detachable terminal covers, swivelling central stand (only on the 55in and 65in models), and reduced depth, for slicker wall-mounting. It’s a lot sleeker than the cookie-cutter chassis Panasonic has been using for its flagship OLED since the Panasonic LZ2000.

Beyond its visual appeal, the Z95B’s design cleverly prioritises performance. A novel ThermalFlow cooling system allows for superior heat dissipation; Panasonic’s engineers have shifted the internal subwoofer so that an unobstructed, top to bottom, airflow can be executed, all of which was demonstrated with a neat A/B comparison at the set’s launch.

Perhaps the biggest surprise though is the introduction of an all-new OLED panel technology. Micro Lens Array (MLA) OLED, which has been championed by Panasonic, LG and Philips over the past eighteen months or so, has been retired in favour of a Primary RGB Tandem Panel, which uses a four-layer emission structure, said to achieve a 40% improvement in light efficiency.

By introducing individual RGB filters (conceptually not too dissimilar to the 3LCD technique Epson has been using for its projectors), more light can be delivered to the screen, resulting in remarkable brightness, enhanced contrast, and a broader colour volume

Given that OLED screens have been getting steadily brighter, just how much of a dividend does this Primary RGB Tandem Panel deliver? I scrutinised the set alongside the Z95A and it’s clearly capable of higher peak brightness and deeper, richer hues (notably reds and blues).

Panasonic looped a carefully constructed showreel on both the Z95A and Z95B models to prove the point. Viewing was done using the Dynamic image preset. While I suspect MLA has been dumped because it was too expensive to develop further, this new approach works brilliantly

Helping things along is the brand’s latest HCX Pro AI Processor MK II, with its 4K Remaster Engine. Streaming content now benefits from AI-driven noise reduction with less banding, for smoother gradations.

It’s worth noting that Panasonic hasn’t followed Samsung’s glare-free, screen lead. While I rather admire the glare-free treatment, there’s much to like about the crisp dynamics a ‘clear’ screen offers

Naturally, all variations of HDR are catered for, including HDR10+ Adaptive and Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail, which adjusts the picture based on ambient lighting. Such dynamic tinkering ensures every shadowy nuance is visible, even in the darkest scenes, regardless of room lighting

There’s also a Prime Video Calibrated Mode (inevitable given Panasonic’s adoption of the Fire TV platform), as well as the return of Calman calibration, and ISFccc support – although with Filmmaker Mode available at the touch of a button, additional manual calibration seems redundant

From what I can gather, there’s no support for Control 4 though, which means this screen can’t be integrated into a Control 4-based custom install cinema system. When I asked a Panasonic senior about this, it was hinted that this was on the development roadmap.

Incidentally, I did manage to catch the Z95B in Filmmaker mode, and the drop in average picture brightness and contrast was quite startling. Purists might like it, but I much prefer to watch in ‘full fat’ mode. If you plan on dialling down panel brightness with Filmmaker mode, it might be best to save your cash and buy last year’s model

Panasonic has also re-engineered its lauded 360-degree sound system- 360 Soundscape Pro – on the Z95B. Tuned by Technics engineers, this sound system features advanced spatial processing, with a combination of up-firing, side-firing, and forward-facing drivers able to create a wide, immersive soundstage.

This time around, the up-firing speakers have been moved to the top corners of the screen, rather than grouped centrally, and the side speakers raised, to effectively widen the soundstage. For bigger bass, there’s a 30W subwoofer capable of outputting 50% more wattage than that found in the Z95A. No soundbar will be required

Gaming is well supported, thanks to AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility. There’s also Panasonic’s True Game Mode, said to ensure colour accuracy and HDR performance (HDR tone mapping can be turned off if you prefer to manage HDR from your games console)

There’s also a Game Control Board which provides easy access to gaming settings. Specialised audio modes deliver sound tailored to specific genres. PC gamers can take advantage of a 144Hz refresh rate, and console owners can play at 4K/120Hz. It’s worth noting though, that once again, only two of the set’s four HDMI inputs support High Frame Rate gaming

Smart capabilities come via the familiar Amazon Fire TV platform. Voice control through Alexa and compatibility with Apple AirPlay and HomeKit are there if you need it. When idle, the Fire TV Ambient Experience transforms the Z95B into a customisable display showcasing personal photos, calendars, and widgets. I also fully expect the Z95B to launch with Freely TV when it launches in the UK

The Panasonic Z95B OLED TV is slated for release in summer 2025 and will be available. While pricing has yet to be confirmed for the three screen sizes, they’re expected to align with the Z95A, reflecting its premium positioning

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Panasonic W95B Mini LED TV: Initial impression

If you’re not predisposed to viewing movies in pitch-black rooms, then the Panasonic Mini LED W95B may be more your style. It packs much of the same feature set as its OLED cousin but covers a wider range of screen sizes (55in, 65in, 75in and 85in)

Design-wise, it’s similarly minimalistic, with an ultra-slim bezel and clean lines, but it lacks the swivel stand of its stablemate. The obvious difference over last year’s Panasonic Mini LED TV is an increase in backlight zones; the W95B has over 2.5 times more independently dimmable zones than its predecessor.

This means far more precise HDR handling and a more consistent, convincing black-level performance. Up close, its pictures look punchy and tight, with no obvious haloing. Colour fidelity has also been improved, courtesy of proprietary algorithms and a wide colour gamut phosphor-based backlight. Real Time Colour Tuning ensures hue accuracy is calculated and adjusted based on colour shifts caused by environmental factors, which should keep the TV producing a top-notch picture at all times.

The set uses the same HCX Pro AI MK II processor, and noise-reducing 4K Remaster Engine, as the Z95B. Side by side, there’s no significant difference in clarity between the two models, although it appeared to me that the W95B may have a higher Average Picture Level, which could make it the better choice for gamers as adversaries lurking in the shadows might be easier to spot.

There’s AMD FreeSync Premium support, a 144Hz refresh rate for PC gamers, plus a True Game Mode preset and a customisable Game Control board. Two of the four HDMI inputs support 4k/120Hz gameplay from consoles. The W95B has the same HDR compliance as the Z95B (Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail, HDR10+ Adaptive, etc), as well as a Prime Video Calibrated mode. Like the Z95B, the W95B is built around the Amazon Fire TV smart platform.

Where the W95B can’t quite compete with the Z95B is audio. It uses something Panasonic is calling Dynamic Theatre Sound and is bolstered by a beefy 20W subwoofer but doesn’t have quite as impressive sonic credentials.

We’re yet to receive pricing information but expect a summer rollout for the W95B, which looks like it could give Sony’s Mini LED flagship, the excellent Sony Bravia 9, a run for its money.