Panasonic unveils its 2022 flagship OLED TV – the Panasonic LZ2000

Japanese tech giant Panasonic has revealed its flagship OLED television for 2022 – the Panasonic LZ2000.

The LZ2000 was launched at a virtual event during CES and is the successor to last year’s JZ2000; it’s similarly specced to its predecessor but features some notable upgrades in a few key areas. There will also be a new 77in “Master OLED Pro Cinema Size” model available in addition to 55in and 65in variants.

Powered by the HCX Pro AI Processor and running the latest version of Panasonic’s smart OS, My Home Screen 7.0, the LZ2000 supports a wide range of HDR formats, including HDR10, HDR10+ Adaptive, Filmmaker Mode, HLG Photo and Dolby Vision IQ.

Like the JZ2000, the LZ2000 is able to automatically adjust its picture based on the type of content being displayed and the light level in the room. This time around, however, it’s also able to factor in the ambient light temperature thanks to the incorporation of an RBG sensor. This should help ensure you’re getting the best picture quality possible at any given time.

Panasonic says the Auto AI picture mode that facilitates this works more quickly than it did in last year’s model and is also promising a bump in mid-level brightness along with “increased pop in HDR”.

The LZ2000 features some innovations on the audio front, too. It still houses the single upward-firing speaker and pair of side-firing speakers that the JZ2000 did, but the front-firing speakers have been replaced by a series of array speakers that run along the bottom of the TV panel.

This new arrangement creates a wider soundstage and is also able to deliver directional audio that can be adjusted to suit an individual’s needs via an easy-to-use UI. Viewers can select from three different modes: Pinpoint mode directs sound to a specific point in the room, Area mode shifts sound to a certain area and Spot mode boosts volume in a particular spot.

The JZ2000 was already a great choice for gamers thanks to its two HDMI 2.1 ports and support for High Frame Rate (HFR) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) at 4K/120Hz. The LZ2000 further improves on those impressive gaming credentials with the addition of a “Game Control Board” and “60Hz Refresh Mode”.

The new Game Control Board serves as a one-stop shop for accessing and adjusting key gaming features in real-time, while the 60Hz Refresh Mode reduces input lag significantly when playing games at 60Hz.

Based on what we’ve seen, the LZ2000 certainly looks like a worthy successor to the JZ2000. There’s currently no word on pricing, with further information set to be released before the TV goes on sale this summer.