Pat PilcherKiwis love Panasonic panels but they’ve been MIA for some years in the USA. PAT PILCHER details the return of Panasonic TVs to the American market.
America has long been the home of shockingly bad TV, and no we’re not talking about Beverly Hills 90210 (even though it totally blew chunks), we’re talking about the analogue colour system that those poor Yanks put up with until the advent of HD and digital broadcasts, NTSC (otherwise known as Never Twice the Same Colour).
Thankfully, there’s now some good news coming for those in the land of the free. Panasonic has announced that they are launching their excellent TV line up there, which includes the rather excellent Z95A OLED TV that Witchdoctor scored a perfect 10/10 along with their newly minted Mini-LED boob tubes.
The US lineup will range from 55 to 85 inches, and all models will run Amazon’s Fire TV operating system. Panasonic TVs will be available in the US from retailers such as Amazon and Costco.
Panasonic, which is one of Japan’s largest consumer electronics brands, says their move to re-enter the US market was driven by an unmet demand for their televisions as US consumers sought out the highest quality 4K video along with great sound.
The irony surrounding the announcement is that Panasonic has long collaborated with Hollywood professionals in the US to colour calibrate their TV range, and that the marriage between US colourists and Japanese engineering has resulted in an astonishing viewing experience.
The other factor driving the re-emergence of Panasonic in the US has been the rise and rise of the smart home. With Panasonic TVs now using Amazon’s Fire TV OS, US consumers (most of whom have embraced the Amazon/Ring smart home ecosystem) are able to benefit from Panasonic’s ability to seamlessly integrate their panels into their smart homes.
