Panasonic’s LZ2000 – even better than last year’s model

Last year I reviewed Panasonic’s JZ1000 OLED TV, an absolute cracker that offered amazing value for money. I gave it a 10 out of 10 rating. This week, another Panasonic TV, the LZ2000, turned up at Witchdoctor towers. How would it compare with last year’s models?

Like the JZ1000, the LZ2000 is a 4K OLED TV, but this time round, it comes with a Dolby Atmos sound system built in and extras for gamers. In 2021, the JZ1000 astonished me with its vivid and incredibly crisp video. The LZ2000 takes that to a whole new level.

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It comes in three sizes: 55-inches (which retails for a wallet-pleasing $4799.99), 65-inches (which fetches a sticker price of $6999.99), and a 77-inch whopper (which sells for $10,999.99).

It might look almost like last year’s model, but the screen is practically bezel-free. Aside from the front-facing speaker grill and pedestal stand, there is little distraction from the on-screen action. Using a stand makes the LZ2000 a doddle to place on top of my cluttered AV cabinet.

Around the back, there are plenty of connectivity options. There are four HDMI ports (two support High Frame Rate 4K/120HZ video from games consoles), and one of these also supports eARC. All four HDMI ports also have ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate) support.

Looks-wise, the remote is little changed from last year’s model. It sports dedicated buttons for Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and Disney+. The only real drawback with the remote is that it isn’t backlit. The addition of Alexa is a real bonus. Being able to turn on/off lights or get alerts when my Ring cameras detect someone approaching the front door is super handy. Sadly, unlike Samsung TVs, Panasonic’s Alexa implementation doesn’t support camera previews. That said, it’s a solid clicker that is sensibly laid out.

All major streaming services are catered for, and even nicer, local Kiwi streaming services are also well represented. Three Now, Spark Sport, Sky Sport, Neon, Freeview and TVNZ were all present and accounted for. Gamers will also appreciate the Game Control Board, which provides an on-screen view of frame rates, input lag, VRR and HDR. It can be set to display when you hit the “My App” button. With gaming, I found the LZ2000’s latency excellent – its input lag was typically at a barely perceptible 14.3ms.

The LZ2000 delivered vibrant, sharp and super vivid video. Its stellar screen output comes down to panel design and video processing improvements. These come from Panasonic’s latest Master OLED Pro panel and their HCX Auto AI video processor.

The panel is the newest OLED EX from LG, which Panasonic engineers have tweaked to deliver higher peak whites (this was particularly noticeable with HDR movies) and improve colour volume. All told, the LZ2000’s colour fidelity was great. Movies and TV shows popped. Upscaled Sky TV looked crispy, while streamed UHD content was super detailed. This was helped via a built-in light sensor that feeds into the HCX Auto AI video processor to tweak luminance and white balance in real-time.

HDR support is comprehensive. The LZ2000 plays nice with Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, and the newly introduced Netflix Adaptive Calibrated mode. HDR support was beautifully showcased by the LZ2000’s low-light performance. The level of detail teased out of shadows in dark scenes by HDR impressed.

If it were just solid video output, that’d be nice, but the LZ2000 also delivered ear-pleasing audio. With ultra-slim screens, most OLED TVs simply don’t have room to house a decent set of speaker drivers and struggle to deliver a convincing soundstage with anything approximating bass. Those with a home theatre setup are unlikely to find this a concern. Still, anyone wanting a standalone TV or making do with a soundbar will find the JZ2000’s audio output an extremely pleasant surprise.

I found the height and width of the soundstage cranked out by the LZ2000 impressive. There was a definite sense of left and right, while Atmos effects such as rain were reflected off my lounge ceiling to good effect. For movie viewing, the sense of drama conveyed by the LZ2000 speakers added to the overall viewing experience. As a bass hound, I was impressed by the bass it managed to crank out. Where Panasonic’s engineers managed to find the space to hide a sub in the LZ2000’s chassis is beyond me.

Using the forward-facing speakers (also beam steering capable), I could fine-tune the listening zone using the sound focus mode setting. Settings ranged from a single sweet spot via the pinpoint setting to broader areas using the ambient or area sound focus setting.

If by now you’re thinking I’m impressed with Panasonic’s latest TV, you’d be right on the money. It takes what was already great with the JZ1000, building on it with extra video processing smarts, gamer-friendly features and impressive audio. They’ve taken what was already brilliant and made it better still.

www.panasonic.com