NEWS: Panasonic adds HZ980 OLED TV to 2020 line-up

How is it different from HZ1000

The only difference I can see is the HZ1000 has ‘smooth motion drive pro’ vs ‘smooth motion drive’ on the HZ980. And the HZ1000 shows as 350mm in depth vs 348mm on the HZ980. That’s all I can work out at the moment!

There must be something else surely. Can’t be worth releasing two different models for something so minor. Especially when it’s probably just the software that has been modified to give it ‘Pro’ motion.
 
Introducing the new 2020 Panasonic HZ980 4K OLED TV for better contrast and faithful colour
 
One major difference is the price. This one's apparently £1699, the HZ1000 is listed on Richer Sounds at £1999. £300 for the word "Pro"?
 
I like Panasonic’s picture accuracy and motion and my son is into gaming. I’m interested if this set supports next generation gaming consoles. If not, it’s yet another in a line of 2020 TVs that hasn’t addressed fundamental weaknesses from previous models.
 
seems very slightly different to GX950B - I do wonder if the GX950B isn’t the billy bargain of the OLED panels right now - my 55 cost £1100 and the picture is totally amazing to me for this price.
 
I’d have been happier if they’d announced a 48 inch to be honest. Have a nice projector already and don’t always want it to be mahoosive.
 
I like Panasonic’s picture accuracy and motion and my son is into gaming. I’m interested if this set supports next generation gaming consoles. If not, it’s yet another in a line of 2020 TVs that hasn’t addressed fundamental weaknesses from previous models.

I think the only HDMI 2.1 features supported in the 2020 sets are ALLM and eARC but only time will tell whether the next gen consoles take full advantage of the missing features, I guess.
 
Is the Apple TV+ app on the 2020 oled’s as my 2019 does not have it.
 
I’m getting an OLED, my first, sometime this year. This might be another one to look into along with my other two choices, the LG 48CX and Sony 48A9. The latter two still seem better options at the moment though, they look to have better features and space restrictions mean 48” would be preferable. I could stretch to 55” though at a push.
 
I’d have been happier if they’d announced a 48 inch to be honest. Have a nice projector already and don’t always want it to be mahoosive.
I'd be happy if they supported HDMI 2.1 properly like LG. It is astonishing that most big manufacturers (including Sony themselves) do not have TV's ready for the consoles launching in just a handful of months (at most). Just means my upgrade will be waiting another year...
 
One major difference is the price. This one's apparently £1699, the HZ1000 is listed on Richer Sounds at £1999. £300 for the word "Pro"?
Do you pay exrta on a Merc jusy for the word AMG? No, it actually represents a feature, and enhanced performance.

You don't know what the word pro represents in reality, so why speculate that the additional value is, effectively, a rip off!?
 
I'd be happy if they supported HDMI 2.1 properly like LG. It is astonishing that most big manufacturers (including Sony themselves) do not have TV's ready for the consoles launching in just a handful of months (at most). Just means my upgrade will be waiting another year...
It’s not just astonishing, it’s a disgrace. At best the manufacturers are treading water this year. IMHO they are taking the mick out of customers by overhyping tweaks, charging premium prices to put old wine in new bottles, and omitting features that should be bog standard in 2020.
 
It’s not just astonishing, it’s a disgrace. At best the manufacturers are treading water this year. IMHO they are taking the mick out of customers by overhyping tweaks, charging premium prices to put old wine in new bottles, and omitting features that should be bog standard in 2020.
Old wine in new bottles? Now that's the thinking man's scam....!
 
It’s not just astonishing, it’s a disgrace. At best the manufacturers are treading water this year. IMHO they are taking the mick out of customers by overhyping tweaks, charging premium prices to put old wine in new bottles, and omitting features that should be bog standard in 2020.

'Premium prices'? I remember when a 42" plasma TVs would cost £4k and people bought them. It wasn't long ago you had 47" HD LED TVs being released at £3k.These are 55" 4K OLED TVs being released at £1.8k because people don't buy premium anymore.

Until people are willing to pay premium you won't see a TV with all features in 1
 
'Premium prices'? I remember when a 42" plasma TVs would cost £4k and people bought them. It wasn't long ago you had 47" HD LED TVs being released at £3k.These are 55" 4K OLED TVs being released at £1.8k because people don't buy premium anymore.

Until people are willing to pay premium you won't see a TV with all features in 1
I beg to differ. A product costing the equivalent of a month’s net salary for the average person is a premium price, especially in the current economic climate. What something cost years ago is irrelevant, and an argument for charging thousands for a smart phone.
Using LG as an example, and comparing the CX with the C9. The CX was launched in the U.K. without catch up TV, which in 2020 is equivalent to launching a car without wheels. It’s a significant downgrade on several fronts, e.g. no true HDMI 2.1, no DTS encoders - issues strangely not mentioned by so-called independent reviewers. Yet the CX is currently £500 more expensive than the C9.
Hard pressed folks shelling out nearly £2k have a right to expect a TV that combines really good out of the box picture accuracy, excellent motion handling, strong gaming capability, and future proofing. In this day and age, it’s the least customers should get for their money.
 
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I beg to differ. A product costing the equivalent of a month’s net salary for the average person is a premium price, especially in the current economic climate. What something cost years ago is irrelevant, and an argument for charging thousands for a smart phone.
Using LG as an example, and comparing the CX with the C9. The CX was launched in the U.K. without catch up TV, which in 2020 is equivalent to launching a car without wheels. It’s a significant downgrade on several fronts, e.g. no true HDMI 2.1, no DTS encoders - issues strangely not mentioned by so-called independent reviewers. Yet the CX is currently £500 more expensive than the C9.
Hard pressed folks shelling out nearly £2k have a right to expect a TV that combines really good out of the box picture accuracy, excellent motion handling, strong gaming capability, and future proofing. In this day and age, it’s the least customers should get for their money.
Your example of the CX and C9 is doesn't make any sense, you are comparing the release price of the CX and the exit price of the C9. The fact that the CX is being released cheaper than the C9 was released at and is a 'downgrade' on the C9 actually makes makes my point. LG are making it cheaper to release it cheaper.

Your point about smartphones also makes my point, apart from when smartphones first entered the market they have been getting more and more expensive each year and getting more and more advanced each year, camera quality, camera amount, memory, screen resolution, refresh rate build quality. TV space is the only market where people expect things to get bigger, cheaper but somehow more advanced
 
Do you pay exrta on a Merc jusy for the word AMG? No, it actually represents a feature, and enhanced performance.

You don't know what the word pro represents in reality, so why speculate that the additional value is, effectively, a rip off!?

I was being facetious, but you know, you do you. And people do pay extra for AMG-Line with no uptake in performance, just different seats. :)
 

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