Panasonic 55EZ952 4K OLED TV Review & Comments

Great review Steve, many thanks again. Makes you wonder why go for the big brother at all?

Can you please elaborate on pana use of HDR as per your comment. I believe pana tone mapping protecting all details resulted in a slight compromise on the HDR/overall picture pop effect (but less dark than lg tone mapping).
Do you think it is less agressive because pana wants to protect color accuracy or details?

Shame that it doesn't have dv but I will certainly not disregard this great set for that reason...far from it
 
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Excellent review. My EZ1002 will be delivered on Monday although I have only paid extra GBP 500 compared to the EZ952 so not a bad burn there. Should have waited for the EZ952 review!
 
I really want to buy a 55'' EZ952. The only thing actually stopping me is motion handling as I do watch lots of football. Steve described it quite well in the review but I still wonder whether the difference will be too great with my current Kuro plasma. Any thoughts on this?
 
I really want to buy a 55'' EZ952. The only thing actually stopping me is motion handling as I do watch lots of football. Steve described it quite well in the review but I still wonder whether the difference will be too great with my current Kuro plasma. Any thoughts on this?

you should have no issues with motion on the panasonic or sony oleds....the Lg's some do and some don't.
 
Better out of the box color accuracy ( personally I don't have access to professional calibrators in my region or can't find them), better HDR10 performance, (presumably) more stable OS, better remote, better gaming performance are more important to me than better speaker and Dolby Vision so maybe I'll go rogue and pick the EZ950.

By the time when DV overtake then I will need a new TV anyway but I don't really want to give up the above listed things for couple of DV discs.


Can the TV properly display 24Hz movies via streaming apps?
 
I really want to buy a 55'' EZ952. The only thing actually stopping me is motion handling as I do watch lots of football. Steve described it quite well in the review but I still wonder whether the difference will be too great with my current Kuro plasma. Any thoughts on this?
When it comes to motion it is a very personal trait and you really need to try and demo any TV before buying it. Use the review as a guide only and make sure with your own eyes before parting with these sums of money.
 
I really want to buy a 55'' EZ952. The only thing actually stopping me is motion handling as I do watch lots of football. Steve described it quite well in the review but I still wonder whether the difference will be too great with my current Kuro plasma. Any thoughts on this?
I had a big worry about motion going from plasma to an OLED. There is absolutely no issue with my Sony A1. I strongly agree with Phil that you should see them in person. All the 2017 OLEDs will have differences in how they handle motion. It is not about the numbers but more about what each approach looks like to your own eyes.
 
When it comes to motion it is a very personal trait and you really need to try and demo any TV before buying it. Use the review as a guide only and make sure with your own eyes before parting with these sums of money.
This is clear, Phil :) I just wanted to invite comparisons, especially from people who have seen both displays.
 
Thanks for the review. I have been waiting for this one for a while.

Quick question for you guys suggesting doing a demo before you buy. How would you check sports performance? I watch football so how would I test that? Take a match in on a USB stick?
 
Thanks for the review. I have been waiting for this one for a while.

Quick question for you guys suggesting doing a demo before you buy. How would you check sports performance? I watch football so how would I test that? Take a match in on a USB stick?
This is exactly what I intend to do. Just make sure it is in the same resolution/FPS you watch it on your TV provider.
 
Many many thanks Steve, been waiting for this (checked everyday since ez1002 review was up :))

I'm almost ready for the leap to either this or A1. Next week both will be in stores around here and I will take a good side by side comparison, but there's something i won't be able to try out, for which I hope you (or someone who has access to both set) can help. About 99% of my tv usage is going to be ps4 pro 30 fps games, but I honestly hate 30 fps motion (I'd take max soap opera effect over 30 fps). Right now I'm still on pana plasma zt60 and can't stand 30 fps content there, hence i suppose this should hold true even on current oleds. So, in short, assuming money was not an issue, for 30 fps gaming with interpolation enhancements turned on which one in your opinion strikes the better input lag / picture quality balance between Sony A1 + bfi or motion plus and pana + bfi? I know it's a very picky question but there aren't may people who can try out both tv, so I really hope you can help. I'm half an inch to pull the trigger, just need to decide myself on this.
 
Excellent review Steve..
Panasonic seem to have nailed it with regards to the most accurate (reference)picture on this, and detail above black. Which is what I expected from them. All that expertise brought over from the mighty ZT/VT Plasma's..
I am seriously considering getting the 65" version of this as my second set.
Move my LG OLED into the bedroom. Which has me covered for DV..

The one thing that always bugs me about my still superb G6 is the noise in some content above black and the crush of shadow detail.
From your review Panasonic with their superior processing have it spot on..
;):thumbsup:

@Steve Withers will you be reviewing the 65" version?
 
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Steve, one area that confuses me currently is around the different approaches regarding HDR10. My understanding is that there are weaknesses in having a single tone mapping approach for an entire movie as it is not really possible to understand the Director's intention scene by scene on TVs that don't deliver up to 4000 nits. More information seems to be coming out daily about the use of algorithms that create dynamic metadata using clever algorithms. Have you been able to detect these in your testing?
 
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The big question is... can I finally retire my 55VT65 now?

Answer is yes but I will not pull the trigger before q1 2018 simply to get 2017 at best price and have a view what next generation has (ces: expect new génération panel, 1000 nits, hdmi 2.1, hfr, possibly dynamic hdr10, dv implemented with all manufacturer most probably, uhd blu ray players with dv without paying an oppo fortune).
This statement applies only if I had a superb VT at home
 
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Great review Steve, many thanks again. Makes you wonder why go for the big brother at all?

Can you please elaborate on pana use of HDR as per your comment. I believe pana tone mapping protecting all details resulted in a slight compromise on the HDR/overall picture pop effect (but less dark than lg tone mapping).
Do you think it is less agressive because pana wants to protect color accuracy or details?

Shame that it doesn't have dv but I will certainly not disregard this great set for that reason...far from it
In the absence of any agreed standards on how to correctly tone map HDR content, each manufacturer is free to take their own unique approach. Some have gone for a brighter mid-range at the expense of a degree of image accuracy, whilst others like Panasonic have tried to deliver images that retain the content creator's original intention. Based upon the HDR measurements it does indeed look as though Panasonic are tracking the PQ EOTF as closely as possible up to the limits of the panel's peak brightness to retain detail and colour accuracy. Aside from brightness variations between different panels, I personally think a lot of the comments about 'pop' seen elsewhere are more due to incorrect setup and features that distort the content creator's intentions than any real difference in tone mapping.
 
Steve, one area that confuses me currently is around the different approaches regarding HDR10. My understanding is that there are weaknesses in having a single tone mapping approach for an entire movie as it is not really possible to understand the Director's intention scene by scene on TVs that don't deliver up to 4000 nits. More information seems to be coming out daily about the use of algorithms that create dynamic metadata using clever algorithms. Have you been able to detect these in your testing?
You are correct, HDR10 with static metadata is very limited because you have a single peak brightness number (either 1,000 or 4,000 nits) for the entire film. So not only are many HDR TVs unable to reach these peak highlights, which is why tone mapping is so important, but clearly the overall brightness of a film changes from scene to scene. The answer is to encode the content with dynamic metadata (HDR10+ or Dolby Vision) that changes from scene to scene and thus ensures superior tone mapping regardless of the display's peak brightness. The dynamic HDR features that some manufacturers have been employing seeks to address this problem to a degree by analysing the image and adjusting the dynamic range accordingly. It's similar to the dynamic contrast feature that many TVs use with SDR content but like any form of processing it will sacrifice a degree of image accuracy and the content creator's intentions in order to achieve its effect. I've found in testing for example that this approach can deliver a brighter image for darker scenes but often results in peak highlights being clipped as the EOTF is artificially manipulated.
 
Many many thanks Steve, been waiting for this (checked everyday since ez1002 review was up :))

I'm almost ready for the leap to either this or A1. Next week both will be in stores around here and I will take a good side by side comparison, but there's something i won't be able to try out, for which I hope you (or someone who has access to both set) can help. About 99% of my tv usage is going to be ps4 pro 30 fps games, but I honestly hate 30 fps motion (I'd take max soap opera effect over 30 fps). Right now I'm still on pana plasma zt60 and can't stand 30 fps content there, hence i suppose this should hold true even on current oleds. So, in short, assuming money was not an issue, for 30 fps gaming with interpolation enhancements turned on which one in your opinion strikes the better input lag / picture quality balance between Sony A1 + bfi or motion plus and pana + bfi? I know it's a very picky question but there aren't may people who can try out both tv, so I really hope you can help. I'm half an inch to pull the trigger, just need to decide myself on this.
If you use Clear Motion (IFC isn't an option in Game mode) with the EZ952 you get a lag of 34ms which is still very good and the motion was excellent I thought. Conversely using Motionflow on the A1 in Game mode will give you smoother motion but you're looking at a lag of 100ms, so on that basis the EZ952 seems the better option. However as Phil said in an earlier post, the best approach would be to demo the motion for yourself to make sure you're happy but I appreciate that might be tricky for gaming.
 
Million dollar question? Do JL, richer sound , curry or even pana main dealer price match the Costco price ?
Anyone did that in the past?
 

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You are correct, HDR10 with static metadata is very limited because you have a single peak brightness number (either 1,000 or 4,000 nits) for the entire film. So not only are many HDR TVs unable to reach these peak highlights, which is why tone mapping is so important, but clearly the overall brightness of a film changes from scene to scene. The answer is to encode the content with dynamic metadata (HDR10+ or Dolby Vision) that changes from scene to scene and thus ensures superior tone mapping regardless of the display's peak brightness. The dynamic HDR features that some manufacturers have been employing seeks to address this problem to a degree by analysing the image and adjusting the dynamic range accordingly. It's similar to the dynamic contrast feature that many TVs use with SDR content but like any form of processing it will sacrifice a degree of image accuracy and the content creator's intentions in order to achieve its effect. I've found in testing for example that this approach can deliver a brighter image for darker scenes but often results in peak highlights being clipped as the EOTF is artificially manipulated.

hi Steve and forum friends, do you know if pana has a similar system to Sony and lg analysing the picture and adapting HDR ?
I am not talking about the tone mapping..
 
View attachment 877493 Million dollar question? Do JL, richer sound , curry or even pana main dealer price match the Costco price ?
Anyone did that in the past?
Costco is not very close to me and have to sort delivery. Considering a natural mode of transport, will take me 3-4 days !!!!
If you are definitely getting the Panasonic from Costco I'll take you up there and back. I'm sure all the other members on here would sponsor me with the cost of fuel and and lunch at Costco.
In fact I must just set up a Just Giving page and the forum members and the many retailers you visit can all chip in and buy your TV for you. It sure it would be a huge relief for most on here and definitely for the retailers you visit.

If there was any money left in the pot after the tv purchase we could put it towards therapy so you could learn to fill the void in your life post purchase. And to deal with the depression that sets in after you realise the chase is what kept you going all these years.

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Some have gone for a brighter mid-range at the expense of a degree of image accuracy, whilst others like Panasonic have tried to deliver images that retain the content creator's original intention.
I can understand how Dolby Vision retains the original intentions as they gave an input to the tone mapping for each scene. I am struggling to understand how you know that a certain approach, in the absence of a clear definition, is more or less in line with the original intentions? Surely, the only way we will know is looking at the Dolby Vision version and then seeing which HDR10 TV gets closest to the Dolby Vision experience? It just seems that HDR10 is a nightmare without dynamic metadata and allowing for different manufacturer approaches.
 

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