Panasonic TX-55LZ2000 Review
Another spectacular high-end OLED TV from Panasonic
Verdict
Combining superlative image quality with the most authentic on-set Dolby Atmos sound system you can buy, plus all-new Game Mode Extreme functionality, Panasonic’s LZ2000 is the nearest we’ve seen to the ideal all-in-one home cinema package.
Pros
- Dynamic 4K image quality
- Multi-HDR support
- Game Mode Extreme
Cons
- 360 Soundscape Pro system could be overkill
- Only two 4K 120fps HDMI inputs
Key Features
- HDRDolby Vision IQ, HDR10, HDR10+ Adaptive, HLG, HDR Photo
- Adaptive picture modesFilmmaker mode with Intelligent Sensing, Netflix Adaptive Calibrated mode
- ProcessorHCX Pro AI processor
Introduction
The Panasonic LZ2000 is a high-end 4K OLED TV that comes with an advanced Dolby Atmos sound system built in, plus advanced gaming functionality, too. If you’re looking for fully immersive home cinema, but without the complications of multiple boxes, it will more than do the job.
The set is built around Panasonic’s latest Master OLED Pro panel and HCX Auto AI System on Chip (SoC). The former uses top-of-the-line OLED EX glass from LG Display, augmented by a raft of proprietary Panasonic technologies.
We’ve been impressed by the brand’s all-encompassing 2000-series screens before, but this edition takes the concept to another level. Naturally, it all comes at a price…
Availability
- UKRRP: £2299
- USAunavailable
- EuropeTBC
- Canadaunavailable
- Australiaunavailable
The LZ2000 range is available in three screen sizes: 55-, 65- and 77-inches (TX-55LZ2000, TX-65LZ2000, TX-77LZ2000). These sell for £2299, £2899, and £4299 respectively. On our test bench is the 55-incher.
The LZ2000 range isn’t available in the US, because Panasonic doesn’t sell televisions in North America.
Design
- Up-firing height and side for immersive audio
- Swivel pedestal stand
Sure, this year’s LZ2000 flagship looks much like last year’s model, but that’s no bad thing. The finish is stylishly dark, and the screen has next to no bezel. The panel sits on a central pedestal stand, rather than splayed feet, so should easily fit most AV furniture.
Connectivity is good, with a caveat. Only two of the four HDMI inputs support High Frame Rate 4K/120HZ video from a games console, and there’s eARC on one of these. However, all four HDMIs have ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR support.
The remote control is hefty, with dedicated buttons for Netflix, Rakuten TV, Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube and Freeview Play. The unit isn’t backlit, and for such an overt home cinema product you can’t help but feel that it should have been. The set has both terrestrial Freeview Play and satellite tuners.
Features
- My Home Screen v7 smart platform
- Freeview Play terrestrial tuner for catch-up TV
- Game Control Board
While it’s dabbled with Android lower down the ranks, Panasonic’s own smart TV platform, My Home Screen v7, remains the interface of choice here. It’s easy to live with and allows for welcome customisation: you can “pin” your favourite apps to the home screen for quick access.
There’s a wide variety of streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, BritBox, Disney+, Apple TV+, YouTube and Rakuten TV. Thanks to Freeview Play, there’s also a full complement of mainstream catch-up players.
Arguably the most significant new feature is the Game Control Board. This overlay presents gaming info, such as frame rate, input lag and VRR and HDR. To save digging around menus, you can assign said board to the “My App” button on the remote control, making it easy to call up. Latency is good; I measured input lag at 14.5ms (1080/60).
Picture Quality
- High-brightness OLED display
- First-class HDR performance
- Improved colour volume
The TX-55LZ2000 is the most dynamic, overtly vibrant HDR OLED screen yet seen from Panasonic. The brand has a history of delivering at the high-end of the TV market, but here it’s found extra performance thanks to improvements in panel design and processing power.
The TV employs the latest OLED EX panel from LG Display, enhanced by proprietary modifications inside the cell itself. Panasonic engineers have been pioneering heat management techniques with their OLED screens since 2019, and here they’ve been able to push that aspect a little harder.
The result isn’t just higher peak whites with HDR movies (for torches, lamp lights, fireworks and so on) but we get a general, consistent lift to the average picture level, which makes daytime TV and studio fare really pop.
Panasonic has also improved colour volume on the LZ2000, specifically within the blue space. This is good news if you have David Attenborough’s Blue Planet Blu-ray boxset. As we’ve come to expect, final colour tuning is by Hollywood colourist Stefan Sonnenfeld, who always gets fidelity spot on.
The set’s light sensor plays a big role in this model, since it directs the Auto AI process to make adjustments based on ambient lighting conditions, even down to the perception of white.
Image presets include Normal, Cinema, Filmmaker mode with Intelligent Sensing, True Cinema, Professional 1 and 2, Sport, Dynamic, Auto AI and Custom.
For ease of use it’s tempting to leave the set in Auto AI, and it works well, although I did notice little jumps as it reacts and dynamically adjusts the image. True Cinema was my preferred option for most content, delivering an elegant blend of punchy contrast and believable Sonnenfeld-approved hues.
Using the Normal image default, the LZ2000 delivers the best part of 1000 nits measured with a 5% HDR window. The set is also able to stay bright rather than suddenly dimming, which makes for a really consistent, cinematic presentation.
HDR format support is comprehensive and includes Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive. There’s also a new Netflix Adaptive Calibrated mode – although, since this almost always gets usurped by Dolby Vision IQ, I’m not really sure of the point of it.
The set’s low-light performance merits a special mention. In Resident Evil (Netflix, Dolby Atmos), our heroine is making her escape in the back of a truck through the Chunnel; it’s dark, but the LZ2000 reveals just enough detail in the shadows to raise concern. It’s really impressive.
Sound Quality
- 360 Soundscape Pro Dolby Atmos audio system
Similarly, the accompanying audio in Resident Evil is a feast of Dolby Atmos: in the same scene, guns fire across the soundstage; screams pierce left and right. There’s an enormous sense of movement and drama conveyed by the TV.
Not only is the set’s audio performance convincingly theatrical, with obvious height and width, there’s a surprisingly decent level of bass. Total power output is rated at 150W.
Sound presets cover Auto AI, Standard, Music, Speech, Stadium and User. Unlike the Auto AI picture mode, AI audio is a bit unpredictable. The soundstage sporadically shifts, dialogue popping in and out of different speakers. It’s all a bit disconcerting.
The main upgrade to Soundscape Pro is the forward-facing small speaker array, which now supports beam steering. Using an on-screen graphic, you can direct sound out of either left or right speakers across zones. While it doesn’t work with Dolby Atmos, the trick could be useful for those who don’t particularly want to listen to what their roomie is watching.
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Should you buy it?
You want a cutting-edge AV entertainment system without the faff With dedicated up and side-firing drivers mounted on the rear of the panel, plus an innovative forward-facing array, the LZ2000 sounds as good as it looks.
If you already have a decent multichannel sound system There’s no point doubling up on surround speakers if you already have a home cinema sound system. In that case, take a look at the Panasonic LZ1500, which uses an identical Master OLED Pro panel, but comes with a regular TV audio system.
Final Thoughts
With the LZ2000, Panasonic has redefined what’s possible with an all-in-one home cinema TV. It combines superb image quality and highly impressive HDR performance, with a genuinely immersive Dolby Atmos sound system.
The brand’s My Home Screen smart platform remains easy to live with, and the adoption of the Game Control Board will be welcomed by next-gen console owners – it’s a shame only two of the four HDMI inputs support HFR, though.
But, ultimately, that’s a small niggle with such an impressive flagship TV.
How we test
We test every televisions we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Tested across two weeks
Benchmarked with tests
Tested with real world use
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FAQs
Panasonic does not sell TVs in the United States or Canada, so the LZ2000 is not available for purchase.
Full specs
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As part of this mission, whenever we review a product we send the company a series of questions to help us gauge and make transparent the impact the device has on the environment.
We currently haven’t received answers to the questions on this product, but will update this page the moment we do. You can see a detailed breakdown of the questions we ask and why in our sustainability info page.
Jargon buster
Dolby Vision IQ
Dolby Vision IQ is an advanced version of the standard Dolby Vision signal. It uses the metadata within its own HDR signal in conjunction with a TV’s light sensor to detect how bright or how dark a room is in order to optimise the picture quality so content retains consistent luminance (brightness) and detail no matter how bright or dark the room is.Filmmaker Mode
Filmmaker Mode is a picture mode supported by some TV manufacturers that disables post-processing features (e.g. motion smoothing), and preserves the correct aspect ratios, colours and frame rates that respects the original author’s creative intent.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
