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Panasonic has dropped a pleasant surprise on U.S. AV fans today in the substantial shape of the 77Z8BA: A new 77-inch OLED TV boasting a host of premium picture, sound and smart technologies that can be yours for the very reasonable sounding price of $2,499. The Z8BA is designed to provide U.S. TV buyers who can’t afford Panasonic’s stellar Z95B flagship OLED TVs (the 77-inch version of which costs well over $4,000) with a cheaper way of getting their hands on the brand’s acclaimed OLED technology. Just because it’s relatively affordable, though, doesn’t mean that the 77Z8BA is short of promising features and specifications. The new Panasonic Z8BA is only available in a single 77-inch screen size. Photo: Panasonic It’s built on one of Panasonic’s Master OLED Pro Cinema Size panels, for starters. This is a premium ‘OLED EX’ panel class capable of more brightness and a wider color gamut than basic OLED panels – though it is not one of the latest ultra-bright Primary RGB Tandem panels that Panasonic’s dazzling Z95B series get. This is the main reason why the Z8BA is so much cheaper than the Z95Bs. The panel is driven by Panasonic’s HCX Pro AI Processor MkII, as well. This is the same flagship processor the Z95Bs get, and benefits from all of Panasonic’s long experience with self-emissive panels, as well as the latest results of the brand’s long and deep relationships with the professional film and TV worlds. Pictures for every taste and situation I’ve seen this processor in action on the Z95Bs, and can confirm that features it supports such as a dynamic 3D LUT colour system, outstanding HDR tone mapping and an AI-backed resolution enhancer manage to deliver exceptionally natural, cinematic and accurate pictures if that’s what you want, or strikingly punchy, vibrant, dynamic pictures if you prefer those – as well as pretty much any picture ‘look’ in between. All while almost always retaining an exceptional sense of balance and immersion. MORE FOR YOU The Z8BA retains Panasonic’s excellent habit of supporting all four of the main high dynamic range formats found in the home entertainment world: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. This means it will always play the best version available of any HDR content it receives. In fact, it even supports the Adaptive version of HDR10+ and IQ version of Dolby Vision, where the TV can adjust the way images appear based on the amount of ambient light in the room. The light sensor that informs the HDR10+ and Dolby Vision IQ workings can also work with the TV’s Filmmaker Mode – a preset that’s been designed in line with the recommendations of the independent UHD Alliance to show content looking as close as possible to the way its creators intended it to look. The Z8BA’s picture talents aren’t just focused on home cinema. It’s also designed to be a serious gaming display, thanks to such features as support on two of the four HDMI ports for frame rates up to 144Hz; variable refresh rates in the AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-Sync formats (as well as the ‘basic’ HDMI VRR system); a dedicated Game Control Board menu providing access to both detailed information on the incoming graphics configuration and a selection of gaming assists; a True Game Mode preset designed to optimise color accuracy, white balance and grayscale settings for game graphics; and an ‘Extreme’ Game Mode setting that minimises the screen’s response time. The Z8BA is designed to appeal to gamers as much as movie fans. Photo: Panasonic The 77Z8BA’s premium pictures are backed up – surprisingly considering how relatively affordable the TV is – by one of Panasonic’s multi-channel 360-degree Soundscape Pro systems. Tuned by Technics, this audio set up delivers 170W of total sound output comprising 90W across a front line speaker array, two 15W side-firing speakers, two 15W up-firing speakers (to deliver Dolby Atmos’s height/overhead effects), and a 20W bass woofer. You can even, as with the Z95Bs, adjust the direction the sound from the front speakers is beamed out, so that it can focus perfectly on your seating position. The 77Z8A’s smart features are provided by the Fire TV platform, and include built-in Alexa voice control, Apple Airplay support, and Apple Home support. Plus, finally, there’s support for the free over-the-air NEXTGEN TV channels now available to more than three-quarters of U.S. TV viewers. The 77Z8BA will become available for pre-sale purchase from October 27, before enjoying a wider roll out from mid-November. Related Reading Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
