Panasonic MZ980 review

The Panasonic MZ980 OLED isn’t the best or brightest Panasonic OLED out there, but it might be the smartest choice of the firm’s 2023 range.

That’s because this smart TV, building on last year’s LZ980 model, makes sure to offer the most important things in a home cinema screen – even if you miss out on a couple of next-gen, flagship features.

It starts at £1,599 for a 42in model but I’ve tested the 55in size which is the largest MZ980 at £2,099. These prices put it in competition with the likes of LG and Sony so it’s not easy.

Design & Build

• Pedestal TV stand included
• Four HDMI 2.1 ports
• Super-sized remote

The MZ980 comes in three screen sizes: 42-, 48-, and 55in. That’s a good range, though it means this set is better suited to those after a small-to-medium TV, rather than the larger sizes found with the MZ1500 (55-65in) or MZ2000 (55-77in).

The MZ980 features a thin OLED panel, with a compact sound system and series of ports bolted onto the rear. The screen comes with a central pedestal stand that screws into the back of the display, and keeps its 14.5kg weight balanced; however, the MZ980 lacks the convenient swivel stand found on Panasonic’s fancier OLEDs.

Henry St Leger / Foundry

In terms of connections, you’ll find four HDMI ports; two of them are specified at HDMI 2.1, supporting 4K video passthrough at 120Hz, while input 2 supports eARC (enhanced audio return channel) for two-way soundbar communication. There are also two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, and inputs for Ethernet, optical, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Panasonic is all about options for the viewer – and that’s clear in the large remote, which packs in buttons for everything from volume and playback controls to six streaming service shortcuts and a full numerical keypad. It’s quite a different experience to LG’s ergonomic Magic Remote, or the sleek Siri remote for Apple TV, but Panasonic makes sure that everything you need is in the palm of your hand.

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Specs & Features

• My Home Screen 8.0 interface
• 120Hz refresh rate
• Light sensor and adaptive picture

Most of Panasonic’s 2023 OLED range uses its proprietary My Home Screen 8.0 interface, which supports all the usual suspects in the world of streaming: Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, YouTube, Twitch, and more.

The eponymous home screen pops up as a transparent overlay over whatever content you’re watching, with key streaming apps and services listed along the bottom of the screen. If you hover over the apps, you’ll see a row of suggested titles and ‘continue watching’ options, so you can dive directly into a show rather than having to look for it in-app. It’s a neat timesaver.

Henry St Leger / Foundry

However, My Home Screen is very clearly designed for those who like fiddling with their picture settings, and there’s a lot if you know where to look for it. You can quickly see an overview of primary picture modes with the remote’s ‘Picture’ button, and even amend the shortlist in the full settings – though to get into the nitty gritty, you’ll have to hit the ‘Menu’ button, bringing up a horizontal overlay, then select ‘Main Menu’ to ditch it for a vertical overlay with more in-depth options.

The MZ980 also features a light sensor for adaptive HDR formats like HDR10+ Adaptive or Dolby Vision IQ. This detects the level of ambient light in your viewing environment and tweaks the HDR output to best suit its surroundings.

If you like talking to your TV, the MZ980 technically supports Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa smart assistants – allowing you to control playback, volume, and universal search functions with just your voice. 

However, setting up voice control is hellishly complicated: you’ll need to head to the ‘Voice control’ setting menu to set the assistant up, then install the ‘Panasonic TV’ skill on the Alexa mobile app, before heading to your ‘Smart speaker settings’ in the ‘Network’ menu, and registering your TV as a designated smart speaker (you’ll also need to create / sign into a Panasonic account to do this).

For a ‘convenience’ feature like voice control, we’d hope there were fewer hoops to jump through, and that the setup wasn’t spread across so many menus, devices and applications.

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There’s a cornucopia of gaming specifications, which thankfully are more widespread in TVs these days. As well as the 120Hz support, meaning you can get the maximum resolution and frame rate out of any connected game consoles, alongside VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) for a smooth picture, and both AMD Freesync and G-Sync for anyone using their TV as a gaming monitor.

All four HDMI ports support ALLM (auto low latency mode) to ensure gaming feels responsive, too – you might not get sub-10ms input lag, but it’s close enough to be negligible.

Picture Quality

• Advanced HCX Pro AI processor
• No heat sink or Micro Lens Array (MLA)
• Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos audio

The headline here is the HCX Pro AI processor, which is the same chipset you’ll find in the flagship MZ2000, so you can expect the same level of high-end picture processing and Panasonic’s characteristically accurate images.

Panasonic has close ties to Hollywood, which uses its screens as mastering monitors for big-budget films; it’s a big advocate of Filmmaker Mode, which strips back TV processing to help depict a film or TV show the way the creator intended, and Panasonic’s HCX Pro AI chip has similar inclinations. Images are vivid and detailed – and while they may lack some of the ‘pop’ of other televisions, they gun for realism and tonal accuracy in a very effective way. 

Support for any and all HDR formats certainly helps, with greater colour depth and contrast when using the likes of HDR10+ or Dolby Vision – especially heightened by the ambient light sensor the MZ980 uses to better calibrate its brightness output.

Dynamic HDR formats can reduce overall brightness a little, in pursuit of more effective contrast, and OLEDs can use all the help they can get.

Henry St Leger / Foundry

You don’t have to use Filmmaker Mode, either, and can swap easily between some other presets (Normal, Dynamic, Sport, Cinema) depending on your preference and the kind of content you’re watching – though I recommend switching off the Intelligent Frame Creation feature entirely in the TV’s ‘Picture’ settings, to reduce pixelated noise around fast-moving objects.

With the setting turned on, even a slightly frantic shopkeeper in the opening scenes of HBO’s The Last Of Us makes for a very messy view.

As an OLED TV, the MZ980 has excellent viewing angles, and that famous ‘infinite contrast’ between the screen’s turned-off black pixels and its bright highlights. Even the city skyline screensaver that plays on the Apple TV 4K looks astonishing, full of innumerable tiny glints of light that individually stand out in the dark.

You’re not getting some of the latest OLED panel improvements, like the MLA (Micro Lens Array) layer found in the MZ2000 or LG G3 OLED, which uses thousands of microscopic lenses to boost brightness output, so the usual warning about OLED brightness remains. Dark scenes can be hard to make out in bright environments, though the TV is an utter delight for a post-dinner movie, and can take a little indirect light without it being too disruptive.

Sound Quality

• 2x15W speakers
• Dolby Atmos compatible

The major difference between the MZ980 and Panasonic’s step–up models is the sound output; the MZ980 makes do with a pair of 15W speakers, for a simple stereo system compared to the MZ1500’s 2.1 channel setup and the MZ2000’s roaring 150W output.

That 30W can only do so much, so it makes the MZ980 the best choice for someone with an existing sound system or soundbar they can connect to the display, to make the most of the screen’s Dolby Atmos capability.

Still, the built-in audio is detailed, and has enough heft to it to give movies some presence; watching Prey (2022), the opening thwunk of a handaxe into wood is immediately arresting, and the film’s chase sequences manage to deftly separate the lead’s panting breaths from both sprinting animals and the tense score, even if the speakers can’t do justice to the deep roll of thunder without a dedicated subwoofer.

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Price & Availability

The MZ980 is a little pricey, compared to some other mid-tier OLEDs – though its range of sizes (42-55in) means you can save a little by not opting for a larger screen.

The MZ980 starts at £1,599 for the smallest 42in version, going up to £1,699 for 48in, meaning there’s little reason not to opt for the latter (as long as you can fit it in your home, that is). You’ll be paying £2,099 for the largest 55in size, which is around the same price of the LG C3 OLED at launch.

If you want a cheaper Panasonic model, you can check out the MZ800, which costs just £1,299 for a 55in size – though you’ll have to make do with 20W audio, a 60Hz panel, the Android TV operating system (rather than Panasonic’s MyHomeScreen smart platform), and a less advanced processor.

You can find the MZ980 at a number of technology retailers, such as John Lewis, Richer Sounds, Sevenoaks, and Hughes.

Check out our chart of the best TVs for more options.

Verdict

The Panasonic MZ980 is a brilliant OLED TV, with a capable processor and fully-packed feature set for cinephiles and gamers alike. It may lack the latest OLED enhancements and isn’t always as user-friendly as I’d like, but this is an excellent home cinema screen regardless.

For anyone with an existing sound system, particularly, this is a wonderful choice for a new TV.

Specs

• Sizes: 42/48/55in 
• Model tested: 55in 
• Display technology: OLED 
• Resolution: 3840 x 2160 4K 
• Refresh rate: 120Hz 
• HDR support: Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG 
• HDMI: x2 (2.1), x2 (2.0) 
• Tuner: Freeview Play 
• OS: My Home Screen 8.0
• Dimensions: 1227(w) x 765(h) x 303(d)mm (with pedestal stand) 
• Weight: 18.5kg (with stand)