Z85 Series (2024 Model) 55-inch OLED 4K Ultra HD Smart Fire TV, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, 120Hz Refresh Rate - 55Z85AP

For starters, I've always been a Panasonic fan. I did a lot of research before settling on this TV. I bought it to replace a 48" LG-C3 OLED, which I had for 18 months and realized I preferred a 55" screen. Price wise, you can't do better for the same class of an OLED. The build quality is excellent. I don't find the image too dark as what some are saying. I never get direct sunlight, and I prefer watching in a dim to dark room anyway. Even when I have on my overhead halogens, the picture is fine. The settings are good right out of the box, but I did have a friend come over who is a tech wiz and he help me set up my Apple TV to it - and the settings DO matter on that device if you want the brightest and sharpest image. Remember, it all depends on what content you are watching and how it was mastered. I do prefer my Apple TV over the Fire TV OS, but it's just my preference. Fire TV works just fine. I have a Sonos soundbar connected to it which works great, however when switching inputs there tends to be a lag of up to 30 seconds before the sound and screen "coordinate" with each other, resulting in a black screen and no sound. When not using the soundbar, there is no lag when switching inputs. Could be different with other soundbar brands. The TV speakers are pretty decent for a TV, but not in the same league as a good soundbar. Movies look superb on the screen, and I watch a lot of older content and the upscaling is amazing. Sure, I could have spent 2K + for a brighter model, but I wasn't looking for that price range so I'd say the Z85 is a pretty safe bet with a company that has a good solid reputation.

I have had this TV for over a year now. I did have some connection issues at first but those seem settled or I have learned how things work. I have Fire TV so it gets confusing when tuning in local channels. This TV will show the Fire TV version and the antenna version on the guide. I'm never quite sure which one I am tuning into. As far as the picture goes, I am more than satisfied. With some tweaking, I was able to get the colors more natural. Not that the default was oversaturated but maybe the tint was a little off from what I felt was a natural coloration. Of course the content matters too and will vary widely but I was able to find a happy medium that looks great overall. My previous TVs were Panasonic plasmas from around 2010 and I am still using one of those for another week until my 2nd OLED arrives. They actually still work great and have nice deep black levels but the OLED panels rank right there with them and have a much clearer picture (and use much less electricity, don't have the slight buzz that developed with bright scenes, and give off less heat.)

Amazon deiivery left it at my front door, and with the help of a guy who was cutting the grass, we hauled it upstairs, unboxed it, attached the stand, lifted the assembly unto a dresser, put the enclosed batteries in the remote, and-- voila!-- in less than 30 minutes we had a perfect picture (wirelessly, no adjustments to TV). The toughest decision was choosing between this TV and the similarly priced LG set. In the end, sentiment (Panasonic's re-entry after a 10-year hiatus) and the Japanese connection (as opposed to Korean) led to my selection. The set looks great though the OLED picture, at least initially, did not blow me away). That was 2 weeks ago. My now the Panasonic has me totally spoiled. Compared to my LED sets (by Sony and Samsung), the picture comes on much faster and with a brilliance that pops out into the upstairs room, even with morning sun coming in through 2 windows. The sound is good though somewhat uneven to my musical ears. The bass frequency is present, though it's not the big theater-bass that a sub-woofer could supply. The only annoyances (minor): 1. The value of the included Fire TV switch was lessened by my Spectrum cable subscription (legal regulations prevent Fire from carrying the Spectrum app. But a Roku switch worked just fine. 2. The audio quality is over-promised by the description, which must apply to the optional neck speakers or a good soundbar. I plan to purchase the latter not for an immersive experience but to bring out announcerw' voices (during Olympic figure skating and college basketball games). All in all, a very reasonable step up to big screen TV and OLED technology (which I'd been following for 20 years, or ever since Sony premiered an OLED set with a tiny screen at a much bigger price).

Great build quality, excellent picture accuracy with ample fine tuning adjustments allowing for multiple personalized settings. All of this at a more than reasonable price point makes this one of the best choices if you are looking for a quality OLED television.