Panasonic launched a brand spanking new product range at their 2015 Frankfurt convention and we were invited over for a sneak preview of the new models ahead of their release into stores across the country this spring.
2014 was a big year for innovation in new televisions. This included the introduction of new 4K Ultra HD screens which boasted a resolution four times better than full HD, bringing a definition and clarity never experienced from the comfort of
your own home. Panasonic have always been world renowned for their picture quality, and this year they have developed their 4K Studio Master Processor to deliver the best possible picture quality by ensuring colours, brightness and contrast are emitted at an optimum level for ultimate viewer experience. Last year also heralded the acceptance of curved sets from big brands including Samsung, Sony and Panasonic and these trends look likely to continue well into new TV models in 2015.
Panasonic have certainly kept up with the competition from our point of view this year and they have a fantastic range of 4K Ultra HD LED TVs hitting the stores in a variety of shapes and sizes for 2015. They’ve covered everything from a smaller screen you’ll want to mount onto a kitchen wall or massive cinema sized (ok, maybe not quite) TVs to take pride of place on a equally impressive stand in your living room. Panasonic have also embraced curved screens into this year’s range with five of their models available in 55 inch and 65 inch sizes all featuring the curvature designed to immerse you deeper into on screen action.
If you’re thinking about investing in a Panasonic TV this year, then there are two big updates to the new 2015 models which you should consider in your decision making. This year Panasonic partnered up with Firefox OS, (you may be familiar with if you’ve used the web browsing software on a Windows PC) and have created a graphically staggering, fast reacting interface which is quick and easy to use. Using my Home Screen 2.0 it breaks down content into three ‘decks’ (Live TV, Apps and Devices) so you can easily find what you’re looking for, and you can even customise your Home Screen by pinning your most favourite content apps to it.
The second big update for Panasonic is the introduction of Freeview Play – a brand new on-demand catch up service. Freeview Play is completely free and when launched in May, you will be able to access up to seven days of your favourite programmes by rolling back through a guide for all major channels which includes BBC iPlayer, ITV Player and 4OD with more channels forecasted for release later in the year. With Panasonic being the only manufacturer to build-in this service from launch, we’re predicting that this will prove an enticing feature for potential buyers this year. Models including the CX680, CX802 and the CX700 will all be able to access Freeview Play from May.
So what else can you expect from new Panasonic models this year? Well, other 21st century features include In-house TV streaming, Screen Mirroring and Swipe and Share which are all developed to enhance the user experience and make content sharing really simple. But you may be wondering how the new models will keep up with the amount of apps and data they’ll need to handle, well, Panasonic have thought of that as well and they have incorporated two processors. One for controlling picture quality while the other to smooth over built-in smart features, so no matter what you’re streaming whether it be a 4K film from Netflix, digital TV or streaming to a second room. the new range of Panasonic TVs are perfectly built to cope with modern day living.