The Panasonic MZ980 is an OLED TV that steps into the limelight as the successor to the highly acclaimed Panasonic LZ980. Known for its exceptional value, the LZ980 has set a high bar in the market, making the MZ980's arrival highly anticipated.

Sitting as the most budget-friendly option in Panasonic's current OLED lineup, the MZ980 is positioned below the MZ1500 and MZ2000. It's also the only choice for those preferring a 42- or 48-inch screen. But does it truly offer the value you'd hope for, especially when it carries the same price tag as the well-regarded Sony A80L?

Price

Looking for the perfect balance between cost and quality? Our latest review dives deep into the value proposition of the product, ensuring you get the best bang for your buck. Keep reading to find out if this investment matches your expectations!

At its launch, the MZ980 was quite pricey, coming in at £2099 for the 55-inch model we're reviewing today. This trend was common in 2023, with the LG C3 also being costly at its launch.

Fortunately, prices have significantly dropped, and the MZ980 is now widely available for £1399. Currently, the Sony A80L and LG C3 are £100 more expensive than the Panasonic, but both were cheaper just days ago. You can consider all three sets to be roughly the same price.

If you're considering the Panasonic MZ980, it's also worth looking at the MZ1500, which is typically (and currently) only a bit more expensive.

Design

When it comes to modern aesthetics, our product stands out with its sleek and minimalist design. Every curve and material has been carefully selected to offer both style and comfort. Its compact form factor ensures it fits seamlessly into any space, without compromising on functionality.

Ergonomics

The ergonomic design of our product ensures that it is not only visually appealing but also comfortable to use. The thoughtful placement of controls and the intuitive interface make it accessible for users of all ages.

Materials

We have used premium materials to construct our product, ensuring durability and a high-end feel. The combination of metal and high-quality plastics offers sturdiness without sacrificing elegance.

Functionality

Our product design prioritizes functionality. Each element has been designed with the user in mind, ensuring ease of use without the need for a steep learning curve.

• Innovative Design

• User-Friendly Interface

• High-Quality Materials

Discover a product that combines style, comfort, and functionality seamlessly.

The Panasonic MZ980 stands apart from its sibling, the MZ1500, in a few notable ways. Unlike the MZ1500, it features a straightforward rectangular base affixed to the back of the TV instead of a sophisticated swivel stand. While this pivoting feature allows quick access to ports on the MZ1500 and higher models like the MZ2000, the MZ980 offers a more traditional setup.

Another significant distinction is the absence of a dedicated speaker bar beneath the screen. While some may view this as a drawback, there's a positive angle: we always recommend pairing a high-end TV with a separate speaker system or soundbar. TV speakers, constrained by space, simply can't deliver the audio quality of external systems. Plus, the lack of an integrated speaker bar means the MZ980 boasts a sleek design, making it easier to position a soundbar beneath it.

The remote control maintains the same layout as other Panasonic OLEDs we've reviewed this year, but it comes in a black finish rather than silver.

Features

Our latest model brims with state-of-the-art technologies designed to enhance your experience. From its sleek design to its powerful performance, every aspect is crafted with precision. The cutting-edge features ensure optimal efficiency and user satisfaction, making it the ideal choice for tech enthusiasts and casual users alike.

Design

The elegant design seamlessly blends form and function. Its ergonomic build offers comfort and ease of use, while the premium materials provide durability and a touch of sophistication.

Performance

Powered by the latest processors, it delivers lightning-fast speeds and robust performance. Whether you're multitasking or running high-demand applications, expect smooth and seamless operations with minimal lag.

Connectivity

Stay connected with an array of connectivity options, including multiple USB ports, HDMI outputs, and Bluetooth capabilities. It's designed to keep you linked with all your devices effortlessly.

Battery Life

Enjoy extended usage with a battery life that lasts all day. Whether for work or play, it ensures you stay powered without frequent recharges. The energy-efficient components work in harmony to provide long-lasting performance.

Audio and Display

Immerse yourself in stunning visual clarity and rich audio. The high-definition display offers vibrant colors and sharp details, perfect for media consumption or creative work. The integrated speakers deliver crisp, clear sound, elevating your multimedia experience.

• Sleek, ergonomic design

• High-performance processors

• Multiple connectivity options

• All-day battery life

• High-definition display and audio

This model represents the pinnacle of innovation and user-centric design. Embrace the future with a device that's as intelligent as it is stylish, and experience the ultimate in technology and convenience.

The third and final major difference between the MZ980 and the MZ1500 is that the MZ980 doesn't come with Panasonic's Master OLED Pro panel. Instead, it employs a standard OLED panel. This means it lacks the enhanced fine-tuning and optimizations found in Panasonic's higher-end models, affecting aspects like maximum brightness and color authenticity. Additionally, there's no brightness-boosting heatsink included.

Despite this, the MZ980 shares many features with the MZ1500. It's driven by the same HCX Pro AI processor. This is significant because this processor excels in picture processing, endowing the MZ980 with an equally impressive array of features.

As with Panasonic's other modern sets, this chip aims to deliver a picture quality that's 'as the director intended.' It brings the same intelligent optimization features seen in the MZ1500. Specifically, the MZ980 automatically adjusts its picture settings to account for ambient lighting conditions, though, for the best home cinema experience, we recommend watching films in a dark environment or with minimal light pollution.

The HDR support is both varied and extensive, including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, standard HDR10, and HLG. Moreover, Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive—versions of these formats that adjust automatically to ambient light—are also supported. Dolby Vision gaming, which remains relatively uncommon, is also included and will be beneficial for Xbox Series X/S gamers.

The MZ980 also offers a solid—though not top-tier—set of gaming features. The True Game mode functions similarly to the MZ1500, acting almost like a Filmmaker mode for gaming. It utilizes the HCX Pro AI processor to enhance color accuracy and contrast during gameplay. This is further supported by source-oriented HDR tone mapping, which boosts color accuracy when playing HDR games.

The TV supports VRR in Nvidia G-Sync, AMD FreeSync, and standard formats, which helps reduce screen tearing in compatible games.

While these features are commendable, the TV does share a common shortcoming of modern sets—it offers only two HDMI 2.1 ports capable of 4K/120Hz. One of these also serves as the eARC port, which is inconvenient if you need it for a soundbar or AV receiver. While the other two HDMI ports support ALLM, they lack VRR (or 120Hz support), making them less ideal for serious gamers.

Modern consoles and PCs require an HDMI 2.1 input for optimal performance. Additionally, Dolby Atmos requires an eARC input. Thus, if you own multiple gaming consoles and an Atmos soundbar, you may find yourself frequently swapping cables with only two HDMI 2.1 ports available. This issue is exacerbated by the lack of a pivot stand on the MZ980, making cable swapping more cumbersome. The LG C3 and G3 models, which include four HDMI 2.1 inputs, are often recommended as the best gaming TVs for current-gen console users.

The only other minor downside to the MZ980 is that it runs Panasonic's My Home Screen 8.0 software. While the UI itself is functional, its app selection lags behind competing platforms like Android TV and WebOS.

Staples like Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video are available and function well. However, there are some peculiar omissions. You only get Apple TV+ instead of the full Apple TV experience, meaning you can't rent or purchase movies from the Apple store. Moreover, niche services like Shudder and Crunchyroll are absent. Finally, popular gaming subscription services such as GeForce Now and Steam Link are also notably missing.

Picture

At first glance, the MZ980 appears quite similar to the MZ1500, especially when considering the panel technology. However, powering up both sets in our test rooms quickly reveals their family resemblance. As highlighted in our MZ1500 review, the best word to describe their picture performance is 'balanced'.

In HDR10 mode, watching Blade Runner 2049 in Filmmaker mode, the MZ980 delivers a warm, accurate picture similar to the MZ1500 and MZ2000. The dust-filled farm and Dave Bautista’s skin tones exhibit remarkable warmth and detail, creating an immersive experience.

During the intense opening fight scene, Panasonic’s motion handling wonderfully smooths out the frantic movements, adding realism as Bautista throws Ryan Gosling around. Likewise, the later scene with a flying car over LA looks natural and free of the shimmering or artificial soap opera effect that often plagues cheaper sets.

Detail levels are outstanding, with every hair on Gosling's head and every stitch in his knitted jumper appearing authentic during the subsequent interview scene.

Despite similarities, there are noticeable differences between the MZ980 and MZ1500. The MZ1500 is notably brighter, offering more detail in bright scenes than the MZ980. This difference is evident in the cityscape of Blade Runner 2049, where neon signs showcase more pop and definition.

The reason lies in hardware: the Panasonic MZ1500 features a Master OLED Pro panel with extra heat dispersion layers, enabling a brighter image.

In Blade Runner, the difference is subtle but becomes significant with other brighter movies. For instance, in testing Dolby Vision’s performance during Top Gun: Maverick, the increased brightness of the MZ1500 brings greater contrast across the skyline and a wider range of colors. Sections of jet flames that are detailed and colorful on the MZ1500 appear pure white on the MZ980.

Another example, Pan, a poorly reviewed movie but useful for testing peak brightness since it’s mastered to 4000 nits, highlights the disparity in maximum brightness. During a bright scene where the pirate ship soars through the sky, the MZ980 can't match the hue of the clouds in the setting sun as the MZ1500 does, losing detail as a result.

Despite these differences in peak brightness, the MZ980 still impresses. Skin tones are wonderfully accurate and every grain of sand and crease in Maverick’s jacket appears authentic and natural. Colors and motion handling are excellent, making the MZ980 quite similar to the 1500 in many other respects.

Switching to the dark movie The Batman, the MZ980 excels with shadow detail, revealing every bit of the hero’s armor and stray reflections as he moves through the shadows.

For SDR content, such as True Grit, the MZ980 and MZ1500 are hard to differentiate. Both upscale the movie well, maintaining the grainy quality the director intended, although some detail is lost in the darkest parts of the picture. The MZ980 delivers excellent results overall.

If authenticity is important to you, the MZ980 is a solid option and outperforms the LG C3 in many ways. However, its lower brightness and focus on subtlety may result in a picture that lacks the pop and dynamism seen on the MZ1500 and the similarly priced Sony A80L.

The lower brightness of the MZ980 can make the picture appear slightly flat and dull at times. Throughout our tests, our gaze naturally gravitated towards the Sony. Therefore, unless color accuracy and authenticity are your top priorities, we recommend the more dynamic and exciting viewing experience offered by the Sony over the MZ980.

Sound

Experience top-notch audio quality like never before. Our cutting-edge sound technology ensures crystal-clear sound, immersing you into your favorite music, movies, and games. With superior clarity and depth, every beat, note, and sound effect is enhanced to perfection. Elevate your audio experience and immerse yourself in the world of unparalleled sound.

The MZ980 OLED TV steps away from the speaker bar found in Panasonic’s pricier models and opts for a simpler setup, featuring two down-firing speakers at 15W per channel. While adequate for basic audio needs, we strongly recommend investing in a soundbar or an external speaker system to truly elevate your viewing experience, especially considering the MZ980’s price point.

In our standard stress test using chapter two of Blade Runner 2049, the TV’s speakers show their limitations. Even at moderate volumes, we noticed speaker rattle and distortion, particularly during bass-heavy sequences. The same issues arose in our test of Top Gun: Maverick, especially during the iconic sonic boom scene.

The speakers, while slightly dynamic and energetic compared to the C3 model, often sound thin and strained. This is especially noticeable when compared with the A80L, which offers a more detailed and directionally precise soundscape. The MZ980’s audio generally seems to emanate from behind the set, likely due to the rear placement of its speakers.

Despite these shortcomings, the MZ980 manages to deliver clear and detailed audio during less intense scenes, providing enough clarity to track regular conversations. For instance, Batman’s threats to the Penguin come through with an impressive sense of energy and menace.

However, the audio can quickly become muddled, lacking spatial depth and direction during more action-packed sequences, such as the Batmobile’s iconic engine roar during chase scenes.

For a superior audio experience, even a mid-range soundbar like the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) offers a remarkable improvement, as we observed with the LG C3 and other comparable sets.

Verdict

The product offers excellent performance and remarkable features that stand out in the market. Its user-friendly design and robust build make it a top choice for consumers. With seamless integration of essential functionalities and an attractive price point, it's a value-packed option for anyone looking to enhance their daily tech experience. This product meets the needs of a diverse audience, providing both reliability and innovation.

The Panasonic MZ980 is a solid TV offering, known for its remarkable picture authenticity that fans of the brand will appreciate. However, its pricing makes it a bit tough to recommend wholeheartedly when compared to its sibling, the MZ1500. For a slightly higher price, the MZ1500 delivers better brightness levels and a more immersive viewing experience, making it the preferable choice for Panasonic enthusiasts.

If you're open to exploring other brands, the Sony A80L stands out as an exceptionally compelling alternative. It boasts a punchier, more dynamic picture quality and superior audio performance, providing a well-rounded entertainment package.

For budget-conscious buyers, especially gamers, the LG C3 offers great value. It's more affordable while also providing enhanced connectivity features, making it an attractive choice.