Panasonic has announced a new range of flagship TVs at CES 2024, with all three offering Amazon’s Fire TV built in.
The inclusion of Fire TV doesn’t just make the accessing and discovering new content simple however, it also allows for excellent smart home control.
The Fire TV interface – typically found on lower end televisions rather than flagship models – combines streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video in one place, along with live TV, tailored recommendations and apps.
There is also a smart home dashboard that comes with the Fire TV interface, and the Panasonic Z95A and Z93A both offer far-field support for Alexa, which is a first for the Japanese company.
It means you can walk into your living room with your gorgeous 55-inch, 65-inch or 77-inch Panasonic TV your wall and say “Alexa turn up the heating” or “Alexa turn down the lights” and that will happen without any other Alexa devices and crucially, without you having to press a button on a remote.
With some other Fire TV devices like the Fire TV Stick, in order to control Alexa, you need to press the button on the remote to activate Alexa. It could be annoying if you have multiple other Alexa devices in your home, but it also has the potential to completely streamline smart home control.
Alexa widgets are also supported on the new Panasonic flagship TVs, offering quick and easy access to reminders and calendars on the biggest screen in your home, and the Fire TV Ambient Experience is supported too if you want to turn your 77-inch panel into a photo frame.
If Alexa isn’t your bag and Siri is the master of your smart home, the Panasonic Z95A and Z93A are compatible with Apple Home and AirPlay so you can control your TV using Siri and stream movies, music, games, and photos from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
When it comes to the televisions themselves, software aside, the trio offer a new processor called the HCX Pro AI Processor MK II with Master OLED Ultimate Panel for the Z95A or Master OLED Pro Cinema for the Z93A.
The processor powers a new 4K Remaster Engine that is designed to enhance streaming picture quality by using a combination of AI and other elements to make that Netflix show look even better than the already impressive panels deliver.
For the PC gamers out there, the Z95A and Z93A are some of the first TVs in the world to support a 144Hz refresh rate, and with that comes a Game Mode Extreme.
There’s also support for Dolby Vision IQ Precision detail and the 360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics, features multidirectional speakers and Dolby Atmos support.
Panasonic hasn’t announced pricing or availability information for the Z95A or Z93A as yet but they are set to be some very impressive TVs this year and with Fire TV built in, some of the smartest and best for smart home control too.
The Panasonic Z95A will come in a 55-inch and 65-inch model, while the Panasonic Z93A is a 77-inch panel.
