Panasonic DX900, we've tested it

Buying a high-end TV, even if it seems otherwise, is not easy. When a user is going to spend thousands of euros on their next television, they want to be sure that they are buying the best of the best. However, when we review the market in search of a good TV we see that the options are multiple, so it is difficult to choose. Among these options we have the Panasonic DX900 , the current flagship of the Japanese company. It is a TV that continues to bet on LCD technology , but that offers a 10bit VA panel , UHD 4K resolution , 1,000 nits brightness , HDR support and UHD Premium certification.. Accompanying all this deployment of imaging technology we have an elegant design and the Firefox OS system for Smart TV functions.

With these data we should think that we are looking at a large television, with an image quality superior to most televisions on the market. And we are not wrong. As we will now see, the Panasonic DX900 offers great image quality if we feed it with content to match , although it still shows the limitations of the technology used. At tuexperto.com we have had the opportunity to test the 58-inch television  for a few days and we tell you our impressions.

Design

Panasonic tends to use elegant but at the same time simple designs in their televisions, they do not usually stand out in this section. The Panasonic DX900 follows a similar line to that of other televisions of the company, with an elegant and quality design , but that makes us focus solely and exclusively on the image of the television. So, we have a black frame around the screen and, although it is not too thick ( 15 mm ), can be seen. Above the black frame, and surrounding the entire television, we have a silver aluminum outline with a rough touch that is quite elegant and that will perfectly withstand the passage of time.

But if any element stands out in the design of the Panasonic DX900 that is its base. The company has chosen to incorporate a huge base that weighs 5 kilograms and that gives a touch of distinction to this television. It is a base in the shape of a half arc that remains behind the television , with only two small legs on both sides of the screen visible from the front . The base combines the colors black and dark gray and has metallic finishes , although it must be said that the central part of it is finished in plastic . Small legs seen from the front have a glossy finish and they add a touch of class to the television.

This shape of the base causes a slight inclination of the panel towards the back , very characteristic of other models of the brand. Although it is true that this inclination is very smooth, it is possible that it causes a small distortion in the tones of the image if we have the television placed on a tall piece of furniture.

Small tilt of the panel

The Panasonic DX900 is 6.4 centimeters thick , so it is by no means one of the thinnest televisions on the market. As for the rear of the TV there is not much to say. The company hasn't gone too far to make it look clean, exposing the fan grills , located at the top, or the speaker grills , located at the bottom.

The connection panel is found on the left side of the TV (looking at it from the front) and, yes, it is covered by a plastic cover that will also help us guide the connected cables. Finally comment that the Panasonic DX900 can be found in two versions, 58 and 65 inches .

Picture quality

If before we said that Panasonic does not usually stand out for its designs, now it is fair to say that the Japanese company has always taken great care of the image quality of its televisions, especially when we talk about the high end. The Panasonic DX900 features a Cinema Display panel with 4K UHD resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels . This is a 10-bit VA type LCD panel with support for active 3D . In addition, the television incorporates a 512-zone backlighting system and achieves a frequency of 3000 Hz . Of course the panel is compatible with HDR images , something even more important than the resolution.

Accompanying this panel is the 4K Studio Master HCX + Image Processor , which has been fine-tuned by a professional Hollywood colorist to deliver image quality that is true to what the filmmaker was looking for. The sum of the Cinema Display , the 10 - bit panel and image processor Studio Master HCX + 4K makes the Panasonic DX900 has managed the UHD Premium certification .  Ultra HD Premium is the new standard that the UHD Alliance has incorporated, a grouping of different industrial sectors made up of leading movie studios, consumer electronics manufacturers, and technology companies and content distributors. For a TV to be considered an “Ultra HD Premium” model , it must meet performance requirements related to resolution, dynamic range, color gamut, and more. All products bearing the Ultra HD Premium logo must pass a series of rigorous tests at independent authorized test centers.

And now that we know the technology behind the Panasonic DX900 , it is time to see if it is effective. To do this, as we usually do, we have subjected the television to different display tests. However, before viewing anything we usually do a minimal calibration. This TV has several picture modes, but most of them offer unrealistic, overly saturated colors. However, being a THX certified TV , we found two modes that work quite well if we don't want to get into calibrating. Our recommendation is that you use the THX Bright Room Mode for viewing images TDT or full light of day , and THX Cinema mode to watch movies with the lights off.

The viewing tests have been carried out by playing videos with and without HDR support, with different resolutions and through different media, both physical and streaming. At a general level we can say that any content that we reproduce with a resolution of 1080p or higher looks really good . Of course, to get the full potential that this TV can offer us, it is best to use it with Blu-Ray UHD movies . We've tested a couple of physical 4K UHD and HDR titles playing from a Panasonic UHD Blu-Ray player and the TV offers great picture quality, with very sharp images and very realistic colors .

Playback of a "normal" Blu-Ray disc at 1080p resolution has also been very satisfactory, with a fairly good image quality and only slightly below that achieved with UHD discs. The same goes for high resolution files with minimal bitrate , with which we get a clear picture a good representation of color and high contrast level to the same as with physical disks. The black levels, while not quite up to the level of OLED TVs, are not bad at all. As for the brighter images, they are perfectly rendered thanks to the 1,000 nits offered by the panel of this TV.

When we see the Panasonic DX900 panel suffer the most is when we use videos with a resolution of 720p or lower . Although the 4K Studio Master HCX + image processor  does a good job, it doesn't work miracles . The TDT will be, say, decent , whenever we see the HD channels, while channels that are not HD are far worse. The TV works perfectly for gaming, with practically no lag , and regarding the viewing angle, we will not have too many problems, since the distortion begins if we see it at a fairly steep angle, something very unusual.

Sound and connectivity

The sound provided by the Panasonic DX900 is the usual one in this type of television, it does not stand out either above or below other models. As we mentioned when talking about the design, the speakers are located at the bottom of the rear panel . The sound system of the television is composed of two speakers and a double subwoofer , which provides good sound for daily use , but insufficient if we want to enjoy a movie properly. It is logical to think that a user who invests in this television will have no problems in acquiring external sound equipment. Be careful, we are not saying that the sound of the Panasonic DX900 is bad, it is simplysimilar to any other LED TV , as the only way to improve it is to use external systems such as sound bars.

In terms of connections, we have 4 HDMI 4K inputs with HDCP 2.2 , 3 USB ports (one of them is USB 3.0), an Ethernet port , SD card slot , optical digital audio output and headphone output . At the wireless level, the TV incorporates WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity , compatible with keyboard and mouse.

Firefox OS system

Some time ago Panasonic opted for the Firefox system for its televisions. The Panasonic DX900 comes with Firefox OS 2.0 , a system that, while it is true that it complies and runs smoothly , is one step behind other systems on the market. As soon as we turn on the TV we will have access to the most common applications, such as YouTube or Netflix , the latter having a button on the remote to launch it quickly. In addition to the two most famous applications, we will have pre-installed applications such as Wuaki.tv , the Firefox browser or the RTVE applications andClan . In addition to the applications that come standard, we can install others through the Apps Market application . However, the offer is not as abundant as on other platforms, and we have missed some basic applications for users such as MiTele or A3Player .

To operate the Smart TV system, and the television in general, the Panasonic DX900 comes with two remote controls . The classic does not have too much mystery, although we can highlight that the keys are backlit and that it is quite heavy . The other control that accompanies the television is much smaller , but includes the necessary keys for day to day. We have a third control option in the application for smartphones that, in addition to the usual controls, will help us to calibrate the image .

Conclusions

Although there is a tendency to think that if we have a large budget to buy a television the decision is very easy, it is really the opposite. If we are going to spend more than 3,000 euros on a new device, we want to make sure that we are acquiring one of the best devices on the market. All companies offer a model for the highest range and, honestly, nowadays it is more difficult to be wrong than to be right when choosing one of these models. The same thing happens to the Panasonic DX900 as to practically all televisions in this range, if we feed it with quality content (Blu-Ray 4K HDR or 1080p) the image we will get will be spectacular , with very real colors , great sharpnessand quite black blacks , always keeping in mind the limitations of LCD technology.

The design may be more or less like, as it is something very particular, but we can be sure that the Panasonic DX900 offers quality materials that will keep the TV as the first day for a long time. The sound does not stand out, but it does its job, and the Firefox OS system will be sufficient for most users , although if we are looking for a deeper experience in applications we will have to resort to an external device .

Perhaps one of the aspects that could scare some users away is the price of the Panasonic DX900 . As we have commented, this television is available in 58 and 65 inches . The 58-inch Panasonic DX900 can be found on the market with a price of around 3,300 euros , while the 65-inch Panasonic DX900 can be found with a price of 4,200 euros .

Panasonic DX900

screen

Design

Smart tv

Sound

Connections

+ info

Price: 3,300 euros for 58 inches 

Price: 4,200 euros for 65 inches