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Panasonic has announced a new Ultra HD OLED TV that will be on sale later this year, offering support for HDR 10 and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) HDR, and incorporating a Technics-tuned soundbar.

The new Panasonic EZ1002 is touted as having the image processing chops to 'unlock the full contrast and colour potential' of OLED screen technology, and a significant improvement over the brand's previous CZ952 OLED TV.

The 'Master HDR OLED' panel at the heart of the EZ1002 offers a peak brightness double that of a conventional OLED TV, says Panasonic, while an Absolute Black Filter is employed to counter ambient light and reflections. Panasonic also says the TV's colour performance reaches 'almost' the full DCI colour space, an improvement on the CZ952.

Joining the new panel is a refreshed processing engine, dubbed the Studio Colour HCX2 processor, which is said to deliver pro-grade colour accuracy and retention of detail in near-black areas, drawing on Panasonic's previous plasma display expertise. Further tricks to please picture fiddlers include ISF calibration support, compatibility with Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration system, and the ability for user 3D look-up tables to be uploaded to the TV via USB/SD card.

The EZ1002 OLED TV is being put forward for THX and Ultra HD Premium certification, and Panasonic has said it will continue to fine-tune its performance in advance of its launch with the help of Hollywood colourist Mike Sowa. 

The set itself is a flat design, with Panasonic ditching the curve it used on the CZ952. And incorporated into its plinth stand is an eye-catching speaker unit, known as a ‘Dynamic Blade Speaker’. This packs 14 drivers and its sound performance has been overseen by Technics engineers. 

When it comes to smart functionality, the EZ1002 will feature a revamped My Home Screen 2.0 interface, a media player compatible with HDR 10 and HLG content, 4K streaming from Netflix, Amazon Video and YouTube, plus Freeview Play.

The set will be available as a 65in screen from June 2017 (the TX-65EZ1002), price yet to be announced.

'With the EZ1002, Panasonic has pushed the boundaries of television technology to bring you accurate pictures that look exactly as the director intended,' says the Japanese AV giant.