Panasonic’s return to the US TV market last year with new OLED and MiniLED TVs made a lot of video enthusiasts happy. Many of us have fond memories of Panasonic’s plasma TVs from the early 2000s and we wondered what Panasonic could do if they brought their design and video processing expertise to the OLED TV category.
It turns out Panasonic had some pretty strong offerings in 2024 with both the flagship Z95A and the entry-level Z85A 4K OLED TVs garnering positive reviews both from consumers and critics alike. Rather than attempting to keep its own proprietary Smart TV platform alive, Panasonic switched to the popular FireTV OS. So anyone who is used to using a FireTV Stick to get their streaming binge on will find these TVs’ menus familiar and easy to use.
When the price of the 65-inch Z85A recently dropped to under $1,000 I was intrigued enough to buy one and I’m glad I did. This TV offers exceptionally good black levels and contrast, as well as vibrant saturated colors. I’d say it’s on par with competitive models like the LG B4 and C4, Sony BRAVIA 8 and Samsung S85D OLED TVs, all of which sell for appreciably more. Although some are not overly fond of the FireTV OS, I’ve been using it for years and find that it works well enough for accessing all of my favorite streaming services.
But now a marketplace seller on Amazon (Beach Camera) is offering a bundle which includes the 65-inch Z85A OLED, two high speed HDMI cables, a 26-month extended service plan and a home theater guidebook for beginners. And it’s priced at just $897.99, including free shipping. This is roughly half its original list price of $1799 and $100 below the bargain price I paid just a couple of months ago (which didn’t include these bonuses).
Here’s the link:
Panasonic 65-inch Z85A 4K OLED TV Bundle on Amazon
Those in the market for a slightly smaller set can pick up the 55-inch TV and bundle for about $750 using that same link.
Panasonic’s Z85A uses the same type and generation of W-OLED panel as seen in the Sony, Samsung and LG models mentioned above, but instead of the proprietary WebOS smart TV interface of the LG TVs or the Tizen interface of the Samsung, Panasonic has included Amazon’s FireTV platform. This gives it access to all of the most popular (as well as many obscure) video and audio streaming apps like AppleTV+, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and, of course, Amazon Prime Video.
This is a killer deal on a great TV, but you don’t need to take my word for it. My friends and counterparts over at RTings and Tech Radar, both had very nice things to say about the Z85A. And that was at its list price of $1,799.99. Now at half the price, I’m sure they’d like it even more.
It’s got those deep OLED blacks that I love, top-notch color accuracy right out of the box, and outstanding contrast. Its native 120 Hz panel and support for gaming features like VRR and ALLM make it a good match for gaming but it has mostly been movie and episodic TV series watching for me, with the lights turned down low. “Blade Runner” and “Foundation” have never looked so good!
The fact that it supports both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR make it compatible with virtually all 4K/HDR content on streaming services, on Kaleidescape and on physical media like UHD Blu-ray Disc. And the built-in ATSC 3.0 (Next Gen TV tuner), makes watching the local TV networks in New York City a breeze (not to mention: FREE).
Are you also grabbing a deal on a 2024 model year TV while the deals are hot? Let us know in the comments.
Related Reading:
- LG 65-inch B4 OLED TV Drops to $999.99 (update: it went back up to $1199)
- LG B4 OLED TV Review: Read This B4 You Buy
- Could This Dark Horse OLED Be the Best TV of 2025?
