Waiting to get our hands on the promising HZ2000, presented a few days ago at CES in Las Vegas, we spent a few weeks in the company of Panasonic GZ1500, an OLED TV that managed to win us over just as its predecessors did.
So don't expect any big surprises: the strengths and weaknesses of this 55-inch TV have remained virtually unchanged. We are therefore faced with a product that offers a very high image quality, but which continues to limp on the front of the interface and design. But before reaching the necessary conclusions, let's venture into the review of this Panasonic GZ1500.
Wall installation? Not for him
In 2020, the aesthetics of a TV are no longer so decisive. This is because we are faced with increasingly thinner panels and frames reduced to a minimum, which leaves very little room for the designer's creativity.
This does not mean that all products on the market are the same. Leaving the panel aside, we still have a base and speakers that can help a TV stand out from the competition.
In this Panasonic has never been too good. Don't get me wrong, la solid support base it adapts to any environment and the soundbar, integrated into the bottom of the TV, is almost invisible, but essentiality risks not attracting the consumer's eye, accustomed to much more captivating solutions.
However, I confess this is a purely subjective fact. Not all of us have the same aesthetic taste, the same furniture and the same needs. Unfortunately there is also an objective problem and it concerns the inputs located on the back of the Panasonic GZ1500. In fact, most of the sockets are turned outwards, which not only prevents the installation on the wall but also the use of the panel which should mask the different cables. A real shame, especially since it is not the first time that we are faced with this colossal oversight.
Nothing to say about the number of inputs available: we have 4 HDMi 2.0, the Ethernet port, the optical output and 3 USB, in addition to the space reserved for digital terrestrial, satellite and cam.
Panasonic TX-55GZ1500E - TV OLED 55 pollici 4K Wifi DVB-T2 Acquista su Amazon
Panasonic GZ1500 review: how does it look?
Panasonic GZ1500 if present with a 55 or 65 inch OLED panel with 4K resolution, side by side all HDR standards present on the market today. We therefore find HDR10 and 10+, but also HLG and Dolby Vision. This allows the TV to marry perfectly with both Prime Video - a lover of HDR10 + - and Netflix, a fan of Dolby Vision also helped by Netflix Calibrated Mode.
On board il processore HCX Pro Intelligent and a tide of preset for a viewing experience suitable for any situation. There are those Professional, THX Cinema and THX Cinema Bright, but also Dynamic, Sport, Cinema and True Cinema modes. In short, the embarrassment of choice. Of course there is no better preset than others, image rendering is often a matter of taste, but I personally recommend the THX Cinema variant for dark environments and THX Cinema Bright for brighter ones.
The more experienced among you, on the other hand, will be able to get their hands on the settings for calibrate the panel and manually manage contrast, white balance, color range and much more. And if you are a true purist, I remind you that you can eliminate software corrections disabling options like Noise Reduction, MPEG Remaster, Resolution Optimizer, Dynamic Range Remaster and Intelligent Frame Creation.
But how do you see it in the end? The result is more than satisfactory. Panasonic GZ1500 gives away vivid colors and never unnecessarily saturated, but also many details and a brightness that reaches 700 nits. Not many on paper - to get more, however, you have to move to a Full LED - but absolutely enough to give an excellent visual experience without becoming unnecessarily overbearing or even annoying.
The upscaling of content in HD and SD also passed with full marks, with good interpolation that naturally rewards higher quality sources.
Ultimately, therefore, we are faced with another great expression of Panasonic's know-how. The TV is in fact suitable both for users of 4K content and for all those who are still tied to good old TV, digital terrestrial and good old Sky.
Panasonic GZ1500 review: how does it feel?
This TV integrates a stereo soundbar gives 50 W which exploits the Dolby Atmos and which can be connected to an external subwoofer. Again we have more modes available, the possibility of activate surround and to adjust the base frequency level using the equalizer.
Obviously we cannot expect the same results as an external soundbar or a real surround system, but certainly the yield is higher than that of most of the televisions on the market.
Panasonic TX-55GZ1500E - TV OLED 55 pollici 4K Wifi DVB-T2 Acquista su Amazon
UI is still a weak point
Finally, we come to what, to date, is for me the biggest shortcoming of Panasonic televisions: the interface. My Home Screen 4.0 it's still an imperfect and graphically inconsistent system. Sure, in reality there is everything you need and a more sufficient amount of applications downloadable from the old store, but compared to the competition Panasonic is far behind.
The worst thing? 2020 OLEDs will have pretty much the same UI. A real shame since, at this point, the Japanese company should be aware of this obvious limitation.
The lack of appeal, however, is not a prerogative of the interface alone. The remote is also not among the best on the market. On the one hand, in fact, we have a traditional and reassuring aspect, on the other hand we have rather large and not too soft keys, no voice assistants to help you and not even the always appreciated backlight.
All is not lost on the modernity front: Panasonic GZ1500 is compatible with Amazon Alexa, which allows you to turn on the TV, turn it off and adjust the volume using an Echo or similar device.
Panasonic GZ1500 review: buy it or not?
2.499,99 euros for the 55-inch version and € 3.499,99 for the 65-inch cut. Is it worth it? Undoubtedly yes. Panasonic GZ1500 is un Truly excellent OLED TV, capable of satisfying cinema enthusiasts thanks to a multitude of presets and settings that allow you to calibrate it to perfection. The UI still doesn't get us excited but you will still find Netflix, Prime Video, Infinity, Chili and all the apps you need.
Panasonic GZ1500
Pro 
- Excellent visual quality
- Great upscaling
- Support for all types of HDR
- Above-average audio performance
- Compatibility with Alexa
Cons 
- Wall mounting not very comfortable
- Inconsistent interface
- Remote control dated
