Wading through Panasonic's range of Viera TVs can be just as confusing as Samsung's. They've all got longwinded names with lots of digits and characters that can easily leave you in a bit of a daze. There is some method to the madness, however. So like learning a foreign language, it all begins to make sense after a while.
Fortunately, we've had plenty of Panasonic TVs pass through the Expert Reviews office, so we know our TX-58DX902B from our TX-50CS620B. In this article, we'll bestow that wealth of experience on you. It means the next time you're browsing the deals online or staring at a wall of screens in an electronics store, it'll all make perfect sense.
Breaking down a typical Panasonic TV model number
We'll use the Panasonic Viera TX-58DX902B for our example. All of Panasonic's Viera TVs have a model number beginning with 'TX'. This is the region code Panasonic uses for the UK, so if you see a model with this it means it's a UK model rather than a grey import that really shouldn't be on sale in the UK. This could be important when shopping online in particular. If you buy a non-UK model you might find it doesn't come with a UK 3-pin plug or the warranty might not be honoured if the TV ever develops a fault.
Related: What size TV should I buy?
Next up, is the screen size. The two digit screen size is usually found after the hyphen, in this case, 58in, but that's not always the case. Some retailers, like Richer Sounds, drop the hyphen when listing the model number but that's easy to work around. Next, you have the series range, in this case, DX. It's here where things can potentially get a little confusing.
With just one exception, see below, Panasonic's 2016 models are LED-lit LCD TVs - the display technology used in the vast majority of modern TVs. The image is created by an LCD panel and is lit by a series of LEDs either behind or to the side of the LCD panel.
Panasonic's range is now dominated by Ultra HD (UHD) or 4K models, which have four times the screen resolution of standard Full HD TVs. The DX range contains the premium, high-end UHD models. Then there are the CX and CR models, which are the entry-level UHD-capable TVs. The difference here is that CR denotes curved-screen models.
For Panasonic's Full HD models, these are broken down into the premium DS range followed by the mainstream CS range. The differences between these can be subtle, though. DS screens have faster 400Hz refresh rates for smoother action, but both feature backlight dimming, for improved contrast, and both have the Freetime EPG interface. The physical designs do vary considerably, though, with the DS models looking smarter. You may also see C range TVs, which sat right at the bottom of last year's range but there are no 2016 models in this series.
Sitting on its own is the CZ range, which currently only consists of one model, the TX-65CZ952B, Panasonic's first OLED TV and also its most expensive.
Next up, you have the model identifier. In the case of our example, the 902B. This is how Panasonic differentiates different models within a range. Essentially here, the higher the number the more premium the TV but Panasonic also uses model identifiers to differentiate cosmetic differences between TVs, such as stands and colours.
In the case of the 902B versus the 802B, the former is Ultra HD Premium, uses the superior Studio Master HCX+ processing chip and uses superior local dimming. Little wonder then it costs £1,000 more. If you're looking for Ultra HD content to watch, have a read of Ultra HD and 4K: The definitive guide & what you can watch.
Some popular Panasonic TVs from Amazon:
