Exactly one year ago at IFA 2016, Panasonic unveiled its first OLED TV, the 65" curved 4K TX-65CZ950. Now Panasonic unveiled a new "reference" OLED TV prototype, with an aim to show what is possible with next-gen OLED technology.

Panasonic said that it achieved significant progress with near-black reproduction, by applying its plasma self-illuminating experience. It's not clear what is meant exactly, but this probably related to software algorithms Panasonic is developing to increase the quality of the OLED TV image. The panel, of course, is supplied by LG Display.

In September 2015 Panasonic unveiled its first OLED TV, the 65" curved 4K TX-65CZ950. The TV uses LG's panel and features Panasonic's 4K Pro tech which includes advanced gradation controls and 3D color look tables, HDR and THX.

Panasonic said that this TV outperforms LG's 65" 4K OLEDs (even though the OLED panel is made by LGD and is the same one used in LG's own TVs), and it was expected to cost more than LG's OLED TVs. However, today Amazon.co.uk started offering this TV, with the price set at £2,800 - about $4,000. This seems too low, and it's possible that this is not actually a correct listing.

In September 2015 Panasonic announced the company's first OLED TV, the TX-65CZ950. This TV hasn't been released yet, but Panasonic is showing it again at CES 2016, and confirms that it will be sold in the US too.

The CZ950 uses a curved 65" 4K OLED panel (produced by LG Display) that features Panasonic's 4K Pro tech which includes advanced gradation controls and 3D color look tables. The TV supports HDR and is THX certified.

Idemitsu Kosan is a large multinational Chemical company based in Japan that is supplying OLED materials for OLED producers. Idemitsu has OLED business units in Japan, Taiwan, Korea and China and is collaborating with UDC, LGD, AU Optronics, Doosan and others.

Hajime Nakamoto, the head of the Electronic Materials Department at Idemitsu was kind enough to answer a few questions we had. Mr. Nakamoto joined Idemitsu in 1984 and has been involved with OLEDs since 2007.

Q: Hajime, Thank you for your time. Idemitsu has been one of the leaders in OLED materials for a very long time. Can you tell us what kind of materials you currently offer for OLED panel makers?

Idemitsu offers almost all kinds of OLED materials to OLED panel makers. Idemitsu is particularly well-known for its fluorescent blue host and dopant materials and transport materials, which offer advantages to OLED panel makers.

TV testing website HDTVTest, UK retailer Crampton and Moore and Leeds Trinity University teamed up to do a public TV shootout, pitching two new OLED TVs (Panasonic's upcoming TX-65CZ950 and LG's 65EF9500) against Panasonic's TC-P60ZT60 plasma TV, which is considered the best plasma TV ever made.

Panasonic TX-65CZ950

The three TVs were calibrated and then displayed the same scenes in front of 28 AV enthusiasts - who voted for the TV that delivered the best picture quality. After disqualifying two voting papers, only 3 voted for the plasma TV - the rest of the votes were split almost evenly between the Panasonic and the LG OLEDs. That represented a 88% vote in favor of OLED technology.

AVForums published a rather long interview with Panasonic's Hollywood Labs VP of operations, Ron Martin. Ron gives some details on Panasonic's CZ950 OLED TV and explain why they believe it is superior to LG's own OLED TVs (even though, of course, Panasonic uses LGD's panels).

Panasonic announced TX-65CZ950 is the company's first commercial OLED TV. It's a curved 65" 4K OLED panel that features Panasonic's 4K Pro tech which includes advanced gradation controls and 3D color look tables. The TV supports HDR and is THX certified. Panasonic did not yet reveal the release date or price of this TV, but it will probably be more expensive than LG's own 65" 4K OLEDs.

A few days ago Panasonic announced the company's first OLED TV, the TX-65CZ950 - a curved 65" 4K OLED panel that features Panasonic's 4K Pro tech which includes advanced gradation controls and 3D color look tables. The TV supports HDR and is THX certified - and is based on WRGB (WOLED) panels produced by LG Display.

The director of Panasonic's TV business, told CNET that the company expects OLED panel prices to drop, to the point where they are within reach of average consumers in two or three years. He also says that the benefit of the curved shape is "not so big", and consumers prefer flat TVs. In fact he says that Panasonic's next flagship TV will "probably" be flat.

As expected, Panasonic announced the company's first OLED TV, the TX-65CZ950. This is a curved 65" 4K OLED panel that features Panasonic's 4K Pro tech which includes advanced gradation controls and 3D color look tables. The TV supports HDR and is THX certified.

The OLED panel itself is produced by LG Display, and uses LGD's WOLED (WRGB) architecture. Panasonic used to co-develop OLED TVs together with Sony, but that OLED TV joint development project was canceled in December 2013. Panasonic (together with JDI, Sony and the INCJ) formed a new company (JOLED) to develop small/medium OLED panels. But the company OLED TV program is reportedly halted.

A year ago Panasonic unveiled new 65" 4K OLED TV prototypes, later showing the same prototypes at CES 2015. Those OLED TVs used LG Display's WRGB 65" 4K panels, and Panasonic executives promised to release these TVs later in 2015.

According to a French blogger, Panasonic is going to unveil their first OLED TV model at IFA 2015 next month. The model will be called 65CZ950 and it will be a curved 4K 65" TV that supports HDR.

Reuters reports that LG said it plans to partner with Chinese and Japanese firms with an aim to make OLED TVs more mainstream.

Panasonic 65-inch OLED TV prototype

This isn't really news, as LG Display already supplies OLED TV panels to several companies in China (including Skyworth, Changhong, Haier, Konka and KTC) and is also collaborating with Panasonic and Grundig. LG Display has been in talks with Sony and Panasonic to supply OLED panels since at least January 2013.