Panasonic Viera TV range for 2015: 4K, Netflix, and Firefox OS (eng)

New 4K range features plenty of smarts and Netflix convenience

Panasonic's TV range for 2015 includes 11 4K models and lots of love for Netflix.

Panasonic's 2015 range of LED LCD televisions features over 20 new models that span across eight different series, but four of those series, and indeed 60 per cent of the entire range (11 models), comprises 4K, Ultra High Definition models.

The focus on 4K is not surprising given that the trend in the Australian market is towards bigger TV screens, but the dearth of content in the current climate means that the main selling point of these new TVs is still in the 'smarts'.

Panasonic has used the Firefox OS interface for its new TVs in a bid to make them as easy to use as possible, in particular for the average user who wants to take advantage of online streaming services and multitudes of attached devices.

This interface incorporates what Panasonic calls its 'My Home Screen 2.0', which is the main 'portal' to the TV's graphical interface. It allows for customisations to be made so that the user can put all of their favourite services and inputs in one convenient location. All of these features can be pulled from the different 'decks' in the interface, which are basically different areas of the menu that feature various aspects of the TV's services, such as Live TV, Apps, and Devices.

Firefox OS organises the smart TV's different features in decks. This is the Apps deck.

Favourite features (such as the YouTube app) can be added to the My Home Screen 2.0 for easier access.

The main aim is to let the user switch between any type of content source, be it free-to-air, YouTube, a hard drive, or any other type of input, all from one main screen that contains all of these sources as shortcuts. It ensures that minimal time is spent looking for things in a menu once a user's favourites have been added.

Also immediately noticeable on the new range of 4K TVs is the inclusion of a Netflix button directly on the remote control. This one-button operation to bring up the Netflix app in the swiftest manner possible speaks volumes about the penetration of this service with TV manufacturers and their understanding of the changing viewing habits of most users. Panasonic claims that 72 per cent of viewers are now active viewers who binge watch TV shows.

Netflix can be lauched at the press of a button, directly from the remote control. All of Panasonic's 2015 Viera TVs have this feature on the remote control, except for the C400 series TVs.

That said, free-to-air TV is still a main course for many Aussies, and Panasonic has included versatility to the way it can be watched. Not only can free-to-air TV be streamed to a second device in the home while another channel is being watched, users also don't have to miss out on any live events while they travel.

sursa: pcworld.idg.com.au