Televisions

Panasonic typically lures movie fans to its 4K screens with cinematic image processing offering judiciously judged contrast and peerless colour accuracy. But for its JX850 line, the brand has taken a different tack, accommodating sports and gaming fans with Bright Panel Plus technology for punchy daylight viewing, and unapologetic image smoothing.

This gives it the feel of an all-rounder, and effectively positions the JX850 as a tempting alternative to upper-budget 4K LED flatscreens from rivals Samsung and LG. That's not to say it doesn't also have Hollywood on its mind, with Panasonic speccing the brand's much vaunted HCX Pro AI processor, and including FilmMaker mode with Intelligent Sensing, to give your movie nights a leg up.

A Size For Everyone
Available in 40in, 50in, 58in and 65in guise, this feature-heavy mid-ranger is competitively priced. Our sample is the 50in model, which can be taken home for around £630.

Despite that moderate price tag, the overall design and finish of the 50JX850 is pleasingly upmarket. Like previous Panasonic mid-level TVs, it sports an ultra-thin bezel, with the panel set atop (rather than surrounded by) the frame itself, creating a 3D relief which catches the light. The glass sits on a wide, central plinth-style pedestal that looks a little more bold than the circular, swivel mounts of some of the company's OLEDs.

The set is edge-lit and wafer-thin, but at its deepest, with electronics and sound system, it measures 63mm. It's relatively light at 14kg, making it more manageable than some to wall-mount. Connectivity is in line with the price tag. You get three HDMI inputs (rather than the four of more premium TVs) all supporting ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode). The screen doesn't have the wherewithal to support 4K HFR video, though. For that you'll need to step up to Panasonic's JX940 range – its top-spec 4K LED model – which features a 120Hz 'HDR Cinema Display Pro' panel. (The JX850 also lacks Dolby Vision IQ, again found on its more expensive sibling).

Amongst other connections, one nice refinement is Dual Bluetooth, which allows the TV to transmit audio to two pairs of Bluetooth headphones simultaneously. Panasonic has recently dabbled with Android on some of its cheaper tellies, but buyers of the JX850 get the latest iteration of its own smart TV portal, my Home Screen 6.0. This is a goodie: less intrusive than fullscreen rivals like Google TV and the new WebOS from LG, and with a solid selection of apps, plus additional niceties like My Scenery, which allows you to pick images and videos to create background ambience.

The TV also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, which means you can use voice commands to control basic functionality.

SVOD support includes Netflix, Prime Video, Rakuten, YouTube and Disney+, while the inclusion of a Freeview Play terrestrial tuner ensures all main channel UK catch-up TV services are onboard. The BBC iPlayer app supports 4K – take a look at The Girl Before in UHD on this telly, and revel in the fine skin tone detail and subtle architectural gradations it can display.

Even with no 120fps or VRR skills, the JX850 transpires to be a strong gaming choice regards input lag. I measured this at just 10.4ms (1080/60) with Game mode selected.

The supplied remote control is a bit on the button-heavy side, not least because the number of dedicated app keys has grown to include Netflix, Prime Video, Rakuten TV, YouTube and Freeview Play – and we're sure there'd be a Disney+ one if Panasonic hadn't only recently added the service to its range via firmware update.