Thursday, January 18, 2024

Panasonic joins Fire TV

Last week, Panasonic announced new TVs using the Fire TV platform, representing a change in platforms.

According to a release, the devices will be available some time this year. No specific date was announced.

In a world of content overload, the Z95A and Z93A stand out with their ability to aggregate content from both broadcast and streaming services. This content-forward approach, made possible by Fire TV built in, offers viewers a streamlined experience in content discovery and consumption.

"With such vast options, the real challenge becomes pinpointing exactly what you want to watch. Therefore, our new mission goes beyond just providing great picture and sound. It’s about simplifying the process of content discovery, ensuring it's not just easy but delightful," says Mr Akira Toyoshima, President, CEO of Panasonic Entertainment & Communication Co., Ltd.

The integration ensures that users will have an elevated, simplified user experience and access to an extensive range of the top streaming apps and services. These OLED TVs are also not just entertainment devices but also hubs for smart home management. Fully compatible with Alexa-enabled devices, they feature a smart home dashboard, enabling users to monitor and control their connected home ecosystem seamlessly. Furthermore, the Z95A and Z93A are compatible with Apple Home and AirPlay, meaning users can control their TV using Siri and effortlessly stream movies, music, games, and photos, right from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Panasonic TVs have used a variety of operating systems to drive their smart TVs over the years. One was called Viera Cast and Viera Connect, another used a Firefox OS fork called My Home Screen, and some used Android TV (but not the Google TV interface).

The Fire TV interface is a much improved interface over the last few years. Perhaps this will stick. The other platforms Panasonic tried just didn't have it. Fire TV may be a good choice.

My Streaming Life prefers the Google TV interface over Fire TV, but either is good. Roku would have been a good choice for a platform as well. If the new TVs are as good as they appear to be, this will be a good thing.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Your comments are welcome. Abusive or off-topic comments will be removed.