I've been a Panasonic fan since way back. In fact, the first genuinely flash, flat-panel TV I ever bought was a 42-inch Panasonic plasma. I went all out and got the surround-sound system to go with it. (All wired of course. That's right kids, you used to have to hide long cables to your rear speakers under the carpet.)

While Panasonic is a trusted, heritage brand in Japan, it turns out its TVs are only available in specific markets around the world. Here in New Zealand, we love them. Although in recent years it can definitely be argued Panasonic tellies were being left behind by the competiton... not so much in terms of actual display technology but definitely when it came to the user experience.

When I started reviewing Panasonic TVs in 2021, it had been a very long time since I'd had a decent play with one, so I was utterly shocked to discover the operating system was essentially still exactly the same as on my 42-inch plasma from decades before.

Like some kind of weird time-travel experience, I was once again confronted with a seemingly infinite number of settings menus and options, all in an ugly, outdated white font on a blue background. How could it still be like this after all these years?

Obviously, there were streaming options and other smart TV apps available but this kind of operating system simply wasn't doing the otherwise excellent Panasonic panels justice.

Yes, you could argue a bad UI isn't so important on a TV when you can plug in other streaming dongles and set-top boxes and use the screen as just that; a screen. Even so, you're not making it easy for any prospective purchasers when they're comparing different models from different manufacturers in the store.

Well finally, Panasonic has come to the party... In about the biggest way possible, by teaming up with Amazon's Fire TV.

The Z95A is the flagship of Panasonic's new Fire TV range and it's clear proof that in one fell swoop, those old, retro settings menus are officially dead and gone.

Physically, it bears a striking resemblance to other, recent Panasonic OLEDs; once again the panel itself is super slim but the whole TV is actually quite bulky by modern standards. There's a very good and justifiable reason for that, which we'll come to soon enough.

The design of the stand has carried over too, which is definitely fine by me. It's essentially a sturdy, central column set into a flat, mostly disc-shaped base and comes with a click-on cover for keeping cables tidy at the back. But what really sets it apart from other TV stands is its ability to rotate. My mum used to balance her telly on a lazy Susan so she could angle it towards the dining table then back to the lounge between meals. This is a much more stable solution.

Back to the bulk though. This is mostly due to Panasonic's enduring (and endearing) commitment to providing quality sound to match premium picture quality. I've been pretty complimentary of the sound from previous Panasonic TVs and things have only gone up another level here. There are a lot of  built-in speakers of various sizes and abilities, pointing in many directions. Most notably, the soundbar-like array across the bottom which obviously pretty much eliminates the need for an actual soundbar.

I'm not just saying that to be trite - there's a lot of AI goings-on under the hood of this TV and much of it has been dedicated to 360° Soundscape Pro, which utilises all the Technics-tuned speakers in combination with Dolby Atmos to create a genuinely room-filling, immersive experience. 

When setting up the Z95A, you're presented with the option to auto-tune the sound system to your room, taking into account your usual viewing position. This is done using the mics in the TV, the mic in your remote and a series of really weird noises.

The important thing is, it works. When I review a TV, I always try the built-in sound system before plugging my surround-sound home theatre back in, including subwoofer and rear speakers. This time, I just didn't feel the need. Sure, as impressive as the Z95A's speaker array is, it still isn't as good as a proper, multi-speaker system but I tell you what; it's not far off.

And I think this is part of Panasonic's appeal to the New Zealand market. It's a heritage brand for a client-base with some pretty heritage habits. If they don't already own a soundbar, I'm pretty sure they'd rather not if they didn't have to.

Panasonic may have been pandering to this same market when they designed the remote. It's a behemoth. So many buttons... including a full number pad and one with a little TV on it which presumably takes you to... what? There's still live TV happening? Who on earth would waste their time watching that? Probably the same people who need to type in channel numbers I guess.

Several other buttons are dedicated shortcuts to various streaming services and there's a customisable shortcut button too, which brings us (finally) to the main story here; Fire TV.

I've been using various Fire TV sticks in various TVs for a while now and like most Amazon devices, I've found them to be nicely-designed, easy to use and most importantly, they work really well. In other markets, particularly in the U.S., its not uncommon to find televisions for sale with Fire TV built-in but this a first for New Zealand.

What a breath of fresh air. Gone are those laborious (and ugly) blue settings menus inside other menus from previous years (and even decades). Enter a much more aesthetically-pleasing era of easily navigated home pages, with useful recommendations and settings menus that appear subtly on the right of the screen, with transparent backgrounds, hardly even intruding on what you're watching.

Fire TV will learn from your installed apps and preferred content to recommend similar shows and movies but it gets even more user-friendly than that. The Z95A is now essentially an Alexa smart hub. There's an Alexa button in the middle of that giant remote or you can choose to speak to the TV directly. Why? How about to pull up a live feed of your front doorbell camera? Or to activate the "Movie Night" routine you've created that lowers the lights automatically? Or maybe you just want to peruse a list of Chris Hemsworth flicks to see if there's any you've missed. Alexa can do all this and more, you only have to ask.

Finally, lets talk about the most important thing of all; the picture.

OLED panels have crossed a rubicon in the last few years. Until relatively recently, they weren't the best option for daytime viewing in a bright room. That just isn't true anymore and the Z95A is a prime example. There's a long list of pre-set picture options, ranging from the blazing Dynamic mode through to Sports, Gaming and Cinema settings - or of course you can make all manner of tweaks and adjustments manually. 

In fact, although they're now so much easier to access, navigate and see, there are probably still too many settings, especially when it comes to picture and audio options. I found it so overwhelming I eventually did what I swore I'd never do; I left it up to AI. Seriously. I set both picture and sound modes to AI then sat back and enjoyed a series of highly enjoyable AV experiences - from the excruciating discomfort of the audio design of Oscar-winning "Zone of Interest" to the cosy laughs and golden light of Aussie comedies "Fisk" and "Colin from Accounts."

At first I thought, "What a great TV." Then I soon stopped thinking about that and just enjoyed the show. That's how truly immersive the viewing experience is with the Z95A. An experience that has been enhanced immeasurably by the addition of Fire TV, finally, a user interface that is now only helpful and hardly ever frustrating.