I saw the first OLED TV with LG’s new-gen cheaper panel, and it looks like a nice upgrade — but here's the fine print

Panasonic recently unveiled its new 2026 TV line-up (for UK and Europe — US news will come later), and it included a new OLED model that's a world-first. The Panasonic Z86C will be a new entry-level OLED in Panasonic's range, and it's the only TV revealed at the time of writing to include LG Display's new OLED SE panel, which is set to be cheaper and potentially brighter than previous budget OLED screens.

The Z86C (known in Europe as the Z85C) is the only new OLED from Panasonic this year, because the company is keeping the Panasonic Z95B flagship TV and Z90B mid-range OLED from last year — the new one will slot in right below them.

I got to see the new TV at Panasonic's launch event, though while it was only a brief first impression, it looked initially positive in the area ...