Panasonic TX-55HX580B Review, Unpacking the Features and Performance of this 55-inch 4K TV
by Samuel Kalenga on Sep 15, 2024
It’s never been easy to judge television technology for its features, its performance and its value, but getting closer to the right balance for you is more important than ever. And Panasonic wants a piece of the action, offering its big 55-inch TX-55HX580B 4K HDR TV here, in a full review that examines the key features, judging performance against the opposition and adding our own view on value. Picture quality is always the starting point, not just for lighting and colouring your entertainment, but as a clear indication of how seriously a manufacturer takes its business, and how your entertainment will be affected.
As sound is such a crucial part of our entertainment life, it is essential to consider the capabilities of the speaker unit, whether extensive or basic. But how do you measure a television? Is bigger really better, and are they just bigger images of the retro-analogue televisions of old? Or is it all about the display technology used to power the display? What if you also want a smart facility, either to search the media on offer for yourself or enjoy a world of applications and smart media providers? And none of this matters if the television is no good to look at. So is the TX-55HX580B 55-inch 4K HDR TV from Panasonic worth the money?
Picture Quality: A Deeper Dive into Image Performance
Picture quality is the most important aspect of television viewing, and a decent TV of any type arguably needs to excel in this area to be any good. The Panasonic TX-55HX580B definitely accomplishes this, especially considering that (with the right price) it is the main selling point of the entire package.
The 4K resolution is seriously impressive and supplying the device with stunning levels of clarity and detail. It brings scenes to life brining majestic cinematic quality with an efficiency bordering on the miraculous. All those busy cityscapes, the mesmerising textures and patterns of a character’s clothing, the intricate details of plains and fields, flora and fauna – whatever it is your eye catches in, it’s reproduced with incredible clarity, gloriously distracting you from everything else.
The addition of HDR content support brings the picture quality up further. HDR (as we’ve discussed previously) enables greater colour saturation and contrast levels, so you can experience even richer, more vivid pictures. Bright highlights, such as the glare of the sun, the sparkle of a metallic surface or lens flare, can appear even more dazzling. Shadows and blacks can be deeper and richer, too, like the depth of space, or the black shadows of a forest.
The colour gamut of the TV has been increased for greater accuracy, so that the colours you see can be closer to real life and more natural looking. All of this really helps you to feel immersed in a more authentic and realistic experience. There’s nothing about this TV’s peak brightness and contrast that is brow-raising, though that doesn’t stop it from delivering a very respectable performance for the intended audience.
It’s a pleasure to watch this set in a range of ambient brightnesses, and deep blacks mean a very good range of contrast. Contrast is a tricky thing to get right, and a high contrast ratio, in isolation, is no guarantee of good contrast. After all, a very low black level but a woeful white level promises terrible results. However, with the required stalks in the water, as it were, a high contrast ratio facilitates a pleasing range of contrast. Fans of movies and TV shows with lots of shadowy scenes will appreciate the TX-55HX580B’s deep blacks, which helps to prevent forfeiting detail in the shadows.
Panel viewing angles are good, so the picture won’t deteriorate noticeably when viewed from the side. Viewing angle becomes important when you have a viewing group approximately the same size as the diagonal length of the screen or when the TV is placed in a room where one might not always be right in front of it. Motion handling is adequate although this might be where the 8800S could benefit from higher-end processing circuitry under fast action sequences. But the picture quality is still more than satisfactory for everyday viewing of movies, TV series and casual gameplay.
Sound Quality: An Immersive Audio Experience
The sound accompanies the visual. Rightly or wrongly, people tend not to give it much thought when they are buying a television, arguably the most important home entertainment device they will buy in their lives, but without a decent audio component, the whole entertainment experience is compromised. For a premium flatscreen TV, the TX-55HX580B isn’t too bad here, either. Acknowledging the importance of audio, it comes with support for Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital Plus audio. Dolby Atmos can create an unparalleled soundstage by literally putting sounds all around you, causing you to feel like you’re in the centre of all the action.
Whether you’re hearing the whirring of a helicopter fly overhead in a movie scene, the roar of a crowd in a sporting event or the squeak of boots on snowy ground in an action sequence, you will hear it with unparalleled accuracy and depth. You’ll be transported closer to the action, experiencing your entertainment with an even higher level of realism and immersion. In addition, Dolby Digital Plus sounds so clear and powerful that, no matter how much action is onscreen, there will never be any compromise in hearing every detail. Dialogue will shine through crystal clear and the impact of deliberate sound should ignite your senses.
But the accuracy is just one part of the experience: akin to a dedicated TV sound system, the audio will feel like it’s coming from within the screen itself, enveloping you with every nuance. Despite the fact that they are not a dedicated sound system, the inbuilt speakers are adequately powerful and impressively crisp. Dialogue is clear and the volume is sufficiently loud for watching most types of programme.
A true audiophile might be left yearning for surround sound, but whoever is watching will almost certainly enjoy the TX-55HX580B’s entertainment experience more, with a dedicated sound system or even soundbar. But for regular viewers, the inbuilt system is more than adequate for daily entertainment. It’s a pity that this isn’t part and parcel of more sets. I didn’t find myself watching the picture but instead I was largely engrossed by the programme.
Smart Features: A User-Friendly and Feature-Packed Interface
You’d expect this from any smart TV these days so the only major issue is whether it integrates easily and features a bunch of stuff. The Panasonic TX-55HX580B covers both bases. The smart TV platform is well-optimised for usability, yet still provides a range of options for anyone interested. Whether you’re searching for your favourite apps, streaming something from the web or browsing more options, it’s intuitive and a joy to use.
The smart features are quick as well: apps load promptly and content streams with a minimum of fuss. Image courtesy SonyThrough the extended library of built-in apps, ranging from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Hulu, Disney+, and so on, a broad range of box-office hits, TV series, documentaries, news, music and even live events like international leagues can be streamed at fingertips.
Naturally, this ever-growing app ecosystem will ensure that such a new appliance on your TV stay fresh and keep your family bing-watching forever. As with most smart TVs these days, some commands can be exercised by voice-control. For example, menus, contents searching and even some controls to other smart appliances can be done with voice command. Overall, it is safe to say that TV-watching experience will be further improved with the integration of smart features. The incorporation of Freeview Play really is a bonus however.
Freeview Play pulls in catch-up TV and on-demand content from numerous channels and puts it all together in an organised, easy-to-use menu. Put simply, it’s a huge library of entertainment at the touch of a button. Now you can catch up on the week’s Corrie, browse content for some new viewing ideas or simply sift through the endless range of entertainment options. Freeview Play makes the TX-55HX580B the one-stop-shop for all of your viewing needs, melting together live, on-demand and catch-up content into one easy-to-navigate system and doing away with the need for a number of separate TV subscriptions. A simple press of a button will take you seamlessly between your favourite shows.
Design: A Modern and Stylish Addition to Your Home
The Panasonic TX-55HX580B is not only about performance and features, but also about style. The design is very modern and chic, and fits into any interior. The thin frame on its edges contributes to the nice and clean look of the device, as it emphasises the imagery on the screen. The ultra-thin case is suitable for wall brackets, giving you the chance to create a clean and cool addition to your living room or bedroom. The TX-55HX580B is one of the few instances where TV functionality and beautiful TV design blend harmoniously without having glitches in the basic functionality due to aesthetic considerations.
The stand of the TX-55HX580B is simple yet beautiful: just a piece of silver metal with a triangular cross-section solidly mounted to the back of the screen, providing subtle support that does not offend the sense of minimalist aesthetics. The screen, though impressively slim (excluding the stand, it is an extremely thin 71mm), is so solidly built, it inspires confidence regarding its durability. Of course, it’s no use having an HD screen that is lovely to look at, if it isn’t also a pleasure to use: here, the TX-55HX580B’s functionality provides unobtrusive support to a minimalist, beautiful aesthetic.
