Panasonic 65" W70 4K Ultra HD Smart Fire TV Review 2026
Panasonic's color science legacy in a budget Fire TV. A TV for people who care more about accurate skin tones than spec sheet numbers.
Panasonic brings its color science heritage to the budget Fire TV space. Colors are noticeably more accurate than most sub-$400 TVs, but the feature set is basic.
Why Panasonic Colors Look Different
Panasonic spent decades building broadcast reference monitors used by Hollywood colorists. The people who decide what a movie looks like on screen were often looking at Panasonic hardware. That color science heritage does not vanish just because this is a budget TV.
Place the Panasonic W70 next to a Toshiba C350 and stream the same nature documentary. The Toshiba's greens are slightly oversaturated, the way most budget TVs boost color to look "vivid" on a showroom floor. The Panasonic's greens look like actual plants. Skin tones look like skin, not orange-tinted masks. The difference is subtle if you do not look for it, and impossible to unsee once you do.
Nature documentaries (Planet Earth, Our Planet), cooking shows (Chef's Table), and dramas with lots of close-up dialogue scenes benefit most from accurate color reproduction. Action movies and animation, where stylized color is intentional, show less difference between the Panasonic and competitors.
20 Watts Make a Difference
Most budget 65" TVs ship with 10-12W speakers. The Panasonic W70 doubles that to 20W. The result is not audiophile quality, but it is noticeably fuller. Dialogue is clearer at moderate volumes. There is a hint of midrange warmth that the thinner Insignia and Toshiba speakers lack entirely.
A soundbar still improves the experience. But the W70 is the one budget TV where you could reasonably delay that soundbar purchase for a few months without feeling miserable about it.
Dolby Vision and Fire TV: The Full Package
The W70 matches the Toshiba C350 on features: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, and the Fire TV platform with Alexa. The Fire TV interface is the same ad-heavy experience you get on every Amazon-powered TV. The advantage here is not the platform, it is the image processing behind it.
Build quality is solid for the price. The stand feels secure, the bezels are reasonably thin, and the overall fit suggests more care than the absolute cheapest options. Panasonic's reputation for build quality extends to budget products.
Strengths
- ✓Panasonic color science delivers above-average color accuracy
- ✓Fire TV platform with Alexa voice control
- ✓Solid build quality for the price
Cons
- ✗Limited to 60Hz with no gaming features
- ✗Brightness trails competitors at this price
- ✗Smaller app ecosystem than Google TV
Where It Falls Short
The 60Hz panel means no gaming advantage. No VRR, no ALLM, no 120fps. If gaming matters at all, the Panasonic W70 is the wrong TV.
Brightness trails the competition. In a bright living room with afternoon sun, the W70 struggles more than the Samsung U8000F to maintain a watchable image. This is a TV for rooms where you can control the light. Evening viewing in a dimmed room is where the color accuracy shines. Afternoon viewing in a sunny room is where it fades.
Color Science at a Budget Price
At $300–$500, the Panasonic W70 costs slightly more than the Toshiba C350 at 65". For that premium, you get measurably better color accuracy and double the speaker power. For nature documentary fans, drama watchers, and anyone who has ever looked at a TV and thought "why do skin tones look wrong," the Panasonic earns its keep.
For everyone else, the Toshiba C350 delivers Dolby Vision for less money with comparable overall performance. The Panasonic's color advantage is real but niche.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Panasonic still making TVs?
Panasonic pulled out of the North American TV market in 2015 but has re-entered through partnerships. The W70 is manufactured through a licensing arrangement, but the color science and image processing heritage carry through. Panasonic's color expertise dates back decades of broadcast monitor production.
How accurate are the colors on the Panasonic W70?
Noticeably better than most budget TVs. In side-by-side testing with the Insignia and Toshiba, skin tones look more natural and greens are less oversaturated on the Panasonic. It will not match a calibrated Sony or LG, but for a budget TV, the out-of-box color accuracy is above average.
Does the Panasonic W70 support Dolby Vision?
Yes. The W70 supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG. This puts it ahead of the Samsung U8000F (no Dolby Vision) and on par with the Toshiba C350 for HDR format support.
Why are the speakers better on the Panasonic W70?
The W70 has 20W speakers versus the 10W found in most competitors at this price. Double the wattage means more volume headroom and slightly fuller midrange. It is still not a substitute for a soundbar, but the gap between needing one and wanting one is real.
Is Panasonic color science worth the price premium?
If you watch a lot of nature documentaries, cooking shows, or content where color accuracy shapes the viewing experience, yes. The skin tones and foliage greens look more lifelike on the Panasonic. For action movies and casual streaming where color accuracy is less noticeable, the Toshiba C350 delivers Dolby Vision for less money.
Final Verdict
Rating: 4.2/5
Panasonic brings its color science heritage to the budget Fire TV space. Colors are noticeably more accurate than most sub-$400 TVs, but the feature set is basic.
The budget TV for color accuracy. A niche advantage, but a genuine one.