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Panasonic's first stab at making a curved TV certainly doesn't lack ambition. It crams a 4K UHD pixel count into that curved screen, while its high brightness/wide colour design could make it a fine friend of the new HDR picture format that's just starting to cause a stir.
Its carriage of Panasonic's top-tier 4K Pro video processing engine will also be a significant attraction to serious AV fans who like their pictures to be accurate rather than showy.
Unfortunately, though, while that processing still delivers moments of joy, the 65CR852's backlight system falls significantly short of that of its cheaper flat CX802 siblings, surely making its price hike look tough to swallow to all but the most ardent of curved screen lovers.
We liked
The 65CR852's knack for delivering the small details and subtle colour nuances most other TVs cannot reach really sells the benefits of its 4K UHD resolution.
Its Firefox operating system is brilliant too, and its audio quality is strong by LCD TV standards.
We disliked
The curved screen causes some backlight and distorted reflection problems not found on Panasonic's equivalent flat models.
Those stronger performing flat screens are cheaper, too.
Finally the 65CR852's 3D pictures are pretty much unwatchable, while the stand design requires that you put the TV on a bit of furniture at least as wide as the TV.
Verdict
The 65CR852 is packed with features, boasts a brilliant operating system, and wears its curved design nicely.
However, while Panasonic's curved screen debutante delivers 4K UHD pictures of exceptional detail and subtlety thanks to the talents of its 4K Pro video processing system, these talents are undermined by some backlight issues not found - at least to the same extent - on Panasonic's equivalently specified flat TVs, the CX802 series.
So, unless you really can't live without a curved TV, if you like the sound of Firefox OS and Panasonic's 4K Pro processing engine, it clearly makes sense to go for the 65CX802 instead.
