Are you planning on buying a 32-inch LCD TV? Wait.....Read this.

I remember the days an LCD would be the center of attention of any household, quite elusive and out of reach for many. Now, after close to 10 years of development we can point out that every household in India has the capability to get an LCD TV. Prices have come down, and the 32-inch entry level segment always remains the most sought after series every Diwali. Now with the auspicious seasons coming up around the corner, as usual we're bombarded with a myriad of marketing slogans, thinner bezels, chrome accents, ridiculously high Dynamic contrast ratios etc. At the end of the day TVs really never conform to their specs. The latter has become a tool to sell ad entice, thus it's vital to switch on all the models and sift through their rendering capacities, in terms of luminance (very important for pure whites) and then color accuracy and naturalness in the video. After all, it's the combined effort of a couple of processors and then the all important panel itself.

So, for this roundup we have 8 brands, all popular in the market, namely: Samsung, Sony, Philips, Sansui, LG, Moser Baer, VU ad Hitachi. Any brand missing was due to their lack of cooperation. Each of these TVs are selected from the brand's wide range of products, and the most preferred model for an entry level category is selected, and of course , only latest releases; models adopting any possible new technology is taken. This is where we encountered many proprietary features, christened quite interestingly by the companies. Some were cool, some were just bells and whistles. So overall, we needed to see which one is a worthy winner, and viable for a purchase. The test processes we adopted to see who the winner was, are described hence.

The Test Process
The tests can be divided into 2 broad categories, the first one is an aggregate of physical tests in which we check aesthetic beauty, build quality, ergonomics, Remote control etc. The other is performance based tests wherein each TV is subjected to software test patterns and video sequences, to see how the panel can handle the aspects of video.

Thus, under external tests, any design element that straightaway makes the TV look better and unique (not peacocking weird) is given plus points- like Samsung's Touch of Color, or generically speaking, slim bezels, metallic accents, bezel contours etc. After all it is a luxury item, and needs to look good. After that, the Joint of the stand and the wall mounting capabilities are looked at. For wall mounting, all the TVs conform to VESA standards, so no problem there. But stand joints need to be firm, no wobbling. Position of connectors, their easy accessibility, button placement etc. also differ from model to model, thus their viability is looked at.

For video performance, the first thing to look at is Greyscale, where we start off with 256 bar pattern to see how well minute levels of light pass through, especially at lower(blacks) and high ends(white). Near white and near black bars are looked at for clipping, blooming, coloration etc. A series of 0 IRE to 100 IRE( black to white) screens are displayed and luminosity is checked, to see the luminance curve.

Then color saturation is checked for red, green, blue and also secondaries: cyan magenta and yellow. We use Displaymate and HCFR Colorimeter software a lot for this purpose. This is also a subjective test with High res JPEGs and Motion sequences from DVE test DVD, as slight oversaturation sometimes looks good in the right amounts.

Finally for motion and detail checking, the DVE test sequence and some action trailers are employed, all in HD minimum 720p files. These scenes are a racecar driving by (to check motion blur), animated geometric objects rotating around to check jaggies, wide shots with minute detail in them to see aliasing problems and many more. Highly colorful and detailed sequences are used to see how the TV can spew frame after frame. These scores are entered into our comparison chart, and overall test result is then drawn out based on those scores.

Sony KLV-32S550

MRP/MOP - Rs.42,990

This stout little product from Sony's acclaimed stable takes on the very important responsibility of being an entry level offering. Aesthetics wise we have a simple design, with a blockish rectangular, straight edged bezel. The frontal frame has a matte black finish panel rimming the screen, while the stand is glossy black. Connections available are 2 HDMIs, a VGA in, 1 component video and 2 composite video ins, besides a headphone out and another composite video out - pretty much covering bare essentials.
The TV has a very good UI, option wise, as there are plenty of items to tweak and change, right from the obvious contrast /brightness to variable backlight, gamma, Noise reduction, Enhanced White level etc. This all make up the face of the Bravia Engine 3, Sony's new Video engine. The panel resolution is 1366 x 768, and for some reason Sony has not stated any further panel specs like brightness and response time.

Performance wise we can surely point out that the panel is bright. Extreme whites have the ability to dazzle. One caveat is that the backlight should not be kept too high, as its brightness can make dark parts cloudy. Mostly the grayscale stays around 6500K, which is good for neutrality in the image. Pure blacks are decent, not spectacular, a very typical LCD-esque phenomenon. Colors are deep and slightly oversaturated in all of the RGB, but this actually does good to the image, at least subjectively for us, especially in movies' skin tones. Nature scenes look vivid and have a sense of depth due to a good contrast. Detail and motion do not bring up any serious jaggies or edge distortions, just a bit here and there in 720p video. In DVD video there is a little moiring problem.

FOR: Very bright, healthy contrast, Good options in UI to calibrate
AGAINST: Expensive in comparison

Samsung LA32B530P7R
MRP Rs.48,000/-
MOP Rs.38000/-

How can Samsung not be on any list that has to do with LCD TVs. Not only have these guys innovated on the higher end of the spectrum with LED edge-lit TVs, but also in our currently spotlighted segment of 32 incher entry level models, with full HD panels. This makes a huge difference in detail and sharpness for Blu-ray owners, mkv junkies and gamers alike. But detail is no use without a vibrant and bright image, thus performance-wise this Samsung will have to go through the patterns and prove its worth.
Aesthetics wise the TV is simple yet classy, a clean design with a glossy black exoskeleton. There is also a thick glass sleeve running along the bottom border to add effect. Connections are usual with 2 HDMIs, 2 component, 1 composite and a headphone out. The panel is Full HD 1920 x 1080, with a contrast ratio of 60,000:1 (dynamic), Brightness rating is not given.
The best thing about this TV is the parameters the menu offers to dial in a good image: there is white balance, gamma, black level adjust, dyamic contrast, variable backlight etc. And of course the images look very sharp and crisp due to a higher definition of the panel itself. Greyscale wise, the TV is not so hunky dory and spectacular, rather it is a sober, decent performer, with black levels being its Achille's heel - they are not so deep. Whites are still better with accurate color temp at pure 100 IRE white, no tinges and coloration.
FOR : Full HD panel, Very good parameters in the UI to calibrate, Quite pure whites even at high contrasts, Very little clipping at high whites thus brightness is clear and vibrant, Reasonable
AGAINST : Weak blacks

LG 32LH20R
MRP - Rs. 38,000
MOP - Rs. 35,000

LG offers a simple looking "clean design" LCD TV as their entry level 32 incher. The model name is 32LH20R, and comes out of the box with huge stickers shouting feature names. Once stripped of all this the design is actually nice, with a gloss black finish all around the bezel and oval stand. The surfaces are slightly curved, tapering outwards. Buttons are actually on the back panel, with corresponding labels printed on the side.
The connections are the basic bouquet with 2 HDMIs, a VGA in, 1 component in, and an RS-232 control. The panel is 1366 by 768, with a brightness of 500 cd/m2. The type of panel is IPS (in plane switching), something widely advertised by LG, though this panel type is not exclusive to them. The response time is 5 ms, and Dynamic contrast ratio is 60,000:1.
The TV has a very nice UI, with satisfactory controls. The dynamic contrast level when turned on, has a slight lag in adjusting different screens, which can irritate while gaming. The contrast on its own is not bad if set above 90 levels, but not extremely bright. There is no bleeding and haloing of whites. Blacks are not the strongest, low black bars in our tests were indiscernible. The good part of this TV, is the minute and clean detail. Right from our word processor to intricate test patterns, all movement was highly commendable, the IPS panel can be credited for this.
FOR: Aesthetically very pretty, No bleeding and clipping of whites
Against: Slight lag in Dynamic Contrast adjustments, blacks are weakish.

Sansui SAL32HBT
MRP Rs. 41,900

Sansui is a brand that only has 32-inchers and 26 inchers officially in India, thus they seem to be concentrating very much on the small screen LCD space, plus price wise too they try to be highly competitive, so it's always interesting to see what we are getting here. This model is quite a unique one design wise, as the speaker grilles are visible in the bottom panel (something that phased out sometime back). There is a huge power indicator LED there too. The finish is gloss black, with a small connector window behind offering regular ports like 2 HDMIs, 2 component, one VGA and 2 composite.
As for rated specs, we have a 1366 x 768 panel with 450 cd/m2 brightness. The response time is 6.5 ms, and contrast stated as 10,000:1. Not too many propriety features, thus we got straight to the patterns for this one. The gray scale part of the television did not spring up any real disappointments, except the fact that the overall gray had a very slight bluish tinge. Even though the color temperature setting was at normal on the menu, this still was the case. Extreme white levels were quite bright and held good contrast amongst themselves. There was no blooming. Only the slight bluish tinge, thus overall the luminance graph is a little skewed. Another problem was the sharpness and scaling abilities of this TV that are limited. A full HD signal just goes awry in detail and small fonts get badgered.
FOR: Colors are accurate enough, no problem there.
AGAINST: Expensive, Not neutral grayscale (colorations in grey), design is not classy like others

VU LC-32P69
MRP/MOP Rs. 38,000

VU recently released their Intelligent TV, thus it seems like these new players in town have some ambitious plans. This model of course is their no frills offering, a neat looking 32 incher with some ritzy embellishments on the front panel that make it a winning contender in terms of looks. The finish is as usual glossy, with a nice round LED on the bottom panel, under a metallic strip accenting across. One point here is that this TV has a power on switch virtually hidden, on the bottom side of the frame. Other buttons are on the left side.
Connections are sparse with only 1 HDMI, 1 composite, 1 S-video and a SCART in (no use to us in India). They call this the Hollywood series, and have a panel type they name A+ panel. The Contrast ratio is 5000:1 native, and brightness is 500 cd/m2. Response time is rated at 6 ms.
Once on we encountered their UI, a simple centrally laid out gray colored affair. There weren't too many parameters available except the contrast, color brightness ones. This TV has one problem, blacks are really weak. On our brightness test, we had to really raise the levels to see low black bars, by then everything looked faded. Thus hardcore movie buffs and video guys might not like it. The detail and motion aspect is very good though, no real artifact or moiring problem, in native 720p material. Colors and white levels come better than average.

FOR: Good design, Colors are quite accurately saturated.
AGAINST: Not many parameters to calibrate, weak blacks.

Moser Baer MBI LTH 32845
MRP Rs.35,900

From CD to LCD, should be the brand's latest positioning, as these optical media biggies are stepping into the already crowded market of HDTVs. Their 32 -inch hand of cards is called the MBI LTH 32845. The bezel is stouter than others, and makes the TV look a little on the heavy side. The weight is normal though, and so is the finish which is regular gloss black. The back panel has the connections centrally located, in a small window containing 2 HDMIs, one component VGA in and a digital audio out, an optical one at that. It also sports a USB drive for JPEGs and MP3s. As for rated specs, their site states a regular 1366 x 768 panel, with 500 cd/m2 brightness. The response time is 5 ms, and Contrast ratio is 30,000:1(dynamic)

In the performance section, for pure black levels, this TV passed the test, but did not score high. Our tests comprise of several levels of black and dark gray, which this TV could not discern at the very extremes. Brightness wise the TV is more than decent, better than a couple others in this round up. Even the purity of the whites were surprisingly good, no color tinges and blooming in high contrast settings.
Fine detail can be slated as a better than average performance, as the menu's sharpness setting did not create haloing and edge distortion upto 70% of its bar. Motion was as good as any other TV, with relatively little jaggies, and on native 720p the finer things were pleasant.

FOR: Decent overall grayscale performance, Detail was good
AGAINST: No aspect of the TV was really spectacular, everything just hovering around the average

Hitachi L42S02A
MRP - Rs. 41,000
MOP - Rs. 33,900

It seems Hitachi has cordoned off all their design ideas and fancies to their Ultra Thin series, as this model is quite a basic looking piece, and could use a bit of pizzazz. It's got a gloss black bezel, with an old fashioned speaker grille at the bottom panel. Back panel is bare, with the input terminal window facing downwards, another iffy for the lazy. Connections are 2 HDMIs, one VGA in, 2 component ins and a couple of composite video inputs. There is a set of input on the left panel too: a headphone out and a composite video in. The resolution is 1366 x 768, and we have native contrast at 1000:1, with a 500 cd/m2 brightness. Response time is 5 ms, and the main thing with Hitachi LCDs that is advertised in bold - an S-IPS panel. Thus we have better viewing angles and the ability to throw a tennis ball at the screen without contorting the image (not recommended).
Speaking of pure luminance information, we have medium, or average black levels. We had to raise the brightness to get any detail in low blacks. On the opposite side, we have whites which are pretty accommodating, no real clipping or blooming even on higher contrast levels. Colors should be kept at 'normal' temperature, and at 50 or less in the color setting. Another good thing about the TV was the detail, and of course the viewing angles. All this combined makes the image really sharp and well focused, from a wider range of viewing.

FOR: Good viewing angles, very good detail and sharpness due to IPS panel
AGAINST: Average blacks

Philips 32PFL5609
MRP/MOP - Rs.47. 990

Philips is another one of those brands that contribute to the development of a technology on the whole, and series like their Ambilight range had gained immense popularity years back when it came. This model we have is a new 32 incher by them, called the 32PFL5609. It's from their 5000 series, and this one too is Full HD. The design is curvaceous, with rounded corners and glossy black finish. The power LED is a small simple white one on the left corner, and that's about it on the bare bezel.
The connections include 3 HDMIs (only TV on this list that has 3), 2 component video, 2 composite Headphone out, and last but not least a USB, that plays MPEG4 video files like DivX etc., also MPEG1 files like .dat and .mpg files, besides MP3s and JPEGs. The panel is 1920 x 1080, brightness is 500 cd/m2, response time is 5 ms, and finally DCR is 50,000:1.
The TV, once switched on, has something very different from the rest: a setup wizard, which runs a set of images in 2 different settings, and you have to choose which one is suitable. The TV then tries to calibrate according to your preferences. It doesn't do the best job, but it's really interesting. But then, from here, the UI menu is not so extensive for manual calibration, with not even half as many parameters available as the Samsung. The only slight flaw in performance we encountered was a warmer than normal color hue. Reds seem oversaturated. Otherwise the pure black levels are quite deep and impressive, plus there is an automatic light sensing preset that adjust brightness according to ambient light. This works nicely.

FOR: Full HD panel, very good contrast, Nicely saturated colors, especially warmer hues
AGAINST: Expensive.

Winner
Samsung wins it. The Samsung LA32B530P7R is not so expensive if sourced at MOP, and performance wise about 75 -80% of the visual parameters we checked came out very good. Few weak points like black levels etc. can be worked out. The Philips TV is close second as it costs a bit more.