Best 32 inch LCD under £500.....???!!!????

[admin_exported]

thats £500 internet pounds not 500 retail pounds! hehe

 

[Clare Newsome]

There's a budget 32in TV Supertest in our current issue, with plenty in your price range. The winner is the Sony KDL32P3020, which is widely available for under £500.

 

[Anonymous]

just curious is there a main difference between the 32S3020 and 32P3020... as they look almost identical except for an extra HDMI on the S3020 which is also under 500

 

[Clare Newsome]

The S may have an extra HDMI socket but it has a lower contrast ratio than the P. They are different colours, too (S is black, P is silver/grey).

 

[Anonymous]

Clare, i dont mean the KDL32S3000, i mean the KDL32P3020 and KDL32S3020 which are both grey but i think the KDL32S3020 is the same as the KDL32S300 but just different colour, or is there another difference?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Your guess is as good as mine, i'm afraid - we've never tested the S3020, and it doesnt' appear on Sony's website. Why they have to have quite so many bewilderingly different Bravias is beyond me....

 

[dryan]

If you can stretch to another £49.00 then comet have the 32T2800 which has 3 hdmi's 2 scarts and Pc connection for 549.00 at the mo

 

[Anonymous]

thanks clare and others, ill look into the sony, if anybody else has anything to add then please do! thanks all!

 

[Nick_Shepherd]

I looked at the Sony, problem I had was it really did look cheap, its not s prety set at all. The WHF guys (and gals) did point out it looked a bit cheap so I had that in mind. However, in the flesh, it is really an ugly set. I think with old CRT's being so bulky, you could get away with them looking a bit naff, but flat panels seem to be much more a piece of furniture as well as a TV if you see what I mean? Picture has alwasy been the most important thing, but with a flat panel it seems more i,portnat it looks at least a little bit nice.

I am now looking at the Panasonic TX-32LMD70 or waiting to see how much the new 80 models will cost as long as its out this month, cant keep waiting!

 

[Anonymous]

Must admit that I was in John Lewis (Bristol) the other day browsing for a bedroom set. The two I was looking at were the Panasonic (mentioned above) and the Sony 32D3000 (so their high end 32"). I must be honest and I know its horse's for course's and all that but I actually marginally preferred the Panasonic's picture. I don't know if its a trait of the Panasonic LCD's but I just found the picture to be a little more natural and the motion slightly smoother. Just a good all round picture...

It impressed me that much that I have since been thinking of buying one (having previously been sold on the Sony). I did look at the Sony that won the TV test in What Hi-Fi but again, fort some reason it didn't stand out for me. Probably a great set but I really need a black TV to fit with the decor of the room...

My advice really is use these review's as a guide, but ultimately make your mind up by having a look and play yourself. Its whatever you are personally happiest with. Picture as well as aesthetically...

 

[Clare Newsome]

Couldn't agree more - the Pana also got five stars in the same test and it was a close call: the Sony's better colour-handling swung it in the end.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="matthew s"]
Clare, i dont mean the KDL32S3000, i mean the KDL32P3020 and KDL32S3020 which are both grey but i think the KDL32S3020 is the same as the KDL32S300 but just different colour, or is there another difference?
[/quote]

The 32S3000 (black) and 32S3020 (grey) are the same, as are the 32P3000 (yes, it's black) and the 32P3020 (in grey)

 

[Anonymous]

how does the samsung LE32R87BDX compare?

its a much better looking set, does it perform anywhere near as well as the sony or the pana?

 

[Clare Newsome]

The Samsung - a prior Award winner - goes down from five to four stars in the face of the newer, stronger competition from the Panasonic and Sony sets.

 

[Anonymous]

I think its in the picture processing that you will notice the difference.

Great value set but pop it next to the Panasonic or Sony and you will soon realise why the Samsung is now the much cheaper set.

 

[Anonymous]

what is the best panasonic model in this catagory guys?

plus and notworthy others. just popped out to have a look at the bravias and they look really good, but so does the samsung and the toshiba's, and the LG 32LC56 looked ok too. ideally im not looking to go too far over £400,I guess for performance my best bet is the bravia, however it looks a bit naff doesnt it?

 

[Anonymous]

could anybody in the know rank these tv's in some kind of order for me?

the ones ive been looking at are....

LG 32LC56, SAMSUNG LE 32R87BDX, TOSHIBA 32C3030D, TOSHIBA 32C3035DB, PANASONIC TX-32LMD70.

i know in the what-hifi tests the SONY KDL-32P3020 won, but just interested to know what people think of the rest of the pack.

 

[Clare Newsome]

The Panasonic, followed by the Samsung, Toshibas and LG.