HDTV and Home Theater Podcast #268 - Budget 32-inch LCDs

Listen Now - mp3 RSS Website Today's Show: First of all, you can now follow us at Twitter. Check it out and tell us what you think. There's a fun article about Great Movie Scenes for Surround Sound at Electronic House and it seemed like something cool to discuss on the show. And we've compiled a list of six 32" HDTVs for budget conscious buyers. Budget 32 inch LCDs for the Dorm Room or Den for around $700
Sharp Aquos LC32D43U 32-inch 720p LCD HDTV ($760 Buy Now)

• 720p (1366 X 768)
• 6000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• 6ms response time.
• Viewing Angles (176°H x 176°W)
• High Brightness (450 cd/m2)
• Built-in ATSC / QAM / NTSC Tuners provide access to DTV and analog TV channels.
• 5 A/V inputs, including:
• 2 composite video
• 1 S-video
• 2 component video (accepts signals up to 1080i)
• 2 HDMI v1.2 (accepts signals up to 1080i)

Out of 35 reviews at Amazon.com it received a 4.5 star rating out of a possible 5. One three star reviewer had an issue with the buttons locking up. Sharp was blaming the Cable company as they had received over a hundred calls on the subject. Another three star rating resulted in audio levels with DVDs. HD sounded OK. Sounds more like a set up problem to us. The last three star review was due to some dim pixels on the set that Sharp says is within warranty.
Sony Bravia KDL-32M3000 32-inch 720p LCD HDTV ($662 Buy Now)

• 1366 x 768 pixels
• 8-millisecond pixel response time
• 1000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
• 178°(H) x 178°(V) viewing angle
• built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners
• coaxial digital audio output for Dolby® Digital
• 7 A/V inputs, including:
• 3 composite video (2 rear, 1 side)
• 1 S-video
• 2 component video (accepts signals up to 1080i)
• 2 HDMI (accepts signals up to 1080i)

Out of 8 reviews at Amazon.com it received 4.5 stars. The one star review was due to the reviewers dislike for the analog picture on the TV.
Toshiba 32AV500U 32-inch 720p LCD HDTV ($680 Buy Now)

• built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners
• 8-millisecond pixel response time
• 176°(H) x 176°(V) viewing angle
• DynaLight™ dynamic backlight control for improved contrast and black level
• 6 A/V inputs, including:
• 2 composite video (1 rear, 1 side)
• 1 S-video
• 2 component video (accepts signals up to 1080i)
• 2 HDMI (accepts signals up to 1080i)

Four star rating out of four reviews at Amazon.com
Olevia 532H 32-Inch LCD HDTV ($657 Buy Now)

• 720p 1366 x 768 Pixels
• 178°/178° Viewing Angle
• 8 ms Response Time
• built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners
• 5 A/V inputs, including:
• 1 composite video
• 1 VGA
• 2 component video (accepts signals up to 1080i)
• 1 HDMI

Four and a half stars out of five with 52 customer reviews at Amazon.com There were six ratings of three star or less. Those mainly complained about defective units shortly after purchase. Some complained about the time it took to get the unit repaired and returned.
Westinghouse SK-32H240S 32" LCD HDTV ($647 Buy Now)

• 720p 1366 x 768 Pixels
• 1200:1 Contrast Ratio
• built-in digital (ATSC), QAM, and (NTSC) tuners
• SPDIF Optical Out
• 7 A/V inputs, including:
• 1 composite video
• 1 S-video
• 2 component video (accepts signals up to 1080i)
• 2 HDMI (accepts signals up to 1080i)
• 1 VGA

Four stars out of five from Amazon.com customers. There were three one star ratings. Two reviewers said the TV died after about six months. The other one star review didn't like the picture and bought a Panasonic instead.
Vizio VW32L 32 inch LCD HDTV ($650 Buy Now)

• 720p 1366 x 768 Pixels
• 8 ms Response Time
• built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners
• 6 A/V inputs, including:
• 1 composite video (1 rear, 1 side)
• 1 VGA
• 2 component video (accepts signals up to 1080i)
• 2 HDMI

No reviews at Amazon at this time. A previous model received an average of four stars based on 19 customers. There were (3) three star reviews , (1) two star and (1) one star review for the previous model.