AVS › AVS Forum › Display Devices › LCD Flat Panel Displays › Choosing a 32-inch LCD TV
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Choosing a 32-inch LCD TV

post #1 of 16
10/31/10 at 9:23am
Thread Starter 
Hi everybody,

I'm looking to replace my Westinghouse 26-inch TV with a newer 32-inch display and was hoping I could get some suggestions on which are the best for my situation.

A few details:
-First and foremost, I love gaming and it is mostly what I would be using the TV for
-I would prefer the TV to have 1080p capabilities
-120hz is nice but it's no big deal if the TV is 60hz
-As a gamer, input lag is important to me and the less lag there is, the better
-Contrast ratio is also highly important to me, as one of the reasons I'm unhappy with my current setup is the weak black levels and contrast

Some models I've been looking at:

Samsung LN32C530

Sony KDL32EX500

Toshiba 32E200U

LG 32LH30

I've been leaning toward the Sony KDL32EX500 but was hoping somebody could let me know if there's better TVs on the market than the ones I mentioned and what are the best for gaming. Also, some LED displays are not necessarily out of my price range, so would this be worth it to spend the extra money on?

Please forgive my general lack of knowledge about these TVs; I'm new to this.

Thanks a lot for any feedback you can provide me!
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 16
10/31/10 at 11:06am
Unless you live in bedroom/dorm I'd consider going to a 42" set. At 1080p they aren't much more than the 32's.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 16
10/31/10 at 11:14am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Servicetech571 View Post

Unless you live in bedroom/dorm I'd consider going to a 42" set. At 1080p they aren't much more than the 32's.

This display would be intended for a bedroom/dorm, so 32'' is really as big as I'm willing to go.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 16
10/31/10 at 11:26am
First off, what's gaming for you? If it's on a console, consider going to 720p instead of 1080p. Only a small handful of console games actually support 1080p. Consider 1080p only if you're going to hook your PC up for gaming or watching blurays. If you still insist on 1080p, consider how far you will sit from the tv before you can no longer discern the difference between 1080p and 720p. 32" is considerably small.

120hz doesn't affect gameplay. It affects movie playback. You can possibly safely consider 60hz here.

Input lag? Consider Sharp TVs. They have one of the best reputation for minimal input lags. For example, Sharp LEXX700UN. It does have 1080p and 120hz. Input lag is 4ms in Game Mode.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 16
10/31/10 at 11:38am
Check the 32LE5400 and 32LE5300 on Amazon. I just got a 32LE5400 from them with IPS panel. They just increased the price a few bucks after I bought mine but it's still a very good price.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 16
10/31/10 at 1:01pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by quaint bucket View Post

First off, what's gaming for you? If it's on a console, consider going to 720p instead of 1080p. Only a small handful of console games actually support 1080p. Consider 1080p only if you're going to hook your PC up for gaming or watching blurays. If you still insist on 1080p, consider how far you will sit from the tv before you can no longer discern the difference between 1080p and 720p. 32" is considerably small.

120hz doesn't affect gameplay. It affects movie playback. You can possibly safely consider 60hz here.

Input lag? Consider Sharp TVs. They have one of the best reputation for minimal input lags. For example, Sharp LEXX700UN. It does have 1080p and 120hz. Input lag is 4ms in Game Mode.

I do plan on watching blurays on this TV, so 1080p would be nice. The Sharp LE700UN seems really cool and it's definitely something to consider. Thanks a lot for your input.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 16
10/31/10 at 1:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leo King View Post

Check the 32LE5400 and 32LE5300 on Amazon. I just got a 32LE5400 from them with IPS panel. They just increased the price a few bucks after I bought mine but it's still a very good price.

I've looked at these two before. They're a little pricey, but they seem like great TVs. Have you played video games on it? If so, what is the input lag like? Is LG reliable in your experience? Also, is LED worth the jump in price?

Thanks!
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 16
10/31/10 at 1:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leo King View Post

Check the 32LE5400 and 32LE5300 on Amazon. I just got a 32LE5400 from them with IPS panel. They just increased the price a few bucks after I bought mine but it's still a very good price.

Here's a tip about Amazon when purchasing electronics -- always wait until mid week (Tues, Wed, Thurs) to get the lowest price. I followed the daily price of several displays across a 8 week period and weekend prices were typically higher.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 16
10/31/10 at 1:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by quaint bucket View Post

First off, what's gaming for you? If it's on a console, consider going to 720p instead of 1080p. Only a small handful of console games actually support 1080p. Consider 1080p only if you're going to hook your PC up for gaming or watching blurays. If you still insist on 1080p, consider how far you will sit from the tv before you can no longer discern the difference between 1080p and 720p. 32" is considerably small.

Agreed, 1080p isn't practical for 32" unless you are using it as a computer monitor. Most the calls I go on for these high end small TV's are either wealthy people who don't care how much it costs (set up in a small room) or kids living at home set up in their bedroom. Occasionally I see somebody using one as a PC monitor or somebody who found one on clearance really cheap. I found a 50" for my bedroom on clearance for the price of the 32's being discussed here. The wife wasn't thrilled about such a large set but she's grown to like it
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 16
10/31/10 at 1:37pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Servicetech571 View Post

Agreed, 1080p isn't practical for 32" unless you are using it as a computer monitor. Most the calls I go on for these high end small TV's are either wealthy people who don't care how much it costs (set up in a small room) or kids living at home set up in their bedroom. Occasionally I see somebody using one as a PC monitor or somebody who found one on clearance really cheap. I found a 50" for my bedroom on clearance for the price of the 32's being discussed here. The wife wasn't thrilled about such a large set but she's grown to like it

I would like to have something that can double as a PC monitor, were I in need of the extra real estate that 32'' would provide. Unfortunately, something like a 50'' would be out of the question for me since the room this TV is going in is fairly small. Also, I do plan on watching blurays with this TV, so 1080p would be nice, though it's not absolutely necessary. If there is a 720p set that blows me away in other areas, I'd be willing to give it consideration.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 16
10/31/10 at 1:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spacetreasure View Post

I've looked at these two before. They're a little pricey, but they seem like great TVs. Have you played video games on it? If so, what is the input lag like? Is LG reliable in your experience? Also, is LED worth the jump in price?

Thanks!

I recommend the LG 32LD450. Its been tested at 1-2 frames of lag (lowest of all 2010 32" displays). I primarily use it as a PC monitor, but I've tested gaming with games like SSF 4, HAWX, Resident Evil 5, etc and its great (no tearing and no motion blur). Another great thing about the LD450 is that it passes 4:4:4 color, which no other 32" set can do.

In comparison to the LE5300/LE5400, I believe it has higher input lag and fails 4:4:4 color. The only plusses it has over the LD450 is that its edge-lit LED (not to be confused with local-lit LED, which only ultra high-end displays have currently) and has 120 Hz support. For a gaming TV, I don't think these strengths are worth the >$100 premium or sacrificing input lag.

Check out the official LD450 thread for more info, and play close attention to the panel lottery issue and how to ensure a S-IPS panel.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 16
10/31/10 at 4:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by thepoohcontinuum View Post

I recommend the LG 32LD450. Its been tested at 1-2 frames of lag (lowest of all 2010 32" displays). I primarily use it as a PC monitor, but I've tested gaming with games like SSF 4, HAWX, Resident Evil 5, etc and its great (no tearing and no motion blur). Another great thing about the LD450 is that it passes 4:4:4 color, which no other 32" set can do.

In comparison to the LE5300/LE5400, I believe it has higher input lag and fails 4:4:4 color. The only plusses it has over the LD450 is that its edge-lit LED (not to be confused with local-lit LED, which only ultra high-end displays have currently) and has 120 Hz support. For a gaming TV, I don't think these strengths are worth the >$100 premium or sacrificing input lag.

Check out the official LD450 thread for more info, and play close attention to the panel lottery issue and how to ensure a S-IPS panel.

This TV does look pretty impressive; the 4:4:4 color is a very enticing element, though the LED LG sets have much higher contrast ratio. Do you have any experience or knowledge of the Sony I was looking at? I have heard Sony is often pretty good with input lag and I'd like to get some opinions on it.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 16
10/31/10 at 4:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spacetreasure View Post

I would like to have something that can double as a PC monitor, were I in need of the extra real estate that 32'' would provide. Unfortunately, something like a 50'' would be out of the question for me since the room this TV is going in is fairly small. Also, I do plan on watching blurays with this TV, so 1080p would be nice, though it's not absolutely necessary. If there is a 720p set that blows me away in other areas, I'd be willing to give it consideration.

For a small bedroom one display that can be both a PC monitor and a TV is a real space saver. As long as there isn't one person wanting to watch TV while the other person is on the computer you're good
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 16
10/31/10 at 5:09pm
Thread Starter 
Also another question for anybody who knows:

While looking through some Sony LED TVs, they mention that some of them have "infinite dynamic contrast ratio." What exactly does this mean?
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 16
10/31/10 at 5:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spacetreasure View Post

Also another question for anybody who knows:

While looking through some Sony LED TVs, they mention that some of them have "infinite dynamic contrast ratio." What exactly does this mean?

Marketing gimmick
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 16
10/31/10 at 6:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spacetreasure View Post

This TV does look pretty impressive; the 4:4:4 color is a very enticing element, though the LED LG sets have much higher contrast ratio. Do you have any experience or knowledge of the Sony I was looking at? I have heard Sony is often pretty good with input lag and I'd like to get some opinions on it.

Contrast numbers are always inflated by the manufacturers, so I wouldn't put too much emphasis on what it says on the spec sheets. Plus, assuming there is any truth to the contrast ratio number, it only applies when dynamic contrast features are enabled. Most people have this disabled since spontaneously changing brightness/contrast gets annoying fast (with exception to displays with local LED dimming capabilities).

As for the Sony, I've only played around with the EX400 which clocks in at about 2-3 frames of input lag. From what others have said on the forums, the EX500 has worse input lag than the EX400. This is primarily due to the Bravia Engine 3 on the EX500, whereas the EX400 has Bravia Engine 2. Additionally, Sony displays use a MVA/PVA panel type, which generally is considered inferior to IPS type panels (although black levels are supposively better on the Sony).
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: LCD Flat Panel Displays

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Display Devices › LCD Flat Panel Displays › Choosing a 32-inch LCD TV