This 720p Roku TV delivers a generally pleasing image with solid contrast and color. If you need a wider viewing angle because you’ll often be watching TV from off-center: We recommend the Hisense H4 Series. But Game mode is meant for external sources (like game consoles) connected via HDMI and won’t work with the TV’s built-in streaming services. Colors weren’t quite as accurate, but they did look more vibrant, which many people may prefer for daytime viewing.
Whereas some TVs we tested had only one picture mode that we found watchable, the 32S334 had a couple good options: The Movie picture mode was the most accurate and best for nighttime viewing, but the brighter Game mode also had a nicely neutral color temperature (or color of white, meaning the overall image wasn’t too blue or red). Yet it was also one of the brightest TVs we measured (with a maximum light output of 81.3 fL, or 279 nits), so it added a little more pop to bright content during the day. It has surprisingly good color accuracy and a better black level than the competition, so films and darker, more atmospheric TV shows looked richer and more natural in a dark room. Most of the TVs we tested did a fine job with brighter TV and sports content, but the 32S334 distinguished itself from the pack with movies. Do you want voice search built into the remote? How about AirPlay or Chromecast support? Some of these features are tied to the smart-TV platform you choose, which is again why that feature may heavily influence your buying decision. Do you need a wired Ethernet port? Many of the TVs we tested only support Wi-Fi to stream media, but some add a LAN port, which can be helpful if your Wi-Fi network is unreliable. Other features that may influence your buying decision: Do you want Bluetooth audio output to wirelessly connect headphones or a Bluetooth speaker? Some 32-inch TVs lack this feature altogether, and some implement it more conveniently than others.(You can read more about HDMI 2.1 in this blog post.) These inputs are usually HDMI 2.0, not HDMI 2.1, which means you don’t get all the latest advanced gaming features or higher-quality eARC audio output that you’ll find on more expensive TVs. The built-in streaming can eliminate the need to attach an external media streamer, but if you have a cable box, gaming console, and disc player, you should look for a TV with three HDMI inputs. Your choice of TVs may come down to how many external sources you need to attach. Number of HDMI inputs: Many 32-inch TVs have just two HDMI inputs, but some offer three.
But you can also connect an external streaming media player, which generally tends to be faster and may receive software updates sooner than its integrated TV counterpart. If you have a strong preference for (or against) a certain smart-TV platform, that may factor heavily into your choice of 32-inch TVs.
Companies like Samsung, LG, and Vizio utilize their own proprietary smart-TV platforms, while brands like TCL, Hisense, and Toshiba rely on Roku TV, Android TV, or Fire TV. Smart-TV platform: As with TVs of all screen sizes, it has become impossible to find a new 32-inch TV that lacks a built-in streaming platform.
The majority of 720p 32-inch TVs cost $200 or less, while you can expect to pay $220 to $250 for a 1080p model. Price: Price and resolution tend to go hand in hand here.However, for close-up viewing-such as for desktop, gaming, or kitchen use-the step up to 1080p provides a meaningful improvement, especially in text clarity. In our tests, the loss of detail between 720p and 1080p was evident at this screen size, but not significant. (As we write this, there is only one 32-inch TV we know of with a 4K resolution, from Samsung, and it costs more than twice as much as the TVs we tested.) If you’re sitting more than five feet away from your TV, we don’t think the lower 720p resolution is a major hindrance. Resolution: The majority of 32-inch TVs have a 720p (1366×768) HD resolution, but you can find a few that offer a 1080p (1920×1080) resolution for a slightly higher price.