81cm LCD televisions review

Brands and models tested

• Hisense HL32K16L
• Kogan KGNFHDLEDH32VAA
• LG 32LV2530
• LG 32LV3730
• Panasonic TH-L32DT30A
• Panasonic TH-L32E3A
• Panasonic TH-L32X30A
• Prima LED3211HD
• Samsung UA32D5000
• Samsung UA32D6000
• Samsung UA37D5000
• Sanyo LCD32XR11F
• Sanyo LED32XR10FH
• Sony KDL32BX320
• Sony KDL32CX520
• Sony KDL32EX420
• Sony KDL32EX720
• TEAC LCD3281HD
• Toshiba 32HL800A
• Toshiba 32LV800A

How we test

Picture quality Our tester (Scott) sets up all TVs in our specialised test lab and adjusts their controls to get the best picture quality possible. He keeps the lighting in the room low and the sound muted, and three experts watch a variety of footage (from HD broadcast TV, DVD movies and Blu-ray as well as a computer game) simultaneously on all the screens.

They evaluate the picture quality and rate it out of 10 for each input. A special reference test Blu-Ray disc and two reference DVDs are used to provide test patterns and movie scenes. They check how well each TV produces accurate colour, solid blacks and whites without a colour shift.

• Scott also displays a number of test patterns from a high-quality Blu-ray/DVD player to measure if any of the picture is cut off at the edges.
• He plays movies and other footage to check the screen’s ability to produce images without colour-banding, jerkiness, blurring or vibration.
• He also checks for colours bleeding in high contrast or very intensely saturated parts of the image, and that there are no trails behind fast-moving objects on the screen.

Note: Calibrating a TV is about finding a balance between sharpness, contrast, noise, etc. For some models, in order to optimise one of these, the other aspects suffer dramatically. We're always reviewing our approach in order to come up with fair and meaningful test results.

Sound quality Scott listens to movies and music to check for rattles, hums, hisses or distortion, as well as making a judgment on how well the high and low sounds are produced.

Ease of use Scott uses the remote control, front panel controls and onscreen display to perform a number of common tasks, such as channel and volume changing, setting up favourites and re-scanning channels. He looks for logical menus and clear labelling, buttons and controls that are easily identified and can be used without interfering with other controls.

Energy score  Scott uses a calibrated power supply and power meter to measure the power consumed by the TV when in use and on standby if the star rating on the TV is less than one and a half stars or more than six. This is done using “out-of-the-box” settings, as required by the new mandatory power rating standard.

Our report will save you money for years to come and goes beyond the sales hype to reveal:

• Whether you really need to spend more on higher resolution.
• Which of the cheaper models performed best.
• Which of the televisions cost the least to run.

CHOICE independence is guaranteed

These independent ratings are only available through membership with CHOICE Online because no one tests products like we do. Arm yourself with our unique and exclusive information and make your next purchase with confidence.