LG 32LH4000 Review

32in LCD

Picture
Sound
Features
Usability
Value

Place the LG into its sub £400 price tag context and you have an exceptionally good TV.

Rating:

89%

Reviewed: 31 July 2009

Value

Mediocre black levels

Design

LG outsourced the design of their LCD TV's some while ago to an Italian design studio and it shows.

Even their budget panels represented here by the 32LH4000 have an air of sophistication. An 'indigo blue' strip along the bottom edge of the screen perfectly complements the flush appearance of the glossy black frame.

Features

An indication of how the consumer has repositioned the TV in their list of priorities is that many of us now consider a budget purchase as anything up to around £500. Seduced by the glamour of flat panel LCD and Plasma TV's that were suddenly cheap enough for us all to consider, we didn't seem to mind that they were still two or three times the amount we were used to paying for are old CRT's. The credit crunch has made us reassess what we are getting for our money and LG has responded with a range affordable LCD TV's packed with features; The 32LH4000 is one of those TV's.

Screen: 32in 16:9

Tuner: Digital

Sound System: Nicam

Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Contrast Ratio: 80,000:1

Other Features: XD Engine, Edge Enhancer processor, noise reduction.

Sockets: 3 HDMI, USB 2.0, 2 SCART, Component Video, Composite Video, PC input.

With a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution screen LG are breaking new ground with flat panels in this price range. Another surprise is the inclusion of a USB 2.0 input through which JPEG picture and MP3 audio files can be played. There is a D-Sub port for PC connections and a useful 3 HDMI's.

LG recognize that a large number of us are interested in getting the most out of our TV's, but are not prepared to invest the time with too much 'tweaking'. To this end, LG have produced one of the most attractive and intuitive menu systems around. The 'Picture Wizard' feature guides you through a TV optimization process using test signals for key picture enhancements.

For those of you who are a little more hands on there are various noise reduction options, a switchable dynamic contrast system, a dynamic colour option for boosting colour saturations, a black level booster, an Eye Care function, edge enhancement processor and an option to adjust the screen's gamma levels.

The 32LH4000 benefits from LG's tried and trusted Twin XD Engine picture processing engine. While this piece of circuitry has not exactly set the Audio Visual world alight, it has a track record of producing a solid picture performance wherever it is found.

The energy conscious amongst us will be glad to know that the 32LH4000 has gained an official Smart Energy Saving Plus recommendation for energy efficiency, and benefits from LG's Intelligent Sensor II, which adjusts the image's brightness in response to the light level in the area where your TV is situated.

Performance

It is no surprise to find a budget LCD TV from LG with gloriously rich colours; what is a surprise is to come across a budget TV from the Korean manufacturer which has avoided the trap of displaying an over saturated colour palette. The picture is not perfect in this respect, but the 32LH4000 applies colour with a subtlety that few screens at this price can achieve with even tricky areas such as facial tones rendered with a high degree of realism.

Bearing in mind that the screen has to upsacle the 576 or so line of Standard Definition (SD) Freeview signals to a Full HD screen, the 32LH4000 is a remarkable SD performer. We are not talking about high end plasma or LED levels of sharpness but a level of performance which belies a price which in some cases is half what you would pay for some high end screens. Pictures are generally as sharp and stable as anything in this price bracket. The only minor hiccup is a tight viewing angle which means you will loose a noticeable amount of contrast at anything the wrong side of 45 degrees.

Just as we were beginning to think that the 32LH4000 might be the answer to a TV buyer's dreams, we are brought back down to earth with a mediocre black level response. While the better flat panel TV's demonstrate rich natural blacks across darker scenes, the LG displays that blue grey tinge which somewhat mars the viewing experience - not to the degree the viewing experience is compromised but just enough to dull our initial excitement.

For those of you who feel High Definition content is wasted on a Full HD 32in screen, the 32LH4000 demonstrates that the benefits of HD can also be enjoyed by those of us who for whatever reason prefer not to have a 40in + TV in our living area. Gloriously sharp pictures are the first surprise followed by a sense of realism from this smallish screen which is a revelation for this price bracket. The only hiccup is the average black level response which does sometimes skew the accuracy of colours.

Once again questioning the worthiness of 100Hz processing, the 32LH4000 puts in a decent motion handling performance without the inclusion of this feature. Motion blur is a visible but not to any great degree, even on a poorer quality Freeview signal. The absence of an overly intrusive motion trail with fast sporting action will surely tempt those who enjoy their sport and who are also looking for a budget screen.

As with the majority of flat panel TV's, the LG's acoustic performance can only be described as adequate. Most manufacturers have compromised in this respect in terms of design, by hiding their TV speakers, which has inevitable consequences for acoustic quality. The sound coming from the 32LH4000 doesn't present a problem generally until you experience the lack of raw 'bass' power required from more demanding material such as film scores.

Conclusion

Place the 32LH4000 alongside the majority of flat panel TV's and you would consider its performance to be average. Place the TV into its sub £400 price tag context and you have an exceptionally good TV.

LG 32LH4000

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