Group test: 32in LCD TVs pt2

Overview Price: £800 More info: Panasonic Size: 836(w) x 540(h) x 110(d)mm Weight (inc stand): 19kg Native aspect ratio: 16:9 Claimed max contrast ratio: 8500:1 Claimed max brightness: N/A Connections: Three HDMI inputs, component video input, SDHC input, two Scarts (both RGB), composite video input, PC input, stereo audio inputs, tuner input, CAM slot, S-Video input, headphone jack Panasonic TX-32LXD700 The 32LXD700 is Panasonic's current flagship 32in LCD model, so not surprisingly it represents the 'luxury' option in our group test, probably destined more for main living room rather than bedroom use. But can it really do enough to justify costing twice as much as our cheapest contender? It's certainly nice looking and beautifully built - though not massively more so than LG's 32LC46. But it's got a definite advantage when it comes to connections thanks to its provision of a third HDMI and an SD card slot for digital photo playback. It also boasts pretty high-spec image processing in the shape of Panasonic's V-Real 2 system, complete with the facility to handle 1080p footage. Plus, significantly, there's 100Hz processing to reduce LCD's common motion blur/judder problems, and a dynamic backlight system promising a very high contrast ratio of 8500:1. As we'd hoped, all these premium features combine to help the 32LXD700 deliver outstanding pictures. For a start, high definition pictures look terrifically sharp and packed with detail, without a trace of noise. Even more impressively, the V-Real processing does a superb job of rescaling standard definition to fit the HD Ready screen resolution, making it sharper without adding noise. Helping boost the sharpness further is the way the 100Hz system ensures that motion looks cleaner and crisper than on any other TV in this group test. The 32LXD700 is again on top of its game with colours. For as well as looking vibrant and rich in a way only LCD technology can deliver, the TV's colours also possess exceptionally natural and subtle tones. The weakest point about the 32LXD700's pictures is their black levels, as dark scenes do show traces of cloudiness. But even so, they're still the best black levels in this group test. As if all the picture glories weren't excuse enough for the Panasonic's relatively steep price, it also sounds great, with far more bass and power than the vast majority of small flat TVs. When all's said and done, it's hard to think of a 32in TV that would serve your living room better.

Verdict Plus points Plenty of features, really good pictures, powerful audio Minus points Not cheap, black levels could be better

Overview Price: £470 More info: Sharp Size: 792(w) x 583(h) x 243(d)mm Weight (inc stand): 19kg Native aspect ratio: 16:9 Claimed max contrast ratio: 1200:1 Claimed max brightness: 500cd/m2 Connections: Two HDMI inputs, Two Scarts (1 RGB), component video input, composite video input, D-Sub PC input, Stereo audio output, headphone jack, stereo audio inputs, CI slot, RF input Sharp LC32AD5E Amazingly this is the third of our four contenders to sneak under the £500 barrier while looking as if it ought to cost a shed-load more. It also joins our other budget contenders in sporting two HDMIs and a PC port among its connections, and scores points for having a decent level of flexibility in its picture settings. Tweaks available include a black level booster, and noise reduction. However, the LC32AD5E comes off the rails versus our LG contender by having neither a specialist picture processing engine, nor a dynamic backlight system to boost contrast. From this latter discovery, it's no surprise to find the LC32AD5E claiming only the same contrast ratio as the Hannspree model - 1200:1. After spending some aggravating time with the LC32AD5E's rather messy and cluttered onscreen menus, we managed to get the LC32AD5E producing really quite likeable pictures. Colours, for instance, are very intense by budget LCD standards, and high definition pictures look impressively crisp and 'snappy'. It's also nice to find that HD and even standard definition sources both appear with relatively little video noise, while moving objects aren't blighted significantly by smearing or resolution loss. The LC32AD5E's small-looking speakers, meanwhile, produce a bigger soundstage than expected. But before we get too carried away, we must report that the LC32AD5E's viewing angle is severely limited, with the image losing contrast and colour richness drastically if viewed from as little as 30 degrees off axis. Black levels are a little tricky too. For they either look too grey for comfort, or else they look hollow if you nudge the backlight down sufficiently to take the greyness out of the equation. Our last concern is that colours appear with some rather odd tones on too many occasions for comfort. Add these problems together and we'd say they'd be enough to tempt us to find the extra £30 or so for the LG budget option instead…

Verdict Plus points Fair price, pictures good at times, nicely designed Minus points Messy onscreen menus, colour tone problems, black levels tricky to get right

Final verdict Two things in particular come out of this group test. First, it would appear that the old 'you get what you pay for' does still hold water in the flat TV world. Providing the evidence for this is the fact that comfortably the highest level of performance comes from what's also comfortably our most expensive model - the Panasonic 32LXD700. Run this one alongside our cheaper models, and suddenly its £800 price tag doesn't seem so hard to explain. In other words, this is definitely the model to go for if money is no object. None of our other three contenders are really in the same league as the Panasonic, truth be told. But that's not to say that they don't have any appeal to buyers on a tight budget. Even the two least attractive options, the Hannspree XV32 GT and Sharp LC32AD5E, would both do solid duty as a second-room set, with the Hannspree appealing on sheer bang for your buck grounds, while the Sharp slightly edges its Taiwanese rival in performance terms. But if it were our money, we'd probably try and rustle up that little bit extra needed to get the LG ahead of its two budget rivals, for although it's certainly no match for the Panasonic, it still offers a near-midrange performance at what still has to be considered a knock-down price.

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