To be a Best Buy, a TV must have good picture and sound quality, with no significant drawbacks elsewhere.
30- and 32-inch LCD TVs
The Panasonic TX-32LXD52 is a high-definition and digital-ready 32” LCD. Picture quality is good across the board, but the especially sharp resolution picks out colourful detail well without too much compromise on movement. And if you want to watch HDTV it’s a top choice. However, the viewing angle is a bit narrow, so watching with lots of company could prove irritating. The detailed and full sound makes it one of the best LCD choices for audiophiles. With classical and jazz music, relaxing and warm tones allow individual instrument sounds to bubble to the surface. It costs £1,200 online. Although we don’t have specific data on LCDs, the Panasonic TV brand is reliable.
For sheer size the Sony KDL-W40A12U is impressive – at 40-inches it’s the biggest LCD we’ve ever tested. It’s ready for both digital and high-definition TV so is a good purchase if you want to keep up with the latest TV developments. It’s also one of the best sets for watching HDTV. The picture has good depth and detail but colours are a little weak, and fast panning or movement isn’t the best – though if you’re watching high-definition programmes, these drawbacks will vanish. However, sound is over-processed and is adversely affected by an obvious fan noise. For better results link the set up to your hi-fi. The Sony costs around £3,000 online. Although we don’t have specific data on LCDs, the Sony TV brand is very reliable.
The Toshiba 32WLT58 features good levels of detail and pleasing colours, making this IDTV model pleasant to watch. The sound isn’t bad, either, although it can feel a little grainy and the high definition is not quite up to the glorious standards of some Best Buy rivals. It’s easy to tune in and set up for both digital and analogue reception, but the cumbersome and poorly laid out electronic programme guide is a tad disappointing. Like all the IDTV Best Buys, you can set a compatible VCR or DVD recorder to record programmes selected on the on-screen TV guide. The Toshiba costs £1,200 online. We don’t have data on LCD TVs but the Toshiba TV brand is generally very reliable.
Our expert viewing panel reckons the Sony KLV L32ML is one of the few 32-inch LCD models worth considering. The colour balance, depth and sharpness of the picture make for fine viewing. Admittedly it is let down by the disappointingly mediocre sound and it isn’t HD-ready. So, if you want to ‘future-proof’ your purchase, look elsewhere. We don’t have specific LCD data but the Sony brand is reliable and you can pick this model up for £900 online.
The Sony Bravia KDL-V32A12U impressed our viewing panel in both standard and high definition modes – the picture is consistently good, making this IDTV model a pleasure to watch. The sound isn’t bad, either, although it’s not up to the standard of some of its Best Buy rivals. It’s easy to set up and tune in but the electronic programme guide could be better – it’s rather cumbersome and confusing. Like all the IDTV Best Buys, you can set a compatible VCR or DVD recorder to record programmes selected on the on-screen TV guide. The Sony costs £1,800 on the high street from John Lewis. We don’t have reliability data on LCD TVs, but the Sony brand is generally very reliable.
26-inch LCD TVs
A 26-inch LCD TV produces a picture of about the same size as a 28-inch conventional TV because the image goes right to the edges of the screen.
The Loewe Xelos A 26 produces good images for an LCD TV. Sound is superb and it’s good for viewing stills and Teletext, but its on-screen menu is baffling. It costs £1,295 from John Lewis (£1,895 for the 32-inch version). We don’t have specific reliability data on LCDs but it doesn’t qualify as a Best Buy as our data shows that Loewe conventional TVs are below average for reliability
It's top notch for watching films on though!
