While LG’s 32LH7000 is remarkably cheap for an unusually well-equipped 32-inch TV, it doesn’t really make the best first impression.
First off, when you first take it out of the box, a large sticky tag on one side of the TV proudly proclaims in big letters that the TV is ‘Perfect Slim 39.7mm’. Oh that’s pretty cool I thought.
It was only then that I noticed, in small letters underneath, an apologetic explanation that the Perfect Slim design is only for the 42-inch LH7000 set. The 32LH7000 is actually almost twice as deep as 39.7mm. uh oh
After moving on from this disappointment, I quickly picked up another one. Because while the 32LH7000’s design is typically (for LG) a high-concept and stylish affair, it’s also quite large by today’s 32-inch standards. The bezel extends further on all sides than most TVs, a design decision taken to the extreme with the bottom edge lifting the screen a good five to six inches off the glossy desktop stand.
It’s important to stress that this clunky approach is no clumsy accident by LG. The 32LH7000’s clean, minimalist finish on the bezel, the dramatically large and illuminated power indicator “circle” below the screen, and a bottom edge that’s curved, transparent, and infused with a sort of orange hue show that the TV’s aesthetics are fully conscious .
But while similar chassis-heavy designs have worked reasonably well on larger-screen LG TVs, it all looks too cumbersome for my liking when wrapped around a mere 32-inch screen.
The last bad first impression comes shockingly from the pictures of the 32LH7000. For using the out-of-the-box Vivid picture preset, which LG has chosen as its preferred shipping option, the pictures look depressingly bad. I hope I can salvage them later when I get around to properly calibrating the TV.
Thankfully, things start looking up from here. First of all, the connectivity of the 32LH7000 is really excellent for such an affordable model. Four HDMIs catch the eye first, as does a USB port hidden directly above. This USB is also unusually talented in that it can play DivX videos alongside MP3 and JPEG files – including DivX HD. In other words, it’s every internet geek’s dream come true.
More geek love is likely inspired by another connection you can’t actually see: Bluetooth. This allows you to a) wirelessly transfer pictures and music files from a Bluetooth phone to the TV or b) listen to the TV sound via Bluetooth headphones.
A final jack of note is an RS-232C port, allowing the TV to be controlled over a remote AV network.
When you call up the 32LH7000’s on-screen menus to improve picture quality, the now-familiar LG on-screen menu system becomes visible, with its attractive combination of large icons and clear text.
The menus are also impressively crammed with tweaks and options – so much so that the Imaging Science Foundation endorsed the TV, resulting in two ISF setting modes under the TV’s presets. If you feel like it – which you probably won’t do with a 32-inch TV, to be honest – you can pay an ISF technician to come out and professionally calibrate the TV to match your specific living room environment.
Among the most interesting of the tweaks found in the menus are separate backlight and brightness settings, a multi-level dynamic contrast system, a dynamic color enhancer, a multi-level noise reduction system, a multi-level gamma setting, a wide color space setting, and perhaps most important of all, a 100Hz system .
Given that 100Hz systems can sometimes produce processing side effects, it’s nice to see that LG has provided low or high settings for its 100Hz feature – as well as the option to turn it off entirely if you are really dissatisfied with the way it works with any particular source.
Of course I chose to calibrate the 32LH7000 with my own set of test signals and discs. But it’s worth adding here that LG has carefully outfitted the TV with a Picture Wizard tool that allows even the most tech-savvy user to improve the picture quality of the device by following a few simple built-in test signals and accompanying explanations.
And that brings me to the big question: did I manage to turn the sow’s ear, which is the factory Vivid image of the 32LH7000 by default, into the imaging equivalent of a silk handbag?
Sort of. But man, was that hard work. And boy, was I frustrated when my probably slightly buggy review unit inexplicably automatically switched back to the awful Vivid preset every few minutes…
Anyhow, the main things I had to do to get images on track were to choose a different, more comfortable starting point for the image preset – I ended up choosing Natural mode – and then backlighting , sharply reducing the device’s contrast and brightness and sharpness settings, while also gently toning down the color saturation levels.
I would also strongly recommend the following: the noise reduction circuitry is never set higher than ‘Low’ and is completely disabled for HD and even DVD playback. the gamma setting is never set higher than medium; and the TruMotion 100Hz system is never set higher than Low.
Once you’ve completed your calibration work, you’re suddenly free to appreciate the very personable hues of the set. These remain extremely vibrant through even the worst excesses of Vivid mode, but also look extremely natural 90 to 95 per cent of the time.
The recalibrated 32LH7000 also gets a chance to show how well the 100Hz system reduces stuttering, even when it’s only set to ‘Low’. A combination of high brightness performance and respectable, if not exactly stunning, black levels allows images to look winningly dynamic even in mostly dark scenes that give LCD screens such a headache.
Initially, I didn’t feel that the 32LH7000 delivered HD sources with as much “snap” as I would ideally have liked. But when you think about it, there’s something endearingly natural about the set’s medium-sharp approach to HD’s added detail and clarity – especially as the 100Hz system ensures HD scenes are rarely subject to LCD’s motion blur and judder problems.
However, despite its low price, exceptional number of features and occasionally superb images, I can’t count on giving the 32LH7000 a TrustedReviews award.
Part of the reason is that the 100Hz system isn’t quite as “transparent” as I’d like. In other words, even when using the Low setting, the extra fluidity and clarity that comes with motion is accompanied by some noticeable processing artifacts, such as: B. twitchy edges on fast camera pans and a slightly stuttering approach on some action-packed shots.
The 32LH7000’s rescaling of standard definition footage isn’t quite as clever as we’ve seen from some competing brands either, with tones losing a bit of accuracy from really inferior sources and a hint of motion blur creeping into the process.
The 32LH7000’s audio, meanwhile, is a bit hit and miss. On the downside, the speakers can get loud and are great for bringing out subtle details in a good movie or drama mix. However, the set also pushes the high end of the audio spectrum too aggressively, causing loud scenes to sometimes sound harsh and many voices – male and female – sound slightly hissing.
“‘Verdict”‘
While not quite worthy of an unqualified TrustedReviews recommendation, the 32LH7000’s healthy spec sheet and aggressive price point certainly make it impossible to ignore.
How we test televisions
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Used as the main TV during the period
Tested over a week
Tested with industry calibrated tools, discs and real world use
Tested with broadcast content (HD/SD), video streams and demo discs
points in detail
functions 9
value 9
picture quality 8
design 8
sound quality 7
characteristics
| size (inches) | 32 inches |
| display type | LCD |