Panasonic TX-32LXD700 review
Pricey, given its screen size, but near perfect, too: this is one of the finest 32in televisions you can buy
Unlike some rivals, Panasonic’s product names actually make a degree of sense once you understand the basics behind the badges. In this case, the ‘TX’ part of the product name tells us that the set is an LCD, the ‘32′ bit refers to the screen size in inches, and the ‘700′ element refers to quality, with cheaper sets being badged ‘70′ or ‘7′.
Get the gist? The point is this: at first glance, this is a very expensive 32in TV. Most size rivals will set you back a lot less, while you can buy much some larger screens for the same cash – including, rather intriguingly, a Panasonic 37in plasma, the TH-37PX70.
Flagship 32 incher
But the TX-32LXD700 still earns its spurs: it’s aimed squarely at the buyer who absolutely, positively cannot put up with anything larger in their front room, yet at the same time is wealthy enough to want to the best available performance for their cash.
So, this is Panasonic’s flagship 32in telly. It comes loaded with everything in the corporate inventory, from maximum-quality picture-enhancing processing through to enhanced ‘Smart Sound’ speakers.
It’s a 100Hz chassis, features plentiful inputs (including an SD card reader for viewing digital pictures from cameras) and has plenty of input sockets. It also, as you can see, looks terrific, if a little more straight-up and formal than some curvaceous Samsung alternatives.
Seeing is believing
Forgive the obvious knob reference, but sometimes, size doesn’t matter as much as you’d think. Yes, the TX-32LXD700 is smaller than some TVs you can buy for this money, but it has simply outstanding quality to compensate, both with off-air TV (where the set’s 100Hz processing really helps to stabilise motion, especially with sports) and with high-def.
Black levels are excellent for an LCD TV, the Panasonic delving into dark scenes that many rivals simply gloss over, and the set’s vital, punchy colours add crucial zest to even the most drab of daytime TV production.
Resolution isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
Naturally, switching to Blu-ray or HD DVD content is better still, and here the Panasonic’s powerful image scaling helps it to overcome any minor concerns you might have about it not being a Full HD screen.
It’ll cope quite happily with 1080p/24fps signals, scaling the resolution to suit its own, and the resultant picture, all lush colours and beautifully resolved sharpness, is a real treat for the eyes.
And, thanks to superior speakers that considerably improve on the sonic performance of lesser Panasonics (adding more warmth and weight to the balance, plus better clarity) your ears won’t be complaining too much either.
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