What Hi Fi Sound and Vision 15 AUG 2007

JVC LT-32DG8BJ

£ 650 3

* * *

A decent set, but coming to the end of its lifecycle - newer, better sets can be bought, even at this money

For
Sharp, detailed images; good black levels; easy to use; reasonable sonic ability
Against
No looker; slightly washed-out colour performance; some motion problems

This TV is not blessed with the best looks. The speaker arrangement looks awkward, and the budget materials are thin and ugly. JVC's disregard for looks is also evident with the remote control and menu system, neither of which will be winning any awards for presentation.

However, functionality comes before form, and on this count we have few criticisms. Set-up is simple, and the Electronic Programme Guide is easy to use. Off-air images from the Freeview tuner are sharp and detailed. Skin tones aren't perfect, though, and motion can cause some loss of stability. Overall, TV performance is above average.

Colour balance slightly skew
DVDs offer good black levels, and reasonable insight into dark areas. This set can't match the very best in this regard, but it's not far off. Colours are a little disappointing, demonstrating a bias towards blue/green. The colour scale itself doesn't offer enough range from end to end, so we found that we had to settle for a washed-out palette.

HD material helps close the gap between the JVC and rivals, though a colourful Blu-ray movie like Ultraviolet proves that the picture here is still not as vibrant as it should be. Sound performance is closer, though. There is an element of separation going on here, and even a stab at bass.

All in all, not bad, but at £700 this set is going against a couple of rivals that offer much more.