What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
12 SEP 2008
Panasonic TX-32LXD85
Great spec, solid performance – but you can get better pictures if you downsize or spend more
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A brand new 32in Panasonic for less than £500, you say? I'll take it! Actually, you may be wise to hold your horses there; although the TX-32LXD85 seems a steal on paper, and is undeniably solid, it doesn't necessarily produce the best picture at the price.
Like many Panasonic LCDs, the 'LXD85 seems to have been designed to produce a plasma-like picture, and a film like 30 Days of Night on Blu-ray benefits from much deeper and more detailed blacks than you'd expect from a TV of this type and price, and the film's subdued colour palette is recreated faithfully. The 1080p/24fps picture's motion is also exceptionally smooth and smear-free.
Not quite an all-rounder
The problem comes when you play a brighter, more colourful movie like Cars, which isn't quite given the punch it deserves. It's by no means a bad picture – detail levels, edge definition and black performance remain impressive – it's just not the all-round thriller we were hoping for.
Freeview performance isn't spot-on either, with images displaying just a smidge of noise and softness.
Sound is not much better than average for a flatscreen TV – a little thin, but perfectly listenable.
And that's this Panasonic all-round really – with all sources it's a solid and perfectly respectable performer, and if you simply must have a 32in TV but can't stretch above £500, it's probably the best there is. However, if you want the very best picture, you'd be wise to opt for a 26incher, or pay a bit more for something like the Sony KDL-32W4000.
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