The 32-inch TV market is an odd one these days. Most manufacturers now consider that size to be small and, if we're being honest, they don't put as much effort into those models as they should.
Despite all of that, if you hop onto Amazon and search for 32-inch TVs, you'll find absolutely loads of them. So, if you are after a 32-inch TV, perhaps for a second room or simply because you don't want your living room dominated by the telly, it can be very hard to figure out which you should buy.
Well, allow me to help you out there. I've been involved in the testing of several of the best-selling 32-inch TVs over the last few months, and my favourite is the TCL 32SF540K, which you can now pick up for just £137 at Amazon ahead of Black Friday.
While expectations need to be tempered at this price (and because this is a 'small' TV), the TCL SF540K offers a surprisingly stacked feature set and a very likeable picture performance.
The headline is the inclusion of Amazon's Fire TV operating system, which means the whole user experience is rather like that of a Fire TV Stick. It's colourful, intuitive and it grants access to pretty much every streaming app you're likely to need, including all of the major UK-specific catch-up apps, which are neatly wrapped up in the Freeview Play wrapper. You can use the mic built into the remote to chat to Alexa, too, essentially turning the TV into a big Amazon Echo device – albeit one that requires a button-press to operate.
Unlike most TVs at this level, which have an 'HD Ready' 720p resolution, the SF540K has a 'Full HD' 1080p resolution. It also boasts VA panel technology and a direct LED backlight, and it supports HDR in the HDR10 and HLG formats. And while the TV isn't packed with gaming features, it does offer ALLM switching and a low input lag of 15.3ms, so it's a good option if you need a very affordable gaming TV.
In action, the TCL SF540K isn't super-bright or vibrant, but it is balanced and controlled, which is more than can be said for most rivals. Black levels are reasonable and there's plenty of shadow detail, bright highlights are free of nasty 'clipping', and colours are fairly warm and natural. It's sharper and more detailed than the other 32-inch TVs we've tested recently, too, and motion is handled well.
Our only real criticism of the picture performance (taking into consideration the price, of course) is that it has fairly limited viewing angles, which means those sitting substantially off-axis from the TV will find the picture looks a bit washed out.
The sound quality is unfortunately worse than the picture. The thin and limp delivery won't be a huge problem for daytime TV, but it will be a frustration for movies and games. This isn't unusual for TVs at any level, though, and certainly not at this size and price, so it shouldn't put you off too much. But do budget for a cheap soundbar if you're able.
Ultimately, this is a very solid-performing and smart TV. We awarded it four stars at £149, but it actually launched for £179, making it a real bargain at the new price of £137.
MORE:
Read the full TCL 32SF540K review
Check out all of the early Black Friday TV deals
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