LCD-32XR1

The LCD-32XR1, a 32" LCD panel, is apart of Sanyo's latest range of LCD's that have been marketed as quality displays without the high price tag. Although the image quality ranks right up there with other well known competitors, we think this particular panel falters with only a short warranty.being offered.

The design of the LCD-32XR1 is quite ordinary, with silver speakers attached to a black bezel. Inputs are located on the back of the panel, and include an impressive variety of hi-definition inputs, including HDMI, component input and 2 SCART inputs. Standard inputs such as S-Video, composite, headphone and RCA audio inputs are also available. The speakers provide ample sound support for regular TV viewing, and there is also an impressive amount of configurability to the sound, with a graphic equalizer accessible through the menu system. The menu system also reveals several other important configuration features such as Digital Noise Reduction (DNR), brightness, contrast and colour temperature settings.

The auto-search function immediately recognizes a video source when the TV is turned on and switches to it. We actually found this slightly irritating when we had multiple video sources plugged in, for instead of loading the previously used video signal, it would flip between the video input sources. Users will find some very handy image calibration options in the menu system; in particular, we found the noise reduction feature very helpful in reducing the inherent graininess present in LCD panels.

The TV comes with an inbuilt analogue tuner, and although this signal does not justify the achievable image quality from the panel, its good know that users do not necessarily need an external tuner. We did set up an external Hi-Def set top box, and the image quality was exceptional. Displaying full screen at 720P, the colour qualities were rendered accurately, with very similar results to Samsung's LA32R51B . The contrast ratio is one of the best we have seen with LCD technology, with dark scenes easily resolved when compared to displays such as Legend Digital's 30" LCD . Simply put, the performance of this screen is comparable to the better regarded brands.

We do anticipate some users will feel uncomfortable with the short warranty period of 12 months. We have seen most screens supported by at least a 2 year warranty, as well as plasma's with up to a 5 year warranty. Only having 12 months is definitely too short, and with the retail price listed above, we would be cautious when purchasing this screen.