Review: Panasonic TX-32A400

Introduction

Would you buy a HD-ready TV? With Full HD virtually the default for a living room and 4k now creeping onto the market, the 1366x768 resolution of this telly seems almost dinosaur-like.

And yet the 32A400 does demonstrate progress, with its super-slim frame and low-profile desktop stand lending it high-end looks for a relatively small outlay.

Selling in the for UK£249 (where it's sold as the TX-32A400B), in the US (where it's known as the TC-32A400U) for US$199 and in Australia (where it's called the TH-32A400A) for AU$499, this is Panasonic's entry-level LED TV.

The chief attractions of the 32A400 are undoubtedly its narrow bezel, small footprint and low price. Measuring 734x477x184mm, just 7.5mm along the top, and 14mm across the bottom of the screen (where the 5W stereo speakers reside), the 32A400's gloss black fascia is neither mould-breaking nor complex.

However, the desktop stand the 32A400 sits upon is unusual; it has a two-pronged rectangular slab, and instead of screwing-on to the main TV on the back, the 32A400 slips onto it. It's then secured from the stand's undercarriage, though it's no trouble turning the 6kg 32A400 upside down to do so.

Features

The UK version of the 32A400 might be low-end in cost but it provides a lot of value for money. With an inbuilt Freeview HD tuner and the ability to play mulitiple files through a USB flash drive this is a respectable second TV choice.

Best of all the 100Hz/120Hz back-light blinking system ought to lessen the screen's apparent response time and reduce motion blur, something that remains an endemic problem on other low-end LED TVs, but not here.

Along the rear of the 32A400 is a selection of ins and outs that cover all the bases. While most TVs of this size, spec and price include a sole HDMI slot the 32A400 offers two, alongside an RF input (for the DVB-T2/Freeview HD tuner), a full RGB scart and a set of component video inputs.

Audio is taken care of by left/right audio inputs and a digital optical audio output. There's also an Ethernet LAN slot. Sadly, it's not there to fuel a smart TV platform, but merely for software updates.

A panel on the TV's left-hand side (as you watch it) contains two extremely handy connections, a USB and a headphones slot. The former suggest media software for playing digital music, photo and video files from a USB flash drive while the latter is nicely placed for those wanting to listen to the 32A400 late at night.

Also consider

The A400 Series comes in three sizes, the others being the 39-inch Panasonic TX-39A400 and the 50-inch Panasonic TX-50A400. Further up the food chain is the AS500 Series, which adds Panasonic's smart TV platform, My Home Screen, Swipe & Share smartphone/tablet file exchange apps, and Skype. The even pricier AS600 Series adds a dual core processor and Voice Assistant via an app on a smartphone or tablet.

Picture quality

A live broadcast of Italy Vs Uruguay on BBC One HD provides ample examples of the 32A400's strengths and weaknesses. Although it might lack the ultimate detail to get the most out of a Blu-ray disc, the 32A400 is very much at home with Freeview HD fare.

Images appear not only detailed but also spotlessly clean and fluent, with plenty of contrast, lusciously deep blacks, and bold, well-saturated colours all present during the anthems and pre-match build-up. To achieve this kind of performance two things are necessary: a HD channel, and the use of the 32A400's cinema mode.

Cinema is one of four preset viewing modes, the others being dynamic, normal and true cinema. Those first two feature forced contrast and an overly bright backlight, while the latter is confusingly undistinguishable from the cinema mode; both put the backlight on half-power. Some tweaks are needed, but overall there's a very clean image.

But there are problems with the 32A400's image. During Brazil Vs Cameroon on ITV 1 HD I noticed a touch of picture noise in backgrounds, the odd jagged edge and, most problematic of all, some motion blurring. It's actually not as bad a problem as you'd normally expect on such a low-cost TV; there's only a definite loss of resolution as the camera scans during close-ups, and again during rapid shots that follow shots on goal.

The moving pitch never seems to be shown in its full detail, but switch to regular TV on a HD channel – such as news or drama – and the 32A400 hardly puts a foot wrong.

Swap to a standard definition channel, however, and the 32A400's use of a HD-ready rather than a Full HD panel begins to reveal a massive advantage. During the action in The Hunger Games on Channel 4 the images are soft, but clean, with few motion artefacts and a lack of picture noise. It's a comfy watch.

Hooked-up to a Blu-ray player, the 32A400 handles Gravity reasonably well. There's little sign of star-fields in backgrounds; instead the 32A400 displays an ironically named 'black hole' approach to contrast that hides ultimate detail and instead puts a block of black where textured detail exists. During dark scenes I also noticed a few small blotches of light in the lower right-hand corner.

Viewing angles on the 32A400 are reasonably good, with colours remaining fairly bold even when watched from the wings. However, there's a distinct drop in black levels and contrast, though it shouldn't affect general TV viewing.

Usability, sound and value

Usability

There are big problems with the 32A400's Freeview HD software. The electronic programme guide is reasonably well laid-out in terms of easily fetched information, with schedules over two hours provided for seven channels at-a-glance. The blue, black, yellow and white colour scheme is pleasant and the graphics hi-res and clearly read. However, the EPG is not only lacking a live TV thumbnail in one of the corners – something that allows a quick scan of the schedules while watching a TV programme – but engaging it completely silences the TV, too. It makes using digital TV fluently and conveniently impossible.

Even the channel list – accessible during live TV by pressing the OK button – is a drag. Selecting a channel is simple and the 32A400 switches to that channel immediately, but the menu persists until you struggle to find the exit button.

That's unnecessarily long-winded, though it's worth noting that the 32A400 is among the fastest-working TVs we've reviewed in 2014. Menus never hang and lists can be scrolled through exceptionally quickly.

Remote control

The remote control is typical Panasonic. Though smaller than the one included with its pricer TVs and more akin to what you might expect to find with a DVD or Blu-ray player, it features large buttons for channel changes and volume. What it does lack is a button to bring-up an on-screen reading of what channel you're watching, and what's coming up next on other channels.

Digital media

The 32A400's handling of digital media is both fluent and comprehensive. Although it is necessary to choose between music, video or photo before attempting to select and play files stored on a USB flash drive, file compatibility is wide.

Video files, which are nicely presented as thumbnails that feature images taken from the file itself stretch to MKV as well as AVI, MP4, FLV and WMV formats. Photos are restricted to JPEGs, but music is from MP3, WMA, FLAC and WAV.

Sound

The 32A400's built-in stereo 5W speakers aren't up to much at all, but they ought to suffice for undemanding TV programmes. There are actually two audio modes – music and speech – though both included clipped trebles that affect all speech. However, the speech preset lacks any kind of low frequency, so it's best to stick to the music mode.

Don't bother with the surround mode; in our test while watching both Bosnia Vs Nigeria and Gravity on Blu-ray it made no discernible difference to either the width or depth of sound.

Value

I'd judge the 32A400 as reasonably good value, especially considering its thoroughly modern-looking slim bezel, USB file support and versatile picture performance. Whether the list price is worth paying for any TV with a HD-ready panel is a moot point, given the discounts already available for the 32A400 (it can be found for about £280). And remember: it's precisely that use of a lower resolution panel that helps prevent its main weaknesses from causing problems.

Verdict

With no apps, no 3D and not even a Full HD resolution, the 32A400 is basic stuff indeed. However, with a Freeview HD tuner, a USB slot and a 100Hz panel added to a slim look the 32A400 is a good value telly.

We liked

The 32A400 eschews a flashy design to concentrate on the latest must-have flourish: a tiny screen surround. Here it measures just 7mm, which helps create a floating look that's rare at this entry-level.

Amid a plethora of ins and outs are a brace of HDMI inputs and a USB slot. The USB slot teams-up with some decent media player software to play a host of music, video and photo files.

It's the 32A400's all-round picture quality that takes the prize though. It's not going to stun you – and if you watch a lot of Blu-ray movies it's probably best avoided – but by offering a lot of contrast and bold colour within a clean and mostly blur-free image, the 32A400 makes for a great all-round TV for a second room.

Best fed a diet of high definition TV channels, I was also impressed by the speed of the 32A400's user interface.

We disliked

My biggest criticism of the 32A400 is its HD-ready resolution. Though it does actually help reduce the picture noise and digital blocking during the watching of low-resolution TV channels and DVDs, it can't drag as much detail from Blu-ray discs as a Full HD telly can.

Though the super-slim bezel impresses, the chubby 67mm depth of the panel itself acts as a counterbalance.

There are plenty of other slight weaknesses, too, including a rather simplistic approach to black levels and the appearance of some motion blur and jagged edges.

The Freeview HD EPG lacks a live TV window and also cuts-out all sound while in use, while the 32A400's audio is weak. Its stereo speakers manage just 5W apiece and fail to deliver acceptable sound.

Final verdict

The 32A400 makes a good value second TV. It lacks the ultimate in Full HD detail needed to drag the most from Blu-ray discs due to its use of a (now relatively rare) HD-ready panel, but its Freeview HD channel and compatibility with a host of digital music, video and photo files via USB make it surprisingly versatile.

Two problems that dog all Full HD TVs of this price are terrible-looking standard definition channels and motion blur. However, it's the 32A400's main presumed weakness – its HD-ready panel – that actually helps play down those issues to the extent that there are few TVs around with pictures as all-round clean and well-contrasted as on the 32A400.

Add a 7mm screen surround and you've got a great value and thoroughly modern TV that will suit anyone not concerned with smart TV apps or 3D.

Also consider

For competition to the 32A400 it's worth looking at our compilation of 32-inchers. The Toshiba 32DL933B has a built-in DVD player and the Finlux 32F8030-T adds some basic smart TV features to the mix in the UK, while Samsung's UE32H4510AK features apps, too.

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