Best 32" 1080p IPS HDTV for ~$350-500 to be a monitor?

A

Alexdi

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I'm currently running a two-screen setup with a Dell 2408WFP and a 32" Sony 1080p HDTV, circa-2010. The Sony has borderline-acceptable image quality, except for one thing: the subpixel layout is BGR. The Dell screen is RGB. While Cleartype ostensibly supports different settings for each screen, the reality is that I have to pick one or the other. The text on one screen is always a little hazy.

So I'm looking to replace the Sony with something else. I'm a graphic designer by trade, so color accuracy (or the potential to be accurate if profiled; Sony falls down here), viewing angles (Sony fails again), and uniformity (ditto) are important. I don't like backlight bleed and I do sometimes game (though not seriously), so it'd be nice if the replacement didn't have horrible input lag or ghosting. Extra features are completely irrelevant; all I need is a single HDMI/DVI/Displayport.

What past or present monitors fit the bill? I'm aware of Panasonic's L32E3 and L32U3, though not whether they're suited to the above requirements.

Thanks!
 
I have been using a L32U3 for 6 months now (around 2.5 feet from my face) and I am totally happy with it as a great all around monitor (got it on sale for $450). Previously I had 3x 23" Dell Ultra-sharps and I prefer this TV in every way.
For gaming it is flawless to my eyes. And the colours (especially the blacks) are the best I have ever seen. I do not know about pro level colour accuracy though AVS would probably have info on that.

To be ultra critical if you get 2 feet away from the screen you can see pixels (any 32" 1080p would have the same problem) but that is not an issue for me since 2.5 feet away is borderline too close to such a HUGE monitor anyway.

My room mate has a 27" iMac and we agree the screens are of similar quality (he prefers the small pixels of his 27 while I prefer the size and non glare of my 32). His iMac is a glare nightmare (I hate glare) but he does not mind it.

I have extra money and the only option that tempts me is the 30" Dell when it goes on sale for $1100 every now and then. But "bang for the buck" the L32U3 is a clear winner.

If they were the same price (and if I had a better GPU) I would get the 30" Dell, but for my needs it is not worth 2.5x the money.
My roomie has said on more than one occasion "I can't believe you only paid $450 for that beast." :D


Edit:
Viewing angle = awesome (Alpha IPS panel).
Back light bleed = zero (on my unit, to my eyes with a black wallpaper in a dark room).
 
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Hi thepoohcontinuum, looks like it does not:

"2011 Panasonic TC-L32U3 FAIL P1"

Edit:

I did the "quick and dirty method" listed in your link and I can BARELY see the magenta, all the other colours I see clearly.
So that confirms what the chart (that I quoted above) said.
 
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Thanks for the extended response, svalbard. That screen is my front-runner, though it's not clear why it costs less than the L32E3 or the difference between 'IPS' and 'IPS Alpha'. Another possibility might have been LG's 32LD450, some of which had an IPS panel. It's been hard to find new. The 30" PC LCDs don't have a lot of appeal; without a resolution-independent OS, my eyes aren't good enough for that pixel density.

Anyone have an LG 32LK450? That one's a VA panel for $400. Google doesn't seem to yield many other alternatives.
 
Svalbard, I just tried my Sony KDL-32EX700 on that test. In the 'General' scene mode, it fails 4:4:4. In 'Graphics' mode, it passes. Perhaps there's another mode you could try?
 
Having done more research, here's what I've learned:

The Panasonic TVs don't support 4:4:4. The E3 has an edge-lit LED backlight. The U3 is CCFL. They have the same 60hz IPS panel.

The LG 32LK450 is subject to a panel lottery as with the preceding LD450. 'Y' in the product box code apparently means an IPS panel. D means VA.

The Panasonic screens apparently have better black levels.
 
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edit: NM, thought you were referring to 42" TV's.

At this time the LG LK450 series, especially with an IPS panel, is more highly regarded for monitor use. The LK450 has working 4:4:4, low input lag, and greater control over colors and overall calibration than the Panasonic U3 and E3. The U3 and E3 may also have a little bit of undefeatable edge sharpening which can create halo's around text (discussed here and at AVS a few times). The black levels on the three models will be too close for you to notice a difference.

The problem is it is tough to find the 32" sized LG LK450 with an IPS panel in North America. Aussies and Asians are getting them, but hardly any here for us. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try to check out the local stock at BestBuy, you might get lucky. People have had better luck with the 42" size though.

It's a matter of picking the poison that suits you best, just be sure to purchase your TV from a place that offers hassle free returns.
 
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Alexdi, no problem.

Sounds like you are going through the same choices I was.
I actually planned on ordering the LG you mentioned on-line but then I found my Panasonic locally (only 1 in the whole city).
They price matched Best Buy so I was happy (I live in a small city with no Best Buy).

Before that I bought the Future Shop house brand which I was 90% sure was a rebranded LG (Insignia LED 32" 1080p).
I did not like it.
The text was blurry and the inputs kept auto re-setting.
It was thinner than my Panasonic but once it was set up I never noticed how thin it was.
The inputs resetting drove me nuts.

When I replaced it with this Panasonic I was so glad I bothered.
The text was much sharper and the blacks were (are) the best I have ever seen in a TV.
Who knows, the Insignia may not have been an IPS panel or even an LG.
That is the main reason I decided to get the Panasonic, it says "Alpha IPS panel" on the box in big letters LOL.
I wish they all made it clear what type of panel was inside.

I think as long as you buy locally you can just try a few until one is just right.
Monitors are a very subjective thing so what I think is awesome might be average to you and vice versa.
 
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If I were to get a 32" TV as a monitor, I'd probably go for the Samsung LN32D550.
 
gauden44 said:
If I were to get a 32" TV as a monitor, I'd probably go for the Samsung LN32D550.
Click to expand...
Samsung LN32D550

Low input lag, 4:4:4 capable, RGB pixel alignment, high contrast, and this specific model is known to have low backlight bleed (CCFL). It also has networking and movie playback via USB.

D550 owner's discussion thread for further research.
 
Alexdi said:
What sort of panel is in that one? VA? Hard to tell from the thread.
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An off-shoot of VA, Samsung's own S-PVA. Has many of the criteria of a good TV monitor but it's main drawback is viewing angles, i'm guessing a person needs to give it minimum ~ 3ft to get rid of most of it's effects. I'm also not sure of it's color accuracy and how well it can be corrected.

As mentioned prior, the LG LK450 series, with an IPS panel, would be a no brainer for your situation. Besides the great viewing angles and low input lag + RGB pixel alignment, it gives the user a lot of control over color. The problem is finding the "Y" IPS panel in a 32" size. The oldest store shipments had them, and the few remaining ones are often display models. It may be worth a trip to a couple of Best Buy stores to find out, but first figure out how to ID the panel before you go (box bar code + back of TV has the ID).

Normally i would recommend at least giving the Panasonics a test run, despite the lack of 4:4:4 for sharp colored text. But those few complaints floating around about halo's around text made me a little leery of recommending it, this "issue" may not be present in every setup though.

And whichever brand you decide to try, definitely purchase it from a place that offers hassle-free returns. Because there's more than a decent chance that you'll want to exchange or swap for a different model, it happens all the time especially when people know exactly what they want, or don't want.
 
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hello to everybody.

i have a couple of questions,

when you say that a TV (eg Panasonic) lacks of 4:4:4 does this happen both in YCbCr & RGB pixel format?

do you know if the bigger models of LG LK540 (37" & 42") have ips or pva panels?
 
You should check out the 32 inch westinghouse VR-3225. I know those of us on this forum who use it as a monitor seem to all enjoy it.
 
Freiya said:
You should check out the 32 inch westinghouse VR-3225. I know those of us on this forum who use it as a monitor seem to all enjoy it.
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I had thought about recommending it in my previous responses but the OP mentioned needing greater control over colors and better viewing angles than what his Sony VA panel currently offers.

Tony_Montana said:
hello to everybody.

i have a couple of questions,

when you say that a TV (eg Panasonic) lacks of 4:4:4 does this happen both in YCbCr & RGB pixel format?

do you know if the bigger models of LG LK540 (37" & 42") have ips or pva panels?
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The Panasonic won't offer 4:4:4 over any connection or format, no settings or tweaks will change that. But otherwise we mean that for all TV's when we use the phrase "will not do 4:4:4" which means the verdict is pretty much final.

Did you mean to say "LK450" as opposed to "LK540"? If you meant the LK450 then the larger 37" and 42" sizes are subject to panel lotteries also (VA and IPS).

Here are a few discussions on the LK450 series:
- Owners discussion: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1327825&page=47
- [H] discussion: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1645885
- Hot deal discussion: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1662203
 
SJetski71 said:
I had thought about recommending it in my previous responses but the OP mentioned needing greater control over colors and better viewing angles than what his Sony VA panel currently offers.

The Panasonic won't offer 4:4:4 over any connection or format, no settings or tweaks will change that. But otherwise we mean that for all TV's when we use the phrase "will not do 4:4:4" which means the verdict is pretty much final.

Did you mean to say "LK450" as opposed to "LK540"? If you meant the LK450 then the larger 37" and 42" sizes are subject to panel lotteries also (VA and IPS).

Here are a few discussions on the LK450 series:
- Owners discussion: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1327825&page=47
- [H] discussion: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1645885
- Hot deal discussion: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1662203
Click to expand...

I'd like to add that the 42" LK450 seems to show up as the IPS model pretty frequently, while the 37" is not quite as frequent but it actually does show up, compared to the 32" model where IPS's are quite rare.
 
I just bought a 32lk450, with an IPS panel, on Saturday and i love it. I was really unsure going from a 24" Samsung to this TV/monitor but I really enjoy the larger screen! Plus I switched my Sammy into portrait mode and use it as a secondary web browsing monitor. It's great.

BF3 looks amazing as does Diablo 3. No noticable input lag what so ever.

I highly recommend this product for anyone who is on the fence, these monitors can be had for a great price (mine was $340) and are well worth it.
 
roocrew99 said:
I just bought a 32lk450, with an IPS panel, on Saturday and i love it. I was really unsure going from a 24" Samsung to this TV/monitor but I really enjoy the larger screen! Plus I switched my Sammy into portrait mode and use it as a secondary web browsing monitor. It's great.

BF3 looks amazing as does Diablo 3. No noticable input lag what so ever.

I highly recommend this product for anyone who is on the fence, these monitors can be had for a great price (mine was $340) and are well worth it.
Click to expand...

Where are you? If you're in the US, you might be the only one I've heard of who has found an IPS 32"er.
 
gauden44 said:
Where are you? If you're in the US, you might be the only one I've heard of who has found an IPS 32"er.
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The earlier 2011 US shipments had plenty of 32" IPS. It's the later shipments that came with VA, leaving the old display models as one of the few ways to score an IPS.
 
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