Performance with an attractive price.
Written: Apr 24 '05 (Updated May 22 '05)
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Pros: Good picture. Look looking unit. Price.Remote is well laid out.
Cons: No DVI input. Weak speakers. Remote could use more functions.
The Bottom Line: I would have paid even more for this unit. It is that good.
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| ladman's Full Review: HYUNDAI ImageQuest HQL320WR 32 in. LCD Television |
I purchased this unit to replace my Sony 32" CRT boob tube in our bedroom.
Primary reason for the purchase was 1) Lower operating cost due to less power consumption 2) More room in bedroom as unit is on wall 3) Nicer picture (will get to this) 4) Cool factor
I (we) needed a bit more room in the bedroom and by using this reason alone I was able to persuade my significant other on this purchase. Well ok, what really sold her was the new bedroom set and the fact that the old TV no longer 'matched'.
Now having a 27" Syntax unit LCD TV (see my other review) I was able to gauge with good accuracy what size flat screen I needed to use in the bedroom. I decided on 32" as it still gives us good real estate on the screen compared to our old 32" Sony CRT tv. It is a bit wider than a standard 4:3 format TV yet a tad thinner top to bottom.
Now keep in mind that though this unit is Vesa mount compatible, I strongly do not recommend this mount setup. You can use the supplied table mount which is very sturdy or use a HANGING wall mount where the brackets are bolted into the wall and brackets are attached to the back of the unit and it hangs on the wall. The Vesa holes on the back of this unit are very very small and will never hold up the weight of this unit. Do not even attempt it. Very dangerous in my opinion. The wall mount came from Tiger direct and set me back $70.00. Bolt the brackets on the outside larger diameter holes on the TV. Bolt the back frame on the wall and then hang the TV on the bracket. It is that simple.
Now we have this unit wall mounted 12 feet in front of us above the closet doors at around 80" high from the ground angled down to the bed. I routed the cables through the wall behind the TV for a cleaner look. The power cable is plugs into the bottom of this TV and can be unsightly in tabletop mode.
We also have the bedroom computer connected to this unit as it is fed with a CCTV security feed from the primary CCTV computer located in another location. The only problem with this is that though this unit has picture in picture (PIP), PC input is not available if your watching component video which makes little sense. So I will have to run a long RCA video feed or wireless RCA feed to another video-in option on this TV. Granted not many people will want to have PIP for their computer while watching TV but it is cool to look out for the pizza guy while watching TV. PIP controls on the remote are placed on the bottom and very easy to use with several options for the PIP suchs as the ability move the PIP screen in each corner and with 4 different sizes. It does not have split screen as the 32" Syntax unit but the PIP large screen is pretty good sized. I still would have preferred a split screen ability.
One noticeable downfall on this unit is the lack of DVI input which comes standard on just about every other LCD TV on the market. It does have VGA PC input which I utilize and to their credit the image is very good from the VGA PC input.
Other inputs are S-video, component, and composite. Speakers are built in and not detachable which is a bummer as it adds weight to the unit and width to the unit. They are attractive and lends a pleasing look to the entire TV so all is not lost.
So how is the picture? Superb! Very good balance of contrast and hue. Component images are fantastic from my progressive scan DVD and also Hi Def satellite system. Blacks are black and not grey as in older LCD/Plasma flat screen TV's. Setup menu is easy to use. No artifacting in dark areas as witnessed on older LCD TV's. I would rate the image an 8 out of 10.
The viewing angle is good and the response time is very adequate for TV use with no visible blurring. The quicker the response time (lower) the less blurring you will notice.
The only issue that I can come across is the remote. Easy to use for sure. Lacking features as well. Best bet is to use a nice universal remote to take control of the TV. Problem is the universal codes for this Hyundai unit still alludes me to this date as two of my other remotes cannot find the code for this TV.
The manual is more like a book and well laid out with no complaints. One of the better manuals I have reviewed in recent memory. The TV supports 16:9 of course for wide screen formats as well as 4:3 for standard old time TV viewing.
Quality so far is very good with no issues. Now I would not put the picture image on par with my Panasonic plasma TV, but it is very good.
Now before we upgraded to a nice Harmon Kardon surround system we were stuck with the tiny little builtin speakrs. There were OK and did the job but forget about watching an nice movie as these speakers do not posses the power to bring you into the action. Like they say, don't expect much and you will not be disappointed.
For the money I would have paid even more. Warranty is the standard one year and I would highly recommend this unit to anyone looking for a nice 32" LCD TV.
Lee Dye
Fontana,CA
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1500.00
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Epinions.com ID:
ladman
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Member: Jip Joe
Location: Fontana, CA, US of A
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 1 member
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