I Want My 32" LCD TV

Hyundai HQL320WR: Rather Fast

Hyundai's set showed fairly good responsiveness. The latency readings were very close to the ones for the ViewSonic N3200W, though with a peak at more than 26ms. But that's not a big problem in itself, and the latency was relatively imperceptible.

Video Quality

The Hyundai HQL320WR picture was quite reasonable in terms of quality. It sometimes lacked contrast in the darkest shades, but overall, the quality was acceptable. Video noise wasn't too evident.

Interpolation

Unfortunately, the Hyundai HQL320WR hasn't solved the problem of scaling. The images were sharp, but they remained fairly jagged despite obvious efforts on Hyundai's part.

No, the HQL320WR is not a panacea; but yes, it performs better than the other sets of its size. And we should mention that for once, the zoom factors are very varied and let you adapt the picture to the size you want. That's practical above all with video games, because HUDs are not always located in the same place and the Hyundai HQL320WR lets you play with the zoom adjustments to get an optimum display.

PC Mode

Using the Hyundai HQL320WR in PC mode is an attractive alternative, as you might expect. No more problems with interpolation! But on the other hand, the images weren't perfectly sharp in PC mode - which is not that much of a problem with video, but makes text hard to read. The brightness was too high, but bearable, especially if you play games at a certain distance from the TV. So this is a PC mode that's partially usable. It's perfect for gaming, but difficult to use for text editing.

Sound Quality

From this point of view, the Hyundai HQL320WR is not a big success. The sound was a little muffled and lacked definition and depth in the bass. When you look at the set a little closer, you see why. The surface of the speaker housings is ridged from top to bottom, but there are only three circular openings for the speakers. That's too bad, because you'll have to invest what you've saved on the price of the set in a home theater speaker kit.

Conclusion

With its fairly good finish, responsiveness, good black level and low price, this set has a lot going for it. Yet we can't recommend it - at least not for now. It's a little short in the connectivity department to be able to go the distance. Only a YUV connection is available for high definition. We'd have liked to see DVI too, and also HDMI. Then, sound is not its strong point, and that's a handicap for a set in this price range, because purchasers will have to shell out another few hundred for a good speaker kit, whereas sets like the ViewSonic have decent sound built in. We're expecting an updated version of this set shortly, and if it still has the same excellent panel at this price, we may have a future best-seller on our hands. Stay tuned...