The 7 Best 32-inch Smart TVs On The Market Today

Eager multimedia consumers view 32-inch smart TVs as the sweet spot viewing experience when sitting down to watch the big game, beer in hand, for a good reason. Anything smaller will make Super Sunday look like a super-sad game of guess-the-player. It’s the same with soccer, players and ball reduced to blurry specks. Granted, that’s not a major issue in a tiny bedroom, but it’s unforgivable in a reasonably sized living space, where audiences want to see the action, not feel as if they’re viewing it through the wrong end of a telescope.

Perfect viewing size decided, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to hunt down a collection of smart TVs, every one of them equipped with a crisp, vibrant 32-inch screen and enough Wi-Fi enabled features to send a channel surfing viewers’ pulse racing. No more squinting, no asking your partner whether that’s a crime drama or just a blurry scene from a low-budget horror film, we’re spending the entire week putting the following stream-capable flat-screens to the test.

Feet up, microwave popcorn popped, we huddled for a bit, deciding to put the reviews on hold until we’d settled on the ultimate features checklist. Spoiler alert: There now follows gratuitous mentions concerning smart OS functions, connectivity options, and ultraHD screen sharpness.

A Smart TV Tear Down

Down to business, we wanted the very best in audiovisual entertainment, which meant no backing down from the techy language big electronics store reps love to throw around. We’re going in hot, rolling up our sleeves, mixing metaphors with wild abandon, and explaining in easy to understand terms the features that make these windows into the media universe so desirable.

High Resolution Screens – 1080p is the bare minimum. UltraHD screens (aka 4K) are rarer on 32-inch televisions. Seek out a crisp 4K resolution display if possible, but know that Full HD 1080p is perfectly satisfactory.

HDR – High Dynamic Range expands color ranges. The more colors a TV can hold, the more lifelike the content displayed. Blacks are deeper, colors are richer. Look for labels like HDR10 and Dolby Vision as HDR standards.

Refresh Rate – A comfortable 60Hz is fine for regular sitcoms and older content. For modern action movies and fast sporting events, 120Hz is superior, eliminating nasty motion blurring and strange display artifacts.

Display Technology – Words like OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) and QLED abound. They represent bleeding-edge screen technologies, using quantum dot filters and special backlights to eliminate color bleeding while keeping blacks deep and colors saturated.

Smart TV features – Should contain all popular screening apps, like Apple TV+ and Netflix. Access to the Google Store or Tizen keep viewers abreast of the latest and greatest multimedia programs, including Plex and Kodi.

Fast Processor – A fast SoC (System on Chip) processor ensures smooth access to streaming apps and new display technologies. Basically, shorter attention spans don’t get along with stutters and hiccups when apps start. Snappy performance is essential.

Connectivity Options – Lots of HDMI ports, an eArc (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) for wired surround system audio, and Wi-Fi or Bluetooth compatibility (preferably both)should all be available as standard.

Built-in Speakers – All sorts of innovative designs have been incorporated to improve the sound quality on what’s essentially a thin black panel. Slimmed down speaker arrays are one possibility, with some models using their fast processors to calculate advanced acoustic algorithms that boost clarity.

Other technologies to look forward to as the review progresses are slim, near bezel-less builds, super-wide viewing angles, and modes that focus on gaming performance. That being said, press pause again to get on with the 32-inch smart TV ratings, each expertly benchmarked by our team of discerning multimedia consumers.

A note on our streaming tests: Call it a guilty pleasure, or not, but we never miss the chance to binge Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones when free of the office. One staffer even admitted to watching every season of The Bachelor. On that awkward note, onwards and upwards.

Samsung Q60D 32-inch Smart TV

Why you should care – Quantum dot QLED in a 32-inch screen. AI upscaling. Quantum HDR. Works with Alexa. Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.2. Samsung Tizen smart TV OS. Samsung SmartThings compatibility. TV Plus and Gaming hub.

The Samsung Q60D absolutely destroys the widely held assumption that 32-inch flat screen TVs only come in old school 720p or 1080p HD resolutions. It’s a full 4K UHD screen, complete with modern quantum dot semiconductor technology, spilling out 60Hz native refresh rate content. Our staffers gathered around the pixel-perfect screen, impressed by the crisp visuals and lushly rendered colors. Quantum HDR was responsible for the deep, high-contrast blacks, the highlights of Walter White’s features moving without blur or picture artifacts as he broke bad with Jesse in the glaring sunlight hitting the New Mexico desert.

As expected, the Tizen OS was smooth, with not a single glitch cropping up to spoil our viewing experience. We put that down to the stable Wi-Fi 5 connection, which also pulled in a remarkable 2,700+ free channels. If we got tired of Netflix or Prime Video price rises, there were always those Samsung curated streaming options to fall back upon at the end of the day.

The Samsung Q60D is very slim. At 1.2-inches deep, the form factor for this screen should suit any small room, even a bachelor’s messy bedroom. Set as it was on one of our desks, it was simplicity itself to inspect the connections panel on the rear of the set. Rare again for smaller TVs, three HDMI, one ethernet, and two USB-A connectors were set back there. Bolstered by eARC, that’s a full complement of cable interfaces that would do any entertainment system proud.

Where it misses the mark – Some complaints about build quality. A two-channel speaker system that’s unremarkable. A little expensive for a 32-inch television.  

LG LQ6300 32-inch Smart TV

Why you should care – It’s an affordable HDR10 Pro HDTV. A 1080p full HD TV with an AI enhanced display. Doubles as a smart hub. Equal opportunity Apple and Android support. Voice control. Web OS interface. Game optimizer.

We were wondering when AI would make the jump into smaller televisions. Proving we’ve come a long way since old tube TVs ruled the living room, the LG LQ6300 is a smart 32-inch TV with a built-in AI processor. This α5 Gen5 AI Processor is essentially there to optimize content, boosting the immersive qualities of the screen. We put on a Game of Thrones Blu-ray to get the best out of this feature, marveling over the HDR10 Pro boosted colors as Khaleesi cried out Dracarys over Kings Landing, igniting the Westeros horizon with dragon fire.

The other half of the LG LQ6300 tech arsenal seems to lie in its networking capabilities. Apple HomeKit is incorporated, so the full spectrum of Apple ecosystem smart home device monitoring was at our fingertips. We used Siri to turn the 3.2-inch deep LG screen ON and OFF, called up an office corridor view on our Eufy Indoor Cam 2K wireless security camera, and even dimmed a set of smart lights with a command, turning on the TV for movie night. Incidentally, we also tested Hey Google and Alexacommands. Keeping ourselves unbiased, we don’t play favorites with our smart assistants in this office.

Sound quality on the TV speakers was AI enhanced, which felt a little tight and artificial when listening to some content. Those dragons roared over Westeros, but their lower registers felt a tad restricted, lacking that throaty rumble that we all associate with these mythical beasts. Still, bedroom listening isn’t likely to call upon bass rumbling surround sound. If it does, though, there’s a virtual 5.1 up mix mode waiting to generate movie and show surround sound. What proved more interesting than any of that, as we found when pulling in our PS5, was the Game Optimizer Dashboard, an overlay that called up handy gameplay info like frame rate and latency figures.

Where it misses the mark –  Web OS, while loaded with apps, feels cluttered at times. The 3.2-inch deep form factor looks somewhat clunky. Average sound.

Roku Smart TV 32R3B5 32-inch Smart TV

Why you should care – A made by Roku 1080p full HD TV. The very definition of 32-inch fuss-free streaming entertainment. A huge library of time-tested apps. Easily expands, adding decent wireless 2.1 audio. Familiar Roku interface.

From the device streaming company that brought us sticks and tiny player boxes, plus the purple-tagged Roku remote, comes the Roku Smart TV. It sticks with the 32-inch screen size we’re reviewing and adopts a slightly different marketing strategy. Instead of pages of features and their corresponding settings, simplicity, and fun, is the grand vision of Roku engineers. It’s the “plug and play” hero of the TV world—because who wants to spend time reading manuals when they could be tuning in to the game?

Reading above, we might have been guilty of assuming a lack of desirable audiovisual talents, but we stayed the course and looked deeper. Our reward was knowledge regarding Dolby Audio functionality, followed by an easy to control voice remote. It can take ages to fill out streaming service search boxes, so voice search really accelerated our hunt for an older title. It was the Shawshank Redemption, by the way, a real classic. Some of the accents in that movie were a little hard to understand, but the dialog coming out of the speakers remained clear and audible.

We turned off the office light to view the direct lit LED screen, its panel pulling in free content on the Roku App. The connection held steady, thanks to the inbuilt dual-band wireless. An optional wireless soundbar, cheap but definitely effective when it came to room audio reach, jumped movie soundtracks to 2.1 clarity and power. If that didn’t please the ears of any of our audiophile testers, the eARC HDMI connector plugged into a better sound system, upping our audio experience. Two more HDMI ports and an optical connector, too, kept our cable tidying skills sharp. No real problem there, the Roku Smart TV stood out 7.6-inches from the wall, allowing easy access. Without the stand, that figure drops to a nice, compact 2.8-inches in depth.

Where it misses the mark – Boasts Brightness Enhancement Technology but lacks in-depth settings. Lacks HDR. Streaming interface is starting to look dated.

Vizio VFD32M-0807 32-inch Smart TV

Why you should care – A full HD smart TV with a budget price tag. Reliable dual band Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth. Variable refresh rate. Full array backlighting. Games mode. Active pixel tuning brightness and contrast adjusting. DTS Virtual: X audio.

Back in the early noughties, Vizio was the budget TV manufacturing king. Others have entered the field since then, but the Vizio VFD32M-0807 32-inch smart TV rolled back the clock, reminding our staffers of their heyday. A pairing of rock-solid reliable Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 only served to underscore that impression. And the SmartCast OS pulled up all of our streaming accounts, giving us hassle-free access to our Marvel shows on Disney+ and the latest episode of mind-bending Severance on the Apple TV+ streaming platform.

It’s a little powerhouse of a smart television, packing in two side HDMI connectors and a single USB port. Stored media was served up through the USB connector, so we were rocking out to MP3 tracks and AVI video clips while waiting for our next benchmarking movie to arrive. The Vizio VFD32M-0807 had us covered with support for a wide range of audio and video codecs, including WAV, FLAC, MP4, AVI, and MKV, so it was rarely stumped by unknown codec messages. All-in-all, the tests proceeded without incident, although our popcorn had gotten stale.

The DTS Virtual: X simulated surround sound and dynamically tuned screen brightness gave the device an air of cinematic immersion; the appeal was in how visuals remained sharp and contrast accurate no matter the content. Also impressive for the low price we saw on this 32-inch set, HDR10 support was standard, guaranteeing true-to-life color rendering. The full array backlight and 1080p resolution did the rest, sucking us into the action as Vin Diesel pulled off impossible tricks in his muscle car in the latest entry in the never-ending Fast and Furious franchise we’d rented for streaming.

Where it misses the mark – Unimpressive 8W speakers. Uses ARC, not enhanced ARC, so lacks bandwidth for newer audio codecs. Reports of Wi-Fi drops.

Samsung ‘The Frame’ LS03C 32-inch Smart TV

Why you should care – Displays digital artwork when not in use. QLED display technology. Light and slender. Customizable bezel. Impressive HDR. Access to the Samsung Art Store. Matte finish screen. Full HD. Tizen powered OS.

Like a decompressive shock to the system, we’re rocketing to the premium end of the 32-inch smart TV market. The elegant Samsung ‘The Frame’ LS03C screen has a splitpersonality, but that’s a good thing. When off, it takes on the role of a wall painting, but a light press on the remote control dismisses the home decor aesthetic, revealing full HD content and a Samsung built streaming interface, all your latest entertainment apps ready to load your current shows and movies.

Rare for a screen of this size, QLED delivered colors pop and dazzle, and the matte finish on the panel prevents washout from external or internal light, leaving the viewer to soak in the HDR boosted colors, all perfectly saturated. Quantum dot screens are popular on bigger screens for a good reason, so its incorporation into a smaller panel is impressive, to say the least. A subscription to the Samsung Art Store took over when we’d finished our show binges, loading artworks from museums around the world. The only downside we could find to all of this was the price of the Samsung LS03C, which was considerable, especially when talking about a 32-inch TV.

A one-inch deep panel with a featherweight 11.3 lb form factor, the slender TV mounts easily. We’d recommend an installation service if you’re going to take advantage of the two HDMI and doubled up USB connectors to hide the cables, but there shouldn’t be any need for installation work if Wi-Fi 5 or Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity are recruited to access Samsungs’ smart features, of which there are many. Finally, Alexa support, the SmartThings Hub, a Gaming Hub and app-rich Tizen interface are all on-hand when an art-loving owner isn’t admiring the device as a digital picture frame. Incidentally, for those who prize their home decor, different frame accents can be placed over the bezel.

Where it misses the mark – It’s not cheap. Difficult to justify the expense for a 32-inch television unless you’re an art lover of the first order. Art store subscription.

TCL 3-Series 32S359 32-inch Smart TV

Why you should care – Full HD with 250+ free channel streaming. Built-in Roku OS. Dual-band Wi-Fi. Voice search smartphone app. Dolby Audio sound. Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility.

The TCL 3-Series 32S359 is a solid performer among a group of overachievers. To put that into perspective. There’s a number of 720p sets we could have added to this list, but we’ve tried to keep 1080p as the minimum resolution. Our staffers spend all day reviewing 4K monitors, so they have discerning eyes. Fortunately, this TV met their high standards, its full HD 32-inch screen matching the color authenticity of some of the higher end models on this post. It also features a basic remote, although we opted instead for the smartphone app, with its voice search capability recognizing our request for a rewatch of Squid Games.

It’s the basic remote and ever popular entertainment Roku streaming interface that had us thinking of this screen as a great entry-level smart TV. Or if a young college student on a budget was packing for dorm life, this would be a fine product to set up in a corner, hopefully not stealing study time. The three HDMI inputs hold the potential to create a decent dorm entertainment system, PS5 and a basic soundbar right at the top of the device mix. However, without full eARC support, some of the newer, higher bandwidth surround audio standards won’t be available. But that’s college living, canned soup for dinner and an energy drink for afters, watching a streaming anime on Crunchyroll.

Features to expect include 250+ channels of live TV, Apple Airplay support, and trusty 802.11ac wireless. The dual-band Wi-Fi is ably partnered by that Roku interface, acting as a gateway to every imaginable entertainment app. It’s amazing what can be found for free of some of these services. The Roku App is particularly content-heavy, loaded with old and new shows and movies. We will say that the two 5W speakers aren’t exactly the best we’ve heard, but that’s a limitation we’ve come to expect from most thin TVs. If lacklustre audio is a dealbreaker, buy a soundbar. According to their short website spiel, TCL 3-Series screens work well with Alto audio bars.

Where it misses the mark – ARC connectivity on the HDMI port doesn’t support the latest surround sound standards. Plasticky build quality. No HDR support.

Hisense 32A5KQTUK 32-inch Smart TV

Why you should care – One billion color QLED screen. Thin bezel. Slim form factor. DTS Virtual: X simulated surround sound. 8° stand tilt. Futureproof Type-C connectors. VIDAA smart OS. Sports and game modes. Wireless 802.11bgn.

While they’re not a manufacturer that might be on the radar of consumers imagining a big brand name in their living room, the Hisense 32A5KQTUK drew our attention as soon as it turned ON. We soon relaxed into the quantum dot display (QLED), taking note of how colors never bled and the contrast was impressively deep. Just as well, without HDR support, it’s the QLED panel that’s left to generate punchy visuals, and the technology does a fine job at taking on this responsibility. Not alone in doing this, the 200 nit maximum brightness and 3000:1 contrast ratio built into the display helped.

The VIDAA smart TV OS isn’t as popular as Google or Web OS, which had us worried about our Netflix and Hulu shows. We needn’t have worried, all the usual streaming giants were there. YouTube and Prime Video were also on deck, then there were the popular free services, too, like Tubi and Pluto. Still, if the app you install is less popular, there’s a real chance it won’t be part of the VIDAA OS ecosystem. We thought that was worth pointing out. Otherwise, with 802.11bgn Wi-Fi sending streams to the quantum dot panel, we were well pleased with the experience. Plex support was even included, satisfying our resident media server enthusiast.

Sound and connectivity came next. The speech we heard from dialog in shows and movies was clear enough through the two relatively small 8W speakers, but there was little hope of reproducing bass tracks from a dubstep song or movie soundtrack. Again, that’s just part of owning a 32-inch smart TV, not an issue with device quality. As for picture extras, we did play around with noise reduction and the built-in AI enhanced Sports mode, receiving a minor bump in display sharpness and device performance for our efforts. And then there was the tilt stand, giving the screen a slight 8° lean so that we could hook up a laptop without developing a crick in our necks. It’s a small but thoughtful touch.

Where it misses the mark – No HDR support. VIDAA OS isn’t as common as Fire OS or any other streaming interfaces. App limitation is likely. Tinny speakers.

Some Final Musings on 32-inch Smart TVs!

Are the best 32-inch smart TVs necessarily packed with 4K displays? We’d have to say the answer is no. With a smaller screen, a full HD 1080p display is perfectly acceptable. Even a 720p screen works, but we tried our very best to stick stubbornly to 4K and 1080p, just on general principle. All of these devices also feature solid digital tuners as well, so hookups to terrestrial broadcasting services are onboard and ready to tune.Also, as they’re small, it shouldn’t be too difficult to mount them. In fact, the SamsungLS03C is designed to be mounted, filling its second role as a wall-hung digital art piece.

Of course, if an aesthetics-focused 32-inch smart TV is out of the question, and it is for many when they see the expensive investment required, then we’d suggest buying the Samsung Q60D, a screen with quantum dot visuals and AI upscaling. Stepping out of the shadow of Samsung, the Vizio and LG sets are also attractive offerings. We based this opinion on picture quality, obviously, but also on the maturity of the smart OS, which is why we experienced such a magnetic pull towards the snappy performance and SmartThings support found on Tizen loaded Samsung sets.

LG and Vizio have similarly mature streaming interfaces, so we have few reservations when recommending their 32-inch offerings. Only, we would say to beware of audio limitations. It’s different with physical connectivity, as a quick look to the rear or side exposed all of the HDMI, USB and extraneous ports immediately. eARC and ARC support is different. It stands for Audio Return Channel, in case you’re interested. eARC is the current standard and supports modern surround formats, like Dolby Atmos. Older ARC enabled TVs, well, they don’t support those newer surround sound standards. Be careful with that.

All of these smart TVs are worthy purchases, to some degree or another. Even the Hisense television is a tempting option, a QLED display on offer, but its OS (Operating System) isn’t as mature as others.

That said, if you’re looking for a TV with a more refined user experience, and better support, you might want to lean toward brands with more polished software ecosystems. We’re talking Samsung and Vizio, for there’s none better in the smart TV game.