Jvc Smart Tv 32 Inch Review
Desiderato Merriwether
The 60-Hz refresh rate is a bit of a bummer but unsurprising on monitors that don't specifically cater to gamers. Whether you'll notice it depends on what you play; Baldur's Gate 3 still looked beautiful onscreen, particularly with the Game Optimizer picture mode. I also liked playing Stardew Valley on it, though I found it better to play with the Standard or Auto picture modes, since the art style isn't as dynamic. If you have a hefty gaming PC and often play fast-paced games, you'll want to look elsewhere for a monitor that can handle higher refresh rates.
Streaming is where this monitor shines. The large 32-inch screen feels immersive and cinematic when you're perched right in front of it. It's big enough that even if you're sitting slightly farther away, it works OK, but sit more than 5 feet away and it'll look too small. I spent a good amount of time watching Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, and the Cinema mode did a lovely job of improving the picture quality. (It looked good even on the Auto mode.)
The built-in speakers were loud enough to fill the room I was in, even when I stood more than 10 feet away. The sound quality is clear enough to hear dialog distinctly, but there's a muddy quality to the mid-tones when listening to music. The bass is quite weak too. I much preferred plugging in my cheap Pebble V3 desktop speakers to jam out. Much like how you should get a soundbar to improve your TV's sound, your PC monitor deserves a separate set of speakers.
The rest of the monitor's build quality is nice. Its all-white stand and frame are aesthetically pleasing, and you can move the screen up and down a few inches or tilt it upward and downward about 15 degrees to get the right angle. The base of the stand is large but flat, so you can put something on top of it. It does not rotate on the stand, but you can VESA-mount this monitor once you remove the stand and angle or orient it however you'd like.
The remote is simple, and there are buttons to quickly access services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+, similar to a Roku remote. The only thing it's missing are dedicated play/rewind/fast-forward buttons. You can use the directional wheel for the same effect, but I would have preferred dedicated buttons, and there's certainly room for them.
The top right input button on the remote, which looks like a little plug and cord, gives you three options: Home Hub, LG Channels, and PC if one is connected. The Home Hub is a smart home hub and utilizes LG's ThinQ ecosystem to control smart home devices. So if you have an LG ThinQ washer-dryer, you can check on your laundry cycles without getting up from your seat or picking up your phone.
It also can connect to assistants like Amazon Alexa, and I was able to use the ThinQ app and an Alexa Skill to connect the monitor to my Alexa speaker. That meant I could use voice commands to turn this smart monitor on or off. It's a fairly rudimentary feature these days, but it did allow me to add turning this monitor on to my Alexa good morning routine.
You can set up the PC connection via HDMI using the included HDMI cable, but if you want to use USB-C, you have to use the Upstream port and a USB 3.2 Type-C Gen 2 cable, which is not included. There are three USB-C ports in total, but only the Upstream port supports 90 watts of power and offers the display-out option. If you stick with HDMI, you can use this port to recharge a high-power gadget like a MacBook, provided you use the right cable. The good news is you can connect two devices at once, and when you turn the monitor on, it takes you to the smart TV homepage and asks if you want to switch to one of the connected devices.
The weirdest thing about the MyView is the included LG Smart Cam. This webcam isn't quite as functional if you connect the monitor to your PC with the included HDMI cord. The webcam itself connects to the monitor via a magnetic pogo pin port and sits dead center at the top of the screen. You can angle it upward, but you can't angle it down or move its location.
But the webcam can't connect to software like Zoom or Google Meet unless you use a USB 3.2 Type-C cord, which the monitor doesn't come with. If you're hooked up via HDMI, the camera only works with LG's built-in apps that aren't connected to your computer or laptop. I'm not sure why LG couldn't just include the appropriate cable. The Smart Cam's built-in microphone isn't great either. It tends to cut off the beginning of my sentences. I ended up just using my own webcam.
The MyView is a pretty minimalist take on a TV. There are two HDMI ports rather than just one, but no coaxial or sound options (no eARC support either). The sound is especially a bummer, though the size is nice enough for small rooms.
I liked using it to stream shows because, while I have a living room with a 40-inch TV, it's right next to my baby's room, so I prefer to watch a movie or show at my desk these days (especially since my husband's desk and mine are next to each other). That way I can play the audio a bit louder and don't have to worry about waking him up. It was also nice to lean back in my chair and switch from monitor to TV mode to signal the end of my workday, giving me some separation between activities without having to physically relocate.
Regardless, I think this monitor is a versatile choice for anyone looking for a 32-inch TV or monitor. If you have a small space and want the double functionality of connecting this screen to a PC or laptop, it's an elegant solution. Just make sure you have the right cables.
Only a few years ago, the most popular TV size was the 55-inch TV, but larger TVs, like 65-inch and 75-inch models, are becoming more common. Still, a 55-inch TV is good if you need something for a smaller room, and finding the best 55-inch TV for your needs depends on your usage, viewing conditions, and budget. High-end TVs tend to be great for a variety of uses, while budget TVs are better suited if you want something simple and don't need premium performance. If you want something bigger, check out the best 65-inch TVs instead.
We've bought and tested more than 440 TVs, and below are our recommendations for the best 55-inch televisions. You can also see our picks for the best TVs and the best smart TVs, or you can vote on which ones you want us to buy and test. To learn more about the 2024 models, check out our 2024 TV lineup page.
The Samsung QN55S90CAFXZA, also known as the Samsung S90C OLED, is the best 55-inch television we've tested. It's a premium TV with fantastic overall picture quality and a huge selection of smart features. It has great peak brightness and perfect, inky blacks for some of the most vibrant HDR viewing experiences. It doesn't have Sony's top-tier processing capabilities, but it's no slouch in that department and is certainly good enough for anyone except for movie enthusiasts. Unfortunately, unlike the Sony A95L OLED listed below, the Samsung TV doesn't support any DTS audio formats, and the TV is limited to the less commonly used HDR10+ format rather than Dolby Vision HDR. However, for most buyers, this is the best-looking 55-inch TV they can get for the price, as it's significantly cheaper than the Sony.
Thankfully, it's a standout performer for gaming, with full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth support on all four HDMI 2.1 ports. They all support up to 4k @ 144Hz, which is amazing for high-end PC gamers. You could also go for the Samsung S95C OLED instead, which is one of the brightest and most vibrant TVs on the market. It's basically a slightly brighter S90C, but it comes with a significant price hike and isn't worth it for most people.
The Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED is now available. It gets brighter, does a better job smoothing out low-quality content, and has less banding in colors, but it's also currently a lot more expensive. Unless you really want the small upgrades it offers, you're better off buying the cheaper S90C while it's still available. It's worth mentioning that Samsung's 2024 OLED lineup is confusing, as they're releasing S90Ds with both WOLED and QD-OLED panels, depending on the region and size. You can read more about this here.
If you want the best home theater experience, the Sony XR-55A95L is the best 55-inch smart TV for movie enthusiasts. It has a QD-OLED panel similar to the one found on the Samsung S90C OLED but has some of the best image processing on the market, which ensures you'll get the best possible home theater experience from almost any source, regardless of its quality. The TV also supports advanced DTS audio formats and the popular Dolby Vision HDR format, which makes it a standout performer for those watching high-quality streams or physical media. Unfortunately, it's significantly more expensive than the Samsung TV and is a bit worse for gaming due to its higher input lag. It's also less versatile because it only has two full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth ports, although it supports Dolby Vision gaming at 120Hz.
There's no real alternative to this TV; Sony stands alone with its processing capabilities, and this model is their current highest-end option. If you want a Sony OLED for its processing but don't care about high peak brightness or vibrant colors, consider the Sony A80L/A80CL OLED. It has a WOLED panel instead of the QD-OLED panel found in the A95L, so it resembles a dimmer TV like the LG C3 OLED but with Sony's excellent image processing.
If you're not in a completely dark room, a brighter 55-inch LED TV like the Hisense 55U8K is better than the Samsung S90C OLED and the Sony A95L OLED. Although higher-tier OLEDs can now output impressive peak brightness levels, LED TVs like this can reach even higher peak brightness levels in HDR and SDR and maintain these peaks for longer. Besides brightness, this TV delivers excellent picture quality, with very deep blacks, thanks to its Mini LED local dimming feature, which improves the appearance of dark scenes and further brings out bright highlights. The Hisense supports both Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+ and passes through advanced DTS audio formats through eARC. It also has very good image processing overall, making it a great home entertainment option.
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