The HQV Benchmark test validated the performance. The LT-3251 scored 113 out of 130 possible points. The design is stylish – a silver bevel with black framing around the screen. Value is simple. At the time of this review the LT-3251 cost approximately $799 through several online vendors.
All specifications listed in this article are courtesy of Norcent Technology.
Key Specifications
- 32” TFT 16:9 LCD Flat Panel
- Built-in Tuners: ATSC, NTSC, Clear-QAM
- Signal Compatibility: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i
- Resolution: 1366 x 768
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- Brightness: 500 cd/m2
- Response Time: 8ms
- Comb Filter: 3D Digital
- Speakers: 10W x 2
Connections
- RF Antenna: 1
- Composite:
- Component: 2
- S-Video: 2
- HDMI w/ HDCP: 1
- VGA (D-Sub) w/Audio: 1
- Stereo Audio: 4
What I Liked
- The Panel: The panel looked good with standard definition satellite TV, DVD, XBOX and high definition. My recommendation is to not stretch 4:3 images. The screen is still large enough to watch 4:3 in 4:3. The black framing around the screen makes it easy to forget the screen isn’t stretched.
- The Design: The design is nice. The stand was sturdy and didn’t wobble much when the panel was bumped into. The front view looks good. I liked the controls fixed to the side of the panel. The video and audio inputs were on the ack panel and were fairly easy to access when the panel was sitting on a table.
- Value: You could worse than paying $800 for this panel. Then again, you could do better. This is, however, a fair price for this panel. If you can get it for less then great. If not, then no worries. This panel will do the job asked of it.
What I Didn’t Like
- Noise: I didn’t like the picture noise when a 4:3 image was stretched to 16:9. This was easily corrected by switching the panel back to 4:3, but it would be nice to watch standard definition full screen without that side-effect.
Is this an issue? It could be. That really depends on your cable/satellite signal strength and resolution. I recommend watching 4:3 in 4:3.
- Audio Output: The LT-3251 doesn’t have an audio output. This could be a deal breaker for the person who wants to run audio out to a stereo.
Is this an issue? Yes, it is. The lack of an audio output is senseless to me. This might be the only HDTV without an audio output. This is an exaggeration but still???
- Picture-in-Picture (PIP): The LT-3251 didn’t have PIP.
Is this an issue? It could be. That really depends on whether or not picture-in-picture is important to you.
- Price: This panel is a good value for an estimated $800, but there are a lot of 32” LCD TVs that are comparable to the LT-3251 but at a lower price. When the emphasis for many consumers is bang for the buck, it could be difficult for buyers to justify spending a couple hundred extra dollars for this panel over a similar product.
Is this an issue? No. There will always be different price points within a television category. This TV is actually a good value for the price. I am always wary of prices that are too good to be true, so this one seems within reason to me. Still, I recommend all consumer shop around and look for good buys for what is desired in a TV.
HQV Benchmark Test Results
- Color Bar/Vertical Detail – 10/10
- Jaggies Pattern 1 – 5/5
- Jaggies Pattern 2 – 3/5
- Flag – 10/10
- Picture Detail – 10/10
- Noise Reduction – 5/10
- Motion Adaptive Noise Reduction – 0/10
- 3:2 Detail – 10/10
- Film Cadence – 40/40
- Mixed 3:2 Film with Horizontal/Vertical Video Titles – 20/20
Total – 113/130
The LT-3251 is the first panel I have tested with the HQV Benchmark disc. So, I’ll admit that I’m inexperienced with the ins and outs of the HQV disc. I would also like to stress that the results from this disc address the panel’s ability to display specific types of video.
I think the results really sum up what this panel is all about. It has the ability to display a real nice picture, but on the downside it has problems with noise reduction, ghosting and displaying diagonal lines.
The Bottom Line
I had a real positive experience with the LT-3251. Initially, I was concerned with the ability to display standard definition satellite images with clarity. The screen seemed a little soft and blurry. But, this was mostly due to the fact that I was watching 4:3 images in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Most televisions have problems accurately simulating a crisp picture when changing the images aspect ratio. So, I changed 4:3 back to 4:3 and the problem was solved. The biggest difference was the noise visible on the screen. There was considerable noise on-screen when watching standard definition in 16:9 but it pretty much disappeared in the 4:3 aspect ratio.
The menu system is typical for a television. It has the usual features but doesn’t really put butterflies in my stomach. I didn’t like the lack of picture-in-picture and audio outputs.
Overall picture quality was good for a LCD TV. Understand, this isn’t an elite panel but it is a very good panel. It displays DVD and HD quality images wonderfully. It has an excellent response time, which makes it good for video game play. The HQV test revealed some ghosting issues but I hardly noticed this when watching TV. It as a non-issue to me.
The sharpness of images was good but it lacked the fine detail you’ll find in higher end models. Diagonal lines were displayed accurately. This is important because some LCDs display diagonal lines in a stair-step type of fashion. I didn’t notice this issue on the LT-3251.
The LT-3251 had all of the connections you need on a television. The only detraction is the lack of an audio output. It would’ve been nice to have more than one HDMI/HDCP input but this really is a non-factor considering there are more choices on the market now for HDMI switches.
The bottom line is that the LT-3251 delivers on the performance, design and value that Norcent promotes. I recommend this panel for anyone wanting an above average LCD TV that won't break the budget.
